A good free antivirus program...?

[Penguin_Unit]

Okay.

So, I got on today and lo and behold, some antivirus update thing shows up and says I need to update or something. Then it goes on to scan my computer and find 52 different malicious programs. And, the grand kicker of all, it tells me I need to pay before it can update, and it is effectively locked.

Now I need to know how to fix this before something really bad happens. Do any of you know a decent free program to use that isn't loaded with something malicious from the start like Spybot?

Thanks.

[Nittany Tiger]

Avast!

Works great and is 100% free. It will want you to sign up for a code after a while but the code is free.

[>Omen<]

Originally Posted by Killer Kyle

Avast!

Works great and is 100% free. It will want you to sign up for a code after a while but the code is free.

I concur, Avast's free version is the best of the freeware AVs.

[jjz-]

Then it goes on to scan my computer and find 52 different malicious programs. And, the grand kicker of all, it tells me I need to pay before it can update, and it is effectively locked.

Are you sure it's not just giving false results in order to get you to buy the product? Plenty of companies do that.

[Nittany Tiger]

You know, I bet the program that is making you pay is either Norton or McAfee. May also be PC Cillin but I do not know.

[Penguin_Unit]

Edit: Nevermind. Delete this post.

[*Daedalus]

I would recommend Avast! also.

[Serio]

Originally Posted by Killer Kyle

You know, I bet the program that is making you pay is either Norton or McAfee. May also be PC Cillin but I do not know.

Norton is a piece of malware. Unless you use tools provided by Symantec, you can't uninstall i without screwing up your OS. I highly recommend Avast! since it's updated all the time. It's alittle scary watching the virus database fill up with new threats, but hey, at least it keeps my PC safe!

[Admiral Donutz]

Speaking of antivirus programs, currently I use McAfee Internet security. It has run out a week or two back. All that time it never found a single virus or anything (which means it either just sucks at the job, I'm lucky and I am smart enough to avoid downloading/opening unreliable files and attachments or a combination of those... :lol: ). I haven't reregistered yet since I'm off for three months it would be a waste of money. I haven't bothered to seriously think about subscribing again, changing to a competitor or going for a freeware alternative.

That's all for now. *keeps an eye on the thread* I won't really look seriously into AVs untill March of 2009 so... *lurk*

[Serio]

Avast! has only ever warned me once. That was just a false-positive. I think it's got something to do with FireFox and my Firewall too.