Antivirus software for computer illiterate user?

[DarkDubzs]

I'm setting up a computer for a friend who is pretty much computer illiterate and is the kind of person who would accidentally install a few toolbars and free trials in a week. So I want an Antivirus that does its job well, has a simple UI, but more than anything, has no pop ups or tries to sneak software past you.

I ask because I used to always use and recommend AVG Free, which I still like and use for myself, but they have added in pop ups that say stuff like "upgrade to a free trial of AVG Premium" and you get stuck with a trial version... or worse are it's pop-ups that try to install another one of their or some company's software or tries to install their AVG toolbar or whatever it is they force now. You have to unchecked a small checkbox to not download it. I know my friend will miss those kinds of things and get screwed quickly. Avast also has done this kind of thing lately.

So what anti virus programs, beside Windows Defender, do you guys recommend for not having adware, pop ups, or anything like that, while having a good reputation and regular scheduled scan feature?

 

[JackNaylorPE]

I find free AV software worth pretty much what you pay for it. But AV by itself is only partial protection. Malware and Firewall protection is also essential. The problem with most AV Suites however is they get to a point where they make themselves victims of their own success. They get popular because of the good job they do, and then thru success or fears of piracy, the anti piracy / licensing components become so intrusive as to be frustrating. Between problems with those as well the larger user base, tech support takes a week to respond to any problems. This what took Norton down from it's perch.... many have fallen in between .... and now the big favorite in recent years, BitDefender has now fallen prey to this self destructive approach. We are in the process of phasing BitDefender out and moving to Kapersky for 2016.

You can compare performance here:

https/www.av-test.org/en/antivirus/home-windows/

$24 http/store.fileforum.com/p33550-kaspersky_internet_security_2016_1-pc
http/usa.kaspersky.com/specialoffer-7?bid=hp_whykl_learnmore

Can try for free for 30 days

http/usa.kaspersky.com/downloads/free-home-trials/total-security/?ICID=INT50004726

 

[DarkDubzs]

I find free AV software worth pretty much what you pay for it. But AV by itself is only partial protection. Malware and Firewall protection is also essential. The problem with most AV Suites however is they get to a point where they make themselves victims of their own success. They get popular because of the good job they do, and then thru success or fears of piracy, the anti piracy / licensing components become so intrusive as to be frustrating. Between problems with those as well the larger user base, tech support takes a week to respond to any problems. This what took Norton down from it's perch.... many have fallen in between .... and now the big favorite in recent years, BitDefender has now fallen prey to this self destructive approach. We are in the process of phasing BitDefender out and moving to Kapersky for 2016.

You can compare performance here:

https/www.av-test.org/en/antivirus/home-windows/

$24 http/store.fileforum.com/p33550-kaspersky_internet_security_2016_1-pc
http/usa.kaspersky.com/specialoffer-7?bid=hp_whykl_learnmore

Can try for free for 30 days

http/usa.kaspersky.com/downloads/free-home-trials/total-security/?ICID=INT50004726

Couldnt agree with you more on that one, it is very unfortunate for users and the companies themselves.

Yes, AV is just one thing that is to be used to properly safeguard against malicious software and external parties.

When you say we, who do you mean? Like your company where you work,or like the general consensus of admins and users,or how so? I had also always been under the impression that Kaspersky was not a good AV for some few reasons, has it made a comeback or such? What do you personally recommend?

 

[azaran]

Kasperky has in general had a very positive rep. Their security suite with its firewall just had a huge footprint that took a notable hit to the computer resources. But the detection as always been very good. ESet has had a good shows too, tho the last few tests they dropped a bit. If you're friend insists on a free AV, go to Avira. After setting up its preferences, it shouldn't give any pop ups. At least nothing like AVG or Avast have gotten in to the habit of doing.

 

[DarkDubzs]

Thanks for the answers guys. I just went with AVG and setup scheduled scans and updates, and I am just going to hope for the best. I also got Malwarebytes Free and made a couple quick .bat files to update it and run a quick scan with it on a regular schedule, done through Windows task scheduler.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

When you say we, who do you mean? Like your company where you work,or like the general consensus of admins and users,or how so? I had also always been under the impression that Kaspersky was not a good AV for some few reasons, has it made a comeback or such? What do you personally recommend?

We as in the SOHO, Office, whom we build PCs for, where I'm asked to help set up or maintain PCs.

I can be funny watching peeps argue over which AV is better.... I remember an argument here on THG where it was whose has better AV .... ZoneAlarm Suite versus Kapersky Suite and .... ZA Suite incorporated Kapersky AV.

I had been using BitDefender's free 30 day trial for years to disinfect peeps who were flying naked with just Windows built in stuff, or with a free AV. My S-I-L once had over 1200 infections. Took about 4 hours to clean, with the more tenacious ones having to be removed manually. I leave w/ a warning that you got 30 days to get something real.

The problem is once these outfits get popular, they get so afraid that everybody is going to steal their stuff, that they put in so much anti-piracy stuff that the system gets sluggish. I used to call one scenario "the 99% Virus", whereby the system came with a 3 or 6 month trial and soon after it ended, their CPU was always at 99%. Norton was the market leader in the early 90s, till they got onerous, then McAfee, Panda had a turn and in each case, the programs just got to be too much work.

Now with BitDefender, it keeps knocking my network users off the network, peeps work on a file for 4 hours and then all of a sudden they can't save the file to the server, it unmaps network drives. I have multiple licenses for different sites purchased in groups of 3 as that is the least expensive option. With the 2016 version, instead of downloading it once to a USB or placing it on a server, I have to download it individually to each machine, doing the password dance on the web site and then doing it again with the license number. Contacting tech support generates an auto-response and a week later you get a answer that appears it came from a bot that searches for key words and generates an auto response.

The other bonehead thing is that they all have a price on their web sites of say $60 for 3 seats, but if you do a little web searching you can always fond it for half that or less. I never renew, because it's cheaper to just buy a new license. If they charged $30 for 3 licenses and $25 for renewals, they wouldn't have to worry about pirates, and customers would stay loyal cause they didn't have to jump thru hoops to install or use it.