Best Antivirus Software and Apps (Archive)

[Sreekanth_3]

Hi, I installed Norton Mobile AV on my Samsung S6 with Android 6.0.1 , but it's not helping with what I really wanted, which is to prevent my Chrome browser from being occasionally directed to random annoying sites. For example, one which says you have a virus, or one which says you won a prize. They don't do any damage, and I just ignore them and reopen the page I want, but it's the principle of the thing. How do I remove whatever malware is doing this? Thanks

 

[Jeff-N-Houston]

Solve all your problems at once, get a BitDefender Box it's one outstanding device that protects all internet devices, computers, televisions, phones, etc. Well worth the money in my mind, and you also get unlimited BitDefender Total Security installations. I have multiple computers, tablets, android devices, etc., for my family this was the best solution for our entire connected home and more!

 

[Ste___free]

anti-virus programs lol use you as a test subject it emits a invitation to viruses attracting them to attack you so that the anti-virus company can learn what's floating around and if there is any new infections that they dident know about already and can then learn how to combat them for there next upgrade :} so dont pay them to be there frontline test subjects :}

 

[DarinCF]

I'm having a hard time understanding how Sophos got a top spot in Mac Antivirus programs. I installed Sophos Home on my Mac and ran a scan. It indeed found a number of viruses, but then told me I had to manually remove them. When I chatted with someone at Sophos, I was informed the Mac version does not remove viruses. What use is an antivirus program if it cannot detect and remove viruses.

 

[George_184]

Up to know I was using AVG....and it is not even there haha. But what about Anti-Malware programs? I was using Malwarebytes at first, but then I switched to MalwareFox because it was slightly cheaper and it seemed to have the same performance with Malwarebytes. So for now I'm gonna stick with MalwareFox. And for all of you who are saying that using security programs is a waste of money, keep in mind that not everyone can tell the difference between a legitimate application and a virus, not everyone can protect themselves on their own.

 

[Lukas_23]

just try bullguard anti virus my friend. iam 10th try bullguart . before try antivirus no 1 in promo.....so dificull.....and many problem............try bullguart my friend.....and keep smile.....

 

[George_184]

I have AVG as my main Antivirus but I use MalwareFox instead of Malwarebytes as my second line of defense. It came slightly cheaper and it seems to offer a good amount of protection.

 

[luliakarten]

Hiii to all, Yes I Use antivirus software for my PC and Mac and Paid antiviruses are way better then free. So I go for the paid Antivirus software because its gives more solutions and more features rather then free.

 

[Tricia_B]

On this recommendation, both I and my husband installed Avira on our Windows 10 desktop comps. Then we both had the same problem - the computer could not shut down! Everytime either of us clicked shut down, the computer immediately sprang back into the Windows login screen. I searched the Net for answers but found none. I tried temporarily disabling most of the Avira processes, but still - no shut down. So I uninstalled it. So did he. Angry at the waste of time now. (Avira also installs a lot of bloatware, including a near-hidden process called AV Launcher. You can neither select nor disable it. Goodbye Avira.

 

[Strype]

Yeah.Usually TG is a great source of information regarding stuff like this. However, I must admit, this article is borderline useless. It doesn't make any comparisons, it feels like an advertisement, and it suggests Software that clearly is not "better" or "the best" when compared to what most tech-savvy people would say.

TL;DR - Avira sucks. There isn't a single thing it does better than Avast, so I have no idea why it would be recommended here. Back in the day, they were racing each other for superiority, but not anymore. They haven't even been comparable for about 5 years. Avast is easily the most sufficient AV program that doesn't cost anything. If you don't believe me, feel free to run your own tests (to inevitably come to the same conclusion).

 

[TeaLily]

Ive used almost every Antivirus accept PC Matic and the Bitdefender. Ive been attacked for 4 yrs now. Finally we had to buy Macs. We first purchased Kaspersky and the hackers changed my password over and over. Finally after a week getting a new password then the hackers deleted my acct. They actually called and pretended to be me and canceled my order and they sent my money back. Currently we have Webfoot and we have been attacked over and over. They ADD USERS and that is how they do it. My husband attacked last May with 2 added users 4 folders deep and myself May and Oct 4 added users 10 folders deep. My Honda 2014 was also hacked Believe me... THIS IS REAL PEOPLE. Cops, FBI. DOD, DOJ no one can help you.Think Im going to try the Bitdefender as soon as my Webfoot is due for renewal. Good Luck People...No One is SAFE!

 

[Eliezer]

I installed Avira Free on a new Windows 8.1 computer and began receiving the
‘Your computer is not secure! A Service is not working correctly’
and also see the ‘Fix problem‘ button. I tried following directions I found online to update manually by downloading something (I forgot what it's called) from Avira's site. But it didn't work. At least the directions I followed didn't yield any useful results.

Any advice, please? Thank you in advance!

 

[ferrisca]

After many years of being a computer tech and my own research, there is no one "silver bullet" to eliminate all virus or malware programs. There are many good programs for both. Sometimes 2 or 3 antivirus programs will be compatible together. Pick another good program, or use something to prevent one or another from starting. Then try another. Another choice would be to run virtual box/virtual machine, load another antivirus and run it. Or perhaps run the AV in some 'sandbox' program.
In the past, I have run 4 AV programs and found the system clean, but on the 5th or 6th found a virus program - and it was usually the nasty beat that was causing the problem. As many have said this is a GUIDE. One of many, there is no so-called expert that can give an absolute answer about the best, fastest, least overhead, etc program. I was fortunate enough to work in an academic computing environment for a while. They used one paid program version of a free program and changed to another paid version of a free program while I was there, part of which was cost and another part was the new one found a number of virus programs the old one missed. Take this as a FYI, not a declaration of "best in show".

 

[Paul Wagenseil]

Why isn't ClamAv for Macs mentioned???

We reviewed it a couple of years ago, and, well, it just wasn't that good:
http/www.tomsguide.com/us/clamxav-mac-security-antivirus,review-2347.html

Ignore the bit about "not worth the money," because, um.

 

[Paul Wagenseil]

I'm using Windows Defender and it's working pretty okay on my laptop. By far, it has not given me any problem and the most important thing is that it's free. What else can one ask for? So, my suggestion would be to use the default Windows Defender. It's a great antivirus.

I ain't stopping you, but there are half a dozen other free programs that do a better job:
http/www.tomsguide.com/us/best-antivirus,review-2588-5.html

 

[Paul Wagenseil]

Fwiw, dealing with an issue now, of virus and/or malware, and after running bitdefender and it clearing what it found, I ran malwarebytes and it found over 10 more instances of malware. So though one shouldn't run live more than one at a time, I recommend having malwarebytes and run it periodically, too.

Your recommendation is good advice. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free Edition isn't antivirus software -- it's a cleanup service. Because of that, it's perfectly safe to run alongside regular AV software.

 

[Paul Wagenseil]

After many years of being a computer tech and my own research, there is no one "silver bullet" to eliminate all virus or malware programs. There are many good programs for both. Sometimes 2 or 3 antivirus programs will be compatible together. Pick another good program, or use something to prevent one or another from starting. Then try another. Another choice would be to run virtual box/virtual machine, load another antivirus and run it. Or perhaps run the AV in some 'sandbox' program.
In the past, I have run 4 AV programs and found the system clean, but on the 5th or 6th found a virus program - and it was usually the nasty beat that was causing the problem. As many have said this is a GUIDE. One of many, there is no so-called expert that can give an absolute answer about the best, fastest, least overhead, etc program. I was fortunate enough to work in an academic computing environment for a while. They used one paid program version of a free program and changed to another paid version of a free program while I was there, part of which was cost and another part was the new one found a number of virus programs the old one missed. Take this as a FYI, not a declaration of "best in show".

I wouldn't run two full-fledged AV products alongside each other. That could really slow down your machine. Instead, do what another commenter here recommended -- AV product plus the free version of Malwarebytes.

 

[Paul Wagenseil]

I installed Avira Free on a new Windows 8.1 computer and began receiving the
‘Your computer is not secure! A Service is not working correctly’
and also see the ‘Fix problem‘ button. I tried following directions I found online to update manually by downloading something (I forgot what it's called) from Avira's site. But it didn't work. At least the directions I followed didn't yield any useful results.

Any advice, please? Thank you in advance!

That could be unrelated. As far as we know, Avira doesn't install any third-party software alongside itself. But -- did you download the installer directly from the Avira website? If not, a dodgy third-party site could have wrapped the installer with potentially unwanted programs that could have generate the scareware ads you saw.

 

[Paul Wagenseil]

Ive used almost every Antivirus accept PC Matic and the Bitdefender. Ive been attacked for 4 yrs now. Finally we had to buy Macs. We first purchased Kaspersky and the hackers changed my password over and over. Finally after a week getting a new password then the hackers deleted my acct. They actually called and pretended to be me and canceled my order and they sent my money back. Currently we have Webfoot and we have been attacked over and over. They ADD USERS and that is how they do it. My husband attacked last May with 2 added users 4 folders deep and myself May and Oct 4 added users 10 folders deep. My Honda 2014 was also hacked Believe me... THIS IS REAL PEOPLE. Cops, FBI. DOD, DOJ no one can help you.Think Im going to try the Bitdefender as soon as my Webfoot is due for renewal. Good Luck People...No One is SAFE!

Um ... I don't think the problem is the antivirus software you're running. You might want to read this article (apologies for the slideshow format): http/www.tomsguide.com/us/pictures-story/982-avoid-being-hacked.html

 

[Paul Wagenseil]

Yeah.Usually TG is a great source of information regarding stuff like this. However, I must admit, this article is borderline useless. It doesn't make any comparisons, it feels like an advertisement, and it suggests Software that clearly is not "better" or "the best" when compared to what most tech-savvy people would say.

TL;DR - Avira sucks. There isn't a single thing it does better than Avast, so I have no idea why it would be recommended here. Back in the day, they were racing each other for superiority, but not anymore. They haven't even been comparable for about 5 years. Avast is easily the most sufficient AV program that doesn't cost anything. If you don't believe me, feel free to run your own tests (to inevitably come to the same conclusion).

Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man....