Need AV Advice please?

CountMike said:

I guess that it's still OK. but avoid downloading any SW from any place that requires you to use their own downloader program because usually with main SW comes something else that you did not bargain for. Cnet for instance is famous for that. Unlike Linux when most of SW comes from repositories and sideloading is not common, Windows SW is all over the place and could be loaded with unwanted content.

Agree with you 100% !

Yeremyah said:

Sounds like a good plan, WD and Malwarebytes free. If I just use those 2 things my PC should be clean?

MBAM Free does NOT provide real-time protection.
It is only a manual, on-demand scanner.
It can only detect/remove malware that has made it on to the system, past your AV.
If you want realtime protection to help PREVENT infection with zero-hour and zero-day threats often missed by the AV, then you will need the paid, Premium version. (The same is true for the few, other, robust anti-malware applications: they are paid.)

As far as "free" AVs, you may find this post interesting/helpful: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/foru.../#entry3833274

Most of the "free" AVs now come with bundled toolbars, marketing ads for their own paid products, weak support, limited features, or other drawbacks. Personally, I think that the nominal cost of robust, paid security applications is worth the investment. The cost works out to a fraction of a penny per day per computer. And it is much less expensive than the lost time, productivity and effort to rebuild or recover from a serious malware episode, data breach or other catastrophe.

Having said all that, no one security application or combination thereof can provide 100% protection all of the time.
Many/most computer infections start with the computer component between the chair and the keyboard.
Safe computing practices are the first and last line of defense.

Cheers,
MM

Give Panda Free a look. It's a top rated antivirus and does not come with toolbars and other junk. I am using it along with Malwarebytes Free and love it. Just note that the free version of Bitdefender does not work properly with Windows 10 at this time.

I use Avast AIS, it is not free but they have a free version. New just released a few days ago.

Yeremyah said:

Sounds like a good plan, WD and Malwarebytes free. If I just use those 2 things my PC should be clean?

A computer is as safe as the nut behind the keyboard.
Practice safe computing and you will never need more than the built in Windows Defender and the free version of Malwarebytes.

Currently My favorite is Bitdefender. I use to use Avast! Pro, but switched. Others are AVG, Norton and McAfee.

ram1220 said:

Give Panda Free a look. It's a top rated antivirus and does not come with toolbars and other junk. I am using it along with Malwarebytes Free and love it. Just note that the free version of Bitdefender does not work properly with Windows 10 at this time.

I thought Panda included it's own toolbar for the Safe Web feature to work?

garydexter said:

I thought Panda included it's own toolbar for the Safe Web feature to work?

It is optional. During install you can choose not to install it. And the protection is just as good without the tool bar. I chose not to use it.

TairikuOkami said:

Panda Free - issues? | Wilders Security Forums

I don't have any problems with Panda. It works great on my system.