Is there free anti-spyware and anti-virus software I can download?
By Geri
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I use a website called majorgeeks.com. You can search by program type. They have both freeware and shareware but it is clearly identified in the description. I have had no problem with spyware being snuck in with any of the programs I have downloaded from them. Remember to run only one antivirus, but you can have multiple anti-spyware.
Besides anti-virus and anti-spyware, it is important to have a good firewall to block internet attacks on your computer. ZoneAlarm is a very good firewall and it is free. You can download it here:
go to www.comodo.com they have the anti virus and firewall and spy ware they call malware i have been using them for years they are good and free. Shirley golden7673 AT yahoo.com
Here's my favorite, recommended by a computer repairman:
Free antivirus software providing desktop security and data protection. avast! detects and removes all forms of malware, including spyware, rootkits and trojans. Free for home users.
»Free software for home use only
»Resident shield and self-protection
»Free automatic updates »Web and P2P protection
»Anti-spyware & anti-rootkit tool
BEWARE! Although there are many that are good, there are MORE that are truly BAD and incompatible with many versions of Windows. Be very careful, aware that if your ISP doesn't like whatever you download, they can cause your computer to freeze, slow down, crash, as happened to me several years ago. Surely they have improved, but AVG seems to be reliable and liked by a LOT of folks. God bless. : )
www.cnet.com has hundreds of free applications as well as reviews and comparisons of applications.
The anti-virus programs I like most from there are AVG and Spybot Search and Destroy.
Even if you ultimately get your antivirus program elsewhere, I still suggest checking out CNet's freeware section -- there's a lot of great freeware there you may want to make yourself aware of. When you get to the home CNet page, click on "downloads" from the list on the left side of the page --- A new list will appear on the left and at the very bottom it will read "top freeware." Click on that and it will take you to the freeware page where free applications like utilities, games, screensavers, educational software are all listed by category. Good luck
Spybot Search & Destroy is one of the safest and most thorough spyware detector/removers out there worldwide! It's free and is not shareware which is something that's really important, to me anyway ;-) It's easy to download and updates are available every Wednesday! A hint when doing a weekly scan: Close all open windows and the scan will work much faster ;-) I've been using it for about five years now and am completely satisfied!
For anti-virus I am more than happy to pay for McAfee (which is only about $30.00 or $40.00 a year) because I never have to worry and nothing ever 'sneaks in' but I have a few friends who use AVG which is free if you simply can't afford to pay for virus protection: free.avg.com/
AVG is good. Be sure and stay with reputable companies. Above all, DO NOT download and pay for Extra Antivirus. It in itself IS a virus.
Another good one I learned about is Panda Cloud. Google it, it is an interesting concept and seems to be well recommended by many tech people.
We had AVG, Spybot Search and Destroy (be sure and get it, not just the Spybot which is not free - you need Spybot Search and Destroy). and AdAware, and a virus still got past us this last week.
I learned that when a pop-up comes up saying you have a virus and you need their program, you don't just "x" out of it. That is what installed the virus. I learned that the best way when a pop-up comes up like that, immediately don't do anything. Leave the page up, don't click on anything. Immediately unplug your modem, and do an "alt-control-delete" to get to the task manager or an "alt F4" and close out the pages that way. We actually got the virus by clicking on the X at the top right hand of the page thinking we were closing the page. In reality it installed the virus and I'm pretty sure it was the "Extra Antivirus." Even the computer geeks we took our computer to can't seem to get rid of it. We've got to reformat the hard drive and reinstall windows. Which of course means we've got to reinstall our printer, our modem, all our programs, etc. A real hassle.
I also went to download.com and chose AVG a couple of years ago it was great now I am using avast as well just to make sure. They both work great and best of all they are free.
I wouldn't suggest downloading comodo or anything like it. The problem with those types of programs is that they often interfere with you running legitimate programs, and they may give you a false sense of security because they frequently don't catch certain viruses, trojans and malware.
First, if you have Windows, you already have a built-in antivirus protection called Windows defender. Search for it and be sure it is working properly. You also have a firewall and security settings. Check these, too.
Your browser has security settings that add an extra layer of protection. Set these, too.
The only two anti-virus programs I use will not interfere with the running of your computer because they aren't "real-time." These are SuperAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes, the free versions. Download these from their official sites only, here: www.superantispyware.com/
www.malwarebytes.org/
Run these once a week.
Here are some more tips:
Don't click on links of cute pictures, funny websites, or whatnot from Facebook or other sites, unless you recognize the site it's going to and know it is safe.
Don't download any software from any third-party websites. Only download software from the maker's official website.
Never accept anything "along with" software you download, such as a free trial of a different software.
Never download any software you aren't sure about and haven't researched. Warn your kids and grandkids, too. This includes "cute" stuff like smileys, personalize your Facebook page, cute screensaver, stuff like that.
Don't click around on websites because they offer something free or a good deal. Usually it's a scam anyway, but may be just a trap for a virus. It isn't worth it.
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