Best Free Antivirus Software?

Professor Snugglesworth

Like the title says. Just looking for the most reliable Antivirus software that, in itself, does not try to add any extra unwanted crap or can't cope with current viruses. Just something that's basic and to the point, and also works on older machines.

Suggestions, as always, are appreciated.

jaziek

MSE + MBAM

thread over.

TychoCelchuuu

MSE. Don't even bother with MBAM unless you think you've picked something up.

bowen

MSE, without a doubt.

Mike Danger

I'll add my voice to the MSE chorus. I was skeptical at first, but it really is as good as people say it is.

Foomy

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/security-essentials

mse is one of the best av products out right now, and it's free. I wish MS could add it by default to windows installs, but the other av companies would bitch about monopoly shit.

Donovan Puppyfucker

Microsoft Security Essentials.

Are you seeing a pattern form here?

And Malware Bytes is bloody good anti-malware stuff.

Synthesis

MSE.

Malware Bytes is also recommended, though recently, I've run into more malware stuff that it doesn't catch (even on a deliberate scan) that MSE does. So, MSE first, though they are typically different areas.

TetraNitroCubane

Throwing down another recommendation for MSE. There's really no reason NOT to use it, unless you're one of the special few who find it drags on system performance. Malware Bytes is another one to have installed at all times. I'd suggest a weekly MBAM scan, as it will look for things that MSE won't.

Most critically: Don't feel you're safe just because you have MSE (or any antivirus) installed. Remember that new malware that won't be detected by MSE is being release into the wild by the hour. Take some measures in your browser to ensure you've got a higher level of protection. Namely, ensure you have some kind of Adblocker and some kind of Javascript Blocker installed (Adblock and NoScript if you're on Firefox). Just my two cents on the matter, though.

Nightslyr

+1 MSE MBAM

Professor Snugglesworth

So I heard some positive feedback about some program called MSE? Can anyone confirm?

But seriously, I'm glad there's a unanimous recommendation, so I'll gladly try it out.

What's the purpose of MBAM though? Is it recommended to have both, or will MSE do the trick?

Djeet

MBAM is more something you use when you think you're infected by something and want to find/clean it. Most AV is pretty decent about preventing your machine from getting a fair number of bugs, but they're the first apps to be targeted to be mucked with by malware, and they're often not as good as cleaning up an infection as dedicated cleaning utilities.

MBAM is alright, ComboFix is better.

Professor Snugglesworth

So basically it's like Spybot?

On that note, is it better than Spybot?

Djeet

I haven't heard the name Spybot S&D dropped in years. I haven't used it in a really long time, and have no idea if it's still undergoing active development (if it isn't then it's useless). I recall for a time there that it was still useful to run S&D's TeaTimer even if you were going to clean with MBAM. For cleanup ComboFix is the most powerful; if I cannot root it out with ComboFix it's time to format and re-install. It's not a single-click solution though.

TetraNitroCubane

MalwareBytes AntiMalware is a stand alone malware scanner, so in theory it's very similar to Spybot. It's detections are lightyears beyond what Spybot was every capable of, though. It's the go-to scanner that most malware removal experts fall back on, even before running an A/V scan. I recommend having Malwarebytes installed, mostly to have a second opinion scanner available on demand. MalwareBytes will catch many things that MSE (or any other antivirus) won't see if an infection occurs - And it's always better to have it installed and updated before you get something nasty, in my opinion. Trying to install it on an already-infected machine can be tricky (though certainly it's not impossible).

While I have to say that Combofix is good at what it does, I'd have to chime in here with a huge warning that Combofix should NEVER be used lightly. That program will fuck your computer up proper if you don't know how to use it. It is extremely powerful and effective when used appropriately, but dangerous if you use it otherwise.

Essentially, if you're in a situation where you need to use Combofix, it's going to be safer and easier to reformat and reinstall anyway. Typically Combofix is only needed when you get a nasty rootkit, and then removal is never a sure thing.

Again, the above represents my two cents. Opinions on the matter vary wildly.