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Update: Here’s the list of Best Free Antivirus Software [2012 Edition]
We’ve reviewed a number of Anti-malware programs on Windows Guides over the years but it seems some programs soon become bloated, include stolen definitions from other products, or just get outshined by new (or improved) competition. In this guide, I share the top five free anti-malware programs for 2010.
Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE)
- It’s free.
- It detects most malware.
- It’s free…
- It uses relatively no system resources (the most I’ve heard/seen is 38MB RAM.)
- It just works really well.
Download Microsoft Security Essentials (Windows Genuine Validation Required)
Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware
- The program is effective at finding malware.
- The program uses little memory and wont bog down your machine.
- Malwarebytes constantly update their definitions (which temps other companies *ahem* Iobit to steal them.)
Avira AntiVir
avast!
Download avast!
Panda Cloud Antivirus
Panda Cloud Antivirus provides real time protection by networking the PCs back to servers that analyze threats and proactively protect you from the latest exploits. The program is free and I tested it for some time and was very happy with it. I still use MSE but if you like the idea of community-based protection, give this one a try.
Download Panda Cloud Antivirus
Update: Here’s the list of best free anti-malware programs for 2012.
About Rich
Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix them.
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How are you going to leave out AVG antivirus? Cmon, I know you've heard of it…
http://www.clamav.net/lang/en/about/win32/
The new ClamAV for Windows is the result of a partnership between Immunet Corporation (http://www.immunet.com) and Sourcefire, Inc. (http://www.sourcefire.com). It is designed to provide the ClamAV community with a free Windows-specific Anti-Virus (AV) solution using an advanced Cloud-based protection mechanism.
You can use ClamAV For Windows as a stand-alone, host-based AV solution, or in conjunction with your pre-installed AV solution to provide enhanced detection for the latest malware threats.
who said that Avira or Avast could do anything ,,
they are just a load on the system
this page is very abusing for an award winning Antivirus called
NOD32
can you plase check the comodo internet security 2 ???
I like Fortinet’s FortiClient (free version), with powerful AntivVirus, AntiSpam, Firewall and a useful (for some) VPN client.
Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware is junk. It can not scan into archives and does not respond to the Eicar Test Virus, so no testing is possible. Avira AntVir uses too much resources and updates only once a day.
Super antispyware free edition? That's my favorite.
Thanks!
I would definitely recommend AVG Antivirus. It uses less memory than MSE(At least on my pc), and seems to block threats fairly well.
Another point in MSSE's favor is that it's one of a very few that's not vulnerable to the Matousec Exploit: http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/05/09/matouse…
I'm just not a big fan of it anymore (I used to use it for about 6 years.)
Thanks Moritz!
Unfortunately NOD32 is not free so it didn't make the list.
Thanks for the suggestion :)
Thanks for the feedback Warrior.
Last time I used it, it was a hog, but I'm hoping they've put it on a bloat diet since then.
ITA, Rich. Thanks for sharing about these great anti-malware programs. I really love MSE and how well it protects my OS. :)
David, this is the first I've heard of FortiClient. I'll check it out.
We can't ignore the cool fact that Microsoft Security Essential is also available in 64-bit, which should provide a performance boost over the 32-bit version, in scanning.
Good point. I'd like to see a comparison. .
AVG free anti-virus missing from the list.
the reason AVG is missing because it is one of the worst. It slows down the comp and it is not all effective. I use Avira and malwarebyte after testing various anti-virus software for 6 years.
What about kaspersky
No es ni libre ni gratuito
All five are free.
All five are free.
I love avast……………………….
we have used AVG a lot but we don't anymore since they upgraded to the newer versions which have taken a toll on our older systems especially our laptops. We switched to either microsoft security essentials or Avast. We use Malware bytes regularly and would recommend it in a heartbeat…
Free Antivrus it is not enough,,, You need a full component like Norton Internet Security,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, or Mcafee Internet Security.
MSE also is community based. It uses Microsoft SpyNet.
For XP or older user or Small size company, yes.
Medium, Large, use hardware level firewall for the best protection.
For Home PC running Windows Vista or 7, you don't need such software. The advance security feature, including a real, fully functional inbound/outbound control software firewall provided in Vista and Win7, surpass or provide the same (depending on which security software you compare too), the software you are looking at.
Moreover, McaFee Anti-Virus isn't a good solution at all. As a developer, I have all my McaFee users who get false positives coming form my software, because I include a library dll file, that one virus used. The solution was to rename it. Yup.. that was the fix. This shows you how idiotic McaFee is.
Not mention once where this anti-virus deleted critical system files for all it's users. This shows that no one there test their software.
Agree, but I suspect that it will only be a little bit faster, mainly due to the HDD speed restriction. My guess, is that it will shine more on fast SSD.
I would be extremely worried about leaving My Security to a free AV/Security Suite.
I have used all of the Above including the suggested Commodo, SAS and ClamAv, and would recomend MSE (For real-time Heuristic Protection) to anyone without funds to buy an Internet Security Suite. MalwareBytes and SAS are also usefull malware scanners (will identify malware which MSE may miss)
also Google “Eset Online Scanner”
More Importantly in my opinion is a Good Firewall like Commodo or My Free Favourite: Online Armour (which can run any program in “Safe Mode” (Sandboxed like SandboxIE or Kaspersky “Safe mode”)
So use MSE as base with MalwareBytes and SAS (I also like the free Eset online Scanner (NOD32 based) as an alternate) alongside any one of; Online Armour, commodo(without AV attatchment) or possibly ZoneAlarm
Avira is one of the BEST, if not the Best antivirus programs out there! I've used it for 3 years ($25.00) 1 year licensed program and have never had an infection. Great if your a Facebooker, a lot of the ads on the side of the pages have malware which Avira stops!
Microsoft Security Essentials is the best because it is free and developed by Microsoft on his own. They have most reports of all windows based computer which is not available for any other Antivirus programmer. Most important fact is, in my real life experience (since last one and half year almost) I never saw it (Microsoft Security Essentials) to be failed to detect attack and remove. Thanks Microsoft for this, also it does proves that Microsoft cares its customer and there safety not for money always.
I avoid MSE at all costs now – after witnessing first-hand what it can miss. I've seen how a virus can slip past this software completely undetected (it took MBAM/Stinger and a sys.restore to make things right again).
Personally I'm astounded at how light and effective Norton Internet Security is (I never thought I'd endorse any Symantec product because of their despised cpu-hogging clunkers of yesterday). It is the best single suite I've ever employed – with Kaspersky coming in a close second.
Avira has always been my favorite freebie.
I have been using Avast since long time. It is good. Besides this I also used Avira, which is also good. Where as Avast can do boot time scan also.
could you add this Wormblaster of http://www.wormblaster.net this AV also works and a big help to clean the computers from infections
i decided to install Malwarebytes, it s free, and how i can see best antimalware,even better than avast ?! i used google chrome as my webbrowser, but 1 malware destroj chrome, and i simply can t open any web site !! i have avast 5 antivir, io bit security 360 , but nothing too help. how i use SRWARE browser everything looks ok.
I use MSE 2.0 for two years and nothing happen. stay green so long time.
use avast. But sometimes dont know trojan into html page asking for download
Use avast. and run a scan with another program such as malwarebytes…1 program might have a tiny possibility for viruses or malware to get by..2 programs, impossible for two to linger..
I think Avast is the best, because it has many feature, free, and hog free .,.
also, there’s a powerful feature., it’s boot time scanning,. it used to delete virus that can’t be deleted normally.,
and also, the Real Time Protection give u 8 super cool shield……for free !!! :D