Free antiviruses

[chaos16]

I would like to download some free on demand antviruses that wont conflict with the antivrus i got now that kaspersky.

so i want free antiviruses and i got kaspersky antivirus ATM.

can someone give me links to free antiviruses that i can use with kaspersky antivirus?

btw i have bitdefender free on demand.

is it safe to have other antiviruses with no realtime protection its like having loads of antispyware right?

[Ned Slider]

IMHO you probably already have the best free on demand scanner for use as a backup to KAV, and that's BitDefender.

Ned

[hbkh]

agreed, bitdefender is by far the best free one. :)

[abhi_mittal]

Bitdefender Free
Antivir PE
Dr.Web Cureit
Escan
F-prot for DOS

All free and safe to use with ur existing AV. Just remember to turn off the real time guard in Antivir PE.

[ErikAlbert]

Install as many free AV scanners you like, but only one AV can be active, because of possible conflicts.
The more AV scanners you have, the better.
Even the AV loser in a test, can find a malware, that wasn't detect by the AV winner.

The same remark for AS, AT, AK, ... scanners, because these scanners don't have the same maturity as AV scanners.
2 x AV, 3 x AS, 3 x AT, 3 x AK is normal. So don't be shy on security and don't forget the other security softwares :)

[shek]

another free on-demand scanner is mcafee command line scanner with gui from bart's pe.

[chaos16]

can i have links pls.

can i have a link of the free mcafee antivirus as well pls.

is that free mcafee official from mcafee?

[Ned Slider]

-{ Quote: "another free on-demand scanner is mcafee command line scanner with gui from bart's pe." }-

No, it's not free. Read the licence agreement ;)

[JerryM]

I have used a couple of free scanners, CureIt, McAfee Stinger, and a couple of others including escan Mwav.
I have the impression from some posts that I should disable my resident AV, BD 9, when I scan with the others. However, so far I have not experienced any conflict. Am I just fortunate?

Thanks,
Jerry

[shek]

where is the license agreement? on http://vil.nai.com/vil/virus-4d.asp, it says SCAN.EXE requires LICENSE.DAT and MESSAGES.DAT. But inside the package nai provides, the license dat and messages.dat have been included. and the claim in above webpage doesn't say anything that stops user from using it. At least i don't see it.

btw, i just saw the agreement, but it is for users who want to download the regular DAT. I'm still not seeing any agreement to prevent downloading and using 4100 DAT with command line.

[ErikAlbert]

-{ Quote: "I have used a couple of free scanners, CureIt, McAfee Stinger, and a couple of others including escan Mwav.
I have the impression from some posts that I should disable my resident AV, BD 9, when I scan with the others. However, so far I have not experienced any conflict. Am I just fortunate?

Thanks,
Jerry" }-
I used two AV scanners for awhile (Bitdefender Trial and AVG Free) at the same time, never noticed any problem, but security experts adviced me not to do this.
So I ditched Bitdefender Trial, because I don't pay for security.
I always listen to good advices, but I wasn't really convinced, because I never had a problem using both. What's the risk anyway ?

[Ned Slider]

-{ Quote: "where is the license agreement? on http://vil.nai.com/vil/virus-4d.asp, it says SCAN.EXE requires LICENSE.DAT and MESSAGES.DAT. But inside the package nai provides, the license dat and messages.dat have been included. and the claim in above webpage doesn't say anything that stops user from using it. At least i don't see it.

btw, i just saw the agreement, but it is for users who want to download the regular DAT. I'm still not seeing any agreement to prevent downloading and using 4100 DAT with command line." }-

That's the Beta page.

Taken from the main download page here, right after you've read the terms and conditions, and clicked "I Agree":

http://www.mcafeesecurity.com/us/downloads/updates/default.asp

-{ Quote: "Important: Customers must have a current PrimeSupport agreement in order to be entitled to download product updates and upgrades,including engine and DAT updates for both subscription and perpetually licensed software. For any questions, please contact Customer Service." }-

I'd love to be able to recommend the McAfee command line scanner as a good free scanner as there's no doubt it's a good product, but I just can't see that it's legal given the statement above. Beta software, on the other hand, is a different matter. Anyone signed up to the beta testing program can download and test the software as part of their beta testing agreement.

Ned

[shek]

Yes i agree with you. But the agreement is just for the regular mcafee product which pass the QA test.

however what i am talking about is the beta DAT with command line scanner. if you go to security HQ (http://www.mcafeesecurity.com/us/security/home.asp) , then go to security HQ->tools->Daily DATs->Beta/Emergency DATs and Command Line Scanner/DAT Packages->beta v4 dat files. There are no such agreement showing up. So I don't see any reasons i cannot use these beta DAT with command line scanner for free. Of course, i have to take the potential risk by myself.

[Beefcarver]

Bitdefender Free is this version 8 or 9 and is it real good to have.
I like a2 free 173795 known traces todays update.

[chaos16]

it free is version 8 and the paid version is 9.

[brjoon1021]

If I am following carefully enough. The suggestions for the free AV software are for a guy that uses a real-time paid version already.

Which AV softwares are best at real-time? I would occasionally run an online Kaspersky as a backup.

Thanks,

B.

[FastGame]

-{ Quote: "If I am following carefully enough. The suggestions for the free AV software are for a guy that uses a real-time paid version already." }-
Not really, the combination of avast! free (real time protection) and BitDefender 8 free (as backup on-demand) is quite effective. :)

[The Hammer]

-{ Quote: "I used two AV scanners for awhile (Bitdefender Trial and AVG Free) at the same time, never noticed any problem, but security experts adviced me not to do this.
So I ditched Bitdefender Trial, because I don't pay for security.
I always listen to good advices, but I wasn't really convinced, because I never had a problem using both. What's the risk anyway ?" }- The risk is BSOD, system lock up ,system slowdown. Malware getting through because your Av's are interfering with each other. The list could go on and on. I only named a few.

[ErikAlbert]

-{ Quote: "The risk is BSOD, system lock up ,system slowdown. Malware getting through because your Av's are interfering with each other. The list could go on and on. I only named a few." }-
OK man. Since the advice, I have only one AV active, but you convinced me not to do it ever again.
Thanks for the info.

[justpassingthru]

-{ Quote: "The risk is BSOD, system lock up ,system slowdown. Malware getting through because your Av's are interfering with each other. The list could go on and on. I only named a few." }-

Ever seen that happen? Or is this just hearsay?

I'm asking this only in the interest of finding a "scientific proof" of course.

[The Hammer]

-{ Quote: "Ever seen that happen? Or is this just hearsay?

I'm asking this only in the interest of finding a "scientific proof" of course." }-With respect to BSOD, system lock up , system slow down I can answer yes. Malware getting through because two AV's are wrestling with each other no. But may be a possibility like two cops trying to arrest the same suspect and they hand cuff each other and the suspect gets away.Perhaps Paranoid 2000 or IBK could comment on my malware theory in post 18 in the interest of finding "scientific proof" of course.

[The Hammer]

-{ Quote: "Ever seen that happen? Or is this just hearsay?

I'm asking this only in the interest of finding a "scientific proof" of course." }-There is an example provided by LowWaterMark in post #8 here: http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?p=561737#post561737