Please advice on security setup for PC novice

Incorrect. The version tested by AV comparatives is not the free version, but AntiVir PE Premium. If you start reading about the free version on other sites, then you'll soon discover that the free version is just a very average scanner.

 

No, it,s not like this. Free version differs from premium only in regards few thigs.

1- Free version lacks e-mail scanner, though e-mail will be scanned automatically once u open it ofcourse.

2- Free version has limited antispyware database( again the AV comparatives checks only for viruses so the results will be exactly same for free and premium version)

3- Premium has better update process and support.

May be few more minor things.

 

Which means more spyware on your computer, unless you install an additional AS scanner or two.

 

I never got a spyware after I knew of safe surfing.
I found free version good enough in spyware detection, all the samples I tried it detected more than 60 % of them and that,s good detection for spyware.
I run on-demand scanners that never found anything.

 

AV comparatives does not test for spyware, so the results on AV comparatives (based on their testing methodology) will be the same for either the paid or free version of AntiVir.

 

Hi gents,

take a look on http://malware-test.com/smf/index.php?board=9.0 and see the disappointing scanning results of anti-spyware applications.

Have no idea about the correctness of the tests, but I noticed lately that on-demand scanners do not seem to find any malware on my pc (Antivir free, CyberHAwk and DefenseWall), see malware overrated thread