Question re Free Antivirus Programs

Do any of the free ones have the following features:

1. Ability to exclude specific drives/folders from active monitor?

2. Ability to notify only, rather than clean/quarantine, etc.

 

Afaik Avira has both features.

avast has feature 1 but Im not sure on 2.

 

Both for avast.

 

Another question: I was all set to go with Avira but I see it doesn't support email scanning on download. Are there any that do?
What else WON'T Avira do that [say] Nod32 does?

 

Avast and AVG have email scanning.

 

Avira's paid has email support before it downloads, the free one scans once it downloads.

 

Well Avira free doesnt have spyware detection.

Also Avira free doesnt have a HTTP scanner (Avira 8 Premium will).

 

Don't bother using AVG. That AV can't even detect the EICAR test file! LOL!!
It's not effective.
Go for Avast or Antivir, but personally I like Avast since it can do what Antivir can and much more.

Avast can block MyDoom exploits in real-time (I'm notified all the time Hurrah for porn!). I've tried Antivir, but all it's good at is detecting viruses and nothing else.

 

Well thats not true about Antivir. Anyway, I Hope you have a software firewall with outbound protection (a sandbox would be nice too), because if your using any of the codecs on those Porn sites, its possible that you will miss some malware reguardless of the AV your using.

 

What I said about Antivir is true. Although it can block almost every virus in real-time, it cannot block as much exploits and trojans as Avast can (tried and tested both AVs; thank Avast for its Network Shield and Web Shield modules! ).
Plus, I believe that the anti-spyware & anti-rootkit capabilities of Avast outweighs that of Antivir as of the moment.

About security apps, I have loads of them on my main PC (Win XP SP2, forget about Vista ).
I use NOD32 v3, SAS Free, A2 Free, Winpatrol, Snoopfree, etc.

I use only Avast on my other 'dummy' PC. So far, it has blocked more than a hundred threats.
The Network Shield is really something special, has some kind of pseudo-firewall ability to block exploits.

BTW I did all the comparisons between Antivir and Avast on the 'dummy' PC

 

so how come Avast stacks up poorly against Avira AND AVG in published tests?

 

Well, are you sure that these published tests are from reliable sources??
Show me some links please.
For all I care, these 'tests' were made by so-called computer experts who have no knowledge about security apps whatsoever.

If you want to point out which is better than the other, be sure that you've tried and tested it yourself. I've tried all 3. So far, Avast is the clear winner, providing the best balance of overall security against ALL forms of malware (even spyware, rootkits, and trojans). Yet it is not bloatware unlike all security suites.

 

You took the words right out of my mouth. Right here, we have the perfect phrase to describe your[/i] test.

 

Hi,

even if you take such tests for serious, where are the Avira Free vs Avast Free tests.
It's not very smart to look at comparison tests from paid versions and then proclaim that this or that limited free version is better.

Cheers

 

Not needed. Avira free has everything you need. All the gunk in the Premium and Suite is superfulous. It is there because users THINK they need it and to be competitive Avira has to add it. What is needed is for users to get educated so they don't demand more and more useless gunk.

 

Maybe, maybe not.
Avast offers more features for free, Avira free has most likely a better virus detection rate.
Some will prefer detection rate, others the features.
BTW there is a free av comparison at castlecops:
http://wiki.castlecops.com/AntiVirus_Comparison

Cheers

 

Does it have ad/spyware detection?

That's the main reason I don't install it for my friends.

 

Do you really think Avira Free has everything?
Does it have something like a Network Shield (for intrusion prevention)? Does it have a Email Scanner (spam or email virus protection)? Does it have a built-in real-time anti-spyware (added protection)?
I can go on and on.

Without a firewall, Avira will not be a very effective AV.
Avast may not be a perfect replacement for a firewall, but it has the ability to scan incoming and outgoing connections pretty much like a firewall, which is pretty impressive for an AV.
I'm still using it alone on my 'dummy' PC, w/ NO other firewall and anti-spyware apps. So far, no threat was able to penetrate its defences.

Avast may not be the best AV, but in regards to being freeware, it's the best you can get.

But both are excellent AVs.
Antivir having a higher detection rate of viruses, whilst Avast having a pseudo-firewall and detection of spyware.

 

Are you saying that avast has a firewall?

 

Avast has a lightweigt Network IDS, not a firewall.

Avira Free does not have Spyware according to their own site. The tests results of AV comparatives is with the Premium version not the free. Latest test I recall with free version had a lower detection rate than the premium version. Maybe IBK can provide info on that.

Avast self protection is better than Avira (free). Avira free has rootkit detection, you have to enable it in the configuration.

Paid Avira is better than paid Avast, I am not sure about free versions. Only second hand info available. Latest Avast seems to run better on Vista64 with multi core CPU than Avira. Avira seems to run best at single core on our XP box. So you tell me what is better

 

I just want a a/v program to be the best at telling me there is a virus or may be a virus.I will take it from there as in dealing with it.Same goes for each program as in spyware,or any other type ware that is bad.Let my different type programs for different type crap tell me and I will take it from there on what to do.Suite's suck!If I defeat any one part then chance's are I will defeat the whole of a suite.

 

I clearly stated it has a pseudo-firewall, NOT a firewall; a network IDS, as specifically stated by Kees1958.

Avast also has one of the best rootkit detection, based on GMER.

Avira free still has higher detection rate of viruses than Avast free, but that does not necessarily mean it is better than Avast.

 

This is nothing more than a fanboy,mine is bigger and better than your's thread,in around about way and should be closed.

 

Indeed.

 

Fanboyism is not my forte.
We are talking about free AVs here, which one is more reliable. I have simply stated my opinions after testing all 3 programs.

Amongst the 3, I'd choose either Antivir or Avast.
Forget AVG. If it can't detect an EICAR file, it won't detect anything.