Recommendations for a free antivirus program for 2012?

[sprocket]

If FF is shutting down, it's NOT firefox that's doing it.
You have OTHER problems that is causing it, most likely the security you installed.

I understand your point here buddy , their s Microsoft Security Essentials installed , ( free , so I m an idiot then ) thanx to you sir , always on , MalwareBytes for scanning only , & yes SuperAntiSpyware too , as refered by Maximum PC & PCWorld & some other well known magazines as well .

It did the crashes ONLY after FF-11 updates/ upgrades , whatever it is , never did that before , every single software s updated/upgraded . so it s FF-11 the problem I guess , & I m not alone / that too .

[soundguruman]

I understand your point here buddy , their s Microsoft Security Essentials installed , ( free , so I m an idiot then ) thanx to you sir , always on , MalwareBytes for scanning only , & yes SuperAntiSpyware too , as refered by Maximum PC & PCWorld & some other well known magazines as well .

It did the crashes ONLY after FF-11 updates/ upgrades , whatever it is , never did that before , every single software s updated/upgraded . so it s FF-11 the problem I guess , & I m not alone / that too .

Quite often it is better to save your files, reformat the drive completely, and load a fresh OS, rather than relying on "fix it" software.
As far as free anti virus, you are making a huge mistake.
It has become popular to download "free" security, but it won't protect you. Rather, it infects you.
Why do you think they are giving it to you for "free?" It's a scam, that's why. They are stealing your personal information, and able to monitor everything you are using the computer for.
If you have already loaded this crap into your system, too late. It probably won't delete, and it will probably prevent any real anti virus from installing or working. (suckers)

[Steve A.]

If FF is shutting down, it's NOT firefox that's doing it.
You have OTHER problems that is causing it, most likely the security you installed.

That may be true in general as a rule of thumb but I don't believe that is the case with the current problems with FF and neither does their tech support.

NEVER use a free antivirus. Use a professional all in one antivirus. DO NOT load free software from the internet, you have been warned.
NEVER load multiple mismatched security programs, especially free ones. They will conflict with each other.
As I have fixed many infected computers, almost all of them had "free" antivirus installed, and it was worthless.

Many people find the popular security suites to be extremely bloated and restrictive. (Norton prevented me from installing SP3 for WinXP.) While it is true that you shouldn't run more than one anti-virus, you can install different anti-spyware programs like SpyBot as long as you use them one at a time for scans; if they are resident in memory they could conflict with other programs.

NEVER load programs into your computer that promise to "fix" "repair" "clean" "sweep" or "speed up" your computer. Pretty much ALL of these are a SCAM.

I must admit that I was suckered in by one of these programs that was advertised on an infomercial late at night. ("It was on TV- how can they sell an infected program on TV???" ) It was after dl'ing and installing the free version that I decided to read the reviews. Bad choice.
I already had some crap on my computer that the free version of AVG couldn't handle so I was looking for something better. I ended up getting a program at BestBuy in a DVD case (I'll look for the name later) and it took about 2 weeks of exchanging emails and me sending them dumps for them to finally get rid of the crap on my computer. I did like the personal service; I could never expect something like that from Norton or the other big boys.

The idea is to give you something for "free." Then you are loaded with spyware and all kinds of other CRAP.
Don't be an idiot.

In the past the free version of Avast! had been recommended very highly and was used as part of a free "security suite" installed by some shops that disinfected computers (along with SpyBot and Malwarebytes.) The "catch" with the free version of Avast! was that they hoped that you were impressed enough with the free product that you would upgrade to the premium version at home and at work. My complaint about the latest version (the reason I was looking for another AV) was that it was too vigilant and would nag you if you turned off any of its features.

Just my opinions on these things...

Steve Ahola

[Steve A.]

Quite often it is better to save your files, reformat the drive completely, and load a fresh OS, rather than relying on "fix it" software.

Agreed! Some malware will damage critical OS files and can also install themselves in the boot sector so you really do need to bite the bullet and start over on a fresh slate.

I'd also recommend saving an image of your boot drive once you have installed Windows and the main programs you will be using. Norton Ghost is one and Acronis sells one, too. As long as your hardware hasn't changed (the hardware that the Windows install program examines) restoring a disk image can take minutes compared to hours for reinstalling Windows and all of your programs.
For that scheme to work you want to keep the files on your boot drive to a minimum by keeping data files on a separate drive (or partition) and back them up religiously. However Windows will make every attempt to store files on the boot drive (I could figure out how to deflect that behavior with WinXP but not Windows 7.)

Steve Ahola

[sprocket]

Quite often it is better to save your files, reformat the drive completely, and load a fresh OS, rather than relying on "fix it" software.
As far as free anti virus, you are making a huge mistake.
It has become popular to download "free" security, but it won't protect you. Rather, it infects you.
Why do you think they are giving it to you for "free?" It's a scam, that's why. They are stealing your personal information, and able to monitor everything you are using the computer for.
If you have already loaded this crap into your system, too late. It probably won't delete, and it will probably prevent any real anti virus from installing or working. (suckers)

Ok , if I m to believe you , then Microsoft Security Essentials s a scam , I might be wrong , or is it the other ones that you wrote before .

Cool , you might be right on these , so why s it s Mozilla itself that writs that both MalwareBytes & SuperAntiSpyware that they recommend for virus-removals or whatever else , are they (Mozilla) scams too ,

It s easy to call people idiots or suckers after it s done or whatever , when you re in the know or something alike , I would like to know if you re a IT or whatever that is , or some kind of PC wizz kid or such , so the way I understand you tha PC magazines refere people with scams too , or I misunderstood , you re the pro here , I m not .

By the way I m a truck driver going @ shitty places , & some paid me in order to backup their trucks &/or trailers , I never called them idiots or suckers or whaterver because they weren t able to backup in shitty places , nice of you there , I might be wrong , but it tells allot

[sprocket]

Ok , if I m to believe you , then Microsoft Security Essentials s a scam , I might be wrong , or is it the other ones that you wrote before .

Cool , you might be right on these , so why s it s Mozilla itself that writs that both MalwareBytes & SuperAntiSpyware that they recommend for virus-removals or whatever else , are they (Mozilla) scams too ,

It s easy to call people idiots or suckers after it s done or whatever , when you re in the know or something alike , I would like to know if you re a IT or whatever that is , or some kind of PC wizz kid or such , so the way I understand you tha PC magazines refere people with scams too , or I misunderstood , you re the pro here , I m not .

By the way I m a truck driver going @ shitty places , & some paid me in order to backup their trucks &/or trailers , I never called them idiots or suckers or whaterver because they weren t able to backup in shitty places , nice of you there , I might be wrong , but it tells allot

Here s the link for what I wrote before in the other post : I didn t invent it , Check for viruses or spyware

A number of different viruses and spyware are known to crash Firefox. To ensure that your system clean of spyware and viruses, install, update their virus databases, and use both of these programs:

• Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
• SuperAntispyware Portable Scanner

For more information, see Is my Firefox problem a result of malware.

Might clear some stuff , but you might be right too , I don t say you re wrong in here , just want to know

[big_teee]

Ok , if I m to believe you , then Microsoft Security Essentials s a scam , I might be wrong , or is it the other ones that you wrote before .

Cool , you might be right on these , so why s it s Mozilla itself that writs that both MalwareBytes & SuperAntiSpyware that they recommend for virus-removals or whatever else , are they (Mozilla) scams too ,

It s easy to call people idiots or suckers after it s done or whatever , when you re in the know or something alike , I would like to know if you re a IT or whatever that is , or some kind of PC wizz kid or such , so the way I understand you tha PC magazines refere people with scams too , or I misunderstood , you re the pro here , I m not .

By the way I m a truck driver going @ shitty places , & some paid me in order to backup their trucks &/or trailers , I never called them idiots or suckers or whaterver because they weren t able to backup in shitty places , nice of you there , I might be wrong , but it tells allot

Hang in there.
It will be OK!
I had a similar problem back last year with FF9.
It kept erroring, and locking up.
I went to FF Options and Cleared History and cleared the Cache and Cookies.
Then I deleted FF9.
Then I went back to a Stable FF8.
It ran great.
I then ran the SuperAntiSpyWare free addition and let it remove anything else that was still there.
It has been free sailing, and Happy every since.
I am now up to FF10.0.
So, I think you have no real Problems.
Terry

[sprocket]

Hang in there.
It will be OK!
I had a similar problem back last year with FF9.
It kept erroring, and locking up.
I went to FF Options and Cleared History and cleared the Cache and Cookies.
Then I deleted FF9.
Then I went back to a Stable FF8.
It ran great.
I then ran the SuperAntiSpyWare free addition and let it remove anything else that was still there.
It has been free sailing, and Happy every since.
I am now up to FF10.0.
So, I think you have no real Problems.
Terry

Well , it seems to be working now , been on this lovely FF 11 , & it didn t crash fpr a little moment now , lets see now

[sprocket]

Hang in there.
It will be OK!
I had a similar problem back last year with FF9.
It kept erroring, and locking up.
I went to FF Options and Cleared History and cleared the Cache and Cookies.
Then I deleted FF9.
Then I went back to a Stable FF8.
It ran great.
I then ran the SuperAntiSpyWare free addition and let it remove anything else that was still there.
It has been free sailing, and Happy every since.
I am now up to FF10.0.
So, I think you have no real Problems.
Terry

By the way , you re located in the NE Ark ! or between West Memphis & Blytheville , went there often when on the road lots of truckstops over there passed true I-55-I-40 & I-30 going mostly in Texas .

[big_teee]

By the way , you re located in the NE Ark ! or between West Memphis & Blytheville , went there often when on the road lots of truckstops over there passed true I-55-I-40 & I-30 going mostly in Texas .

No, I live near Hot Springs Arkansas.
West of Little Rock about 65 Miles on Hiway U.S. 70 West.
Your misread my location. It is Rock&Bluesville(Rock and Bluesville), Not Blytheville!
Keep Rockin!
Terry

[kleuck]

Hello Steve.
I use FF11 under Linux and occasionally under Windows XP, no crash so far (i had some with 9 and 10, even under Linux) but it's slow under Windows, seems to have something to do with Zone Alarm.
I use Avira with Windows, so far (few years) seems to work, not huge or bloated, same for my kids (XP) and wife (Seven).

[sprocket]

No, I live near Hot Springs Arkansas.
West of Little Rock about 65 Miles on Hiway U.S. 70 West.
Your misread my location. It is Rock&Bluesville(Rock and Bluesville), Not Blytheville!
Keep Rockin!
Terry

Cool , picked up a load like 2 years ago , not far from your place , maybe 2 hours westbound from you in the trails somewhere , ,,lol , nice milleage

[Steve A.]

It seems like the FF10 crashes usually happen when I'm at Facebook watching a YouTube Flash video. I had researched the problem earlier this month and the problem has to do with the way FF handles Flash videos. They have tried using plugin-container.exe to deflect the crashes (it is supposed to crash instead of FF) but that program is a big memory hog and slows down your internet.

Big Tee brought up a good point: uninstall the current version, go back to an earlier stable version and then let FF upgrade that. That is what tech support would often recommend for problems after upgrades back in the old days (like before Facebook.) But it used to be that you would make a decision to upgrade a program, looking at the cost and weighing all of the factors. Nowadays they slip the upgrades in when you're not looking- and the new version will often have automatic updates as the default regardless of the previous setting.

Quick poll: Are other people here using Facebook? I hate it but like WalMart wiping out all of the local stores, FB has decimated most other forms of communication like old fashioned email, and the listserve and Yahoo groups. At one point I thought it would be good if forums like Music-Electronics had a page on FB, but I've changed my mind about that- Facebook is evil, plain and simple.

Steve Ahola

P.S. As with my other hobbies I am a professional amateur in regards to computer problems. The way I figure it I'd rather be a professional amateur than an amateur professional. I've been dealing with my own computer problems and helping others with their problems for over 25 years. (For a few years I was the ad hoc IT guy for the sales dept at an HVAC company I worked for. Actually it was just a single salesman and he kept crashing a program that Shahin, an amateur professional, had written before I rejoined the company (I had switched companies a few years earlier because of him- he was in charge of computerizing the business and was the general manager during the transition.)

[big_teee]

It seems like the FF10 crashes usually happen when I'm at Facebook watching a YouTube Flash video. I had researched the problem earlier this month and the problem has to do with the way FF handles Flash videos. They have tried using plugin-container.exe to deflect the crashes (it is supposed to crash instead of FF) but that program is a big memory hog and slows down your internet.

Big Tee brought up a good point: uninstall the current version, go back to an earlier stable version and then let FF upgrade that. That is what tech support would often recommend for problems after upgrades back in the old days (like before Facebook.) But it used to be that you would make a decision to upgrade a program, looking at the cost and weighing all of the factors. Nowadays they slip the upgrades in when you're not looking- and the new version will often have automatic updates as the default regardless of the previous setting.

Quick poll: Are other people here using Facebook? I hate it but like WalMart wiping out all of the local stores, FB has decimated most other forms of communication like old fashioned email, and the listserve and Yahoo groups. At one point I thought it would be good if forums like Music-Electronics had a page on FB, but I've changed my mind about that- Facebook is evil, plain and simple.

Steve Ahola

P.S. As with my other hobbies I am a professional amateur in regards to computer problems. The way I figure it I'd rather be a professional amateur than an amateur professional. I've been dealing with my own computer problems and helping others with their problems for over 25 years. (For a few years I was the ad hoc IT guy for the sales dept at an HVAC company I worked for. Actually it was just a single salesman and he kept crashing a program that Shahin, an amateur professional, had written before I rejoined the company (I had switched companies a few years earlier because of him- he was in charge of computerizing the business and was the general manager during the transition.)

No I don't do FB.
T

[sprocket]

Don t have a FB account at all .