Member Avatar for quintabelina

I've tried a couple of "free" virus programs but they all end up the same: free 30 day trial and then you have to purchase it.
Last one I had was AVG and it made my computer SOOOO slow it wasn't funny and just got the message to buy or goodbye....
Anyone know of a good antivirus program that is really free and will do a good job of protecting against internet viruses? How about spyware? Some that don't slow your computer down while still protecting you? I'm sure I'm not the only one asking either......

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Short, practical update for a reader coming to this old thread: the lowest-friction, truly free, effective setup today is to use the built-in Windows protection as your primary defender and add an on-demand cleaner for occasional sweeps. Microsoft Defender (built into Windows 10/11) regularly scores at or near the top in independent lab testing and gives you real-time, cloud-assisted protection with minimal management; pair it with Malwarebytes (free) for one-off or weekly cleanups of adware/PUPs that slip through. (av-test.org)

If you still prefer a third‑party free AV instead of Defender, several vendors offer genuinely free editions (Bitdefender Free, Avira Free, Kaspersky Free and others). They vary in extras, performance and upsell behavior, so check recent lab reviews and the vendor’s “free for personal use” terms before installing — and test how a candidate affects your machine under normal use. (techradar.com)

Practical checklist to reduce slowdowns and avoid upgrade traps:

  • Leave Windows Update on and keep Defender definitions current.
  • In Windows Security enable real‑time & cloud protection, tamper protection and Controlled Folder Access (ransomware shield).
  • Do one real‑time AV only — Defender will go passive/turn off when a third‑party real‑time AV is active; running two engines together causes conflicts and extra CPU.
  • Schedule full scans for off-hours, add large backup folders to exclusions, and use Defender’s performance tools if you see system impact. (learn.microsoft.com)

Notes tied to the thread: ’s experience with AVG feeling slow and /’s mentions of Comodo are still valid reasons to prefer the “Defender + on‑demand scanner” route for older PCs. If a program you install starts showing a 30‑day countdown, it’s usually a freemium trial — uninstall and switch to a confirmed free edition or stick with Defender.

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Member Avatar for samarudge

Avast Pro (Basic is SH*T)

Member Avatar for caperjack

Avast Pro (Basic is SH*T)

no posting torrent sites please .
You have to buy Pro version

Member Avatar for Xlphos

I have used AVG and Comodo. Comodo has firewall and antivirus (you can choose to have both or one). I use both and have no problems with them.

- Hope this helps

Are you sorted with anti malware and firewall?

Member Avatar for quintabelina

Thanks to all, I'm going to look at all of them and report back!

Member Avatar for quintabelina

I downloaded Comodo and so far so good. One thing I didn't like was that you're expected to restart after updating the virus data base which could be pretty often..... but, guess I'll put up with it for now. Hope this doesn't come up with "end of trial period, must purchase program now" since it didn't specify this was a trial version.... here's hoping....

Member Avatar for caperjack

I downloaded Comodo and so far so good. One thing I didn't like was that you're expected to restart after updating the virus data base which could be pretty often..... but, guess I'll put up with it for now. Hope this doesn't come up with "end of trial period, must purchase program now" since it didn't specify this was a trial version.... here's hoping....

I think its a 30 day trial .I loaded Avast [free version ]awhile back and it just notified me i have 21 days left to buy it .
I install Rising antiviri free the other day on a computer and it prompted to restart after the install ,and sent the computer into a restart loop, that i havd to fix by using a linux live cd to get into my hdd and delete the Rising folder !

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