i need to know what is the best free antivirus to use ,anything helps thanks
Avast.
i suggest check out Windows Defender and Microsoft Security Essentials, it's a WAY underrated antivirus but it surprisngly works REALLY well. I've stopped using the other big name antivirus programs because of how well this one works. Scanning is really efficient since it was designed by Microsoft. I know i'll proably see a lot of hate for this but most Antivirus are way too popular that most virus makers target programs like Avira, Kaspersky, AVG, Panda Cloud, Avast, and the rest of them. Though if you don't like Windows Defender and MSE i would suggest Panda Cloud, it's the least intrusive one of the bunch.
http://antivirus.comodo.com/
Old PC = AVG free
New PC = Avast free
This is why I don't bother with MSE anymore...
Avast currently has my vote. It does everything I need it to do. It's a decent antivirus, and it includes a couple of nifty little features like sandbox and a browser cleanup tool. I use Malwarebytes Anti Malware too. I typically run a full scan if I notice something unusual happening with my PC. It catches pretty much everything that my main antivirus doesn't catch.
Zone Alarm has been pretty good to me, and it doesn't take up as much RAM as the other anti-viruses. I stopped trusting MSE after the article DeusAres posted and the Ars Technica article.
In every single instance of scanning and screening for malware, Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) did not detect any threats even after a full scan. The only conclusion to draw is that it is not a good program to reveal the type of adware encountered in my searches. This full scan was done after both "free screensaver" and "free wallpaper" installs. It did not detect the hijacker or other obvious instances of malware that would be unwanted by almost all users. MSE had reliably found the occasional piece of malware on my other laptops several years ago, but it failed me here.
Avast is also pretty good, but when it comes right down to it: the best antivirus is Common Sense 2014.
Avast seems good, Its a bit of a pain to install.
i use Avira Antivir.
I personally like Bitdefender.
I hope you read all the comments afterwards, everyone there disagrees with the results. Toms Hardware has been getting terrible at things lately.
I hope you actually payed more attention to the article itself. Tom's didn't test it. They are simply reporting the results. Here's a link to the guys who did the testing:
http://www.av-test.org/en/tests/home-user/windows-7/novdec-2012/
Likewise, I can disagree with things too. I can believe that gravity doesn't exist, but that doesn't mean I'm right or that I know what I'm talking about. Here's more links to further prove my point concerning MSE:
Microsoft Security Essentials + Malwarebyte Antimalware (Free or Pro)
Almost unbeatable combination......almost :)
+1
Yes i payed attention to the actual scores, not the 1-6 scale score they gave. If you read how the points were given, it's impossible that it got 1.5/6.0 on the first test. the second test ok, i'll give them that. third test is just a given. I think you didn't read the article all the way through, maybe you just skimmed it cuz the points speak for themselves.
I'm not saying that MSE is a beast AV program, i'm just saying that it's not given the proper credit. I've been using it for 2 years now, 1 year with malwarebyte and when i went to windows 8, i've been happy without it(Comes built with MSE/Windows Defender). Never got a single slow down of my computer at all. Never lost any files, never hada single problem what so ever, Never intruded on me like most AV programs do, doesn't take 5 hours to fully scan like most AV programs do.
Now in all fairness i know that .trendmicro and bitdefender are beast programs, but the irony is that when a virus is made, it directly targets AV programs. It's the way they're made. When you have a program that intrudes constantly, you'll be more likely to catch one that will really interfere with the computer because AV programs for the most part tend to have their claws all over the MBR of the drives and the registry. That's the heart of everything in your computer, because of that once the virus attaches to the AV program, it's game over. Now you take program like Panda Cloud, MSE, or other minimal intrusive programs; you tend to find less virus problems, it's not because of detection problems, it's because how viruses target. If you don't believe me then don't but the facts are there. It's pretty clear if you did some research on how viruses work.
Use whatever makes you happy. In my experience, MSE just didn't cut it for me. I noticed a slowdown on my lappy, so I ran a scan and it didn't find anything (which btw, the scan took all night to complete). So I decided to uninstall MSE and try something different. Sure enough MSE had failed me. I had to use Avast and Malwarebytes to remove the culprits. Both my laptop and desktop have been running virus free since I switched to Avast and Malwarebytes.
How are the scores impossible? When compared to averages, it makes sense. Yet again, here's another link...
http://www.av-test.org/no_cache/en/tests/test-reports/?tx_avtestreports_pi1%5Breport_no%5D=124558
Did you bother reading the other reviews? I mean, these other people are getting similar results...
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2403986,00.asp
And if they're getting similar results, then there's a good chance it's valid and MSE isn't very good. Either that, or they are completely wrong, and I should just believe this one guy on the internet who has a differing opinion.
the best antivirus is located between the desk and the chair
I've never had any problem installing it...even when using the installer directly from the website. The only trouble I have is downloading it. My internet is slow, but that isn't the program's fault. Also, I would recommend using Ninite to install your programs. It simplifies the install process. Here's a link...
Avast and Common sense. with these, you'll stay safe online!