# Antivirus - need answer fast **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 12, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivirus-need-answer-fast/539131 "2010-05-12T02:08:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivirus-need-answer-fast/539131/1 "2010-05-12T02:08:39Z")
Today I did a clean install of XP, and am reloading programs. However, when I reloaded my old antivirus (Avast), it crashed the computer and I had to go into safe mode and uninstall it before it would boot up again. As once was enough, I need a new antivirus (preferably free). Do any of you have any recommendations? I know this has come up before, but my search skill on SD are not of the best. Thanks for any help. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivirus-need-answer-fast/539131/2 "2010-05-12T02:14:06Z")
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**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivirus-need-answer-fast/539131/3 "2010-05-12T02:34:09Z")
Thanks **yoyodyne**. however, had a spot of trouble. Went to the site, and hit the download button. Then clicked on the XP 32 bit choice, and there things stopped. No download, no indication of any trouble, just nothing except a nice quick warbling sort of tone. At least it didn’t crash the computer. Retried four or five times - same result. (Isn’t that one of the definitions of insanity? - keeping trying something even though it doesn’t work?) I even watched the videos - to no avail. maybe antivirus programs just don’t like me. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivirus-need-answer-fast/539131/4 "2010-05-12T02:43:42Z")
Which browser are you using? It wouldn’t download for me through Firefox, had to use IE8. No problems once installed. Very unobtrusive. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivirus-need-answer-fast/539131/5 "2010-05-12T02:53:30Z")
I’m using IE8, and can’t get the Microsoft antivirus to download. IE8 was installed today by a professional computer expert (Hard Drives Northwest), so it should be OK. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivirus-need-answer-fast/539131/6 "2010-05-12T03:09:39Z")
See if going to Tools - Internet Options - Security (tab) - Trusted Sites - Sites (button) and adding [http://www.microsoft.com](http://www.microsoft.com) to your Trusted Sites list helps. Also, are you sure your installation of XP is genuine? If so, did you validate it with the Genuine Advantage stuff? Microsoft is pretty guarded with giving away free stuff to machines that aren’t Genuine. If you’ve hacked stuff to make it pass GA, you may have made it worse. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivirus-need-answer-fast/539131/7 "2010-05-12T03:14:35Z")
Success! Found a rather obscure bar at the top of the screen that said in essence that “…IE8 was blocking downloads from this site (Microsoft Security Essentials) for security reasons - click here to download file.” So I did, it downloaded, and installed OK. Don’t you all just love Microsoft? Trust them to block downloads from their own security site. Evidently it’ll be necessary to go stomping around in IE8’s security settings to stop this nonsense. Anyway, thanks to all who answered! ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivirus-need-answer-fast/539131/8 "2010-05-12T03:18:11Z")
ZiperJJ, one of the first things MS did before downloading was to verify the genuiness of the Windows XP installation. Now if I can just get Outlook Express (phooey on Windows Live Mail) up and running again I’ll be in fat city. Wish me luck. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivirus-need-answer-fast/539131/9 "2010-05-12T03:18:26Z")
Silly goose - you watched the video? The video says “If you’re using Internet Explorer you may see a bar at the top of the browser…” at the beginning where it explains the download process 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivirus-need-answer-fast/539131/10 "2010-05-12T03:56:34Z")
Yep - watched it the first time and saw that line. However, the bar they mentioned didn’t show up on the screen until I had closed the whole process and then restarted later. The weird and wonderful ways of Microsoft often surpasseth human understanding. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivirus-need-answer-fast/539131/11 "2010-05-12T05:20:06Z")
> [@Daylate](#): > > ZiperJJ, one of the first things MS did before downloading was to verify the genuiness of the Windows XP installation. > > Now if I can just get Outlook Express (phooey on Windows Live Mail) up and running again I’ll be in fat city. Wish me luck. That can definitely be tricky if you have IE8, as the only way to get it is to install IE6. [Here](http://ask-leo.com/from_where_can_i_download_outlook_express_6.html)’s the best set of directions I’ve found. And I don’t know if it will balk when it detects IE8. Just don’t actually install IE6, as that can really mess you up. ---
**Author:** ![bardos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bardos/32/1069_2.png) [@bardos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bardos)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivirus-need-answer-fast/539131/12 "2010-05-12T05:48:15Z")
Microsoft Security Essentials or Avira ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivirus-need-answer-fast/539131/13 "2010-05-12T06:13:10Z")
> [@Daylate](#): > > Now if I can just get Outlook Express (phooey on Windows Live Mail) up and running again I’ll be in fat city. Wish me luck. Have you tried [Thunderbird](http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/)? ---
**Author:** ![Chickenwrangler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chickenwrangler/32/91_2.png) [@Chickenwrangler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chickenwrangler)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivirus-need-answer-fast/539131/14 "2010-05-12T07:18:44Z")
My vote goes for Avira [[Download Security Software for Windows, Mac, Android & iOS | Avira Antivirus](http://www.free-av.com/en/index.html)] [http://www.free-av.com/en/index.html](http://www.free-av.com/en/index.html) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivirus-need-answer-fast/539131/15 "2010-05-12T07:40:00Z")
Avira is slightly better, but MSE the next best, and the one everyone is using. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivirus-need-answer-fast/539131/16 "2010-05-12T12:35:55Z")
Don’t much care for Avira, since it had a daily nag screen. I’d stick with MSE. ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivirus-need-answer-fast/539131/17 "2010-05-12T17:58:50Z")
You’ll like [this, then](http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/05/07/argument_switch_av_bypass/):eek: ---
**Author:** ![Any\_Other\_Name](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f17d59/32.png) [@Any\_Other\_Name](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Any_Other_Name)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivirus-need-answer-fast/539131/18 "2010-05-12T19:32:19Z")
Last I’d heard AVG was a good choice. Has it fallen out of favor? It does seem more intrusive lately. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivirus-need-answer-fast/539131/19 "2010-05-13T02:37:05Z")
Thanks to all for your advice and counsel. I’ve got the Microsoft Security antivirus installed and running, and even got Outlook express back on line without major problems. So I’m good to go - except, of course, for installing a dozen or so pieces of software. But things are looking good, and it doesn’t take 15 minutes to boot. ---
**Author:** ![Erasmus\_Darwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@Erasmus\_Darwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erasmus_Darwin)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivirus-need-answer-fast/539131/20 "2010-05-13T13:36:32Z")
> [@Daylate](#): > > So I’m good to go - except, of course, for installing a dozen or so pieces of software. [Ninite](http://ninite.com/) can make that step a little easier. It lets you autoinstall a lot of popular free software packages. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antivirus-need-answer-fast/539131.md?page=2)