# What Are the Best FREE Antivirus/Malware Sites? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 9, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-free-antivirus-malware-sites/520636 "2009-12-09T21:18:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-free-antivirus-malware-sites/520636/1 "2009-12-09T21:18:14Z")
Well, I knew it was coming, but last night, my desktop bit the dust. Dead. Fortunately, a friend had given me a laptop as back-up; it is really bare-bones and I have spent the day getting it set up. I need a really good Antivirus/anti-malware service that’s FREE to download. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance! ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-free-antivirus-malware-sites/520636/2 "2009-12-09T21:24:20Z")
I use the free version of [Avast!](http://www.avast.com/) for antivirus, and [Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware](http://www.malwarebytes.org/). Both seem to run fine and I haven’t noticed much in the way of slowing down the system. Avast “phones home” for updates at least once a day, but you need to manually update the other (unless I missed an automatic option, or perhaps that’s a paid feature). ---
**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:** [December 9, 2009, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-free-antivirus-malware-sites/520636/3 "2009-12-09T21:27:43Z")
Here’s a good place to start. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=538187](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=538187) ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-free-antivirus-malware-sites/520636/4 "2009-12-09T21:47:14Z")
In October, Microsoft released their free antivirus solution: [Microsoft Security Essentials](http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/) The jury is still out on its effectiveness in comparison to its peers, but I really like it. I maintain the network at a small school and I had tried several different “free” antivirus products—they usually were cut-down versions of commercial software, often encumbered with “home use only” licensing. One key factor for me was the MSE does automatic scheduled updates, but I can also download the file myself and deploy it at my leisure. I have a cron job that runs at night on a Linux box that brings down the latest virus definition file. Then, when each machine boots in the morning, the file is automatically applied (using [wpkg](http://wpkg.org/)). ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-free-antivirus-malware-sites/520636/5 "2009-12-09T22:12:04Z")
I find that avast really slows down the initial loading of Firefox and IE. Otherwise no complaints. I like Spybot Search & Destroy and Malware Bytes. I’m falling out of love with Lavasoft Ad-Aware – slow and seemingly focused only on tracking cookies. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-free-antivirus-malware-sites/520636/6 "2009-12-10T03:06:16Z")
Thanks for the suggestions, I have downloaded Avast, and will dowwnload Malwarebytes, I remember I had that one on my old faithful. No fun, trying to get this laptop set up the way I want it… ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-free-antivirus-malware-sites/520636/7 "2009-12-10T03:07:28Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > In October, Microsoft released their free antivirus solution: It’s antivirus and antimalware. I am using it and have been happier with it than AVG Free. It does not add any annoying messages to your emails like AVG, doesn’t try to get you to buy a paid version (there isn’t one). I have read two favorable reviews, one in the Washington Post. I still keep Search & Destroy around but don’t run it in background anymore.