Antivirus recommendations

[Richard Steinfeld]

I've posted earlier about strange behavior (and file trashing) regarding
my email inboxes in two different mail programs. I also had bizarre
program terminations with two separate sypware programs. This, of
course, had me suspecting a virus. Yet, when running scans with Grisoft
AVG, nothing was discovered that pointed toward this type of damage. My
highly-experienced DP manager friend suggested that before taking other
actions, I try other antivirus software. He pointed out that it's been
his experience that two different AV programs will often not find the
same viruses. I want to try this.

What other free Antivirus alternatives can you recommend aside from
Grisoft AVG?

Thanks.

Richard

 

[EC-SurfRider]

From: "Richard Steinfeld" <[email protected]>

| I've posted earlier about strange behavior (and file trashing) regarding
| my email inboxes in two different mail programs. I also had bizarre
| program terminations with two separate sypware programs. This, of
| course, had me suspecting a virus. Yet, when running scans with Grisoft
| AVG, nothing was discovered that pointed toward this type of damage. My
| highly-experienced DP manager friend suggested that before taking other
| actions, I try other antivirus software. He pointed out that it's been
| his experience that two different AV programs will often not find the
| same viruses. I want to try this.
|
| What other free Antivirus alternatives can you recommend aside from
| Grisoft AVG?
|
| Thanks.
|
| Richard

AVAST -
http://www.avast.com/i_idt_1016.html - FREE

AntiVir -
http://www.free-av.com/ - FREE

CA eTrust -
http://www.my-etrust.com/microsoft/index.cfm - FREE for one year.
{ Free offer ends 8/1/05 }

 

[Annie]

i recommend AVAST too ...

 

[Mark Warner]

I've posted earlier about strange behavior (and file trashing)
regarding my email inboxes in two different mail programs. I also had
bizarre program terminations with two separate sypware programs.
This, of course, had me suspecting a virus. Yet, when running scans
with Grisoft AVG, nothing was discovered that pointed toward this
type of damage. My highly-experienced DP manager friend suggested
that before taking other actions, I try other antivirus software. He
pointed out that it's been his experience that two different AV
programs will often not find the same viruses. I want to try this.

What other free Antivirus alternatives can you recommend aside from
Grisoft AVG?

A very thorough on-demand scan can be done with Trend Micro Sysclean.
The base scan engine can be downloaded here:

http://www.trendmicro.com/download/dcs.asp

Read the readme.txt linked on that page as well.

The definitions update .zip file can be downloaded here:

http://www.trendmicro.com/download/pattern.asp

Be advised that this scan will take a loooog time in comparison to what
you're used to with AVG, and will throw up a series of DOS-style black
screens. Just let it do its thing. It'll tell you when it's done.

Be sure to disable System restore (if applicable) and run all your
cleaners/scanners in Safe Mode whenever possible.

 

[Janice]

What other free Antivirus alternatives can you recommend aside from
Grisoft AVG?

F-Prot for DOS caught two trojans on my systems recently that nothing
else I ran had caught.

 

[Richard Steinfeld]

F-Prot for DOS caught two trojans on my systems recently that nothing
else I ran had caught.

I'm unclear about the status of F-Prot. As far as I can tell from the
site, their products are regular commercial software.

My second concern regards DOS. As long as I use Windows Me, I can do
scans from the DOS level. I feel good about working in DOS, since I have
a lot more control over it and it's also not exploitable by various
Windows shenanigans (just DOS shenanigans).

So, my question is: can F-Prot for DOS scan and perform corrections on a
Windows 9x system, the same way that AVG booting from the standard
Windows boot disk will?

Richard

 

[Antoine]

F-Prot for DOS caught two trojans on my systems recently that
nothing else I ran had caught.

Unfortunately, it doesn't support NTFS formatted partitions, does it ?

 

[me]

I'm unclear about the status of F-Prot. As far as I can
tell from the site, their products are regular commercial
software.

My second concern regards DOS. As long as I use Windows Me,
I can do scans from the DOS level. I feel good about
working in DOS, since I have a lot more control over it and
it's also not exploitable by various Windows shenanigans
(just DOS shenanigans).

So, my question is: can F-Prot for DOS scan and perform
corrections on a Windows 9x system, the same way that AVG
booting from the standard Windows boot disk will?

Richard

In re status of F-Prot: see reply in your other thread.

In re F-Prot for DOS scan & fix on W9x: yes. (I cannot compare
F-Prot and AVG because I don't use AVG.)

J

 

[Janice]

Unfortunately, it doesn't support NTFS formatted partitions, does it ?

No.

 

[Janice]

I'm unclear about the status of F-Prot. As far as I can tell from the
site, their products are regular commercial software.

The DOS version is free.

My second concern regards DOS. As long as I use Windows Me, I can do
scans from the DOS level. I feel good about working in DOS, since I have
a lot more control over it and it's also not exploitable by various
Windows shenanigans (just DOS shenanigans).

So, my question is: can F-Prot for DOS scan and perform corrections on a
Windows 9x system, the same way that AVG booting from the standard
Windows boot disk will?

I run it from a DOS window in Win 95 and Win 98. You could also boot up
with a boot disk and run it from vanilla DOS (handy if a virus makes it
impossible to boot to the C: drive). It's only an on-demand scanner,
with no real-time protection. But it does make a good backup AV app.

Here are some sites where you can read more about it:

http://claymania.com/f-prot.html

http://www.uzipaz.com/eng/f-prot.html

 

[me]

Unfortunately, it doesn't support NTFS formatted
partitions, does it ?

[ quot ]
Frisk Software recommends against using F-Prot for DOS under
Windows XP.
Use the 32 character mode scanner FPCMD.EXE which is included
with F-Prot for Windows.
[ /quot ]

I don't know F-P for Win's status (free/pay).

J

 

[Gerhard Hofmann]

What other free Antivirus alternatives can you recommend aside from
Grisoft AVG?

www.clamwin.com
pros:
- free
- very fast signature updates

cons:
- no on-access scanning, only on-demand
- no online-update of the software itself

Regards
Gerhard

 

[Janice]

I don't know F-P for Win's status (free/pay).

F-Prot for Windows is pay.

F-Prot for DOS is free.

 

[expresas]

AVG Antivirus

 

[Richard Steinfeld]

AVG Antivirus

??????????????????

Richard

 

[Chakolate]

What other free Antivirus alternatives can you recommend aside from
Grisoft AVG?

I'm happy with AntiVir.

Chak

--
The moment we begin to fear the opinions of others and hesitate to tell
the truth that is in us, and from motives of policy are silent when we
should speak, the divine floods of light and life no longer flow into
our souls.
--Elizabeth Cady Stanton