Anti-Virus Recommendations

My computer's apparently picked up something nasty & my usual programs (AVG & Spyware Doctor) aren't helping at all.


So, does anyone know any other good (preferably free) antiviral programs????

Avast is another freebie that's actually quite good.
Free antivirus software download for virus and spyware protection - avast!

I would try hitting it with SuperAntiSpyware and then Malware Bytes. A lot of people recommend Spybot Search and Destroy as well, but it's not my favorite.

EDIT: I just found this article too from lifehacker.

I'll echo these two as well (though I usually do it in the opposite order). Usually what one doesn't get, the other does.

You didn't say what you picked up, but if its SpyGuard 2009, you may need to rename the files and folders to get them to work. There's another nasty one out that looks like a Vista window with an XP border. I'm not sure what it's called, but it has an Indian woman speaking when you try to log on.

ya know i have never understood the point in virus's or spyware...i mean serious wtf is it? is it just some sad fat f**k sitting at home in his basment with no girlfriend and no life and just desides to piss everyone off and make random bad virus's or something and then send them out over the net or something?

i have always wondered this but when the pc first came about was it actually the makers of the pc who made these virus's and THEN gave us Anti-Virus which we would have to pay for in the end? its just ive noticed the worst the virus is then the more expensive the anti-virus is thats needed...unless you just save alot of time and format your pc like what i usually do.

Personally i think its these Anti-Virus compenies making the virus's so we have to then pay them for the anti-virus software. it makes them TONS of money (look at norton for example) so it wouldnt suprise me in the slightest

Isn't that the plot of Mission: Impossible 2, but with computer viruses instead of biological ones?

You should let your computer get over it itself. I've heard it's best to let the body recover naturally from minor illness instead of always resorting anti-biotics and anti-virus every time you have a hicup.

Originally Posted by Razerwire You are an epicurean disaster.

No. It's that lonely fatass using those viruses and spyware to get your personal information and then crippling your computer so it can't be traced.

Although some viruses were born out of people wanting to be pricks.

Uh...why would the companies behind computers infect their own devices? At first, yeah it could be a lucrative deal, but once the public would figure out what they're doing, they wouldn't buy another product from them, therefore they'd lose money.

A pc manufacturer might mistakenly put the wrong bloatware on, but they wouldn't do it maliciously.

No matter how many people try to spin their conspiracy theories, it's just not the case.

Possible, but I doubt it. Freebies like AVG, Avast, Adaware, etc kill that theory because they're not only as good as their paid competition, but often times better.

OK, I've hit it with Spyware Doctor, Malaware Bytes, Avast & Avira. Each one recognizes the apparent infection & tells me its been removed, but the next scan immediately tells me that the problem is still there!


Is there anything else I can use?

ESET Nod32... Great piece of software, had it on my computers for the last few years and hasn't let me down once.