Posted on 02/16/2015 5:35:32 PM PST by ru4liberty
I don't currently have an antivirus program on my computer due to very tight finances. I've been holding my breath hoping that I wouldn't have an incident before I can afford to download or update an antivirus program.
I used to have Kaspersky, and lately it has been popping up with an alert that I have a Trojan horse. The local computer geek people recommended Kaspersky when they worked on my computer a few years ago, so that's why I was using it. Since then, they have worked on my friend's computer and told her that she didn't really need to pay for a program and that Avast was an excellent free program.
I need some (simply-worded) input as to what I should do. If I download Avast, will it take care of the Trojan horse problem? Are there other free programs that are better?
I am using a Dell desktop computer with Windows 7 Home Premium. My browser is IE 11.
Go to download.com and search for AVG Free. Download it and install it.
No cost. Excellent anti-virus protection.
Get Avast and Malwarebytes.
Pebkac error:
Most run free antivirus nowadays:
Bitdefender,Avira, Avast, Comodo and more
There are several good malware programs out there. I have used Malwarebytes to recover from those ‘take your PC hostage’ Trojans, works great.
You have to purchase the subscription to Avast. The free version doesn’t help.
Once you get that installed go to the same site and download/install Malwarebytes and Spybot Search and Destroy.
Run both after doing an update.
You need to find someone local who can help you. There is no single and simple answer to your question. It is not known what viruses/trojans you got, and it is not known how good available free antiviruses are against that particular threat. You need a specialist who will work with your computer until it is fixed.
I did not suggest Avast. The suggestion was for AVG. One of the best programs out there. Slim build (not a resource hog), lite and efficient with an excellent database.
Absolute, total, nonsense, I have always used Avast free, and never paid for it, it is very effective and the one that I recommend.
Just as an aside - my dad was trying to get to VA.gov and Firefox blocked it and so did Explorer. Kept saying it was untrustworthy and wouldn’t let him bypass the popup. Ideas?
The first thing you do is download the free version of http://www.malwarebytes.org/, update it, and do a scan.
Do that right now. You can let the scan be running as you read this thread.
TrendMicro is the best I’ve ever used, but it isn’t free.
Since you have Windows 7 amd IE you may already have this running and not even know it. It’s a free download.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security-essentials-download
I use the free version of Avira - does an excellent job, updates daily, and costs nothing.
We use AVG Free too and it does the job. When you go to download make sure you check the free download because they will always offer the ‘Free’ UPGRADE which will expire and require you to pay for it later.
Anti-Virus is free. Just so you know
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.