what is a very good and effective anti-virus software?
about a year ago, i purchased webroot spy sweeper. this software was pretty sweet. it kept virus outta my system, but for some reason, the sweep timing (where they check for virus in my pc) became longer and longer and soon it took about 5 hours to do a whole system sweep. so, i didn’t have much time to sweep my pc anymore. also, this product subscription has expired. now it’s hardly working. virus are over taking my pc like crazy. i need a new software to keep my computer safe again. any suggestions? what do you guys use to keep your computer virus free? if possible, i would like to have this software free to download because i can’t go out to buy any software any time soon. thanks so much.
Tagged with: computer virus • new software • spy sweeper
Filed under: anti virus software

I always recommend Panda.
As you probably know, one of the key factors is the udpate of virus definitions. To have them updated is crucial, and that’s when the Panda detection tools are better. You can run an online scan of your pc. Their definitions are permanently updated and they detect not only viruses but all forms of malware.
You can try their new tools (Panda NanoScan and Panda TotalScan) for free at http://www.infectedornot.com as part of their new campaign "Infected or Not?"
norton anti virus
BitDefender Internet Security Suite 10 - has antivirus, firewall, spam control, parental control and other usefull stuff.
ive been using avg free and so far so good. they also have a free spyware too. Ive got both and just use the antivirus on its own but back the avg free spyware with windows defender and win patrol. I cant make promises but it seems to work for me
AVG by grisoft
All of these are ones that I personally use and all are free.After you install any of them,make sure you update them to get the full affect.
Download Grisoft AVG 7.5 Anti-Virus,Anti-Malware.(free)
AVG is a collection of anti-virus protection tools that gives you full protection against viruses, worms, Trojans and malware. AVG provides you with all that you need to be completely protected: including a tool for scanning your hard drive and e-mail, as well as a real-time shield to prevent infections.
Top Features
» Provides automatic update functionality
» Its a reliable anti-virus scanning engine
» Provides free Virus Updates for life
» Options to define file name extensions
» Real time protection with resident shield, email scanning
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/5390/lng/us/...
Spybot - Search & Destroy detects and removes spyware, a relatively new kind of threat not yet covered by common anti-virus applications. Spyware silently tracks your surfing behaviour to create a marketing profile for you that is transmitted without your knowledge to the compilers and sold to advertising companies. If you see new toolbars in your Internet Explorer that you haven’t intentionally installed, if your browser crashes inexplicably, or if your home page has been "hijacked" (or changed without your knowledge), your computer is most probably infected with spyware. Even if you don’t see the symptoms, your computer may be infected, because more and more spyware is emerging. Spybot-S&D is free.
http://www.spybot.info/
http://superantispyware.com/
SUPERAntiSpyware is the most thorough scanner on the market. Our Multi-Dimensional Scanning and Process Interrogation Technology will detect spyware that other products miss! SUPERAntiSpyware will remove ALL the Spyware, NOT just the easy ones!
Easily remove over 100,000 pests such as SmitFraud, Vundo, WinFixer, SpyAxe, SpyFalcon, WinAntiVirus, AntiVermins and thousands more!
Here is another free anti-virus-
PC Tools AntiVirus Free Edition feature highlights
Protects your PC as you are working, surfing and playing
Detects, quarantines, disinfects and destroys Viruses, Trojans and Worms
OnGuard™ protects your computer against threats in real-time
Automatically checks for frequent updates against the latest threats.
http://www.pctools.com/free-antivirus/
*Never install more than one anti-virus on your PC, as they may conflict with each other. On the other hand, its always good to install more than one anti-spyware.
a very good and free antivirus software is AVG from grisoft ( http://www.grisoft.com ) . I use it and pctools firewall (www.pctools.com),and i have no problems since now.
I had Just bought Norton Anti-Virus/Intenet Security 2007
Windows Live OneCare can be downloaded from microsoft.com or majorgeeks.com. It takes care of most things including anti-virus. A 90-day trial is free, then they ask you to purchase
Norton, AVG , Avast are free antivirus software. They do protect your computer and you can keep updating them once in three days or so. Ad-aware, Ewido are free spyware removers. You can download free softwares at http://fixit.in/antivirus.html and http://fixit.in/spywareremover.html