Ok so I finally got fed up with the free Avira Antivirus on my Windows 7 PC and completely uninstalled it.

Reason being that it does have the tendency sometimes give false positives and then "quarantine" files at my back.
I didn't find an option that if it detects something, it would ASK me what to do, if anything. No, it just goes to do stuff at my back and I am like "umm so where did that file go?", if I am e.g. merely copying some archived files from one place to another.

There is an option to disable the active scanning, but it switches itself on after some time. I think I tried also kill the Avira processes but there was some issue there too (I guess Avira tries to prevent it so that malware wouldn't switch off Avira), so somehow it seemed the only way to completely disable Avira is to uninstall it.

So, I would want an antivirus that has an option to disable its constant tracking for how long I want (not enabled until I enable it), and also that it would ask me what to do if it detects a positive.

Another wish for free antivirus is that it doesn't require some annual registration somewhere. I recall that in the past something like Avast or something similar required that.

Occasional nagware screens are fine (that is what Avira occasionally did, and it was ok).

Or then I will just keep using my Windows 7 PC without antivirus, maybe switching off networking by default and using it only for offline activities like single-player games... After disabling it, the system has certainly become more responsive after booting, there was always some odd long pause after Windows reboot where I couldn't do much of anything (like opening applications etc.) where Avira was apparently doing something, saying "Initializing..." for a long time. Now that is gone at least.

If you don't mind being without the automatic monitor part, then ClamWin (based on ClamTK for Linux) and McAfee Stinger is good. I use them in combo with https://portableapps.com/ on Win 7 and 10.

I've used them since I threw out "normal" and nagging antivirus programs myself, were Avast was the worst. Avira actually used to be good years ago.

I would recommend using it without an antivirus, and just install Ublock Origin on your browser. I've been that way for few years now and don't have any viruses (I checked and then uninstalled it).

Before reinstalling half a year ago I used to have Malwarebytes installed, but it never found anything, so I didn't reinstall it.

You can always use Microsoft Security Essentials, the dedicated Windows antivirus, several IT professionals said it's quite good and on par with others like AVG/Avira, so if you feel like you want something, you can just switch it on and off.

Well, I'd like there to be some kind of "online checking" too, but only when I want it to be enabled.

I've also used Avira for a very long time, ever since Windows XP or maybe even Windows 2000, not sure. I just don't recall if it was always like this, that you couldn't disable it for longer periods of time, and that it wouldn't ask what to do with infected files. I think it used to ask a long time ago?

If I recall correctly, maybe some of those wished options are only in the paid version of Avira...

On Windows 10, for now I use Microsoft's own antivirus, but I haven't really checked if it has these same issues as Avira.

edit: back when I used AVG, I had to switch it off for some games since it would interfere with their startup.

I use that in Windows 10, but for older Windows versions (like 7) I prefer something else because I think MS will stop providing MSE updates to unsupported Windows version, whereas Avira etc. just keep going.

A bit the same how MS doesn't provide latest IE/Edge versions to older Windows, so I use Firefox (and Chrome) instead.

Anyway, whatever, maybe I will stop using antivirus altogether in Windows 7, and just be more careful with it. Going online mainly just from the Linux side, maybe permanently put Windows 7 to offline mode at some point (something that I've already done before to my Windows XP gaming installations) etc.

Personally, I see no reason to have something in the background, especially on the net. A combo of ublock origin and NoScript is sufficient enough to block malicious scripts, and one shouldn't download from unsafe locations (well, I sometimes do, but takes out those two mentioned manually, f.ex. for cracks and trainers).

I can't remember the last time I've had virus on my computer(s) honestly, only minor corruptions which happens all the time.

You can always use a Linux VM guest with ClamAV for that to automate the scanning if you're downloading from a place you're not sure of, or use Linux.

I am not really using pirated software (apart from some old "abandonware" games), but it is mainly some unknown freeware apps that... I dunno, I don't know if they are fully legit if it is not open source, so I have a better peace of mind if I have an active antivirus running when I install and try such freeware. I guess I sometimes suspect the motives for some freeware, are they really doing it just for the goodness of their heart or doing some bitcoin mining on my CPU resources what... Then again here I am asking for freeware antivirus, so... :D

I've had one malware attack many many years ago. Getting rid of it manually was a bitch, lots of manual editing and removal of this and that according to some online instructions. It was my old Windows XP PC and I was in fact running Avira antivirus on that system (so the malware was able to get by undetected anyway), and I am unsure where exactly it came from, my wife (gf back then) had been using the same PC too and she saw the malware the first time IIRC.

Airgapping is probably the best solution here.





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Or Linux.



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https://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-windows-desktop-software.htm?page=7

Is a good source for info. It's not always that upto date (the page above is though), but you can look for specific catagories of free software and get a review and a place to do more research from.

Iirc, you have an option in Avira where you can right-click on the icon on the start-up taskbar (bottom right of the screen) and 'un-tick' 'enable real-time protection'. For when running games etc.

I mostly run Linux now but keep my Win7 for gaming, just off-line (not a fan of MP gaming so no probelm for me).

https://www.kaspersky.ru/downloads/thank-you/free-antivirus-download - kaspersky is good enough.

I've happily been using Microsoft Security Essentials with Win 7 for years.

I back that up with free versions of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and UnHackMe.

That and being more sensible where I browse these days.

I also use nPOP to check all email at the server before it downloads to my PC.

Back when I used an antivirus, I think it was Avast (it definitely had a free version that didn't need registration or anything).

But on Win 10, I'm rolling only with the built-in one. And even then it can be pretty intrusive because I regularly handle cracks (serving only as no-cd patches for boxed games I have), custom patches, .exe files and whatnot which it either immediately quarantines or double asks me whether I am really absolutely 100% perfectly without a doubt sure I want to handle/open such a file. Have had to disable it numerous times so adding another layer of annoyance on top of that is not really something I want to do.

Yeah but at least for me it automatically enables itself after, I dunno, 30-60 minutes. So I can't leave it disabled and enable when I feel I want it to be running.
I don't remember, but can you disable it completely?

Also, is MS still providing updates for it in Windows 7, and for how long? Considering MS doesn't support Windows 7 otherwise anymore, right?