Free Anti Virus Sofware

[Beechy101]

I have removed the free software is got with O2 broadband & need a new one.

Which is best & do i need several different programs?

[redman41]

I would go for Comodo or Microsoft Security Essentilas as they were both recommended to me and I find them fine !

[RATTER15]

AVG is the best free one, Kaspersky is the best bought one but peoples opinions will differ on this I'm sure.

[pauln90]

I use Comodo firewall and Avast antivirus - both free and neither has let me down. Only install one antivirus programme otherwise they will conflict. It's a good idea to have some antimalware as well.

[deggers316]

i have the free comodo security setup, antivirus + firewall never had any problems with it

[bibblebub]

came across this on a RSS feed today http://www.techsuppor...content=Google+Reader

[thetruthhurts]

AVG is great been using it for years and never a problem.

[Buenchico]

To answer the "Do I need several different programs" bit of your question:
A full security suite has 3 essential elements. They are as follows:

Firstly you need a decent Firewall. Windows (from XP onwards) has its own built-in firewall but it's generally regarded as less than perfect. The most popular free alternative is Zone Alarm Free Edition, with Comodo also having plenty of fans.

Secondly you need anti-virus software. The free version of AVG is the most popular, but Avast! also receives plenty of praise, as does Avira AntiVir.

It's important to only have ONE firewall and ONE anti-virus program running on your PC, otherwise software conflicts might occur. (Zone Alarm automatically switches off the Windows firewall when you install it. Comodo probably does the same). However when it comes to final link in your security chain (which is anti-malware software) you can have as many programs as you like. (They only run 'on demand', rather than 'in the background', so conflicts won't occur). The most popular free programs are Ad-Aware and Spybot Search & Destroy, with the free version of Malwarebyte's AntiMalware also widely praised.

Chris