What are good antivirus programs to clean my computer?

Question

My computer is loaded with different pop ups and viruses. Please help me in cleaning it and protecting it!

Answer 1

I assume your want free right...If you want a free anti-virus I recommend in this order (install only one):

1. AVG Free
a. A simple interface (easier to use than Avast! and Avira)
b. Can detect about 82.82% of viruses
Cons: low virus detection

2. Avast!
a. Real-time protection
b. It has an option to delete a virus once found
c. Can detect about 87.46% of viruses.
Cons: Too many icons and confusing user interface

3. Avira AntiVir
a. It can detect malware better than Avast and AVG
b. It's cute umbrella icon
c. Can detect about 94.26% of viruses
Cons: A very sluggish update

You will also need anti-spyware to prevent those pop-ups and I would recommend getting Ad-aware and Spybot Search and Destroy (they are also free).

If you actually want to pay for protection NOD32 is the best and Kaspersky next. Don't get Norton or McAfee as they slow your computer way down. Good luck!

Answer 2

When I think of cleaning up viruses and pop - ups I think of using Norton Internet Security. This program includes both Real Time protection of ad ware, spy ware and viruses as well as one of the most quickly responding teams to new threats that you can find. The main drawback to Norton is the price, it being 79.95. For free solutions, consider Windows Defender available at: http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
for ad ware and spy ware.
For virus protection consider either AVG or Avast available at:
http://www.grisoft.com/ and http://www.avast.com/ respectively.

Answer 3

Norton and McAfee are the most well known and trustworthy brands I reckon. But I think they may cost you. If you want to remove spyware etc, you can download the Spyware Doctor from Google or Spybot-Search&Destroy free.

Answer 4

A PC needs 3 types of protection. Anti Virus, Anti Spyware, Firewall.

There is a easy to follow guide on my PC help site on; What you need, Why you need it, Where to get it. All are free.

http://www.phpbbserver.com/stevie19605/viewtopic.php?t=40&mforum=stevie19605

Answer 5

AVG Free. Because it's FREE, easy to download & use, and fast. It's also the most reliable antivirus I've ever had.

Answer 6

depends if you want to pay or not! If you dont i recommend AVG free home edition. Heres a list of great anti-virus programs:

http://www.download.com/sort/3150-2239_4-0-1-3.html?tag=dir

Answer 7

Used with permission from NumberSix6
Printing this would be helpful
You need not follow this in exact order, or even do all the steps, but it was written this way to ensure all issues where handled.
If you find one portion particularly helpful for removing a problem please email me

Step 1) DON'T PANIC! Take a deep breath and go grab a cup of your favorite beverage. This may take awhile.
Step 2) Clean up your pc. Remove programs you don't use via the Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel. In Vista, you remove programs by clicking Programs and Features in the Control Panel. If you are unsure of a particular program, you can check it against a list of offenders here:
http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=79754

Clean your hard drive of unnecessary files using CCleaner here: http://www.ccleaner.com/download/...
Save to your desktop, install it, then run the cleaner. Simple, yet it will free up tons of space on your hard drive. While you have the program open, run the Registry Checker as well. This will fix invalid registry entries safely. Note that you should run CCleaner for ALL accounts on your pc.
Step 3) Create a new System Restore point. Click Start>All Programs> Accessories>System Tools>System Restore. Create a restore point. Now delete all but this most recent restore point. Click Start>All Programs>Accessories> System Tools>Disk Cleanup. Click More Options tab, and then under System Restore, click Clean up. Click Yes to remove all but the most recent restore point. Click OK, click Yes, and then click OK.
Step 4) Now let's start to get rid of those nasties. Download the following programs to your Desktop. You should then install each one, but don't run them yet. Patience...patience.
Lavasoft's Ad-Aware from here: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad_a...
AVG Anti-Spyware from here:
http://www.ewido.net/en/download/...
Spybot Search and Destroy from here:
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/downl...
SUPERAntiSpyware from here:
http://www.superantispyware.com/...
I know this seems like overkill, but until someone can come up with one program that can detect everything in the wild, we need to use programs from several reputable sources.
Step 5) Use them safely. Once these programs are installed on your pc, their effectiveness may be negated by running scans normally. You need to reboot your pc into Safe Mode. Shut down your pc, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on. As your computer restarts but before Windows launches, press F8.
Use the arrow keys to highlight the Safe Mode with Networking option, which loads all of the above files and drivers and the essential services and drivers to start networking, and press Enter. If Windows launches before you can choose a safe mode, restart your computer and try again. Now it's time to start each program you installed and run scans. First, open Ad-Aware, update to the latest signatures, and run a full system scan. Delete any malware found, close the program and move on to AVG Anti-Spyware. Again, update, run complete scan, and delete the baddies. Do the same for Spybot and SuperAntiSpyware. When you are finished, restart the computer normally.
Step 6) Clean up and protect. I would recommend leaving AVG and Ad-Aware on your system, and delete the other two. These anti-spyware programs do not conflict and offer good future protection. If you happen to like the interface of the others, then by all means keep the ones you want, just so long as you have at least one solid stand-alone on your system. Uninstall the others via Add/Remove in the Control Panel.
Step 7) Not done yet. We've taken care of the spyware, but there still may be viruses and trojans lurking on your pc. If there is an anti-virus program running on your pc, shut it down. Yes, you read right, end the program. We need to run a few online scans that may conflict with the anti-virus installed. Go to Trend Micro: http://housecall.trendmicro.com/... to download and run their free online scanner. Take whatever action the scanner tells you for any virus found. Finally, do the same with the Panda Online ActiveScan : http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/ac...
Restart your computer.
Step 8) Peace at last. Make sure your anti-virus program of choice is running again and is up-to-date. If you do not have one, I suggest AVG Free Antivirus here: http://free.grisoft.com/doc/2/ or Avast 4 Home:
http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-...
Be sure you have at least one of the anti-spyware programs running, and also make sure you have a good firewall. PC Tools Firewall Plus is free and works on XP and Vista: http://www.pctools.com/firewall/... , as does WinPatrol 2007:
http://www.winpatrol.com/download.html...
This procedure will remove MOST malware. However, it may not catch some really nasty buggers. If you've followed all the steps and still believe you have something not right on your pc, you need some extra help. Go here: http://www.tomcoyote.org/hijackthis... to download a program called HijackThis. It examines certain key areas of the Registry and Hard Drive and lists their contents. Install, run and save a logfile which you may post on one of the forums listed on that same page as above. Some kind soul will then come along and examine your logfile and give you recommendations in order to wipe any remaining buggers away.
Please email me with comments, suggestions, and errors. If you like it, feel free to pass it on to other infected folks.

You may also find this Tweaking Guide useful
http://www.tweakguides.com/TGTC.html
If you’re a Gamer he also has excellent guides to many games

Source(s):
Many years of cleaning infected pc's

Answer 8

clamwin.com or if you want to pay for one you can get norton

Answer 9

I use and recommend comodo

http://www.comodo.com