Are there any good free antiviruses that don't bombard you with pop ups?

lancer420

Prominent
Sep 8, 2017
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So, I've been using Bitdefender for years, but it always seems to freeze my computer when i install a game. I've finally said enough is enough and am looking for a good free antivirus.The problem is, they all seem to either display a ton of pop up ads or close down or alt tab programs to do something, which is usually display an ad. Are there any good free antiviruses that don't do that? And if not, what are some good paid ones besides Bitdefender and Kapsersky? Thanks!
 
Solution
AVG or Avast (which is now owned by AVG). I know with Avast you can also turn on silent/gaming mode and it wont alert you of anything at all. Just remember from time to time to check your logs so you know if any viruses were recently found etc...

punkncat

Proper
Apr 3, 2018
114
1
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In the past I have used Avast free version, and Panda-something. Since the latter part of 7 I feel like Defender is worth using. As with any AV program you do have to be careful what you click to "run".
As a side note to your issue, there are several decent ad/pop up blockers on the market. Biggest issue I see with them is the new 'whitelisting' that what I would presume are people paying them off to allow specific things to display. Even with that going on it's a far better experience than closing ads and virus sources with every click.
 

lancer420

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Sep 8, 2017
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I'm not using Bitdefender anymore. What's the point of having something that i have to uninstall every single time i start to download something? What about something like Norton? Or Avast as you said?
 

androbourne

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Jul 18, 2017
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AVG or Avast (which is now owned by AVG). I know with Avast you can also turn on silent/gaming mode and it wont alert you of anything at all. Just remember from time to time to check your logs so you know if any viruses were recently found etc...
 
Solution

lancer420

Prominent
Sep 8, 2017
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Okay that should work. Better than having a frozen computer anyway. Thanks!
 

androbourne

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Jul 18, 2017
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Yeah I had the same issue with some other AVs prompting me and minimizing my game. I havn't had those issues since going to Avast with silent mode enabled.
 

Avast-Team

Estimable
Mar 3, 2017
225
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5,165
First of all, thanks for the mention of Avast and we hope you like it!

There is Do Not Disturb (formerly known as Game Mode) and Silent Mode that you can utilize in the Free version.

It is true that Avast Free will show notifications for other Avast products from time to time, but they shouldn't close down, alt-tab you out of programs, or do anything strange like that :) Those notifications can be completely turned off in any upgraded version.

Keep in mind too that even with the Free version, you're getting our core shields which includes zero-day protection (CyberCapture) and real-time behavioral detection (Behavior Shield). More info on these layers here!
 

timmoseus

Commendable
Apr 7, 2016
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1,510
Windows Defender comes with Windows 10 (Microsoft Security Essentials on Windows 7). It's free, updates with Windows updates, and completely ad-free. No annoying reminders to buy the "pro version", because that just isn't a thing. Honestly though, the best anti-virus is common sense, and a decent pop-up blocker. I recommend a stand alone virus scanner only for those times you think you might have a virus on your computer.