Least annoying FREE AntiVirus ?

[KenjiUmino]

I use windows 7 and have been using avira as my antivirus - "have been" because i just uninstalled it.

this is what happened:

Spoiler

 

a few days ago it started to get in the way 'cause it always decided to start a filescan of my system drive when i was broadcasting on twitch and today it got even worse when an update popped up a window that not only stole input focus from the game i was playing but also minimizing the game to the taskbar right during a fight - I tried to alt-tab back to my game but that window kept popping up every minute or two kicking me to desktop each time it happened.

 

like avira tried to tell me "i did an update and i want you to restart your shitbox RIGHT NOW or i will get stuck in a loop of installing the same update over and over again, throwing the same window at you each time"

absolutely unacceptable.

 

I mean, thanks avira for keeping your shit up to date and informing me about it but you are just ONE out of many applications that run on this damn computer and if the user CAN NOT restart because there is more important stuff going on then shut up and wait it out.

 

now i am looking for a less annoying alternative. any tips / suggestions ?

 

i want an antivirus that is NOT an attention whore  - throwing a notification window front 'n' center everytime my neighbours cat throws up a hairball is NOT OK

 

i just want it to sit there as a small icon in the system tray and only speak up when it REALLY detects a possible threat.

 

i want it to scan files when they are saved or otherwise accessed but i don't want it to "conveniently" kick off a full harddrive scan every time i do something critical like live streaming or otherwise recording video/audio

 

i don't wanna hear shit ^{be informed} about all the useless features i get when i buy their "premium" version - if it ain't free, i don't want it. period.

 

same goes for anything regarding toolbars, browser plugins and "super secure VPN" provided by the same company

 

and NO, i won't do restarts when i am in the middle of something just because an applications says so - and i don't want applications asking me about it every minute - asking ONCE is enough IMO

 

[Omon_Ra]

Microsoft Security Essentials. Lightweight, doesn't annoy you with popups, scheduled scans. Works well enough for me.

 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=5201

[Oshino Shinobu]

MSE/Windows Defender and then Malwarebytes for additional systems scans is a good choice. I find it's the best in terms of protection and intrusiveness. I very rarely get a popup from Malwarebytes or Windows Defender. 

[KenjiUmino]

1 minute ago, Omon_Ra said:

Microsoft Security Essentials. Lightweight, doesn't annoy you with popups, scheduled scans. Works well enough for me.

 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=5201

no strings attached ? heard about it .... but .... i mean ... it's microsoft, after all ... the kings of annoying software

 

i will give it a shot

[twoSalty]

i had to use avast for a year because my trend micro was fked. seemed fine

[KenjiUmino]

Just now, twoSalty said:

i had to use avast for a year because my trend micro was fked. seemed fine

have been using avast myself but they started getting annoying as well ... i wonder if its just me getting too sensitive

[twoSalty]

Just now, KenjiUmino said:

have been using avast myself but they started getting annoying as well ... i wonder if its just me getting too sensitive

what sort of popups appear

 

[EminentSun]

Bitdefender free edition

[twoSalty]

*psst* you could always try a crack of a good antivirus... (of course im joking)

[Omon_Ra]

5 minutes ago, KenjiUmino said:

no strings attached ? heard about it .... but .... i mean ... it's microsoft, after all ... the kings of annoying software

 

i will give it a shot

Yeah, I was skeptical as well, but it honestly is the least annoying antivirus I've used.

[Bajantechnician]

12 hours ago, KenjiUmino said:

I use windows 7 and have been using avira as my antivirus - "have been" because i just uninstalled it.

this is what happened:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

a few days ago it started to get in the way 'cause it always decided to start a filescan of my system drive when i was broadcasting on twitch and today it got even worse when an update popped up a window that not only stole input focus from the game i was playing but also minimizing the game to the taskbar right during a fight - I tried to alt-tab back to my game but that window kept popping up every minute or two kicking me to desktop each time it happened.

 

like avira tried to tell me "i did an update and i want you to restart your shitbox RIGHT NOW or i will get stuck in a loop of installing the same update over and over again, throwing the same window at you each time"

absolutely unacceptable.

 

I mean, thanks avira for keeping your shit up to date and informing me about it but you are just ONE out of many applications that run on this damn computer and if the user CAN NOT restart because there is more important stuff going on then shut up and wait it out.

 

now i am looking for a less annoying alternative. any tips / suggestions ?

 

i want an antivirus that is NOT an attention whore  - throwing a notification window front 'n' center everytime my neighbours cat throws up a hairball is NOT OK

 

i just want it to sit there as a small icon in the system tray and only speak up when it REALLY detects a possible threat.

 

i want it to scan files when they are saved or otherwise accessed but i don't want it to "conveniently" kick off a full harddrive scan every time i do something critical like live streaming or otherwise recording video/audio

 

i don't wanna hear shit ^{be informed} about all the useless features i get when i buy their "premium" version - if it ain't free, i don't want it. period.

 

same goes for anything regarding toolbars, browser plugins and "super secure VPN" provided by the same company

 

and NO, i won't do restarts when i am in the middle of something just because an applications says so - and i don't want applications asking me about it every minute - asking ONCE is enough IMO

 

 

mcaffee offer that comes up when downloading flash

[crysilis]

13 minutes ago, KenjiUmino said:

I use windows 7 and have been using avira as my antivirus - "have been" because i just uninstalled it.

this is what happened:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

a few days ago it started to get in the way 'cause it always decided to start a filescan of my system drive when i was broadcasting on twitch and today it got even worse when an update popped up a window that not only stole input focus from the game i was playing but also minimizing the game to the taskbar right during a fight - I tried to alt-tab back to my game but that window kept popping up every minute or two kicking me to desktop each time it happened.

 

like avira tried to tell me "i did an update and i want you to restart your shitbox RIGHT NOW or i will get stuck in a loop of installing the same update over and over again, throwing the same window at you each time"

absolutely unacceptable.

 

I mean, thanks avira for keeping your shit up to date and informing me about it but you are just ONE out of many applications that run on this damn computer and if the user CAN NOT restart because there is more important stuff going on then shut up and wait it out.

 

now i am looking for a less annoying alternative. any tips / suggestions ?

 

i want an antivirus that is NOT an attention whore  - throwing a notification window front 'n' center everytime my neighbours cat throws up a hairball is NOT OK

 

i just want it to sit there as a small icon in the system tray and only speak up when it REALLY detects a possible threat.

 

i want it to scan files when they are saved or otherwise accessed but i don't want it to "conveniently" kick off a full harddrive scan every time i do something critical like live streaming or otherwise recording video/audio

 

i don't wanna hear shit ^{be informed} about all the useless features i get when i buy their "premium" version - if it ain't free, i don't want it. period.

 

same goes for anything regarding toolbars, browser plugins and "super secure VPN" provided by the same company

 

and NO, i won't do restarts when i am in the middle of something just because an applications says so - and i don't want applications asking me about it every minute - asking ONCE is enough IMO

 

malawarebytes with bitdefender thats what i personally use because i had the same problem as you which is a non intrusive antivirus that doesnt shit on performance

[Himommies]

I use Ubuntu Studio 98% of the time f**k antiviruses  

[KenjiUmino]

1 minute ago, Himommies said:

I use Ubuntu Studio 98% of the time f**k antiviruses  

haha ... i use mint cinnamon on my laptop ... no forced updates, no BS ... maybe thats why this kind of stuff is bothering me so much recently - i am not that used to it any more

[KenjiUmino]

19 hours ago, Omon_Ra said:

+

hmm, looks like security essentials is out

 

first update after installation failed TWICE now - will try a different installer but i doubt that will change anything

 

next would be bitdefender then

[demonix00]

Avast has a silent/gaming mode now that doesn't bring up any pop-ups or notifications when it is active (although you'll have to deal with it shoving automatic program updates down your throat because you agreed to it by installing the program to begin with).

[KenjiUmino]

 

oh. my. god.

 

they are trying to piss me off on purpose ... right? .... i am not even using IE at all ... why should i install it then ? just STFU!

[KenjiUmino]

oh hey, look what JUST POPPED UP like TEN MINUTES after the installation EXITED with the message i showed in my last post.

 

 

 

so we are not done yet? i thought we are since the first window closed and nothing happened after that ???

 

THIS is EXACTLY the kind of unacceptable behavior i was talking about - opening windows front and center out of nowhere ... 

[KenjiUmino]

and it popped up again

[KenjiUmino]

yep - keeps popping up even after a restart - Anti-Virus ? - bitdefender is WORSE than a virus

[demonix00]

Just like everything else that uses the internet (with other web browsers being the exception), it goes through internet exploder even if you don't actually use it so you'll have to upgrade whatever piece of junk version of IE that is installed for the exact same piece of junk version of IE it requires.

[KenjiUmino]

15 hours ago, demonix00 said:

Just like everything else that uses the internet (with other web browsers being the exception), it goes through internet exploder even if you don't actually use it so you'll have to upgrade whatever piece of junk version of IE that is installed for the exact same piece of junk version of IE it requires.

funny that windows itself did not update it then.

 

however, I got rid of this bitdefender nagware and somehow got security essentials to finally update and it did not give me any more shit since ... let's see if it stays that way ... i hope it does

[Omon_Ra]

On 12/19/2016 at 10:00 AM, KenjiUmino said:

however, I got rid of this bitdefender nagware and somehow got security essentials to finally update and it did not give me any more shit since ... let's see if it stays that way ... i hope it does

Sometimes updates fail just because; not necessarily MSE fault, just M$ in general shitting the bed..

[MLGMelon]

On 17/12/2016 at 1:43 AM, KenjiUmino said:

I use windows 7 and have been using avira as my antivirus - "have been" because i just uninstalled it.

this is what happened:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

a few days ago it started to get in the way 'cause it always decided to start a filescan of my system drive when i was broadcasting on twitch and today it got even worse when an update popped up a window that not only stole input focus from the game i was playing but also minimizing the game to the taskbar right during a fight - I tried to alt-tab back to my game but that window kept popping up every minute or two kicking me to desktop each time it happened.

 

like avira tried to tell me "i did an update and i want you to restart your shitbox RIGHT NOW or i will get stuck in a loop of installing the same update over and over again, throwing the same window at you each time"

absolutely unacceptable.

 

I mean, thanks avira for keeping your shit up to date and informing me about it but you are just ONE out of many applications that run on this damn computer and if the user CAN NOT restart because there is more important stuff going on then shut up and wait it out.

 

now i am looking for a less annoying alternative. any tips / suggestions ?

 

i want an antivirus that is NOT an attention whore  - throwing a notification window front 'n' center everytime my neighbours cat throws up a hairball is NOT OK

 

i just want it to sit there as a small icon in the system tray and only speak up when it REALLY detects a possible threat.

 

i want it to scan files when they are saved or otherwise accessed but i don't want it to "conveniently" kick off a full harddrive scan every time i do something critical like live streaming or otherwise recording video/audio

 

i don't wanna hear shit ^{be informed} about all the useless features i get when i buy their "premium" version - if it ain't free, i don't want it. period.

 

same goes for anything regarding toolbars, browser plugins and "super secure VPN" provided by the same company

 

and NO, i won't do restarts when i am in the middle of something just because an applications says so - and i don't want applications asking me about it every minute - asking ONCE is enough IMO

 

Try Sophos Home, it's the same Sophos that is used in enterprise, but free and can be used on up to 10 computers per account https://home.sophos.com - everything is controlled from the web console on that link, and it basically doesn't show you anything unless a threat is detected. No toolbars, just a tray icon and a simple interface showing what is enabled or not.

Edited December 20, 2016 by MLGMelon
boobs. better than a 2nd post, right?

[KenjiUmino]

7 hours ago, Omon_Ra said:

Sometimes updates fail just because; not necessarily MSE fault, just M$ in general shitting the bed..

kind of - but failing so many times in a row was not like the usual and expected "hickup"

 

i also found some information while searching a solution for a different and seemingly unrelated problem with the resident evil 7 PC demo and vcredist

 

i learned that there has been a bug affecting windows update causing it to either not find new updates at all or failing to manually install them on almost every attempt to do so (taking forever on installation without any progress.)

 

and i guess this is what happened here because i tried installing IE 10 manually and the installation was just sitting there and never completing

 

any attempt to repair or reinstall vcredist also failed the same way

 

both seem to somehow rely on the windows update function for their installer.

 

it also looks like no updates have been found or installed AT ALL on this computer since i set it up about a month ago (even though i had automatic update enabled)

 

now if it really was because of said bug then that would explain why IE 10 was not installed already and why security essentials failed to update so many times.

 

i fixed it by downloading THIS update pack (german website) wich installs 5 microsoft updates in a specific order. 

 

it failed the first time like it failed on IE and VC but i got it installed on the second try.

 

after that, installation of vcredist finished successfully in a matter of seconds, so did any other manual installations and windows update immediately found and installed a ton of stuff like it has been sitting under a rock for weeks (if the bug prevented it from finding any updates at all, it probably did sit under a rock all the time)