Purchase Anti-malware in 2015

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ganesh.dasa

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Feb 9, 2015
3
Hello,

I just recently returned to using Windows after awhile of using Linux and have been surprised at the changes that's happened to my standard toolchest since I last looked at these software companies. I found out that Spybot Search and Destroy now charges an annual fee for their product and that Malwarebytes Pro was replaced with a Malwarebytes Premium, which is now also an annual fee.

Are there any products that do not charge annual fees for use, like Malwarebytes Pro used to do (I had a copy but lost the original CD and no longer have the email address)? I am disabled and am on a limited budget and cannot afford the mounting annual fees that everybody seems to want to charge and I loved the functionality of the Malwarebytes Pro with real-time protection. I recently tried the Malwarebytes free version and could not delete anything it found, only quarantine. That is definitely not what I need...

I use Bitdefender Antivirus Plus as my main A/V; however, I know that no single piece of software will 100% protect against all malware/viruses.

If anybody has any suggestions for a good anti-malware program, I'd sure appreciate the heads up!

Thank you in advance.
 
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Exterminator

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Oct 23, 2012
12,527
Nothing is 100 % if Bitdefender AV works well for you I would stick with that
Avast free AV is also good
Sandboxie free
Spybot can be replaced with some free on demand scanners such as Malwarebytes Antimalware free,Hitman Pro,Herd Protect & Emsisoft Emergency Kit
Nothing replaces common sense when online and that is probably one of the best tools for your security
CCleaner or Privazer both free
Consider some type of backup solution as there are also very good free options
Also a free Password manager such as LastPass

You can have a tight configuration and not spend a dime
 

ganesh.dasa

New Member
Thread author
Feb 9, 2015
3
I'm actually looking for anti-malware to purchase, but not with annual chargers (like old Malwarebytes Pro). Although the free stuff works, I find that the professional software usually works better. I like Bitdefender, Avast, Avira, Kaspersky, etc.; however, they do not catch everything, so in the past, I used Malwarebytes Pro, Spybot Search & Destroy and other programs like that to pick up where the antivirus programs left off. I'm not afraid to spend money, I just don't want to pay hundreds of dollars in annual fees :) for all the programs out there.

Again, the problem with the Malwarebytes Free version was just last week I could not delete files it found, only quarantine. I had to manually go to every file and registry entry to delete what it found.

Thanks for the quick reply, too!
 

BoraMurdar

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Aug 30, 2012
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I can suggest you to use an Anti-Virus program and not an Anti-Malware for real time protection, and as @exterminator20 said above, you can use MalwareBytes Free as I think that the Pro edition doesn't deletes the malware, but puts them in quarantine first, just as the Free version does. And you can delete the quarantined files from the program. Quarantined files are not dangerous and cannot do any harm while they are restricted in quarantine, and you can always delete them manually if you want. My opinion is that you shouldn't pay for MalwareBytes Pro just for that, and detection rates between those two versions are the same. Pro version just gives you the real time protection.

Use software to protect you, but train your cautious first and you will be OK :)
 

Exterminator

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Oct 23, 2012
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I'm actually looking for anti-malware to purchase, but not with annual chargers (like old Malwarebytes Pro). Although the free stuff works, I find that the professional software usually works better. I like Bitdefender, Avast, Avira, Kaspersky, etc.; however, they do not catch everything, so in the past, I used Malwarebytes Pro, Spybot Search & Destroy and other programs like that to pick up where the antivirus programs left off. I'm not afraid to spend money, I just don't want to pay hundreds of dollars in annual fees :) for all the programs out there.

Again, the problem with the Malwarebytes Free version was just last week I could not delete files it found, only quarantine. I had to manually go to every file and registry entry to delete what it found.

Thanks for the quick reply, too!

As @BoraMurdar stated the only difference between MBAM & MBAM Premium is the real time protection which most good AV programs will take care of that.
By having a few different on demand scanners,it gives you a few more tools in your protection.Scanning your PC with a couple different on demand scanners regularly gives you another layer of protection in case your main AV might have missed something.
A program such as Sandboxie Free is another very good option to have especially for browsing.
I don't know if you will find something in a paid AV that will give you a license option more than a couple years
 

jamescv7

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Honorary Member
Mar 15, 2011
13,070
So you mean security products that have license as lifetime? That will be varies on the developers.

Example is Sandboxie which it has Free version and Premium (available lifetime license)

The MBAM you are mentioning will be not a worthy to use alone due to the fact, their signatures are not same as full blown AV.

Still recommending to have an Antivirus as it covers everything either Free or Paid. Also don't forget common sense when clicking matters because that's the right capable defense. ;)
 
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JollyGood

Level 1
Verified
Jan 7, 2015
25
Hello,

I just recently returned to using Windows after awhile of using Linux and have been surprised at the changes that's happened to my standard toolchest since I last looked at these software companies. I found out that Spybot Search and Destroy now charges an annual fee for their product and that Malwarebytes Pro was replaced with a Malwarebytes Premium, which is now also an annual fee.

Are there any products that do not charge annual fees for use, like Malwarebytes Pro used to do (I had a copy but lost the original CD and no longer have the email address)? I am disabled and am on a limited budget and cannot afford the mounting annual fees that everybody seems to want to charge and I loved the functionality of the Malwarebytes Pro with real-time protection. I recently tried the Malwarebytes free version and could not delete anything it found, only quarantine. That is definitely not what I need...

I use Bitdefender Antivirus Plus as my main A/V; however, I know that no single piece of software will 100% protect against all malware/viruses.

If anybody has any suggestions for a good anti-malware program, I'd sure appreciate the heads up!

Thank you in advance.
Hi,

If you don't mind me asking, do you already own a malwarebytes anti-malware pro license key? Because if so, you are still able to use that old license key to register the malwarebytes anti-malware premium 2.0 for a lifetime license. And if you don't have a key for malwarebytes anti-malware i would suggest that you head over to ebay or amazon where you could possible find people still selling licenses for the old malwarebytes anti-malware pro which you could then use to activate the new malwarebytes anti-malware premium for a lifetime license. In addition Bitdefender also offers a lifetime license of its Bitdefender internet security 2013 which can be upgraded to bitdefender internet security 2015 (and further on) free of charge:
http://www.bitdefender.com/media/html/lifetime2013/?sem_region=COM&utm_source=Google&utm_campaign=US_CA_MEX_Bitdefender_Lifetime&sem_type=search&sem_placement=&utm_content=17234753816&utm_term=+bitdefender +lifetime&gclid=CNTWqfyv1sMCFRSGfgodyn0Agw

Or you could go for Viper Internet Security which also offers lifetime licenses right on their website:

http://www.vipreantivirus.com/vipre-internet-security/
 
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ganesh.dasa

New Member
Thread author
Feb 9, 2015
3
Hi, If you don't mind me asking, do you already own a malwarebytes anti-malware pro license key? Because if so, you are still able to use that old license key to register the malwarebytes anti-malware premium 2.0 for a lifetime license. And if you don't have a key for malwarebytes anti-malware i would suggest that you head over to ebay or amazon where you could possible find people still selling licenses for the old malwarebytes anti-malware pro which you could then use to activate the new malwarebytes anti-malware premium for a lifetime license. In addition Bitdefender also offers a lifetime license of its Bitdefender internet security 2013 which can be upgraded to bitdefender internet security 2015 (and further on) free of charge: http://www.bitdefender.com/media/html/lifetime2013/?sem_region=COM&utm_source=Google&utm_campaign=US_CA_MEX_Bitdefender_Lifetime&sem_type=search&sem_placement=&utm_content=17234753816&utm_term=+bitdefender +lifetime&gclid=CNTWqfyv1sMCFRSGfgodyn0Agw Or you could go for Viper Internet Security which also offers lifetime licenses right on their website: http://www.vipreantivirus.com/vipre-internet-security/

Thank you all for the responses. Yeah, I have Bitdefender for 3 years and my father has Avast! for 3 years and both of them missed some malware sent by his employer. I used to have Malwarebytes Pro license, but I lost the box & the CD and no longer have access to the email address I used so I cannot recover the key :(. When I ran Malwarebytes Free it found what Bitdefender & Avast! missed, but only quarantined; I'm glad you told me that the Premium version only quarantines, too.

I'm going to try Zemana, thank you for the heads up.
 

Exterminator

Community Manager
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Staff Member
Well-known
Oct 23, 2012
12,527
I think worrying about protection and your security product missing something is a good thing.I am not sure I would trust my protection to a Beta version of Zemana Anti Malware just yet. I would wait until it is out of Beta to use on your main PC and it has been tested.It does seem promising at least from the engines it is supposed to use but I would not use this as my stand alone protection.Just my opinion of course.
Have you considered Emsisoft Anti Malware https://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/antimalware/ you can download a trial and see how you like it.Even though the name is Anti Malware it is an AV solution.
I would also recommend trying ESET they offer a 2 year license but also offer a full version 30 day trial.
I have used both of these products for many,many years without an infection.In fact my last infection was on Windows 95 when AOL dial up internet was the latest technological advance :eek:

This is what ESET Nod32 antivirus looked like pre Smart Security on version 2.7(the earliest screenshots I could find) the last version supporting DOS based OS

*Hows that for a stunning GUI :D

NOD3227.jpg


Thats a long time using a Security product without an infection.With that track record it is hard to give it up.

In short find something that works for you and makes you feel comfortable.Then add a couple more good free or paid programs to compliment it with some common sense while online and you should remain infection free.
 
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