Does anyone know of any free anti-virus software for Windows XP, specifically, (not thirty day trials or anything like that) that they would recommend? If I had my druthers, it would be open source because I have some modifications in mind, but I might take anything that happened to be free.

I've become sufficiently annoyed with Norton, McCaffee, et. al. in combination with startup methodologies, interference with certain firmware things I'd like to do locally that I've uninstalled all AV software on my machines at home. While not having any AV software isn't really a source of any worry/concern to me, I would like to get my hands on some. I'm designing a system for my home that will eventually be relatively sophisticated and might generate interest from other people, and so I'd like to build some AV into what I'm doing.

It is not essential that I be able to distribute it as part of some package/image, though that would be cool. Without recommendations, I'm simply going to try out various ones to see if they're to my liking, but I thought getting a tip might save some time.

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"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

Msoft distributes a virus removal tool, which is all I ever use. It's free, and works pretty good.

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Life only becomes meaningful at its extremes

-- S

That's interesting. At least with all of their resources, it probably stays up to date as well. Did you download it from their site?

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"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

Let us know when and if you put together something that is useful. Something that doesn't clog up and SCREW up your system. Something that you don't have to waste two hours uninstalling and removing registry keys to clear.

For awhile I had good experiences with the stuff at PC tools:

PC Tools - Essential tools for your PC

But I've had a nightmare with their latest pctools "internet security."

The worst shitsoftware (besides braviax.exe) I've ever had to deal with.

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3 types; Leaders. Followers. Users.

AVG...it is free and pretty good.
AVG Free - Download antivirus and antispyware software for Windows XP and Vista
It is usually rated in the top 5 of various "top 10" list.
It is waaay less intrusive and memory gulping as Norton...and actually rates higher.

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The most serious threat to the United States is not someone hiding in a cave in Afghanistan or Pakistan, but our own fiscal irresponsibility 2008 - David Walker, Controller General of the United States

Well, the focus of what I'm doing isn't really AV software at all. Basically, I'm building a PC that is going to control media in my place - get HD signals through the air, take in the cable signal, act as a DVR, allow me to download videos and watch on my main TV, etc. I'm also going to have it act as controller of a sound system, and build speakers into various rooms, to be controlled from the PC. Later, I'm going to tie it in with other household functions, such as managing temperature in various rooms, operating lights, and allowing me to forecast gas/electric bills.

The reason I'm wondering about AV software is that friends have expressed interest in what I'm doing, and if I were later to duplicate what I did for someone else, I'm sure they'd want something like that. However, the aim here is to keep the overhead cost as low as possible. I'm already going to be buying parts and connectors, so I don't want to run up the bill with shit there's no need to pay for. The main reason I'm interested in open source is that I'm probably going to be building some circuitry that it needs to interact with, and I want to be able to get in and tell it to ignore any non "signed" drivers that I might build for what I'm doing, should it come up.

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"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

That's actually the one I was looking at the most. Good to see an endorsement of it, I suppose. I haven't looked at it to see if it's open source, however.

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"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

I don't know if it is open source either....I have installed AVG on many, many friends/relatives PC's - and haven't got a complaint yet.
I used it for maybe 2 years before my DSL service offered a free one...it never gave me any problems, I had no viruses (course I have NEVER had a virus in my life at home).

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The most serious threat to the United States is not someone hiding in a cave in Afghanistan or Pakistan, but our own fiscal irresponsibility 2008 - David Walker, Controller General of the United States

Yeah, me neither. Just for me, I don't really care, but for other people, I'm sure they'll want it.

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"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

I see.

Well, sounds like you'll have fun with it

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3 types; Leaders. Followers. Users.

Which type do you recommend/use ?

The antivirus free addition or the complete internet security addition ?

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3 types; Leaders. Followers. Users.

I'm gonna assume you use the complete internet security addition.

Jeez, it's dead around here.

Interest in politics is really at an all time low ? Maybe it's just me. I'm sick of ALL the lying reta.. - I mean politicians. My interest may pick up if they start disappearing or getting shot ... abducted by aliens ... poisoned by assasins ..... swarmed to death by wasps ....

... I don't know. THAT would be interesting. Other than THAT, I know I'm getting screwed right in the can by these creeps. What else is there to say ?

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3 types; Leaders. Followers. Users.

I've used AVG for a few years as well - recommended to me by a real computer geek, since I just play one on TV. The free edition's worked great for me. (I don't think it's open-source, but don't know that for certain.)

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Today's forecast: Government corruption.

Tomorrow's forecast: 100% chance of more 'politics as usual'

Maybe it's finally time to vote Libertarian

I've use the free AVG on both my laptop and desktop for the last couple years, no complaints about it thus far.

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To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society. -Theodore Roosevelt

AVG isn't open source. They give you the free version in the hopes you'll pop for the full suite. But I recommend the free version because that's the one I've used for many years. It HAS caught quite a few incoming viruses (virii?) and you get an automatic update every couple of days on average.

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Not a day goes by that I don't see something that reinforces my belief that people are idiots.