Free and not free AV for 98 and how to get around the problem

With apologies to all involved, I am /really/ getting tired of
the never-ending "Free AV for 98?" threads.

Of course, nothing will stop them, even this post, since most
people are too lazy to read even a hundred old posts, being
absolutely certain that they are the first person ever faced
with the particular problem at hand. Don't even mention Google.
One would think it didn't exist. (As much as I hate the Web,
Google IS generally quite useful, as long as you don't forget
that the result most worth looking at it is not necessarily on
the first page, let alone /the first link/. Anyway.)

Here are 2 fairly simple solutions to the above mentioned
endless questions.

In case you are not too cheap to pay $40/year (you spend more on
cappuccinos in one week, FFS) for a 98 version (2.7) of the best
AV software there is, ESET NOD32, while it is no longer
available on their site as of Feb 1, the virus signature updates
for that version will be available until Feb 1, 2012. (If you
don't have the program and can't find it, I will be more than
happy to post it to a file-sharing site. The same license works
for all versions. Ver 2.70.39 was the last 98SE version. Vers
3.x and 4.x run on Win2000 and up. (There are also full
"security suite versions" but I'm not into those.)

AFAICT, the sig updates for 2.7 are the /same/ files as the ones
for the 3 and 4 versions (see below).

So you can either pay the measly 40 bucks and stop these ENDLESS
questions which are REALLY getting boring, or you can install a
free copy (if you have to ask where...) of XP on another
partition ONLY to get the new versions of the few currently free
/AND/ XP+ ONLY A-V programs there are, and scan whatever you
want from there, and then reboot back into 98.

In case you're wondering, the "run from XP partition and then
reboot" solution is based on my firm belief that running an A-V
all the time while on-line is totally pointless.

I might add ESET consistently beats all the others in ratings,
although you really have to read between the lines and THINK
about the different aspects of "reviewing". (Some are simply
ridiculous: "ease of installation". Sigh.)

But while, not surprisingly, Norton is the best-seller - just
like IE/OE are the most-used internet software, in spite of also
being the most dangerous software ever - most sites not run by
lying payola weasels agree ESET is the best.

Here is what /seems/ a non-biased review...

http://www.consumersearch.com/antivi...est-antivirus-
software

....although I am sure SOMEONE will claim how they are in fact on
ESET's payroll.

Of course, certain aspects of the above solutions may be totally
invalidated if someone proves that Win2000 and up viruses are
different than 9x viruses, but I do not believe they are. And
even if they ARE, a good scanner /should/ find them anywhere.
One of the best (free) scanners for years was F-Prot for DOS and
it found stuff on all Win platforms, AFAIK.

(There actually IS a DOS version of ESET NOD32 as well, but it
and its defs have not been updated in quite some time and will
not be. But I have it if you want it. Even ESET said in its
blurb that SOME stuff can be found easier from DOS than from
within the 32-bit OS.)

Just my 2 cents, or $39.99 if you prefer. (Discount if you buy a
2 year license).


--
The lonely child plays with eternity, while a gang of children
plays with time.
Karel Capek