koala

Hi, welcome to TSF

Avast, Avira and AVG are all well-respected free antivirus programs, but Avira gets the highest detection scores in comparisons tests. They all have daily updates and are easy to configure.

The general rule is one antivirus, one software firewall (not including router firewall) and as many antispywares as you like, just make sure all the antispywares aren't monitoring in real-time to avoid potential conflicts and slowdown.

If you decide to stick with Avira, there is a tweak that removes the daily nag screen for manual updates. This effectively means the free program updates automatically with no adverts or reminder windows popping up. This tweak is known about by the company and, although it's not officially approved, they don't seem to mind it being used.