Bitdefender Free (new version) - suggested improvements

Nunzio77

I have recently been using Bitdefender Free (new version) and I have noticed that some malicious applications, not recognized by the antivirus definitions, were blocked by the behavioral analysis but after the block they were not quarantined but left on the desktop. After the definitions were updated, they were recognized as malicious and quarantined. It would be appropriate, in my opinion, for malicious apps blocked by behavioral analysis, but not yet present in the AV definitions, to be quarantined anyway.

Another tip is to run USB drive scans in the background (without the scan screen) and only if it detects a malware to notify you.

Thanks! 😉

Nunzio.

Alexandru_BD

Hello @Nunzio d'Abbruzzo and welcome back to Bitdefender and the Community!

Thank you for your valuable feedback, I have passed you suggestion to the development teams this morning 😊

Best regards.

Nunzio77

It would be nice to have advanced options in Bitdefender free as well as protection against ransoware.

Now they are the basis for having a good free antivirus, so you can increase your user base which would help you both to solve any bugs and to enrich the signature list of the various malware.

All of this would give you a solid paid solution to offer to your customers.😉

Nunzio77

Hi Alexandru_BD,

referring to the previous message, if it can be useful as feedback, I noticed that threats that are blocked with behavioral analysis (not yet present in the signatures) if the malicious file is on the desktop it is not removed (although Bitdefender reports that it has inserted malware in quarantine), while if the same file for example is on a USB stick it is removed.

I also noticed that when I start my PC during startup the status icon (B) is first red, then after a few seconds it turns gray, stays gray for a few seconds, then turns red again with the autopilot symbol. So the bug that from red becomes gray and then red again must be solved, it must not become gray.

Thanks.😉

Nunzio.

Flexx

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/310443#Comment_310443

@Alexandru_BD - Seems like we have a bug hunter (@Nunzio d'Abbruzzo) in the community forum which can help bitdefender developers shape the product of bitdefender products 😉

Regards

Alexandru_BD

@mrmirakhur I'm delighted to have @Nunzio d'Abbruzzo back in the Community. So grateful for the valuable feedback on Antivirus Free, I received more in private as well and I'm forwarding your findings to our developers for further analysis.

Many thanks!

Nunzio77

Thanks! I am honored to be part of your community and I am also a huge Bitdefender fan (I still remember the unexpected gadget I received as a gift).

I think its products are great and even the free version, now in this new guise, can give the free AV competition a hard time.

In my opinion, it should be implemented with some more features to make it more competitive. Its excellent engine, which I have already appreciated in the previous free version is really powerful.

I was happy when I heard that a new free version was out.😉🙂

Nunzio77

Hello,

In the online threat prevention settings, the safe search setting is enabled, but it does not work.

When I do the google searches I don't see any indication of the searches if they are safe or not. This eventually works with the trafficlight extension.

But it should work without extension with just Bitdefender Free installed, right?

Grazie.

Nunzio.

Alexandru_BD

Hello @Nunzio d'Abbruzzo,

Check the Online Threat Prevention settings:

1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface.

2. In the ONLINE THREAT PREVENTION panel, click Settings. In the Web Protection sections, click the switches to turn on or off:

• Web attack prevention blocks threats coming from the internet, including drive-by downloads;
• Search Advisor, a component that rates the results of your search engine queries and the links posted on social networking websites by placing an icon next to every result.

Search Advisor rates the search results from the following web search engines: Google, Yahoo, Bing and Baidu.

If the conditions are met and the options are enabled, but the safety indicator is still not displayed, I suspect this could be related to a very known issue:

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/310220#Comment_310220

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/309424#Comment_309424

Regards

Nunzio77

Do you have more or less idea when the new version will be released?

Will there be or will eventually be created a section with the main release notes like so many other AV companies do?

Thank you!

Scott

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/310618#Comment_310618

Maybe the free version release notes could be included in this thread?

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/91738/product-updates-and-release-notes

Alexandru_BD

Hi guys,

Sure, as soon as I get news on updates, that will be the main thread to announce them. So far, there are no new releases for Antivirus Free.

Cheers

Nunzio77

As a key that you can choose in the "dashboard" I would add the button to access the quarantine.

So you access faster and also helps beginners.

Nunzio77

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/310443#Comment_310443

If it helps, looking at startup in the task manager, I noticed that it is the Bitdefender Agent that changes from red to gray and then red again and the autopilot is activated.

Thanks e good job! 😉

Nunzio.

Nunzio77

I have installed Bitdefender Free on another PC and on this too, when the PC starts, the "B" icon changes from red to gray, then turns red and the autopilot symbol appears. All this takes several seconds and I don't know if Bitdefender is still active and protecting the PC. The Windows security system does not recognize it immediately but after almost 1 or 2 minutes. Please fix. The "B" icon should remain red and the autopilot symbol will appear after a few seconds, but it should not turn gray and then return to red.

Flexx

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/312292#Comment_312292

Generate bitdefender support tool logs (https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/1733/)

Share the logs & your query with bitdefender support team by dropping them an email at bitsy@bitdefender.com

The support team will reply back to your query within next 24-48 hours excluding weekends.

Regards

Nunzio77

I found that even though the USB scan setting is set to "always ask" the scan prompt does not appear when a USB drive is inserted. When virus protection is off, the scan prompt pop up appears when you insert the USB drive. Fix this bug.

Flexx

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/313537#Comment_313537

If you have any feedback regarding a feature, you can directly share it with bitdefender support by dropping them an email at bitsy@bitdefender.com and ask them to share your feedback with the developers. If you need a follow up you can always ask the support staff to get an update from the developers.

The support team will reply back to your query within next 24-48 hours excluding weekends.

Regards

Alexandru_BD

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/313537#Comment_313537

Hello Nunzio,

Thank you very much for your feedback, our product teams will take it into account for future developments, as they already have an open task regarding this.

Regards

Nunzio77

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/313586#Comment_313586

Great thank you very much. So there is no need for me to send the e-mail to support as well?

Alexandru_BD

It won't be necessary, as the developers are aware of this behavior.

Thank you Nunzio!

OakSafe

i thought the free one was discontinued? Can it be downloaded as a full exe rather than an online install. i want to try it on an old laptop which has no av so cannot go online.

Also can i download a full exe of the anti virus plus i purchased. It would be handy tohave if i needed reinstall. I think someone told me yesterday but i cannot find it now sorry 🙄

Alexandru_BD

Hi,

The previous Antivirus Free version has been indeed discontinued at the end of December 2021. But the developers launched a new version afterwards, called Antivirus Free for Windows, available at the link below:

https://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/free.html

We don't have offline kits anymore, therefore the installation requires an internet connection.

Regards

Scott

@OakSafe

Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the web page link Alexandru posted, just to make sure your older laptop meets the requirements for installation as well as performance.

I believe the only .exe download version is for Total Security. Maybe that's what you may have heard about as far as a .exe download?

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/297920#Comment_297920

Nunzio77

I noticed that when the Bitdefender AV version update occurs the protection stops to install the new version and you get a notification from the Windows Security Center that the system is not protected.

This could create problems for a novice user as well as be a loss of protection for a few minutes.

But could the update be carried out during the restart of the PC and not during the normal operation of the same?

Nunzio77

Another suggestion for an extra feature to add that applies not only to the free version but also to the paid ones is that IMAP4 scanning should also be implemented in the email protection. It's unthinkable that Bitdefender doesn't do it...all the most famous AVs do it, and even the free ones.

I hope that all of my suggestions will be taken into consideration as soon as possible to make the free product better and in some cases even the paid ones.

Till now I haven't seen anything new implemented...

Alexandru_BD

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/313978#Comment_313978

Hi @Nunzio d'Abbruzzo,

There is a short time gap between when the Bitdefender update starts and until it completes. You will see the 'risk' message during the first minutes after Windows starts. After the first automatic update is done successfully, the information is sent to the Bitdefender interface and the notification disappears.

During the update, some Bitdefender services need to be paused to receive new information, one at a time and for a very short period of time. But this does not happen for a few minutes, but merely a few seconds and during this interval, other protection features are still active. You are safe in this short interval.

It's like working on a car while the engine is running, but Bitdefender has several engines.

I hope this answers your question 🙂

Nunzio77

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/321173#Comment_321173

Yes! Thanks my friend! 😉🔝

Alexandru_BD

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/321080#Comment_321080

Links, malicious attachments and scripts will be blocked. We just can't block the entire e-mail through IMAP4, because we can't scan it server side before it reaches your inbox.

Naturally, Bitdefender checks in real-time incoming & outgoing e-mails for cyber threats.

Regarding the implementation of new features and suggestions, that's a different topic altogether and it's up to the development teams to analyze, determine the value they bring to the mass of users and decide if the features are doable or not. For more insight on ideation, I have created these guidelines:

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/94953/guidelines-for-product-features-ideation

Ciao

Nunzio77

Here's my concern about ransoware...

Unfortunately, looking at these tests, I have doubts about the protection against ransoware for the free version...

I don't understand why then in other tests the files are not encrypted.

I'm curious to understand what can be the mechanism of some ransoware that can encrypt files and others not... 😉

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3diGIAN5NC4

Nunzio77

Look at this last test...unfortunately Bitdefender Free didn't go well... 😔

https://avlab.pl/en/recent-results/

Nunzio77

I return to this issue, because I'm using other free AV and I must say that I notice the difference between what I use and another tested for a short time and BD Free. The difference is mainly in terms of performance especially on an older PC (but I think if it's optimized for old PCs let alone how it works on recent PCs...) and also in terms of free features provided.🙂

I am convinced that the use of the HDD during the update download phase is always high compared to the high free AV that impacts the PC startup phase and also during the signature update phase. It also does not yet have the advanced protection against ransoware that AV Free guarantees even in the free versions. At the level of % protection we are more or less on the same values. So why choose a free AV Free that slows down an outdated PC and offers fewer features with a percentage of protection that doesn't go much further than the other AV Free?

I'm sorry to say this but I think Bitdefender should take my views and make changes.🙂

Bringing an example of formula 1... Surely the one who knows the car most of all is the driver (in this case the AV user). If the driver gives feedback to the mechanics, engineers, electricians, tire specialists, etc... to improve performance and enhance the car, the technicians should listen to him because he is the first to have the true perception of the car. So if the pilot says the car is slow but has an engine that could be improved or a chassis that slows it down, the technicians must do everything to optimize it.

I hope this idea of mine will always be accepted because I am fond of the Bitdefender brand and I try to give these hints and ideas to improve it and to increase general appreciation. Then I understand that we are talking about the free version, but I think that the diffusion of the free version also brings gains and notoriety to the company.😏

Nunzio77

Check out this latest test from AVLab:

https://avlab.pl/en/recent-results/

Nunzio77

I'm revisiting this old post of mine to request an improvement/update of the free version to make it more and more competitive with the free versions of the competition.

The second level protection against ransoware is now included in the most popular and valid AV Free versions, while Bitdefender Free has not yet included this functionality.

This is an aspect that pushes many users not to choose Bitdefender Free but to choose something else, as well as due to the issue of high RAM usage compared to other Free AVs.

So I hope that at least this feature will be added/unlocked for the free version as soon as possible. Ransoware is now a malware that is spreading and frightening many users, so knowing that there is also a second level of protection with Bitedfender Free against this type of attack makes the user more reassured and chooses Bitededfender Free rather than other AV Free.

Then maybe after the experience with Bitdefender Free you can decide to switch to the paid one... this is loyalty marketing.

What do you think @camarie and other Bitdefender developers?

camarie

I have forwarded to a colleague who knows better than me the AV Free product. As soon as I have news will follow up.

Nunzio77

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/334040#Comment_334040

Thanks as always! 😉