Do antivirus companies create viruses to promote their products?

I believe the companies that make antivirus software are responsible for covertly creating computer viruses in order to promote their own products and services. Are they paying someone on the side to create the viruses? Does anybody else think this is happening? Should antivirus be a free part of Microsoft Windows Operating Systems?

Do antivirus companies create viruses to promote their products?nortonantivirus

Yes some companies out there actually do create viruses and then you get a prompt saying that you have a virus and you need their software to get rid of it. i had this happen to me but of course I didn't buy the software. I took a screen shot of it at the time. Check it out in the description.

Do antivirus companies create viruses to promote their products?spyware

GEEEEEEEEEEEEE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! no
I highly doubt it because there are enough viruses out there.
No, no and no.
i would say symantic does. but about paying someone on the side? maybe their own employees... about microsoft adding it in? no way. They have their "windows Defender" but that does nothing.
I have always wondered about that. It would be possible but I don't think they do. There are "anti-virus programs" that are promoted by spyware that offer to scan your computer for free and then want you to pay money to remove "system errors" that the program says it found. Those programs do not work and if you have a virus problem and you let them install on your computer things will just get worse. Microsoft makes Anti-virus software but if it was a defalt program that came with windows it would just give people another thing to complain about. And people would just shut it off and install something else anyway.
Yeah it happens, the same way they hold back the newest technology until they have made enough sales and profit from their latest releases... would not surprise me at all... every industry has their secrets...
False.