The best free antivirus clients
Disclaimer: This information is provided to help people out. Removevirus.org is not recommending one free product over another. All logos and trade marks are the right of the respected owner. The below clients may also have paid versions of the free software. Removevirus.org recommends Spyware Doctor with Antivirus for the best protection. However the Spyware Doctor with Antivirus is not a free security client and is not reviewed below.
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Avast Antivirus
http://www.avast.com/en-us/index
avast! Antivirus is a free antivirus program developed by the Czech company ALWIL Software. It has a virus database that gets updated on a regular basis, and has a user base of about 100 million users as of December 2009. avast! Antivirus contains anti-spyware technology along with rootkit protection, and has received many user awards in the past. The features found in this antivirus software are:
Like most free AV clients there is a paid version of this program as well that offers far better protection.
Avira Antivirus
Avira Antivir is a free antivirus application that is widely used all over the world by over 100 million users, as of September 2009. It is developed and distributed by Avira GmbH, a Germany-based software company. The features offered by the free version of Avira include:
Avira has received many good reviews and many awards as the best free antivirus software, and best antivirus software overall. It is said to have the highest rate of malware detection as well. Avira also offers a Professional version for paying customers, with a few additional services included.
AVG Antivirus
http://free.avg.com/us-en/homepage
AVG Antivirus is a popular free antivirus client developed by Grisoft, a company based in Czechoslovakia. It is said to have more than 110 million users worldwide. AVG Antivirus is developed for both Windows and Linux/FreeBSD systems, including server versions as well. The features available with the free version include:
- Separate components – AVG Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, LinkScanner, Anti-Rootkit, Web Shield, Security Toolbar, Firewall, Anti-Spam, Identity Protection and System Tools Protection.
- AVG LinkScanner which makes sure that web surfing is made safe on the computer.
- Identity Protection prevents identity theft on the internet or by malicious software.
- AVGADMIN, a remote administration tool that can be used to manage AVG on a centralized network.
- Fully time-customizable update manager.
AVG Antivirus also provides a professional version that includes a few extra features. However, the free version has been accused of advertising the professional version via pop-ups on a daily basis.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a lightweight application that can be obtained free of charge to protect your computer from malicious software applications. Being lightweight, it offers a limited amount of features and scan modes, but it offers more than other lightweight anti-malware applications available today. The upside of this being a lightweight application is that it’s fast and doesn’t use up a lot of system resources. This is my personal favorite free AV client on the market. I still use the free version to scan my own computers all the time.
Microsoft Security Essentials
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/security-essentials
Microsoft Security Essentials, which was initially known as Morro, is a free antivirus application provided by Microsoft for its operating systems Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. It was built to replace the previous antivirus software created by Microsoft, Windows Live OneCare, which required payment. As Microsoft Security Essentials is offered for free, it has an extensive user base. It is also lightweight and speedy, which makes it very useful. As it offers tight integration with the Windows environment, it disables Windows Defender, and provides much more extensive protection from malware, spyware, viruses and rootkits. I have really grown to like this Free AV version.
Spybot Search and Destroy
http://www.safer-networking.org
Spybot Search and Destroy is an anti-spyware program that is provided free-of-charge by the Irish company Safer Networking Ltd. It was originally developed to defend computers against adware, but later it was redesigned to incorporate protection against a variety of malicious software applications. This anti-spyware program can be installed on Windows 95 and upwards. Spybot has been awarded repeatedly for its free installation and updates and its excellent features.
Spybot Search and Destroy is one of the most effective anti-spyware applications available for free today.
Other Cool Tools Worth Mentioning
JV 16 Power Tools is a registry cleaner that offers a fully functional 30 day trial. I love the program and use it all the time. Plenty of complex tools for the geeks yet the user interface is friendly for non technical people.
Combofix: This puppy is available at bleelingcomputers.com. Not sure who really made the program but it works great at removing rootkits and restoring Window privileges after a malware attack. When I can not manually remove a virus I often turn to Combofix to do the job for me. It's in every tech persons bag so put it in yours.
Tdss Killer: This threat stomps out some of the worst rootkit threats out there like http://support.kaspersky.com/faq/?qid=208280684
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