Friday, September 3, 2010 | By: free sample

Free Antivirus Software and Removal Tools

F-Secure Online Virus Scanner
F-Secure is a free online virus scanner service. You can use it to find out if your computer is infected with a virus and disinfect your computer if needed. The service requires you to download a temporary executable file that is around 4 megabytes. Please note that F-Secure will scan your system for viruses only. It is not set up to find malware, spyware or adware. F-Secure also allows you the option of scanning your whole hard drive or just a single file. The single file feature is great for doing a quick scan on the fly and can save you a ton of time especially when you are in a virus removal help forum. The minimum system requirements for running F-Secure are: Win XP, Vista, or 7. Browsers supported are: Internet Explorer 6.0 or better, Firefox 3.0 or better, Opera 10 or better and Chrome 3.0 or better. Also, JavaScript needs to be enabled, and you need to have at least Version 6 Update 10 of Java Runtime Environment installed.

BD LogoBitDefender Scan Online
BitDefender's online scanner service is a fully functional remote antivirus product and is based on the same award winning, ICSA Labs certified scanning engines found in their full featured products. The service scans your system's memory, all files, folders and drives' boot sectors, providing you with the option to automatically clean the infected files. BitDefender scan online requires a 1mb download that runs directly from your browser window. If you're on a very slow dial-up connection, the service may not be the best option for you. The minimum system requirements to run BitDefender are: Win 2000, XP SP2, Vista or Windows 7. Browsers supported are: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome.

TM LogoTrend Micro Housecall
Housecall is an impressive online anti-virus and anti-malware utility from the makers of the commercial antivirus program, PC-cillin. House call is rather unique in the online (web based) category of virus scanning tools. First, the program not only fully scans your system for virus infections from boot sector to hard drives, it also does an admiral job of scanning for malware like trojans, dialers spies etc.. Another key feature of Housecall is that it is not a "Fly-by" online scanning service. The program is actually downloaded to your system as an add-on browser plug-in. This may cause some users angst due to the program being a lot more intrusive to their system set-ups. However, with that in mind, the program offers a much higher level of security than any other service in this category. Once Housecall is installed and set-up, it is super easy to use, even for the newest of newbies. Scans are run by clicking on the browser menu link provided and House call automatically updates it's threat definition database while scanning your system. This ensures that you are always up to date...a real plus for technophiles. During the scan process (about 10 minutes on most systems) the service detects infections and can be set to either automatically resolve them, or to alert you, so you can take appropriate action. While Housecall should not be your frontline defense against virus and/or malware threats, it is an excellent free tool you can add to your security profile. The minimum system requirements to run Housecall are: Win 2000, XP SP2, Vista or Windows 7. Browsers supported are: All browsers are supported since Housecall is downloaded and run as an add-on.

Free Full Featured Antivirus Software
Section note: Full featured antivirus programs are software packages that you must download and run from your local computer. All of these free programs only offer antivirus protection. We recommend that you also look for a good Anti-Spyware program to complement your system security profile. Also, once your system is confirmed to be clean, please consider upgrading to a secure web browser like Firefox or Opera. This alone will solve most...if not all of your virus and spyware issues.
AVG FreeAVG Free Anti-Virus Software
AVG is an outstanding freeware anti-virus, anti-malware  utility and a MUST have for anyone surfing the internet who does not want to shell out money for a commercial product. In fact, we can honestly state that AVG free is better equipped at handling your front line defense against internet nasties then 99% of the commercial pay products we've tested.

AVG's most important feature is it's ability to detect not only common viruses but also spyware and malware including browser hijackers. The free version of AVG also offers updates of virus and malware definitions every other day. The updates can be set to run automatically in the background so they are never out of date.
The program's initial installation and setup is straight forward and worked flawlessly from start to finish on all operating systems we tested. AVG includes a custom installation feature for more advanced users where they can pick and choose the options and tools they need for their systems setup. It also allows users to add options to the program on the fly after installation...without having to uninstall first.
AVG's standard tools and options are extremely powerful yet, simple to master, even for a new computer user. Many of AVG's optional tools are actually separate programs with-in the main program shell. Some of the programs more intuitive features include:
bullet Resident Shield that monitors your system for viruses 24/7 and allows you to virus check a single file from your right click menu.
bullet Fully functional email scanner that checks both incoming and out going messages.
bullet Integrated Scheduler that automates AVG scans and updates.
bullet Air tight and fully controlled Virus Vault where you can safely view information on viruses removed by the program.
bullet Webpage monitor that checks a sites content on-the-fly for any malicious content and blocks it before it can damage your system.
bullet Detailed, yet easy to read Log files with information on AVG actions on your system and much more.
All in all, AVG is an excellent free option for any computer user wanting a powerful yet easy to administer, front line antivirus protection program.
Review update: April 25, 2010. The current AVG free version is 9.x and has many new features including an improved link scanner for on the fly protection while surfing the web, comprehensive spyware support and much more.
Download AVG
. For Win 2000 XP, Vista and 7 | File size 49.4 MB. Editors note: AVG is free for personal, home use only. Businesses wishing to use the program must purchase a license. We have been using this program for over four years and highly recommend it as a solid non-commercial (free) option in your system defense against virus and malware attacks!
avast freeavast! 5 Home Edition
avast! 5 Home Edition from ALWIL Software, is a full-featured antivirus package designed exclusively for home users and non-commercial use. Both of these conditions need to be met to use the product for free. ALWIL offers the Home Edition free of charge because they believe "it is possible to avoid global virus spreading by efficient prevention". We couldn't agree more. In fact, we believe that all antivirus software should be free for non-commercial use.

With that off our chests, avast! 5 Home Edition is a very well thought out antivirus package that incorporates many powerful features including it's ease of installation and user interface for non-technophile users. Power users will also find the program very useful as well with it's feature rich components that include: Antivirus Kernel, Automatic Updates, Simple User Interface, Virus Chest, Resident Protection, System Integration, P2P and IM Shields, Integrated Virus Cleaner, Network Shield, Support for 64-bit Windows, Web Shield, Internationalization and more. See site for a complete breakdown of the above features list.
Review update April 25, 2010. The current avast free version is 5.x and includes many new features like a NEW antivirus and anti-spyware engine, real time anti-rootkit protection, a new chat protection feature and more.
Download avast! 5 Home Edition. For Win XP and Vista and 7 | File size 46 MB. Editors note: You must register with a valid working email address to get this program for free. The program will work for 60 days after installation in demo mode. You will obtain a free license key by email after the registration. The license key is valid for 1 year. After one year you will need to re-register to keep the software operating and free.
BitDefender Free EditionBitDefender 10 Free Edition
Review update April 25, 2010. BitDefender 10 Free Edition is 100% freeware. It uses the same ICSA Labs certified scanning engines found in other (for cost) BitDefender products. BitDefender 10 Free Edition now includes a scheduler so you can set up scans during off hours unattended. While this is a welcome change, BitDefender 10 is still listed as an an "on-demand virus scanner, which is best used in a system recovery or forensics role". for this reason, we can not recommend it as your front line protection solution. It is however, an option as a second line of defense as studies have proven that a layered approach to virus and spyware and adware protection is now preferable. This is because even the best antivirus programs will miss a detection now and then. Running two different products will give you the best chance of keeping your system clean.
NOTE: If you are going to use BitDefender 10's automatic scheduler feature, it is not recommended you install it with another AV product that also runs scheduled scans. Most AV programs now do not play well together running in this mode.
Product features in BitDefender 10 Free Edition include: Virus scanning and removal, Scheduled scanning, Immediate scanning, Skinable interface, Quarantine, Scan process Reports and more.
There are a few drawbacks to BitDefender 10 Free Edition. One is that it does not offer any email virus scanning or protection. If you are using a local email program like Thunderbird or Outlook, we recommend you do not use  BitDefender 10 Free Edition as your primary AV solution. Also the free version does not have a malware protection module, nor does it offer web site protection.
Download BitDefender 10 Free Edition
For Win XP SP2 Vista and 7 | File size 38.8 MB.
Free Removal Help Forums
Free Spyware, Adware and Virus Removal Help Forums
If you have a particularly nasty spyware, adware or virus infection on your system, you may need to visit a reputable online help forum. Visit our virus, spyware and adware help forums page where we offer free information on how to use the forums to get the help you need to remove malicious files from your computer. The page also includes a list of free help forums with links.

Free Antivirus Search and Databases
Section note: Virus search and databases allow you to look up a particular infection file or name. As an alternative to the services below you may also consider trying to search for the infection on Google. Many times this is your best choice since the search query will also bring up many help forum listings where you can get assistance in removing an infection.
Symantec Security Response
Symantec provides a free synopsis of the latest virus-related threats including information on: Category Rating (risk), Name of Threat (threat), the day on which the threat was identified (discovered), and the day on which a virus definition was added to protect against the threat (protection). You can search for viruses alphabetically or view their complete database of viruses and variants.

F-Secure Virus Description Database

The F-Secure computer virus description database is administered by their support team. The database is updated several times a week. F-Secure's virus description service was started in 1994. They claim it was the first antivirus web site on the Internet - and is considered the industry standard source for up-to-date information on new viruses and hoax alerts.

AVG Virus Encyclopedia

Avg offers a simple search box on this page where you can type in the virus you are looking for and it will query their entire virus encyclopedia.

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