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Free Antivirus Software Review
Free Antivirus Software Review here Norton AntiVirus 2005 Special Edition Norton AntiVirus 2005 Special Edition
(version 11.0.16.4)
Google, Symantec
Overall rating: 4.5/5 Google Pack contains free Norton antivirus (Norton AntiVirus 2005 Special Edition), as well as many other useful applications. It includes a six-month subscription to antivirus definition updates and is available for Windows XP only.
Download link: Get essential software with Google Pack. Get essential software with Google Pack. Firefox with Google Toolbar The following features are available: Real time protection (computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, spyware, adware),E-mail protection,Instant messenger (MSN, AOL, Yahoo) protection,Auto updater,Quarantine for the detected viruses and suspicious files. The initial download file (Google Updater) was very small as it was the installer part only. Google Updater downloaded and auto installed all necessary software quickly and painlessly. We were allowed to choose what software packages needed to be installed. Please note that if you have a firewall, you will need to let Google Updater through it.
(To see the full-size screenshot, simply click on the thumbnail image.)  Installation
The installation went smoothly, however some additional steps were needed to complete the installation of Norton Antivirus 2005 SE - we needed to run LiveUpdate and reboot the system twice. The registration was optional and we were able to finish the installation with the registration fields blank.
 Main window
The program is easy to use, the interface - easy to navigate and logical. Background colors are cleverly used to alert when attention is needed.
 Main window: urgent attention is needed  Main window: Reports  Options window: Auto-Protect The update was quick and painless.  LiveUpdate Norton Antivirus uses heuristic approach to protect against previously unknown viruses.  Options: Bloodhound heuristic  Virus detected! The program's footprint is rather large and its usage on the old hardware is not recommended.
The inbuilt help system is informative and easy to navigate.  Inbuilt help system License: Free.
Time limited: Yes, six month only.
Free Support: Yes - e-mail, live chat, phone (installation issues and known bugs only).
Platforms: Windows XP only.
Pros: Good detection rates,Easy to use,Protects e-mail,Protects instant messengers. Cons: Free for six months only,No firewall,It is hard to say what is happening at the background - eg when the LiveUpdate is unning,Relatively large footprint.
Note: if you need help uninstalling this software, please see this support article.
Our overall verdict for Google Pack Norton Antivirus 2005 SE:
Good antivirus but free for six months only.
Overall rating: 4.5/5 AOL Active Virus Shield (Kaspersky Antivirus) (version 6.0.0.303)
AOL, Kaspersky
Overall rating: 5/5 
This free antivirus software is based on one of the best paid programs - Kaspersky Antivirus version 6, and offers the excellent detection rates and update frequency that can be expected from Kaspersky.
AOL do not specify whether the product is time-limited. However, the initial expiration date in the program license info is set at one year from the date of installation. Before downloading AOL Active Virus Shield we were required to submit an e-mail address to which our license key can be sent. As usual, it is a good practice not to disclose your primary e-mail address for this purpose, but use a free webmail account with good spam filters (such as Gmail). We did not experience any problems while installing AOL Active Virus Shield on Windows XP. However, when we attempted to install the program on older systems (Windows 2000), there were some problems. During the installation on one of our Windows 2000 systems, the software complained about some Microsoft Visual C++ libraries missing. Fortunately, there was a link to the download file in the FAQ. After installing the antivirus on another Windows 2000 system, we repeatedly encountered blue screens during the boot process. We were unable to remove the software from the computer, as the system would boot only to die with a blue screen a few moments later. (All other antivirus software were removed from this machine prior to the installation). AOL Active Virus Shield did not succeed in uninstalling itself in Windows Safe Mode, so we had to download the special uninstaller from the Kaspersky website, boot to the safe mode, and then execute avp_remove.cmd. Later, we discovered that the inbuilt help system FAQ suggests that you boot into the safe mode, uncheck "Run Active Virus Shield on system startup”, and reboot. Unfortunately, the web version of the FAQ does not have this information. During the installation we were prompted for the permission to install the "AOL Security Toolbar", but opted not to install the toolbar, as it is not part of Kaspersky Antivirus.  Main window Although AOL Active Virus Shield does not include all features of Kaspersky Antivirus, it contains all the crucial ones, such as: Real time protection from computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, spyware, adware and other potentially dangerous software,Email protection (all e-mail clients plus extra plugins for MS Outlook and The Bat!),On-demand file / mail scanner,Auto updater ,Scheduler,Quarantine and backup storage,Logs,E-mail notification (in case of infection and other events),Update rollback,Variable scan speed,Laptop power saving and HT technology support,Windows XP x64 support.  Protection options  E-mail protection The following features of the original Kaspersky Antivirus are not present in AOL Active Virus Shield:
Web Anti-Virus,Proactive defense,Rescue Disk component. The detection rates are among the best according to the following test results:
ttp://www.virus.gr/english/fullxml/default.asp?id=82&mnu=82
http://www.virusbtn.com/vb100/archive/results?vendor=VE15
http://www.westcoastlabs.org/cm-av-products.asp?Comp_ID=15&Cat_ID=2
http://www.av-comparatives.org/seiten/ergebnisse_2006_08.php The program has very small footprint and prevents system slowdown by releasing the processing power to applications when needed.
Optimization for Intel Centrino mobile technology and power saving support for laptops make Active Virus Shield extremely useful for mobile computing.
The interface is relatively easy to use and the inbuilt help system provides all necessary information.
The program is capable of e-mailing notifications in case of infection or other specified events.  Notification options
There is also a possibility of reverting the program updates.
AOL offers free support via e-mail only (which is not guaranteed in the license agreement:
"This license does not entitle you to receive from us hard-copy documentation, support, telephone assistance" http://www.activevirusshield.info/eula.htm). However, a lot of support information is available at the Kaspersky Antivirus knowledge base http://www.kaspersky.com/faq?chapter=183932487 and forums http://forum.kaspersky.com/index.php.
License: Free.
Time limited: No.
Free Support: Yes - email (limited?).
Platforms: Windows 98/ME, NT/2000/XP (also supports XP x64).
Pros:
very frequent updates and good auto updater,excellent detection rates,reasonably easy to use interface,small footprint, highly suitable for laptops,lots of useful features. Cons: some installation problems on older OS,limited support. Our verdict: AOL Active Virus Shield stops short of being the best free antivirus available because of installation problems on older OS and limited support.
Overall rating: 5/5
Important: Please note that this product does not include firewall. To achieve full protection, it is advisable to run this program in conjunction with one of the following free firewalls: Comodo Free Firewall: http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/
Jetico Personal Firewall: http://www.jetico.com/jpfirewall.htm Essential support and troubleshooting links:
Download link: http://www.activevirusshield.com/antivirus/freeav/
AOL FAQ: http://www.activevirusshield.info/
Kaspersky FAQ: http://www.kaspersky.com/faq?chapter=183932487
Kaspersky support forums: http://forum.kaspersky.com/index.php
Additional Kaspersky downloads: ftp://ftp.kaspersky.com/utils/KIS6/ Avira AntiVir Personal Edition Avira AntiVir PE Classic 7.00
Avira GmbH
Overall rating: 5/5 Since our review of the previous version of Avira antivirus the good thing only got better. The installation was a breeze - quick and simple. The user interface is improved - it is now very intuitive and easy to use. The configuration screen presents all available options in a logical and uncluttered way, also allowing you to switch to the expert mode.
As with the previous version, the following features are available:
Features: Real time protection (computer viruses, worms, trojan horses but NOT spyware, adware)On-demand scanner (still called "Luke Filewalker" - great to see they kept the name!)Auto updaterQuarantine for the detected viruses and suspicious filesScheduler (To see the full-size screenshot simply click on the thumbnail image)  Main window  Configuration  Expert mode configuration Avira AntiVir utilizes strong heuristic scanning to protect against previously unknown macro and boot record viruses.  Virus detedcted!
The POP3 e-mails scanner is not included in this version (it is available in the paid premium edition ). However, it is not as big a disadvantage as it may seem, as AntiVir will scan all opened e-mails and attachments.
The detection rates are very good and the definition updates are frequent. According to Avira's site: "Usually, AntiVir offers updates for VDF files several times per day, ensuring that your AntiVir products always detect the latest electronic threats." The update speed was not lightning fast, but still adequate (premium edition provides its own dedicated update server).
 Manual update
Avira AntiVir will not detect spyware or aggressive adware. Running the program together with some form of antispyware protection - or upgrading to the premium version - is, therefore, highly advisable.
AntiVir periodically displays a pop-up window with some promotional info, which can be annoying - but it sure is a small price to pay for using this great antivirus software for free!
 Pop-up information window
The help system is extensive and includes downloadable manual and in-built help. The support is available through the online support forum at: http://forum.antivir.de/index.php.
 Inbuilt help
License: Free for individual and private use on a single PC-workstation.
Time limited: No.
Free Support: Yes - forums.
Platforms: Windows 98/ME, NT/2000/XP, Linux/Free BSD/Solaris.
Pros:
good detection rates,very easy to use,good auto updater,small footprint,available for almost any platform. Cons: does not scan for spyware or adware,no email scanner. Our overall verdict: one of the best free antiviruses!
Overall rating: 5/5 >> Download link AVG Antivirus Free Edition AVG Antivirus Free Edition 7.0.323
Grisoft 
We found AVG Antivirus to be arguably the most configurable free antivirus software on the market. Some percentage of users might get confused by the plethora of choices available, but the "default" button is often there to help (although it would be better if it was available in every configuration window).
During the installation we were presented with multiple options again - but, as the default settings were set right, the installation went nice and smoothly.
The program opens in the"Test Center" mode where you can perform scans along with other usual tasks. The "Control Center" button opens a separate window with extensive configuration options. "Rescue Disk" is another useful feature; it creates a backup copy of system areas (boot sector, MBR) and copies the DOS version of AVG virus scanner to floppies. Unfortunately, there was no option to create a rescue CD. The floppies weren't bootable, so we had to prepare our own boot disk. You may want to try a free antivirus disk creation utility - AVDisk - that creates its own set of bootable rescue disks (AVDisk supports free AVG along with other major antiviruses).
Features:
Real-time protection,On-demand scanner,E-mail real-time protection,Auto updater (virus definitions and program),Log viewer ("test results"),Scheduler,"Virus Vault" for quarantining infected files,Rescue disk (virus scanning floppy disks),Heuristic scanning.
License: Free for private, non-commercial, single home computer use only.
Support: Yes - support forums only (for all users who registered their copy of AVG Free).
Platforms: Windows 95/98/ME/NT4/2000/XP.
Virus definition update file size: about 5M.
Certification: ICSA Labs Certified.
Pros:
regular updates,very configurable,good detection rates,multilingual.
Cons:
does not moves infected files to the "Virus Vault" automatically.no advanced scheduler options. Overall rating: 5/5 Screenshots (click to enlarge): Installation and operation:  Capiton 
 
 
 
Settings:  
 
 
Download link: http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1
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