Avira AntiVir Personal - Free Antivirus

Consistently at or near the top of independent efficacy testers, Avira's AntiVir remains one of the best freeware security solutions around. Its scans are flexible, allowing the user to fully scan both internal and external hard drives, run a preloaded scan--for rootkits, for example--or customize a scan. The latest version introduces antispyware protections, scanning tech that can crack open "locked" files, improved internal security to prevent AntiVir's files from being maliciously altered, and one-click threat removal--no more baby-sitting.

There are few interface changes in version 9, and older users are not likely notice anything different in the interface besides a refreshed banner logo. The main window offers a left side navigation with drop-down menus and a central pane for more detailed information. AntiVir opens to the Status menu, informing you of your last scan, your last definition file update, whether the real-time guard is active, and premium upgrade link. Events logs changes to the program and the Reports tab keeps a history of threats. Both are exportable.

The Local Protection and Administration navigation options reveal the Scanner, Guard, Quarantine, and Scheduler features. Combined with the Configuration button located at the top of the central pane, users can customize their scans as necessary. Quarantined file information is on display, with options to scan it again, restore, delete, and e-mail the file to Avira. The rebuilt heuristic engine retains the same choices from the previous version's, and can be turned on or off in part or in full and offers three intensity levels. The scheduler offers much that other free antivirus programs don't, and the help features are excellent, with mouse-over information on each feature.

Savvy users will notice the removal of the on-demand e-mail scan, and AntiVir is still challenging to fully uninstall. Despite these hang-ups and the nag screen that follows definition file updates, AntiVir offers such effective protection and a well-rounded set of features that as long as the updates keep coming, it'll be our first line of defense.

Publisher's description

Avira AntiVir Personal Free Antivirus is a comprehensive, easy to use antivirus program, designed to offer reliable free of charge virus protection to home-users only. Avira offers: Extensive Malware Recognition of viruses, Trojans, backdoor programs, worms; Automatic incremental updates of antivirus signatures, engine and entire software; Permanent virus protection, with Virus Guard real time monitoring; Install and configuration in just a couple of steps, setup to protect your PC in minutes; Virus protection against known and unknown threats, using an advanced heuristic system; Scheduler where you can set the scanner to make automatic virus scans or updates on your system; Forum and phone support; Knowledge Base with virus descriptions available on web site; Rootkit Detection and Removal; A modularized AV-search engine for improved scan performance.

Version 9 introduces a quick-removal button for eliminating viruses with a single click, enhanced anti-spyware and anti-adware engines, and support for low resolution netbook screens.

About Avira

Avira, a company with around 70 millions customers and around 250 employees is a worldwide leading supplier of self-developed security solutions for professional and private use. With more than 20 years of experience, the company is one of the pioneers in this field. As a leading German security specialist, Avira has sound experience in the development and support of its solutions. In addition to programs specifically for use on single workstations, Avira primarily offers professional solutions for cross-system protection of networks on various levels. These include products for workstations, file, mail and web servers. Gateway computers can be managed as workstation computers via a central management console for all operating systems. In addition to the management products of the individual solutions, security programs for PDAs, smartphones and embedded devices are also offered. Our clients include renowned national and international corporations, educational institutions and public clients. Avira AntiVir Personal, used by millions of private users, represents a significant contribution to security. In Tettnang, near the Lake Constance Avira is one of the biggest regional entrepreneurs. The company has several locations in Germany and partnerships in Europe, Asia and America. Worldwide approximately 250 persons are employed. Dozens of researchers in various virus labs attend to local and global threats on the virus front around the clock. This work is acknowledged, for example, by several test awards with the VB 100% of the Virus Bulletin or by repeated TÜV certification. As a technological leader in the UNIX market, Avira develops leading-edge standards. Other Avira innovations include virus protection solutions for Symbian and the world’s first SAP-certified virus protection. In addition to intelligent technologies, Avira offers solution-oriented advice and individual support from our own experts under the motto “More than Security”. Protection of users with Avira AntiVir Personal represents a significant contribution to security and a further additional firewall for corporate networks. Awards and certifications of the Avira products and partnerships with corporations such as IBM, Sun, Novell, AVM or Clearswift underline the efficiency and core competency of the company. Security solutions from Avira are in demand worldwide and immediately available locally via trained, authorized partners. Distributed all over the world, many integration partners directly implement the Avira AntiVir scan engine “Savapi” in OEM products. Savapi and the underlying scanning technology are characterized by cross-platform and processor-independent programming. This includes use with Windows and Linux as well as on Intel and non-Intel processors. Thanks to the use of resource-saving programming technologies, Avira products have low RAM requirements. In addition, Avira constantly adapts to the current security requirements of the users. AntiVir is therefore one of the worlds first ever products with dialer detection. This dialer detection was very quickly followed by the detection and removal of adware and spyware. Current developments in this field include the detection of already active root kits. The introduction of a firewall and behavior blockers is a matter of course. In-house development also allows the development of various new special scanning technologies, for example for PDAs, handhelds and embedded devices. But Avira is also active in the field of proactive system protection with the integration of RBCD technologies to make Windows systems more resilient. Avira’s national and international customers include renowned corporations listed on the stock exchange but also educational institutions and public authorities. In addition to protection of the virtual environment, Avira also provides for more protection and security in the real world by supporting the Auerbach Foundation. Established by the founder of the company, the Auerbach Foundation promotes charitable and social projects as well as the arts, culture and science.

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