Avira AntiVir Personal – Free Antivirus

Avira AntiVir Personal Free Antivirus does double duty, protecting against spyware and viruses alike. 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 the program to get it to complete a scan. Third-party testers have determined that while AntiVir has one of the highest detection rates around, its false positives are also high. AntiVir’s scans are flexible, allowing the user to check all hard drives, choose a preloaded scan–for rootkits, for example–or customize. The heuristic scan can be turned on or off completely or partially, with three different intensity levels. The quarantine offers extensive support, too, although the definition file updater can be sluggish.

One of AntiVir Free’s biggest drawbacks is the pop-up ad that pesters users to upgrade to the paid version after each definition file update. There are ways to disable it, but using the program as it was intended has the potential to frustrate gamers and those who enjoy full-screen video playback. Nevertheless, AntiVir’s protection is highly regarded, as it should be.