FREE Antivirus Software : Avast!

By Stephen Bucaro

Avast! Home Edition by the Czechoslovak company Alwil Software is Vb100 and ICSA certified. This means Avast! 4 will detect 100 percent of all known viruses. Avast! provides both file and email protection that works with any POP3/IMAP4 email client, including Outlook and Outlook Express.

Avast! Antivirus is provided free of charge for home users. Download the 7.1 MB application from Alwil Software. The only thing they request is that you register online. After you register, you receive an email containing an activation key. The program will work without the activation key, but the activation key allows you to receive automatic virus signature updates for the next 14 months. After that period, it is necessary to re-register.

Avast! performs a scan of memory upon startup, then opens a a fancy round-cornered window that is a bit sluggish to move around the screen. Click on the drive icon (top one on right side) to select to scan local disks, then click on the big round button on the left side to begin the scan. Avast! has a simple user interface and Alwil Software provides free support via e-mail.