Thread: Avira Anti-Virus

There's clearly no escaping the fact that today's desktop computers need protection from threats. If you're looking for a free, usable alternative to commercially available anti-virus programs, you might want to give this program a go. In its

Classic version, it is a pure file-based virus scanner without the functionality of POP3 scanning, Adware or Spyware detection. This added functionality is only available in the Premium version of the software, which costs €20 per year, per license.
The main interface is tabbed-based, which provides access to the anti-virus configuration while displaying its running status.

The scanner section displays the storage devices attached to your computer including the hard disk, local drives, removable drives, the Windows system directory, etc. Scans can be launched on these devices by simply right clicking and selecting the appropriate option. It is even possible to manually scan individual files on your computer. The Guard tab indicates instances of infections found, along with the files in which they have been detected.



For automating your virus scanning, it supports scheduling where pre-defined scan runs can be programmed to run automatically. The last tab displays a listing of application-generated reports related to scan runs, updates, quarantines, etc. Also, as any anti-virus application should, this program also features online updates to its virus definition files from its servers.

The red umbrella motif in the software's interface screen is indicative of the features in the version-red implies that this is a free trial version, while a silver umbrella indicated an enhanced feature set, which is available only in the paid version of the software.

For: Quick and effective file-based virus scanning; simple interface without loading the systems significantly; free.
Against: No support for Adware/Spyware or POP3 mail scanning in the free version.