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Freeware Menu >> Antivirus manual scanner only.


Note: I don't list download sizes for most security software, as the files tend to increase in size quite rapidly as the software is developed.


Dr.Web CureIt!

Dr.Web CureIt! is a free, antivirus and anti-spyware scanner, based on the well known Dr.Web antivirus program, it does not require installing and can run from a CD (I tried it). It is not a full antivirus program, as it does not feature a background scanner, or update facility.
The program comes as a single .exe file, simply click it to run. Press start on the splash screen and a scan of your computer memory and startup files will be performed. You can also specify drives, or folders to be scanned.
The program interface is quite old looking, but it is very easy to use and a good help file is provided.

Dr.Web CureIt! detected the Eicar test virus with no problems and quarantined it, however it did not encrypt the file, which may cause problems with other virus scanners detecting quarantined files. Quarantined files and logs, are stored in the Documents and Settings folder, under the users name.
There is no update feature, to update you must download the latest program.

The program did have a few niggling faults, it gave some obvious false alerts, it wouldn't save alterations to the settings between startups, it wont always come to the front of the screen (you will see what I mean, if you try it) and it pops up a small advert screen for Dr.Web antivirus, from time, to time.
But despite its faults, Dr.Web CureIt! could be useful, updated versions are released very regularly and its ability to run from a CD, or as a quick download, makes it very useful for scanning a computer, that you can't install a full antivirus program on.

Free (with adverts) -- Win 95,98,Me,NT4,2000,XP,2003

http://www.freedrweb.com/cureit/?lng=en

Avast! Virus Cleaner.

Will scan your computer memory and drive for a small selection of common viruses, which it is able to clean from your system. It's a small download and can even be run from a floppy disc. It has a very simple interface and further info about the program can be found on the web site.

http://www.avast.com/eng/avast-virus-cleaner.html

MacAfee Stinger.

This is a scanner intended to find and remove a selection of the most common viruses, it is not a full antivirus system, but it can be an extra weapon in the battle against malware.
The program is a fairly small download, it comes as a standalone exe, so you will need to create a folder for it and choose a place on your hard drive.
Unusually for a scanner of this type there is a preference section, that allows you to choose what files are scanned and the action to be taken if a virus is detected. This creates a configuration file, which is why I suggested placing the program in a folder.

By default the program will scan your "C" drive, but you can browse for and add further directories, or use the add button to enter their paths directly.
The scanner is fairly quick and after scanning shows the number of files scanned, there is also the option to create a text file report.
There is no update feature on the scanner, but the program is updated regularly as new virus definitions are added.
The program is suitable for Win95/98/ME/NT/XP and 2000, but ME and XP users will need to read the notice on site about system restore before use.

http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/

ClamWin Antivirus.

This is a fairly new antivirus scanner that was originally developed primarily for scanning mail attachments on UNIX, but it has now been expanded to work as a virus scanner in Windows. The program is actually GPL ( Open source.) but for the end user this is as good as freeware. ( ie its free. )

ClamWin is a file scanner rather than an always on full antivirus system, but it can scan complete directories or just selected files.
Although the program starts quite quickly and scans small amounts of files quick enough, if you set it to to scan your complete hard drive, it does take quite a while.
Its probably best suited to scanning individual files or folders, using the mouses right click menu.

The scan results are given very clearly and any suspicious files are listed with their paths.
ClamWin detected the Eicar test virus easily no matter how I disguised it, but it is prone to giving false alerts, this is mainly because I have quite a few virus scanners on my drive and ClamWin kept finding false positives in their virus definitions. For this reason it is probably best to turn off the Remove Infected Files option in the scan preferences, so after a scan you can check the paths of any suspicious files and then if you think it is a possible virus, you can turn the option on again and browse to the file and rescan it.

When you first install the program you will need to download the main virus definitions using the update feature, before you can run the program, as unusually it does not come with any definitions. I think this is a pretty good idea, as it ensures that you always start out with the latest definitions.
Overall ClamWin is pretty good as a right click scanner for files you have downloaded, but because of its slow speed it is not that good as a system scanner, although it does seem very thorough.
It updates its definitions fairly quickly and is easy to install and use, with a very simple interface.

Open Source -- Win 98/Me/2000/XP/2003

http://www.clamwin.com/

BitDefender Free Edition.

The BitDefender free virus scanner is actually a cut down version of their full product, the only missing component is the always on background scanner.
Being essentially a full product, the program has all the normal antivirus features, it can auto update its virus definitions from the internet, it has a scheduler to set scans and it keeps a log file of the previous scans results.
The program has a simple interface and an excellent help file that combine to make the program very easy to use, but behind the simple front there are comprehensive settings panels that allow the user to alter the programs configuration to suit their preferences.

The main problem I found with the program is the scanning speed, I only use about 2.5GB of my hard drive but the program still took a very long time to do a full scan, about 25 minutes, compared to F-Prots 10 minutes, or AVG's 6 minutes.
The program installs easily, but monitoring the install with Norton Cleansweep showed it to be rather messy with files everywhere. It also adds several files to the startup list, which adds to your Windows startup time, this is obviously because it is a cut down full always on scanner, but it is not really necessary on a free scan only program.

On the plus side, the virus definitions updater is very good, using it manually the update window is very clear, leaving you in no doubt as to what is happening, the updates are quite quick even on a 56k dialup connection.

Freeware -- Win 98/NT-SP6/Me/2000/XP

http://www.bitdefender.com/site/Main/view/Download-Free-Products.html

Multi Virus Cleaner.

This is a simple antivirus utility, that can detect and remove over 3,400 common viruses, worms, trojans and dialers (including all variants of the Sober, MyDoom and Bagle viruses).
It isn't intended to replace your full antivirus system, but rather complements it, as a second line of defence. The utility features a choice of quick, full, or custom scans and you can set the program to delete viruses automatically or to prompt you for action (recommended).
Scanning speed is very fast, even on full scan.
There is no help file, but the user interface is very simple, with easy to understand options.

Freeware

http://www.viruskeeper.com/us/mvc.htm

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