- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/Vista
- Date added: July 30, 2007
- Total Downloads: 1,171,596
- Downloads last week: 18,726
- See full specifications
A newer version of A-Squared is available.
(Download doesn't provide access to previous versions of this program.)
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 369 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: CNET Staff
A-Squared Free seems to have worked out many of its major quirks, and has become a top-notch free malware remover.
When the program starts, it opens to the Security Status page. From there, you can run scans, update the program, access the A-Squared knowledge base and choose from among 20 display languages. Program options are arranged on the left nav: the aforementioned Security Status, Scan PC, Quarantine, and Configuration tabs. Scan PC contains four scanning options: Quick, Smart, Deep, and Custom. Obviously, Quick Scan is the fastest and most superficial, while the Deep Scan can take several hours.
If you choose a scan that examines your cookies, the app will recommend closing your Web browser. Custom lets you choose not only which folders to scan, but also lets you opt out of heuristic, tracking cookie, and spyware remnant scans. There is also a Whitelist where you can add folders or files, accessible at the bottom of the main Scan tab panel. The Quarantine tab uses a spreadsheet-style layout to manage isolated files, and the Configuration tab has options for Context menu scans, Update behavior, and Permissions settings.
There's an annoying design quirk, where important options like the Whitelist are placed in the bottom left of the active panel. But for an antimalware program that's free and doesn't install its own spyware on your machine, A-Squared 3 is the place to be.
Publisher's description
From Emsi Software :Scans your computer for malicious software (Malware), including Trojan Horses, Dialers, Worms, Spyware, Adware and more. a-squared is specialized in finding and removing them securely. The disk scan checks all files on your system disks for Malware. The scanner scans for Spyware Traces. Currently more than 700,000 different types of Malware may be detected and removed. Daily online updates provides the best protection. Version 3.0.0.357 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.
What's new in this version:
Version 3.0.0.357 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.
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User reviews of A-Squared 3
- Average user rating: 3.8 stars out of 369 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 67 user reviewsSee all 67 user reviews
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21 out of 26 people found this review helpful
Version: A-Squared 3
"This is the best, free malware scanner you can find."
Pros: It lacks features found in the full version but for a scanner only, it can't be beat. The signature file in this application is enormous. This version was a long time coming and it is a superior product thats free. It scans for spy cookies, adware, spyware, trojans, unwanted applications, potentially dangerous applications and traces of all of these. It scans pretty fast considering the depth of the scan and all it searches for. It's fully compatible with "Vista', has a great GUI, it's easy to use and very effective. I just can't understand why it's not the most popular, non anti virus, free security application on the market. I use the full, paid version but it's expensive. When my subscription expires, I will replace it with this one. This is an outstanding, free security product. So much better then "AdAware 2007"!
Cons: Requires manual updating, no scheduled scan and no active protection. Other then this, it's the same as it's full version.
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10 out of 14 people found this review helpful
Version: A-Squared 3
Pros: Very good scanning speed, white-listing of detections that you know are safe, pro-version very good also and their forum is quick to respond. Comparable to AVG-AntiMalware (Ewido)
Cons: This is NOT an antivirus, go to their website for a complete listing of protections!!!
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10 out of 20 people found this review helpful
Version: A-Squared 3
"deff MUST HAVE if you rely on freeware"
Pros: this has a brilliant detection/removal rate it has updates nearly everyday.
very simple to use//understand
out of all my apps and ive got a few this finds more baddies then any of them..
used as a back up to spyware terminator you cant go wrong..
Cons: if you get a program that you know is safe that comes up in the scan (ARES for one )
there is no safe/ ignore list to put it in..
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6 out of 8 people found this review helpful
Version: A-Squared 3
Pros: Easy install and easy to use. Plus FREE is always nice.
Cons: It never found anything. I used the product about a month and it didn't find anything. With this in mind I have no idea if it works. So I uninstalled the product.
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3 out of 4 people found this review helpful
Version: A-Squared 3
"Better than apps you pay for!"
Pros: Now and again there are some false positives. You should know what your deleting to handle this program. But all in all great app. Hope they will keep at least this app free. They have come a long way sinds they first began.
Cons: Nothing really.
- See all 67 user reviews Write review
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