A-squared (A2) Free 1.6

• Quick specs
• Price: Free
• Operating system: Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 98
• Date added: March 09, 2005
• Total Downloads: 1,171,596
• Downloads last week: 18,726
• See full specifications

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A newer version of A-squared (A2) Free is available.

Download the latest version | Learn more about A-squared Free 4.5.0.21b

(Download doesn't provide access to previous versions of this program.)

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

Scan your computer for malicious software (malware), such as describes Trojan horses, dialers, worms, spyware, and viruses. A-squared Free finds and removes these pests securely. The first step is the memory scan for detecting malware. The second step is the drive scan, which scans all files on your disks for malware. Currently more than 90,000 types of malware can be removed. After the scan has finished, you can select which malware files you want to remove automatically. Version 1.6 adds heuristic scanning and memory scanning.

Note:This application requires free registration on the developer's Web site.

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