- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Me, Windows Server 2008, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 98
- Date added: January 13, 2009
- Total Downloads: 1,171,596
- Downloads last week: 18,726
- See full specifications
A newer version of A-squared Free is available.
(Download doesn't provide access to previous versions of this program.)
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 361 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, and Adware. A-squared Free 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 1.2 million different types of Malware may be detected and removed.Free daily online updates provides the best protection.
Version 4.0.0.21 improves multi-language support.
What's new in this version:
- Arabic (revised) Language Support.
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User reviews of A-squared Free 4.0.0.21
- Average user rating: 3.8 stars out of 361 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 17 user reviewsSee all 17 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Version: A-squared Free 4.0.0.21
"N° 1 in my antimalware defense list."
Pros: * Fast scans - 15 minutes for a deep scan running Vista Home Premium on HP Pavilion with 3GB RAM
* Very Fast Updates - at least once a day
* Easy to use & understandCons: Minor irritations:
* Agree with editors review about whitelist placing (small print, hard to find at first)
* To view previos scan reports, you have to search a separate folder created automatically in "Documents". Why not place in the Interface?Summary: Powerful, very fast, easy to use, and FREE
I run daily deep scans manually and NOTHING has so far escaped A-squares. Yes, it can report an occassional False-Positive but it's no big deal to check it out (Google it or visit www.virustotal.com/ ... read more >> -
Version: A-squared Free 4.0.0.21
Pros: Its Free, its include Dialers in the database
Cons: Lots of False Positive
Slow updates
Very big to download (Avira Personal didnt go larger than 21 MB to download)
Totally Crap
The Company should repair this products to be more competitive with other great antivirus out thereSummary: Slow updates, slow server,slow scan,false positive...
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Version: A-squared Free 4.0.0.21
Pros: I like the fact that this program is powerful and that it was able to both find and remove bad trojans on my system.
Cons: Wel... On my system one scan took more than 24 hours.
Summary: This is very powerful software and the fact that it's free of cost does this an even better product. Personally, I like it, but I hope that I don't need to run it very often due to extreme slow scanning speed.
If you have problems with tr... read more >> -
Version: A-squared Free 4.0.0.21
"Worked on several PCs where nothing else (FREE) had."
Pros: I help support friends and often get computers loaded with garbage their children have "accidentally" downloaded. This program worked where the other major free software had failed. Period.
Cons: It is FREE, so I can handle the inconvenience having to manually run it.
It is FREE, so I can handle the non-fancy interface.
It worked so well I may actually buy it to reward these guys for a great product.Summary: I agree with the other rating of "Perfect" in my experiences to date and I am recommeding it to friends to as the one to try first when they start having problems.
Has an easy to use interface and just plain worked on several problem c... read more >> -
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Version: A-squared Free 4.0.0.21
"A good, compact program for malware scans."
Pros: Thorough and easy to use
Cons: Sometimes finds false positives, but you don't have to remove those. You just need to look at the list after a scan to make sure something you want to keep is not in there.
Summary: I always turn to this one if I want to run a quick malware scan. It is one of the best for finding harmful cookies and adware on your machine.
- See all 17 user reviews Write review
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