- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows Vista, Windows 95, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 98
- Date added: September 25, 2009
- Total Downloads: 62,493,420
- Downloads last week: 757,403
- See full specifications
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 11727 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: CNET Staff
This impressive software provides the same steadfast protection of well-known antivirus programs, yet it's surprisingly free.
Avast Home Edition guards your PC and the network with multiple shields that scan executables and files. You can select parameters for scanning, and even choose wildcards to exclude specific file types. You can adjust the sensitivity level for the program's detectors when it comes to scanning downloaded files, instant messages, e-mails, and a host of P2Ps. Its efficient interface opens up window after window to tweak its settings to your liking, for novice to advanced level protection.
Though it took quite some time to run, we're impressed with this application's boot-time antivirus scan. Fortunately, if you're in a pinch you can bypass it. If malicious contents are detected, Avast comes to the rescue with handy virus cleanup tools. Some decent PC controls are even handed out here. You can block certain URLs and file operations, such as writing to files or even renaming, deleting or formatting them.
With immediate real-time protection, clockwork updates, and much more, this free software is highly regarded in our book.
Watch the CNET video review of Avast Home Edition - Free Antivirus:
Publisher's description
From Alwil Software :Avast Home Edition - Free Antivirus is a complete ICSA & Checkmark certified antivirus, Checkmark certified anti-spyware & anti-rootkit package. Avast includes the following components: On demand scanner with skinnable simple interface, just select what do you want to scan in which way and press the Play button; On access scanner, special providers to protect the most of available e-mail clients; Instant messaging--ICQ, Miranda; Network traffic--intrusion detection, lightweight firewall; P2P protection for Kazaa, BitTorrent; Web shield--monitors and filters all HTTP traffic; NNTP scanner--scans all Usenet Newsgroup traffic and all operations with files on PC; Boot time scanner--scans disks in the same way and in the same time as Windows CHKDSK does.
What's new in this version:
Version 4.8.1356 has solved a memory leak in the GZIP unpacker and solved vulnerabilities in AavmKer4.sys, aswMon2.sys and ashWsFtr.dll.
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User reviews
- Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 11727 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 359 user reviewsSee all 359 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
Version: Avast Home Edition - Free Antivirus 4.8.1356
Pros: fastness and promptness
Cons: to early to say
Summary: very protective and efficient
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Version: Avast Home Edition - Free Antivirus 4.8.1356
Pros: Alert tone!
Cons: there is no cons.
Summary: I like because it's free and user friendly !
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Version: Avast Home Edition - Free Antivirus 4.8.1356
"Love the software and encourage others to download"
Pros: Ease of use and auto updates give you peace of mind.
Cons: Thus far I have found none
Summary: Download and Installation was soooo easy. Once registered, setting up your preferences is as user friendly as you would wish all other software would be. The peace of mind from the automatic updates is a feature that lets you know that Avast is on t... read more >>
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Version: Avast Home Edition - Free Antivirus 4.8.1356
"This works better than a product I paid for."
Pros: I like the way Avast keeps my computer clean and running like a swiss watch.
Cons: Up to now I can't think of anything negative to say about it.
Summary: It takes care of all the problems all the time. I've never had a product that would do this. Most of them will take care of two or three problems out of 170 for example. If there are 170 problems Avast takes care of all of them. I've never had a be... read more >>
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Version: Avast Home Edition - Free Antivirus 4.8.1356
"the best virus protection for the computer"
Pros: I believe that Avast can be number one antivirus in the world
Cons: I like every thing in this product
Summary: Nothing compare with this program. Bravo
- See all 359 user reviews Write review
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