- Quick specs
- Price: Free; requires e-mail registration after 60 days
- Operating system: Windows Vista, Windows 95, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 98
- Date added: November 25, 2009
- Total Downloads: 64,914,069
- Downloads last week: 769,343
- See full specifications
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 11909 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: Seth Rosenblatt on September 23, 2008
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, certified anti-spyware and anti-rootkit package. Avast includes the following components: an on-demand scanner with skinnable simple interface; an on-access scanner with special providers to protect most commonly available e-mail clients; instant-messaging intrusion detection with a lightweight firewall; P2P protection; a Web shield that monitors and filters all HTTP traffic; an NNTP scanner that scans all Usenet Newsgroup traffic and all operations with files on PC; and a boot-time scanner that scans disks in the same way and in the same time as the Windows Chkdsk application does.
CNET Editor's Note: Avast Antivirus Home Edition is free to use but requires e-mail registration before the end of the initial 60-day trial period. Following the registration you will receive by e-mail a license key valid for a period of 1 year.
What's new in this version:
Version 4.8.1367 includes improvements in the malware URL blockers and solved a vulnerability in aswRdr.sys.
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User reviews
- Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 11909 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 78 user reviewsSee all 78 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
Version: Avast Home Edition - Free Antivirus 4.8.1367
Pros: I really didn't like anything about it.f
Cons: It's just not the type I like. I didn't like how it was set-up to use. Was confusing at first
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Version: Avast Home Edition - Free Antivirus 4.8.1367
Pros: I lIKE IT
Thailand is small Country but User have computer 30 %
I think Avast Home Free to be number oneCons: This product have very smooth and sure to protect Virus
Summary: avast! Virus Cleaner is a tool that will remove selected viruses from my computer.
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Version: Avast Home Edition - Free Antivirus 4.8.1367
"satisfied with this product as it matches well my needs"
Pros: provides good protection, it is easy to install and maintain updated, it is free...
Cons: I do not have any
Summary: Many thanks to all who joined efforts to develop and make this valuable product freely available to all
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Version: Avast Home Edition - Free Antivirus 4.8.1367
"Extremely satisfied with your product!"
Pros: No cost to me and yet it seems to be doing an excellent job.
Cons: Not any that I have found to this point.
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Version: Avast Home Edition - Free Antivirus 4.8.1367
Pros: It's Free and it really seems to do a good job of protecting and if it fails at least it'll tell you from what I've seen so far.
Cons: None what so ever!
Summary: Excelent Product!
- See all 78 user reviews Write review
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