- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows 95, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 98
- Date added: November 07, 2006
- Total Downloads: 37,065,053
- Downloads last week: 447,605
- See full specifications
A newer version of Avast Home Edition is available.
(Download doesn't provide access to previous versions of this program.)
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 11810 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:
Publisher's description
From Alwil Software :Avast 4 Home Edition is a free, complete ICSA certified and Secure Computing Magazine awarded antivirus software for home noncommercial use. 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 filter 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. True automatic incremental updates are small and fast.
Version 4.7.892 is now finally compatible with Windows Vista RC1 and the "remediations" in Vista Security Center are now functional.
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User reviews of Avast Home Edition 4.7.892
- Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 11810 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 237 user reviewsSee all 237 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
11 out of 16 people found this review helpful
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.7.892
"Ultimate antivirus solution 10/10"
Pros: A wide variety of options
Scans e-mail, all file sharing clients, webshield, network shield, normal shield and peer 2 peer scan
nice scan engine
nice on-access scanner shield
Cons: System tray icon is dull
realite monitor is moderate on resources (but a light weight compared to symantec and mcafee)
full system scan takes ages and is high on resources
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28 out of 47 people found this review helpful
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.7.892
Pros: Avast is almost the best antivirus for homeusers.Good detection of virus, worms and trojans.Removal is very effective.Realtime protection is strong, it's good at stopping threats before they enter your pc.Updates often.
Cons: You have to register within 30 days.Runs high on memory.Interface is not good.It hides many options and makes it very hard to use.To many icons in taskbar.To be honest Avg is better than avast.Because it has better detection, removal and protection.
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13 out of 14 people found this review helpful
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.7.892
Pros: *i have this installed as a secondary scanner, i love the boot time scanning, that's why even though i have Nod32(the best antivir ever)i can't uninstall this prod, bcuz its boot time scanning is very effective!
Cons: *none, it's wonderful...i just hope they keep it free for years to come
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274 out of 422 people found this review helpful
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.7.892
Pros: Avast is a very reputable company who makes their money on the commercial use of their product. It's unheard of in this business in comparison of like software vendors to do this. They aparently make enough to offer home users the same product with a 14 month at a time license key (after registration). The product has several skins to choose from that are easily accessable thru their website with so many their must be one for everybodys liking. The scan times are a little slow but cause no aparent system drag at all. Very through in identifying trojans other expensive products (like "Norton" 2006 and 2007) miss. You can't. miss it when a virus or trojan is found because it tells you with an alarm sound and a verbal warning. Everyone who uses a home computer should give this product a try and be greatfull to this company for a quality free product which offers so much including active protection.
Cons: None!, this is a "5 STAR PRODUCT". Way better than "AVG" or "Bit Defender" free versions!
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3 out of 7 people found this review helpful
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.7.892
Pros: I like this software very much. It has nice skins and is very stable. I do believe that some other antivirus software such as Bitdefender and Nod32 do have a greater detection capability than Avast, but I have used Bitdefender and it also detects non viruses that are false positives. I had so much trouble with this, that I had to uninstall it. Those that have problems with viruses are those that do not use antivirus software at all. The probability to catch a virus without Avast detecting it might be very small indeed. I have not either seen how well different antivirus software prevents viruses from entering the pc in the first place. Avast has a lightweight firewall (or more precisely, an IDS (Intrusion Detection System) that prevents malware to reach the pc. Anyway, Avast will offer you a very good protection and it will not dominate your pc and its layout is unique and cool! This for free!
Bjorn Lundahl
Gothenburg, Sweden
- See all 237 user reviews Write review
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