- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows Vista, Windows 95, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 98
- Date added: February 05, 2007
- 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 11716 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 Home Edition is a 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.
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User reviews of Avast Home Edition 4.7.942
- Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 11716 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 533 user reviewsSee all 533 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
114 out of 131 people found this review helpful
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.7.942
"I love Avast because it is nice and superb!"
Pros: Avast! Home Edition will keep your PC free from viruses. It will not bother you all the time. Just install it and forget it. It just works! Believe me, I have used this program for two years and I have never had any trouble. It is extremely stable. I have downloaded and checked my PC with other security software and checks such as Symantec, BitDefender etc but they never found anything, this because of the fact that Avast had already done the job!
Be aware! BitDefender 9 was supposed to have a better detection capability than Avast but what it did was to attack other programs which were none viruses. I have paid for BitDefender 9 but I use Avast instead, this because I want the best protection from viruses, but I do not want protection from using the programs which I want to use!
Avast! Home Edition is not a dull program like other antivirus software. It has a lot of skins to choose from.
Do not use Avast with ZoneAlarm firewall. It will crash your PC. Why this is so I do not know. Can it be that Zone Labs wants to sell their antivirus software?
Avast is quite light on memory.
Avast! Home Edition is free!
Bjorn Lundahl
Gothenburg, Sweden
Cons: None!
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66 out of 75 people found this review helpful
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.7.942
"Nice product and free for home use!"
Pros: I've been using this for several years and they keep updating and improving it to the current version. It seems to slow the computer down less than most other free antivirus and many pay versions. Just try it and you'll like it. Don't forget to register so it works after 60 days!
Cons: It's free, but you have to re-register every year, but at least you don't pay! Also, has an issue with Zone Alarm, but has an easy fix during install.
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41 out of 49 people found this review helpful
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.7.942
"Perfect antivirus solution, for free."
Pros: All you have to do is register before 60 days, and its free. It found all types of viruses on my computer, and offers notification during a scan via the Messenger service to any computer on the network, via printer, via Windows Messenger, and via email, as well as MAPI and ICQ. It has plenty of cool skins for you to customize your antivirus look, loads of real time protection providers, optional notification via a WAV sound file (usually a voice saying "virus database updated" or "virus detected") for alerts, and a "scan this file" explorer extension. It's the most useful antivirus I've ever found, and certainly outranks other $60-$70 per year products.
Cons: There is no problem with this. Minor annoyance- you have to restart once or twice when you first install, but never after. Your email address and info during registration is kept confidential.
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19 out of 24 people found this review helpful
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.7.942
"Avast is an unbelievable antivirus! I would give it six stars if I could!"
Pros: Let's look at the list...
1. FREE!
2. Real-time protection that works without disturbing your computer, but springs into action when malicious software is detected.
3. Hundreds of skins - get avast! Vista skin...
4. Enormous virus database
5. Automatic updates.
6. Very thorough scan.
7. Avast is running a scanner every second you are using a computer, so no virus can get by it when you do everyday stuff.
8. Wanna test avast?
Download the P2P file sharing program Morpheus. It is riddled with spyware and Win32 virus/Trojans. Make sure you have avast installed though, and completely updated its database. (and for exra points, if you installed the Vista skin.) When you click the morpheus installer, avast will show up w/ several warnings of a virus... just have it moved to the chest. Then close and delete the Morpheus installer. When you install Avast, restart your computer and update its virus database immediately, then run a FULL system scan. This means you need to move the scanner sensitivty all the way to "thorough," check the box "scan within archive files," and click "full system scan, not a quick scan. I bet Avast! will find something on your computer that another antivirus would walk right by. But for all you out there that are using AVG, Norton, Avira, PC Tools Antivirus, or Clam AntiVirus, Avast! Antivirus is your upgrade, so what are you waiting for? Uninstall your virus program and install Avast now, and rest assured that you will never have another virus on your system.
Cons: Nothing... except it just isn't popular enough! Get rid of your AVG and switch to avast! Antivirus. You'll be glad you did, I promise!
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18 out of 24 people found this review helpful
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.7.942
Pros: Resident, very thorough and updates it's very comprehensive database automatically every day. It monitors every action on my computer without fuss or interference. I have it set on high yet it scarcely makes a difference to the speed of my programs. It's interface and the little blue ball icon in the task bar that turns when it checks things are cute. I rate it as the best anti virus yet, free or not.
- See all 533 user reviews Write review
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