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- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows Vista, Windows 95, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 98
- Date added: May 17, 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 11800 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 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.
Version 4.7.1001 is fully compatible with Outlook 2007, it contains new unpackers and is available in 3 new languages.
What's new in this version:
Version 4.7.1001 is fully compatible with Outlook 2007, it contains new unpackers and is available in 3 new languages.
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User reviews of Avast Home Edition 4.7.1001
- Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 11800 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 921 user reviewsSee all 921 user reviews
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47 out of 75 people found this review helpful
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.7.1001
Pros: Avast is the perfect free antivirus for home users.It provides first-class-protection against threats.Detects and removes virus, worms and Trojans.Ability to do a boot-time scan for virus in system memory.Provides full real-time protection against threats, it also includes web-shield and network shield which many antivirus lack these feature.Free skins to choose from online.Most of the time it is low on memory.Updates are free and comes often.Have to register within 30 days but this is for security reasons so it doesn't really matter.Avast is definitely better than other free antivirus software including Avg free edition.
Cons: Interface might be complicated for some users.More than one icon running in system tray.Lacks a script blocking, but it's available in the pro version.
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32 out of 38 people found this review helpful
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.7.1001
Pros: i love this antiviruis. it protects all the areas needed to protect your computer. in order to make a simple, more understandable interface, do the following during the install. when installing avast, click custom installation, then uncheck the skins box only. click next, then follow the instructions. This way, when u open avast, a very easy to learn interface appears. this will keep it from looking like a vcr. It is the best antiviruis i have ever used, i have used it for 2 years with no promblems. It has caught viruises no other antiviruis detects. It recieved the vb 100% viruis database award. avast is the best antiviruis, hands down.
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12 out of 18 people found this review helpful
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.7.1001
"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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87 out of 149 people found this review helpful
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.7.1001
"We should all thank "Alwill" for this one."
Pros: In comparison of the free anti virus programs available, this is the stand out app of the group by far. It provides excelent guard technology thet makes "AVG Free" look bad. It has six shields in all and they include email and p2p. This thing is great with trojans as well as viruses. Updates daily and tells you audibly. LOL!, cool to say the least. Thru the "Alwill" website you can get some great skins . All you have to do is select, download and it comes on. Switching skins is easy thru the menu. It's lite on memoty for all you get. Great app, recommended. Although there are a few paid anti virus apps that are better none in freeware come close. Thanks "Alwill"!
Cons: Default interface ie terible.
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5 out of 7 people found this review helpful
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.7.1001
Pros: I have 5 viruses on a CD. AVG found 0, AOL found 2, Antivir found 3 and Avast 4.
Cons: Crashes with Zone Alarm (version 5 and above) and Counterspy.
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