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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: January 10, 2008
- 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 11811 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 & Checkmark certified antivirus. 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 4.7.1098 contains updated virus database.
What's new in this version:
Version 4.7.1098 contains updated virus database.
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User reviews of Avast Home Edition 4.7.1098.80107
- Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 11811 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 297 user reviewsSee all 297 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
17 out of 21 people found this review helpful
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.7.1098.80107
"Excellent example of good freeware!"
Pros: This anti-virus offers more then you would expect from a free program like, several shields, several skins, above par detection and removal of infected files. It updates easily and often and can be trusted when set on high and deep scan to keep a home computer virus free.
Cons: Yearly registration.
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0 out of 5 people found this review helpful
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.7.1098.80107
"Good but with quite a few false positives."
Pros: Very good. Easy interface, easy scanning, fast scanning, very low on resources, detects very quickly, updates are constant, fast and easy to get, free and full protection to your system. I also like AVast! because of it's p2p shield, light firewall, etc.
Cons: The problem with this anti-virus is that it catches many false positives. It catches "trojans" in keygens, and other applications. I scanned the same files with Kaspersky AV and nothing was detected, neither did ZoneAlarm catch anything. Unless Kaspersky is doing a bad job (which I doubt), I don't think I can judge the detection rate of Avast! yet.
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9 out of 10 people found this review helpful
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.7.1098.80107
Pros: I keep up with the new versions. And as always avast is the best antivirus out there. Much better than AVG that missed a couple of malware on my comp when I first downloaded it. But I've been using avast for a year now and it's been a blessing. I would say this is the only free antivirus worth downloading. I've also tried a few things. Go to the site of symatec and try searching for a virus that you caught using Avast in there virus search area. Sometimes you will be surprised, because Symatec in some casses it doesn't even have info on it. Your results will come out empty. But everyone knows symatec has gone down hill sinds the name change. Also giving out a free home edition is something symatec would never do, all they think about is money and thats why there product is absolite. I recomended avast to all my friends and family. And I hope all of you that are using the dying symatec will switchto the better brand Avast.
Cons: None, Avast is the best out there!
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1 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.7.1098.80107
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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.7.1098.80107
Pros: installed in every computers and it works so fine, tuff antivirus
- See all 297 user reviews Write review
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