ClamWin Portable logo

ClamWin Portable

By ClamWin Free Editors' Rating

Editors' Review

Download.com Staff Sep 18, 2014

ClamWin Portable is a fully functional, fully portable version of ClamWin Free Antivirus. Like the installed software, ClamWin Portable is capable of scanning all your drives for viruses and spyware, but it's not a primary antivirus solution. It's a fast, lightweight tool for spot-checking newly acquired files before transferring them to a USB drive and then to your PC. Since it runs on any compatible Windows PC without having to be installed or uninstalled, ClamWin Portable is ideally suited for the job.

Pros

Free, open source, compact: ClamWin Portable offers most of the advantages of the installed program, like being completely free (and ad-free) with the support of an open source project community. It doesn't take up much space on a portable drive, and it launches quickly.

Portable protection: You can run ClamWin Portable from your USB drive on host machines and scan files for infection before copying them to the drive.

Memory scan: ClamWin Portable also finds and zaps the nasty bugs that hide in system memory.

Cons

Manual only: ClamWin lacks an on-access real-time scanning capability. Files and folders must be scanned manually to detect viruses.

Slow on big scans: Lightweight ClamWin Portable performs well when scanning individual files and folders, but definition updates and larger system scans can take a long time. ClamWin Portable also lacked permission to open and scan many system directories.

Bottom Line

ClamWin Portable isn't the comprehensive antivirus solution your PC requires, but it's an excellent auxiliary tool for spot-checking files and folders for infection.

Full Specifications

What's new in version 0.97.8

General

Release April 30, 2013
Date Added April 30, 2013
Version 0.97.8

Operating Systems

Operating Systems Windows Vista, Windows, Windows 2000, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows XP
Additional Requirements None

Popularity

Total Downloads 81,296
Downloads Last Week 0
Report Software

Related Software

Avast Free Antivirus logo

Avast Free Antivirus

Free
Avast Free Antivirus
FortiClient logo

FortiClient

Free
FortiClient
Comodo Antivirus logo

Comodo Antivirus

Free
Comodo Antivirus
Baidu Antivirus 2015 logo

Baidu Antivirus 2015

Free
Baidu Antivirus 2015

User Reviews

3.7/5
22 User Votes
5 Star
4 Star
3 Star
2 Star
1 Star

Developer's Description

ClamWin Portable is the popular ClamWin antivirus packaged as a portable application, so you can take your antivirus with you to scan files on the go. You can place it on your USB flash drive, iPod, portable hard drive or a CD and use it on any computer, without leaving any personal information behind. Features: high detection rates for viruses and spyware, regular virus database updates. ClamAV team regularly updates virus databases to include a new virus/variant immediately after it appears, standalone virus Scanner.

Promo image for CNET Shopping

Get the best price on everything

Shop your favorite products and we’ll find the best deal with a single click. Designed to make shopping easier.