Someone reviewed v on Jul 5, 2022

Pros: 555

Cons: 555

Bottom Line: 555

some guy reviewed v15.0.1908.1579 on Sep 6, 2019

Pros: free

Cons: to bloated

Bottom Line: for free it's umm ok at best it has become to bloated speed your pc up and a bunch of other crap

krgood reviewed v15.0.24.146 on Dec 13, 2016

I had Avira for a while. It slowed down my system, locked the hosts file, and started a scan on every start up that I was not able to stop or find out how to control it. When I uninstalled it, several portions of the program remain and refused to be installed. O was finally able to remove the registry items once I found the hidden modules. A reail PIA for me...

some guy reviewed v15.0.22.54 on Oct 14, 2016

I guess they don't read the feed back, BTdefender home free my top pic non bloat with a top 5 detection rate google the beta version or click this http://www.bitdefender.c...ions/free.html?target=1

guti reviewed v15.0.19.164 on Aug 31, 2016

Again forcing the user to install Avira Launcher.

guti reviewed v15.0.19.163 on Aug 20, 2016

Was the best, but now, with the Avira Launcher which cannot be uninstalled it is bloated. I have moved to Avast.

Steve1209 reviewed v15.0.19.163 on Aug 19, 2016

Betanews for Avira NEVER has the latest download when they post here, it's Many versions back, even though this is a GREAT software...

some guy reviewed v15.0.17.273 on Apr 19, 2016

has a good detection rate but way more complicated then needs to be, also way to bloated

johnusa reviewed v15.0.17.273 on Apr 19, 2016

Is this the new 2016 version?
15.0.17.273 does not make this clear.
I gave it 3 stars as its not clear and ambiguous.

Lsavagejt reviewed v15.0.13.202 on Sep 30, 2015

defaults to windows firewall. Kludgy settings.

CyberDoc999 reviewed v15.0.12.420 on Aug 27, 2015

you get what you pay for
see ESET

some guy reviewed v15.0.11.579 on Jun 28, 2015

way to bloated ! just need a antivirus not speed up my pc crap..or up date this or that...

jr5280 reviewed v15.0.10.434 on May 12, 2015

Windows XP (SP3)
Athlon XP 3000+ CPU (w/SSE but not SSE2 or above support)

I've been using Avira Free Antivirus for several years, but I've been experiencing minor problems with it recently (having anywhere from two to a hundred gavi3.db-related errors on my Event log at each and every start up); I reported the bug to Avira and they informed me that they've ended official support for Windows XP and will not be addressing the bug. Avira still lists Windows XP in their System Requirements, but the Web page they referred me to does indeed show that Windows XP support ended on 08 APR 2015: http://www.avira.com/en/support-product-lifecycle

As such, I've been trying out many of the other well-known free antivirus programs -- AVG, Avast, BitDefender, Comodo, Panda, and one or two others -- and Panda Free Antivirus is by far the least performance robbing of the bunch on my machine. BitDefender is pretty good while it works, but it's a bit touchy and quits auto scanning after a week or so on my machine -- though it works without a hitch (and has for over a year) on my dad's newer Windows 7 machine with SSE2+ CPU. AVG, Avast, and Comodo slow my computer quite dramatically, with even the simplest things (opening the Start menu or Windows Explorer or Notepad) being annoyingly delayed. I suspect that my ancient CPU's lack of support for SSE2 and above may be the problem in some of these cases, as a lot of newer software works better with, or even requires, a CPU with SSE2+ support, so users with a newer CPU may not encounter these problems.

I vaguely recall experimenting with Panda a year and a half ago and having problems, but the current version (15.1.0) is working very smoothly so far. Indeed, Panda has so little impact on my system's performance that it's almost like having no antivirus program installed at all: my computer starts quickly (with no warnings or errors on my Event log), programs launch/open quickly, and files open/load quickly. How well Panda is protecting my system, I haven't a clue, but it tests well in the various antivirus tests I've seen on the Web.

Anyhow, anyone with Windows XP and an old computer who's having problems with Avira might want to give Panda a try.

anonswgeek reviewed v15.0.9.502 on Apr 10, 2015

running latest 15.0.9.504
something new is that it now installs .net framework 4..

Steve1209 reviewed v15.0.9.502 on Mar 19, 2015

This Beta, seems to install but for some reason it does not install the said Version, I tried even in safe mode, I like this A/V software, does this version require a Beta License or what?

some guy reviewed v15.0.8.624 on Feb 14, 2015

link goes to a trial for pro suit

geomelen reviewed v14.0.7.468 on Dec 12, 2014

I've used several different antivirus suites like Avast, Panda, Norton and all have their Pros and Cons. As we all know, there is no such thing as the 'Perfect Antivirus" and that includes Avira. I have been using Avira Free for the last 3 months and the new version 14.0.7.468 is more than enough for my PC security needs. It has all the basics and just about the most useful features & options you will need. I don't mess around to much with the usual "set up & configuration" settings because I believe that the developers already wet through those procedures and have configured the software at it's best. Sure, you will have a once in a while ad pop-up but I can live with that. It's FREE and you must give something in exchange for the excellent protection you get. Enjoy......

vailr reviewed v14.0.4.672 on Jun 17, 2014

Re:
Avira Free Antivirus 14.0.4.672
The version offered there (new listing of 16 June 2014) is an older one, not 14.0.4.672.
Since the author does not include a date stamp for the file, another method is via comparing file size.
The older version (14.0.4.642) file size is:
137,355,200 bytes

Artem S. Tashkinov reviewed v14.0.4.614 on Apr 30, 2014

A resource hog with an ancient UI.

Absolutely slow.

some guy reviewed v14.0.3.338 on Feb 19, 2014

2/19/2014 after the download it shows version Product version 14.0.2.286 12/9/2013
why ??? wrong....... how about a direct link to the proper
FULL STANDALONE SETUP.EXE ? the new installer sucks for multiple deployment . 2 stars removed ...

some guy reviewed v14.0.1.759 on Dec 5, 2013

with all the update's how about a new GUI the XP look is old and better configuration to complicated for a non computer guru to use needs to be more user friendly ,still for free it's still good

anonswgeek reviewed v14.0.0.383 on Oct 2, 2013

memory usage is very high :-( even though i don't have the "Realtime Protection" option running - also known as AntiVir Guard (i think).

mfarmilo reviewed v13.0.0.4052 on Sep 4, 2013

A decent Antivirus, but as usual this isn't the version it's claimed to be. I don't know who keeps uploading it to fileforum, but it's NEVER the version they claim it to be. I don't know whether they're deliberately posting incorrect version numbers, or simply don't have a clue what they're doing. This is claimed to be build 4052, but it's actually 3885.

humbleuser reviewed v13.0.0.4045 on Aug 21, 2013

I used to rate Avira highly, but on many computers that I installed it on the web browser protection would just stop working. Maybe they fixed this now... I will need convincing.

Assirius reviewed v13.0.0.4045 on Aug 21, 2013

An excellent antivirus that work in background ,
neat interface for settings ,
good work for updates .

some guy reviewed v13.0.0.3884 on Jul 23, 2013

much better now that the Vista print adds are gone light weight great detection rate, went from Avast to this due to Avast becoming to bloated , look what it did to Nero ? .....

mfarmilo reviewed v13.0.0.3882 on Jul 15, 2013

This is build 3737 (the last one) NOT 3882 as the post claims. Whoever keeps posting this program, at least please get the version right - it's every single time this happens !

mfarmilo reviewed v13.0.0.3736 on Jun 25, 2013

A good antivirus, but - why is this yet again being incorrectly listed as a new version ? The file currently downloading from the link is build 3640, the one that was listed in May - not 3736 as Fileforum claims it is. Even the Avira site lists 3640 as the current build, so I don't know where this 'new' version is coming from.

Artem S. Tashkinov reviewed v13.0.0.3640 on May 2, 2013

An old version:

Tue 19 Mar 2013 03:43:53 PM GMT

Artem S. Tashkinov reviewed v13.0.0.3499 on Mar 21, 2013

Insane memory usage (up to 400MB during updates)
No native 64 bit version
Outdated and awkward UI
No client-server architecture

selvaganesh87 reviewed v13.0.0.3185 on Mar 9, 2013

i have downloaded the Avast software and also keys from this blog http://free-software-store.blogspot.com/2013/03/download-avast-antivirus-with-key.html

Really Super!!!

CyberDoc999 reviewed v13.0.0.3185 on Mar 5, 2013

I gave up on this program... too bloated and lots of false positives... also lack of config options

egg83 reviewed v13.0.0.3185 on Mar 4, 2013

Have used this for over a year now, and no problems at all. Caught a few viruses, including some malware on web. She aint no looker, like Avast, but it has great detection rates and does not make system sluggish. Yeah, there's the popups, but am willing to tolerate for a great product at an even better price!

some guy reviewed v13.0.0.2832 on Nov 27, 2012

pros
great detection rate
small foot print

cons
poor gui
harder to configure then needs to be
the Vista print pop ups can be well almost as annoying as a virus

for free this is a great Antivirus you could get Avast or AVG but I would say this one is better as in free Avast second choice

Music4Ever reviewed v13.0.0.2693 on Oct 2, 2012

@whiterocker - You can't blame them for wanting people to buy the AV, if no one bought it there would be no free version? There are cheaper pay for AV's such as VIPRE, or look around & pick a bargain up on Ebay? Or live with the AD's, personally I use a pay for AV - But if you really, really need Avira with no Ad''s you look like paying for it. I used F-Prot for some years & was pleased with it.

http://www.vipreantivirus.com/

wholemkt8 is selling counterfeit goods - Do not attempt to open the link ~

whiterocker reviewed v13.0.0.2693 on Oct 2, 2012

I would use Avira Free Antivirus, if it was not for the "Popups" for the paid
version. With our computers we need something less expensive, like F-Prot.

But because Avira is so good, I wish there was a way to block "Popups" in Windows 7 or 8 (64 Bit) Premium. I can only find a blocker for XP, Vista or Enterprise Versions, not for our systems.

---- ANY IDEAS---?

minklein reviewed v13.0.0.2688 on Oct 1, 2012

Malwarebytes is not compatible? Warning to uninstall it during setup. I took a pass on Avira, might be good but I will keep Malwarebytes.

I downloaded ver 13 and it got rid of the compatibiliy probem with Malwarebytes. Happy, Happy, Happy

Artem S. Tashkinov reviewed v13.0.0.2681 on Sep 28, 2012

One of the best AV in the world, albeit its UI is horrible.

ClamAV? Are you bloody joking? Go and check www.av-comparatives.org - ClamAV is not an AV - it has the worst detection ratio - below 70%.

Aegis69 reviewed v13.0.0.2681 on Sep 28, 2012

clamwin + clamsentinal, super light, 100% free

works perfectly for me.

CyberDoc999 reviewed v12.0.0.1199 on Sep 10, 2012

Avira is too bloated for me.....
I had to switch to Nod32

mfarmilo reviewed v12.0.0.1167 on Jul 26, 2012

Excellent program. But according to their site, the latest is still 12.0.0.1125, which is the version this link downloads.

asaenz reviewed v12.0.0.1125 on Jun 28, 2012

I like Avira Free (except for the ads of course) but wow does it have to be such a large download for an av program !?

egg83 reviewed v12.0.0.1125 on Jun 7, 2012

Was longtime Avast user before trying Avira. Upon installation, Avira caught several viruses that Avast had missed. Is not heavy on system resources, and has an above average detection rate. Threw up a few false positives on files that I knew were not infected, but does the trick for me.

samjames700 reviewed v12.0.0.1125 on May 22, 2012

Hi,
I tried many antivirus but virus crushed it.Then i installed free version of Avasta antivirus so far no problem. For free software download and antivirus check axcss.com site.

fast777 reviewed v12.0.0.1125 on May 9, 2012

I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYBODY SAYS.... FOR FREE..... THIS IS THE BEST...!!!!

DO YOUR HOMEWORK... BEWARE OF FALSE CLAIMS AND HEAVY SYSTEM LOADS BY COMPETITORS....!!! THESE GUYS ARE LEAN AND MEAN.... GETS THE JOB DONE SO I CAN SLEEP WELL...!!!!! REALLY...!!!

Aegis69 reviewed v12.0.0.1125 on May 8, 2012

If you have to use windows, go MSE. Its heavy on resources but very effective.

some guy reviewed v12.0.0.898 on Feb 15, 2012

great detection but the pop ups are to annoying or else I would give it 5 star

Mirage_Etoile reviewed v12.0.0.872 on Dec 31, 2011

Too bad they removed custom installation of features , scans , etc. in the setup .
As free antivirus it's still a good choice .

whiterocker reviewed v12.0.0.872 on Dec 21, 2011

cannot get rid of advertizing for upgrade. not as fast as Avast, nor as good at updates. You cannot get rid of this program. All files cannot be deleted. You must reformat your hard drive and reinstall Windows, to finally delete Avira. Stick with Avast! or a second choice could be Microsoft Security Essentials.

Input Overload reviewed v12.0.0.869 on Dec 9, 2011

If you must use free AV you can do better than this. But Checkout the new Webroot Secure Anywhere, with a 5 meg install & a minuscule memory footprint the likes of Avira are as good as dead.

rickhfx reviewed v12.0.0.861 on Nov 24, 2011

BAD BAD BAD cannot be uninstalled once trial period over. Stopped Windows update from working. They did not respond to email asking how to uninstall after windows uninstall failed.

morrig reviewed v12.0.0.855 on Oct 17, 2011

Give up on it when it stopped auto updating,now using Avast a more complete and nice to use A/V.

CyberDoc999 reviewed v12.0.0.855 on Oct 16, 2011

spyware adware

some guy reviewed v12.0.0.855 on Oct 14, 2011

good detection rate low resource usage and very few false positives, could use a GUI change

Snow Queen reviewed v12.0.0.851 on Oct 8, 2011

It keeps on flagging everything it doesn't know as malware, it spits out random malware names on the fly, it's clunky every time it finds anything, it doesn't remember settings, it's just euhm..... not worth it anymore.

operamail reviewed v12.0.0.851 on Oct 8, 2011

Used to be my NO. 1 free AV, but since they added the ask toolbar, I ditched it and never come back.

tontito reviewed v10.0.0.700 on Aug 10, 2011

I wonder what they added in this version, the package is 5MB bigger...

Ryusennin reviewed v10.0.0.652 on Jul 30, 2011

Used to rock. Now it sucks. Oh bother.

ann11 reviewed v10.0.0.652 on Jul 30, 2011

Used to love AntiVir for its low resource requirement but recent version including this is growing bloated, needing more memory than before.

Have switched to AVAST that is the lowest in memory usage but will keep an eye on AntiVir, hopefully Avira can improve it to match AVAST in the future.

OverBurn65 reviewed v10.0.0.650 on Jul 2, 2011

The best free anti virus software around has now sold out to the dark side. It now comes bundled with the ask.com toolbar, with a very problematic way of not installing.

Avira (anti virus and anti adware\spyware program) installing just that an adware toolbar? Really? Who thought that was a good idea? Whom ever OKed this horrible decision should All be fired.

Please write, boycott or another way and tell them how awful this decision was.

CobraPL reviewed v10.0.0.650 on Jun 28, 2011

It SPAMs with ASK toolbar ! What a disappointment !

CyberDoc999 reviewed v10.0.0.650 on Jun 21, 2011

Best free A / V

some guy reviewed v10.0.0.650 on Jun 21, 2011

the only one I ever use

niknetpc reviewed v10.0.0.650 on Jun 21, 2011

Do not block malware inside zip or rar,and complete only two eicar tests from eight,poor detection,MS Security Essentials complete six tests for example,,free version is useless..

junkcatcher reviewed v10.0.0.635 on Apr 10, 2011

I have used various Avira AV products for some years.
A robust AV solution that has an interface that dosen't look like something from a 1980s spectrum. However I would strongly recommend buying the Premium version.
On the free and trial versions the update server bandwidth is severely limited and updates often time out this doesn't with the fully licensed version.

DudeBoyz reviewed v10.0.0.635 on Mar 17, 2011

Remains the best free option for me. Fast, functional, seems to perform and seems to work as well as previous 10.x releases. I use it every day and am very pleased with it.

I would really like to have a native 64 bit version, since Windows 7 64 bit is becoming a the norm in many new machines at retail, but beyond that, I'm not sure what more you could ask for in a free AV app.

Artem S. Tashkinov reviewed v10.0.0.635 on Mar 16, 2011

Desperately needs a face lift/various UI improvements, native 64 bit version (right now Avira only has 64bit kernel drivers) and HIPS.

4.5 out of 5.

egg83 reviewed v10.0.0.611 on Feb 8, 2011

I recommend this av for those who need an antivirus software that requires little intervention from the user. Is not very heavy on system resources, and tests amongst the top av solutions in detection and efficiency. However, have to ding one star for two things: First, the nag screen. I know developers have bills too, but the upsell ad is fairly intrusive, at least for me. Second, for some reason, my version will not update automatically. Must be a firewall setting or something, but it used to do so, but in the last several months, no dice. Those quibbles aside, I recommend this av highly.

some guy reviewed v10.0.0.611 on Feb 1, 2011

ranked pretty good Independent test
http://www.av-comparativ...sreviews/detection-test

DudeBoyz reviewed v10.0.0.611 on Feb 1, 2011

Good, solid and FAST app, lower on resources than AVG by a mile and a much better performer overall. More configurable, good exceptions implementation and it is easy to adjust the level of sensitivity when scanning to avoid false positives or on the other side to give you max protection.

The nag screens are pretty easy to disable via some security tweaks (at least with XP) - just do a search for eliminating nag screens for Avira - should be an easy find. Yes it is annoying, but the thing is FREE and I have not seen a nag screen in years with this thing. Worth a purchase if you need the email scanning and such, but the free version is pretty solid.

I'm very glad to have this option available. I hope they keep up the good work and allow it to remain free for the basic version.

I do recommend that people at least try this app if they are not 100% satisfied with their current AV solution.

CobraPL reviewed v10.0.0.609 on Dec 22, 2010

Best antivirus. Installed on OVER 100 MACHINES. No problems.

Yes, I know, nag screen is back. Search google for solution ;)

Alexander-GG reviewed v10.0.0.609 on Dec 22, 2010

This peace of sh*t start nagging again. It has almost now features except the big advertisement banner which pop-ups on whole desktop every time you try to update. I will not be surprised if their premium version also have the nag screen which offers you to buy some more of their products.

Recommend to switch to MS Security Essentials or Avast.

@ CobraPL

Version 10.0.0.609 HAS NAG SCREEN AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@ CobraPL

I know how to disable nag screen. It's extremely simple on Win 7, but on such antivirus with the less than a basic features there shouldn't be the nag screen at all.

johnk119 reviewed v10.0.0.609 on Dec 21, 2010

good software. I've switched to comodo though, because of it's firewall integration and relatively good virus detection

Plumber reviewed v10.0.0.609 on Dec 21, 2010

What I can't understand is why anyone would use this software. My guess is that either people don't mind constant false positives, they don't use AntiVir's heuristics, or they have nothing on their systems other than notepad.exe and calc.exe.

Artem S. Tashkinov reviewed v10.0.0.609 on Dec 21, 2010

I cannot understand why Avira never publishes any kind of changelog for new minor releases.

4 - for missing HIPS, bad detection of already running viruses/rootkits.

JustinUT79 reviewed v10.0.0.607 on Dec 12, 2010

**** THIS NEW VERSION NO LONGER DISPLAYS AN ADVERTISEMENT WINDOW AFTER THE PROGRAM UPDATES ITSELF AND IT NO LONGER DISPLAYS A SPLASH SCREEN WHEN THE PROGRAM LOADS! ****

Great program...... I recommend it to everyone.

UPieper reviewed v10.0.0.607 on Dec 10, 2010

Light on resources and great detection for free....Very good

roj reviewed v10.0.0.607 on Dec 9, 2010

...OR you could install Microsoft Security Essentials for FREE and call it a day.

No point in wasting money...

Nagware Stinks.

My customary ONE for nagware.

Input Overload reviewed v10.0.0.607 on Dec 9, 2010

Delete all vestiges of ‘AntiVir’ & any other ‘Anti-Virus' programs. Open wallet & remove credit/debit card. Head off the ‘Eset’ website & purchase ‘Smart Security’. If you are feeling rich also purchase the full version of 'Malwarebytes'.

It wasn't that painful was it, now you are well protected.

CobraPL reviewed v10.0.0.607 on Dec 8, 2010

Best speed and detection.

This version DOES NOT SHOW ADS !

madmike reviewed v10.0.0.592 on Nov 8, 2010

I did use this, until it failed to spot 2 phishing virus, I switched over to Kasper sky, reliable and does the job.

Nagware is an UNDERSTATEMENT, it nags the crap out of you. Good for Free if you don't mind it missing virus and your system infected.

VelvetElvis reviewed v10.0.0.592 on Nov 6, 2010

Why does this keep getting a free ride being labeled as freeware? It's nag-ware, plain and simple.

Alexander-GG reviewed v10.0.0.592 on Nov 6, 2010

About 4 days ago I decided to try new 10.0.0.592 version. During this 4 days I have not seen the usual for Avira nag screen! But, "avnotify" still presents in program's folder. Hope, this is not the miracle and Avira finally changed their marketing policy. If, so - "claps" to Avira!

DonGato reviewed v10.0.0.592 on Nov 4, 2010

A most said, slow for updates and quite annoying with the nags.

Artem S. Tashkinov reviewed v10.0.0.592 on Nov 4, 2010

Still no any kind of HIPS.

Thus very likely to skip most new unknown malware.

Otherwise a solid product.

johnusa reviewed v10.0.0.592 on Nov 3, 2010

Avast and this software (Avira) are considered to be the 2 best free antivirus programs. Thats the good news.
The bad news for Avira, reason for just 1 star, is that it is very slow, horrible, atrocious, ridiculously slow in updating the needed definitions.
Many times the updates completely fails. These failures are totally unacceptable for a security software that we depend on protecting us.
This is the Achilles heel for Avira, and therefore not recommended.
An open request to deaf Avira, as I have complained to them before but they do not seem to listen, care or give a damn, is this: FIX YOUR DAMN SLOW SERVERS. I grew a beard waiting for Avira's SLOOOOOOOOOOW updates.
This big problem is experienced on many PCs in many different locations, which prove that the update issue is with Avira and not the users' PCs.
Another very irritating feature of this lousy software is it keeps hounding you to upgrade (BUY) their "Premium Edition". They want your money.
Bypass Avira and get the superior Avast, it has excellent and fast updates.
If you want Avast, you can download the latest FREE version 5.0.677 from here:
http://fileforum.betanew...ee-Antivirus/1034566665/

If you still want to use Avira (hey, its still a free country) go here for help in how to remove the very irritating Upgrade/Notify/Ads pop-up:
http://www.ehow.com/how_...ble-avira-notifier.html

moog reviewed v10.0.0.592 on Nov 3, 2010

nag and very slow updates just for that i give it 3

some guy reviewed v10.0.0.592 on Nov 3, 2010

my second choice to M,S,E

Plumber reviewed v10.0.0.592 on Nov 3, 2010

It's hilarious that someone would say that avast! has "too many false positives" and that Avira has fewer... Hilarious because it's demonstrably true that the exact opposite is the case. Not only have independent tests shown this, but over a 29-month period, I personally submitted 71 false positives to Avira, which were confirmed as such by them. SEVENTY ONE! I must have been out of my mind to put up with it for so long.

roj reviewed v10.0.0.592 on Nov 3, 2010

So how about an above average product WITHOUT NAG SCREENS?

This ain't it.

That's MS Security Essentials.

Quit bugging me Avira - if I want to buy your product, I will. Nagging me will guarantee that I won't.

THREE stars for nagware.

CobraPL reviewed v10.0.0.592 on Nov 3, 2010

I confirm that 10.0.0.592 does not show NAG screen !

egg83 reviewed v10.0.0.567 on Jul 21, 2010

Have bounced around with several freeware Anti-Virus products, and have settled on AntiVir Personal. Used AVG, performance was fairly sluggish, but detection rate was not the best either. Avast! was better, but too many false positives. AntiVir was the last one that I installed, found stuff that both av programs missed, and seemed to be better on resources. In short, for a free av solution, is the best as far as detection rate. The occasional popup for the upsell is a small price to pay for an above average product.

CyberDoc999 reviewed v10.0.0.567 on Apr 23, 2010

Why so many small updates????
this version is more stable than the one a few weeks ago

roj reviewed v10.0.0.567 on Apr 22, 2010

Good product. Works very well.

I do not and never will condone nagware.

That drops the rating from a FIVE to a THREE.

I'm not interested in kludges or workarounds to get rid of it either - it simply shouldn't be there.

To the vendor:

Harassing your potential customers will NOT produce greater sales. It WILL cause them to look elsewhere. If I think your product distinguishes itself to the point that I feel it's worth paying money for it, I will. If it doesn't, I won't. Nagging me pushes me rapidly towards the "I Won't" category. I'm quite sure I'm not alone in this view.

Take a lesson.

Lsavagejt reviewed v10.0.0.565 on Apr 20, 2010

Re: AntiVir Premium: It's OK I guess. Takes it easy on resources. Highest rated in AV-Comparatives, blah, blah, blah.... Had a problem scanning IMAP in Thunderbird, but I think that's been fixed. Whatever.

Norton is a major drag on my creaky old thang, so is that other one there, um.... Anyway....

Artem S. Tashkinov reviewed v10.0.0.565 on Apr 19, 2010

The UI is awful, updates are huge, but it's free and has an excellent detection rate.

some guy reviewed v10.0.0.565 on Apr 19, 2010

The best been using the free home for years.

emanresU deriseD let me guess Vista 64 bit

Ryusennin reviewed v10.0.0.565 on Apr 19, 2010

Antivir 10 is surprisingly underwhelming. Many functionalities have been dumbed down in this new version.

The interactive guard mode is a joke. You can't manually heal, quarantine or simply ignore the warnings anymore like you could in AV9. All you can do is 'remove' or 'ask for more info' -- but then, the remove option automatically triggers a *complete* HD scan which to my knowledge you can't disable in the settings.

I'm not sure if the Personal Edition is to blame here, but many things are not right with this release, and I'm going to closely monitor whether or not adjustments are made in the next weeks. I've switched from Grisoft to Avira because the former had been down the drain in the last years; I'm ready to look for alternatives again.

CobraPL reviewed v10.0.0.561 on Apr 15, 2010

The best !

emanresU deriseD reviewed v10.0.0.561 on Apr 3, 2010

OMFG... I'm a big fan of Avira, but version 10 is a complete abortion. It's painfully obvious that they rushed it through beta testing. There are scores and scores of users who were automatically updated to this crap version and now have slow systems, shell crashes, scans that don't work, updates that don't work, web sites that don't load properly, BSODs, inexplicable errors, program crashes, and on and on and on and on... Oh geez am I talking about the Premium version? I guess I am, but the Personal version also sucks for similar reasons.

Virtual_ManPL reviewed v10.0.0.561 on Mar 28, 2010

The BEST free antivirus in detecting s*** in your PC...
5/5

Alexander-GG reviewed v10.0.0.561 on Mar 28, 2010

@tontito and all others.

No, my PC was not infected. I installed Avira on a fresh Win 7 Ultimate system. Update servers unavailability is not just my problem and all permanent users of this antivirus know about this issue. Even Avira's native "after uninstall" screen points to this issue by sarcastic question - "Do you uninstall Avira because of database update problems?" This is just the same stupid marketing policy of Avira team which tries to remind you every possible time and with every possible reason that you are the free product user.

I know perfectly how to remove the nag screen and splash screen. But just tell me - why should I do this manually and spend my time on such silly things? Just because I use their free product? Or does this little inconvenience make me to buy a premium version? Of course, NO!

Today, there are such strong concurrents like MS Security Essentials and Avast 5. So, I'll simply switch to one of them (already did and feel happy). Avira you should quit your Marketing Manager. By the way I have the Masters degree in this field.

CodecPack reviewed v10.0.0.561 on Mar 24, 2010

Hiding the update ads and splash screen is easy. Here is a nice tutorial:
http://www.codecguide.co..._antivirus_software.htm

mfarmilo reviewed v10.0.0.561 on Mar 23, 2010

Excellent program, just a shame about the adverts on every update. I always recommend the Premium version anyway as a first preference, this one if it simply must be free.

tontito reviewed v10.0.0.561 on Mar 23, 2010

Alexander-GG, you will find out once you start testing the other free alternatives.

About the update database, i beleive you have installed antivir after you get infected by something (maybe conficker).
I got that and add to clean the system first and then reinstall avira, since conficker f***up some stuff.

It is not jsut an avira "issue", conficker mess up with almost all known antivirus.

Sometimes i can update my database 2 and more times.

roj reviewed v10.0.0.561 on Mar 23, 2010

I don't suffer hard sell garbage well.

Use MS Security Essentials instead.

THREE stars.

roberttucker reviewed v9.0.0.452 on Mar 13, 2010

Windows XP Home

1. Boot into Safe Mode (hit F8 constantly while the computer is rebooting).
2. Log into an account with administrator privileges.
3. Open [driveinstalledon]:Program FilesAviraAntiVir PersonalEdition Classic.
4. Right click on avnotify.exe and go to Properties > Security > Advanced.
5. Click on Edit-> Traverse Folder / Execute File-> deny-> OK.
6. Repeat for all users.
7. Reboot your computer normally.

Alexander-GG reviewed v9.0.0.452 on Jan 21, 2010

This would be the best antivirus if not some very annoying issues.

First of all, updates. Almost 3 days I'm trying to update the virus database, but as I see, this is absolutely useless. What for I need an antivirus if I'm not able to update it's database? This is not the first time when the servers are not working. So, minus 1 star.

Second, the aggressive marketing is outdated. Avira, please, change the marketing strategy. At list, this looks just very stupid. Do they really think that the nag screen (which is easy to disable) will make someone to buy the premium version? Indeed, very stupid policy. So, minus one more star for the nag screen and stupidity.

Today, there are some very good free alternatives. Have no Idea why this product so overrated. It deserves just 3 stars.

wdc reviewed v9.0.0.452 on Dec 18, 2009

9.0.0.418 and not what you say

Lsavagejt reviewed v9.0.0.452 on Dec 8, 2009

I got the same warning- uTorrent trojan. Well, that's a first for me in about a year and a half. In a way I'm relieved to know it was a FP, but I'm upset that I uninstalled uTorrent and spent half the day cleaning out files and registry entries I didn't have to.

emanresU deriseD reviewed v9.0.0.452 on Dec 8, 2009

So Avira has never given you a false positive? Funny.

Today, courtesy of Avira:

(quote)Virus or unwanted program 'TR/Ag.289584.AA [trojan]'
detected in file 'C:\Program Files\uTorrent\uTorrent.exe.(end quote)

And, when submitted to Avira for review, this response was already in place:

(quote)uTorrent.exe 282.8 KB FALSE POSITIVE

The file 'uTorrent.exe' has been determined to be 'FALSE POSITIVE'. In particular this means that this file is not malicious but a false alarm.(end quote)

But hey, at least it wasn't a popular program or anything.

This is ROUTINE with Avira--unless you run a total of around 3 different applications on your system, and never change them.

And then we have Lsavagejt's response above: "I'm upset that I uninstalled uTorrent and spent half the day cleaning out files and registry entries I didn't have to." And isn't that the crux of why FPs are such a bad thing? At best you have some of your time wasted dismissing the warnings and adding exclusions until they get around to fixing the problem (which is another thing--you either have to keep checking or guess when they HAVE fixed the problem); at worst you do what Lsavagejt did, and pull your hair out thinking you have an infection when you don't.

mfarmilo reviewed v9.0.0.452 on Dec 7, 2009

An excellent program.

For the record though - the latest build is actually 9.0.0.418, not 9.0.0.452 as posted here. Someone is posting false information. This is also the build this link will download.

Lsavagejt reviewed v9.0.0.415 on Nov 30, 2009

I like it and paid for the license. It has never shown me a false positive. The few times it warned me is when I was leak testing a firewall and there was an option to deny access.

Low memory and cpu usage and regular updates.

I don't like having to burn a recovery cd. It should just clean in safe mode like avast.

aruprc reviewed v9.0.0.408 on Nov 29, 2009

Free or paid, its the best no matter what they throw at it. Detection is the most important aspect of an AV, some say it has to clean good, I agree but then what will you clean if you can't detect it in first place.

uzi reviewed v9.0.0.408 on Nov 24, 2009

Avira Antivir Personal Edition, is an excellent solution for the home user, looking for a feeware antivirus. Contrary to Avira's own information, the freeware version has good capabilities also in removing Trojans spyware and other threats. False positives are relativelt high but the average users are unlikely to suffer from this, as they are still quite rare. The freeware version has one annoyance - it opens a popup window to advertise the paid version whenever the antivirus is updates (once every work day). This might be an annoyance if it pops up during a game which requires fast response. Until you remove the ads, you lose points. As an antivirus it is better than most of the non-free antivirus programs, and is quite light on computer resources. Thus highy recommended.

unger71 reviewed v9.0.0.408 on Nov 13, 2009

updates work again

Virtual_ManPL reviewed v9.0.0.408 on Nov 11, 2009

@ johnusa - remember thats free program ;)

I know its pain in the a** to do automatic update because of server high load...
and they didnt want to speed up probably because they want ppl to swap from free version to Professional ;p

but still you can download manual update from the www

johnusa reviewed v9.0.0.408 on Oct 20, 2009

ISSUE: BIG UPDATE PROBLEMS
Even though this program is highly rated, I hate it because with my experience in updating this very troublesome program, and with Avira, their parent company's failure in fixing the ridiculous server problems with their updates.
I have installed this program on many PCs, in many different locations, all with high speed connections. After every installation, I had problems updating this program. It would take 30 minutes or longer to update, or sometimes never.
I checked their forums, and many users have been having my exact problems, for many months, and yet lazy Avira has not fixed this huge problem.
Shame on Avira.

Prospero424 reviewed v9.0.0.408 on Sep 10, 2009

Yes, false positive rates are important, and Avira should be and undoubtedly is working to improve them. They can cause untold havoc in a production environment. But some make it sound as if this is some sort of deal breaker when the truth is that Avira's FP rate is roughly in the middle of the pack on AV-Comparatives.org, and ANY false positive test is, by nature, extremely subjective to begin with (not dismissing their results, just saying they're not definitive).

Personally, I've never encountered a false positive with Avira, and I'm always tinkering with my system - trying out new software and functionality all the time. But this, like the personal experiences of others here, is merely anecdotal evidence.

In short: the most respected tests show it being comparable to AVG and better than Avast as far as false positives, and BOTH its heuristic AND on-demand detection rates on AV-Comparatives.org not only beat the pants off these two free competitors, but they beat pretty much all of the for-purchase competition as well!

I would whole-heartedly agree that these subjective tests/detection rates aren't everything. A lot of the paid antivirus packages have other features and characteristics that may make them more attractive and more appropriate for some or even most environments.

What doesn't seem in any reasonable doubt is that this free version of Avira is an absolutely incredible value for home/individual users. This is what I install on the computers of family and friends whom I know will just let a for-pay antivirus subscription (like the one that came with their OEM computer) expire and forget about it, leaving themselves open to new threats indefinitely.

mfarmilo reviewed v9.0.0.408 on Sep 9, 2009

Excellent program. I always recommend either the Premium version or this one.

One point - as of right now, this is still downloading Build 407, not 408. I think there may be a glitch at the Avira end, as they're showing latest version as dated the 8th September, yet still the old 407 build.

FailedCRC reviewed v9.0.0.408 on Sep 9, 2009

There is actually no indication of how large their set of clean files is. Other than often picking up keygens as trojans I've seen no problems.

Lsavagejt reviewed v9.0.0.408 on Sep 9, 2009

I have been using Anttivir Premium. I renewed my license for it and am aware of the issue of false positives in the laboratory. I have had no problems with false positives.

The only thing I don't like about this product is that it can be shut down, so that I have to open it and manually restart the protection.

An AV is supposed to have self-protection, and while self-protection is configurable in Antivir, the configuration occasionally fails- most likely a conflict with Comodo (no AV) or Prevx (detection only).

Anyway, I give it a 5. It's up there with the best.

emanresU deriseD reviewed v9.0.0.408 on Sep 8, 2009

Well good thing AV-Comparatives.org disagrees with you, Steve. False positives are more than an annoyance; if you have enough of them, you will either accidentally ignore/miss/allow malware to run since you are so incredibly used to FPs, FPs, and nothing but FPs, or you'll disable the bloody thing just to keep your sanity intact.

I did not say that detection is not important. But FP avoidance is also very important.

Do you ever verify FPs? Ever send a sample in, just to make sure one way or the other? I do it all the time. I hate having my time wasted this way. But maybe you have more free time than I do.

Did you also know that false positives cause lots of headaches and lost revenue for software vendors? Of course you did not, because you simply want a "FREE AV" and don't have to think about such matters. But imagine you are a legitimate software developer, and some AV flags your software as malware... Then you lose sales because it scares people away, and you spend hours dealing with support inquiries and AV vendor contacts.

Sometimes users have to go through significant hassle to resolve FP issues. It is often actually easier for the affected vendor/user to change and update the software than to get the AV vendor to correct their bloody FP. And how does the user know that they need to update the software to get around the FP? Multiple support inquiries, that's how.

Don't tell me FP avoidance isn't important. Would you tolerate a home security system that went off every other day for no good reason? (Your neighbors and the police probably would not.) Tolerance for FPs is tolerance for poor software quality.

Whether you experience many FPs has a lot to do with how much software you use. It's not just a "laboratory" issue. AV-Comparatives.org bases FP ratings on actual software titles.

Steve1209 reviewed v9.0.0.408 on Sep 8, 2009

I have to rate this FREE A/V as the best, it even beats most of the expensive PAID A/V's in detections found. I think detections should be the standard we hold an A/V to, NOT falst positives. Nobody wants a false positive, me included BUT if the A/V is NOT giving false positives but has a low detection rating which is more important? To me detection rate, I can live with some false positives which are quickly resolved. Just becaue you don't see a virus does NOT mean it's not really there!!

Steve

emanresU deriseD reviewed v9.0.0.407 on Aug 26, 2009

Avira is at or extremely near the top in detection, but I'm on the verge of uninstalling it, for one reason: INCESSANT FALSE POSITIVES!

They really are nonstop, and they are extremely irritating. Often you get them with heuristics, but they also come in the form of signature detections. You can set the heuristics to "low" or turn them off entirely, but you can't do squat when AntiVir tells you a program you've been using for 5 years is suddenly some horrible positively-identified malware. (Oh, I know you can notify Avira, and I do, but doing that frequently is a real pain.)

I was dismissing one false positive notification after another (after another, after another...) when I was reminded that a product that makes you do this kind of crap is not really better than one that totally misses malware.

Virtual_ManPL reviewed v9.0.0.407 on Aug 25, 2009

5/5 for me...
the best detection in free product, even beat most of paid product in detection !!!

and ads & banners can be disabled... ;)

Blue1978 reviewed v9.0.0.407 on Aug 20, 2009

I use to use AntiVIr years ago. The signature detection was top notch, the heuristics were good. After awhile I released (from experience as an IT administrator) that the real threats were vulnerabilities in software. Not to mention, vulnerabilities are what are being leveraged against the user to pull the Malware down to the local system. I wanted to be more proactive and in response I switched to eEye Digital Security's Blink endpoint protection suite. Currently it is free for one year and it at version 4.4.1.

http://forums.eeye.com/f...s/p/1091/4710.aspx#4710

There are many reasons why I switched. I have tried to explain what makes Blink unique here:

http://forums.eeye.com/f.../t/998.aspx?PageIndex=1

VelvetElvis reviewed v9.0.0.407 on Aug 9, 2009

Decent AV app, but it should be classed as ad-ware, not freeware.

catchpole reviewed v9.0.0.407 on Aug 5, 2009

Antivir is kinda overrated. Pop ups and update works reeeal slooow. wonder why it is so popular

bigspud reviewed v9.0.0.403 on Jul 15, 2009

after last update, i started getting false positive for a program i run all the time, made a ignore rule in options didnt stop nagging. uninstalled avira, innstalled avast, everything fine.

emanresU deriseD reviewed v9.0.0.403 on Jun 9, 2009

Disable the annoying popup:

http://www.avira.com/en/...onlineshop_premium.html

elopez17 reviewed v9.0.0.403 on Jun 9, 2009

Disable the Annoying Popup

http://www.tipsfor.us/20...ree-edition-more-usable/

or

for Vista and Windows 7

As a Vista user, I imagine your secpol.msc method would work, but I used a slightly different approach. Navigate to the Avira program directory (”C:\Program Files\AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic”, in my case), right-click on avnotify.exe, and go to Properties. Go to the Security tab in the window that appears, and hit “Edit…”. In the Permissions window, go through all the users and click “Deny” by “Read & execute”. Then hit OK as many times as necessary and you should be ad-free!

sn0wflake reviewed v9.0.0.403 on Jun 9, 2009

Actually replaced McAfee Total BS with this because it blocked a specific website. It was on a Intel Atom based PC and I noticed the big performance gain instantly by the fan-noise.

echoiz reviewed v9.0.0.430 on May 27, 2009

nag screen can be disabled.only add a parameter "/nosplash" after the antivir startup entry in regedit and any other startup manager like sysinternal's autoruns.

doctorsmith reviewed v9.0.0.430 on May 27, 2009

this isn't version 9.0.0.430 but is still the previous version 9.0.0.394
only the premium version went up to 9.0.0.430 and the free one stayed at
9.0.0.394

FailedCRC reviewed v9.0.0.430 on May 27, 2009

The nag screen is the ONLY downside to this product. Detection rates are extremely good, definition updates for newly submitted malware are turned around very quickly, performance is excellent (how can you compare this to Avast or AVG and call it slow, it's like golf remember: LOWER CPU time is better).

I also have no idea why you would cry about a mail plugin, why do you need one anyway, the resident scanner takes care of it?

Ribibi reviewed v9.0.0.430 on May 27, 2009

For the po-up, it exists some possibilities (google it) to avoid it.
I don't know for mail, due to the fact i only use SSL acounts, but for the rest, Antivir is such one of the best antivirus existing.
All results depend of who makes tests. To see what antivirus it the best, see which is in the top three all the time.
It's the cas for Antivir. At this date...

BUSIAK reviewed v9.0.0.430 on May 27, 2009

People! It's free! You can download VirusDefinitonFile zip package from here :
http://www.avira.com/en/support/vdf_update.html
and update it manualy. From here you can download a program from avira server : http://www.free-av.com/e...ad/download_servers.php
too make sure you have the one and only, genuine, original German product.
I like it and I use it. Simple, just like that.

Zyxyx reviewed v9.0.0.430 on May 27, 2009

I completely agree with fair_is_fair... I can't keep a software with systematic popups and poor performance on my computer or (worse) on my clients PC's.

The detection rate is ok, but not much better than Avast (my first choice for international versions) or AVG Free.

The mail scanning is also very basic (who said inexistent ?) ; you have to pay for the Premium version to get what they call : "Enhanced email protection for POP3 and SMTP". Really not safe to use Outlook or Windows Mail without this, in my opinion.

For now, I'll stay with Avast and its not user friendly interface.

roj reviewed v9.0.0.430 on May 27, 2009

Kill the nag screen without having to resort to obvious kludges - they should be unnecessary in a free product. Improve server performance serving defs - if I have to update a modern AV product manually on a regular basis, it's useless and garbage.

Nag screen inexcusable - given that company attitude, I wouldn't touch or recommend the commercial version of this product. In fact, I'd recommend AGAINST it on just those grounds.

I don't give a ratz azz if it's free - other companies with free products don't do this kind of BS and I won't lower my standards to support hacks who do.

ONE star for nagware and poor performance.

ModderXManiac reviewed v9.0.0.430 on May 27, 2009

I am sick of people complaining about the ad screen, it can be easily disabled!
http://www.elitekiller.c...disable_antivir_nag.htm

I have used quite possibly every single freeware antivirus application available, and this one impresses the most, it's lighter than Avast, yet detects better. It's without a doubt more lightweight than AVG, almost everything out there is safe for the joke of a security suite they call McAfee.

Just use that guide I listed above and disable the nag screen, this is the best freeware antivirus app you could ever ask for, it leaves plenty of system resources for enthusiast users while offering leading detection rates in the industry, many tests placing it right behind the industry leader Sophos, but since Sophos is a $99 license and this is freeware, Antivir is the best bet for freeware malware detection.

I install this on every system I do maintenance on, and haven't had a single complaint, save for one person I forgot to disable the nag screen for, otherwise, great product, and I recommend it above all others.

bousozoku reviewed v9.0.0.394 on May 16, 2009

I've had this for a few days after removing AVG anti-virus free. A friend recommended this as the best ever.

The initial database was almost two months behind the current date and yet, it will not update due to a permissions error. I tried to find a solution on the company's web site but there doesn't seem to be another user with the same problem, though there seem to be many users with update problems.

Their forum registration complained that my password wasn't secure enough when I tried to join to post a topic. Hmm...anti-virus not secure...my password not secure enough...what's worse?

fair_is_fair reviewed v9.0.0.394 on Apr 29, 2009

Not sure why Antivir has such high ratings.
The free version is extremely annoying with its "buy now" popups.
Downloading updates is very slow.
The free version is only free for a few months and then the subscription runs out. What's with this?

On the plus side, protection was ok.

I've went back to Avast, happily.

Somnambulator reviewed v9.0.0.394 on Apr 28, 2009

not only the best FREE Antivirus but the best Antivirus PERIOD. i have Avira Premium and after setting up a few Guard exceptions (a white list) it runs flawlessly, extremely quickly, and extremely efficiently.

However, the Free version has a nag screen which not only subtracts 1 star, but it also keeps me from installing it on customer computers.

if they removed the nag screen entirely this would be on every computer i fix and i'd be recommending the Premium packages to everyone wanting Firewall/etc.

sturgess reviewed v9.0.0.394 on Apr 28, 2009

Few things impress all the time, but this, like Google Chrome is one of them. Couldn't live without the nag screen, when that pops up I know I'm safe for another day.

sn0wflake reviewed v9.0.0.394 on Apr 27, 2009

Best antivir. I kinda like the nagscreen. It shows that an update has occurred and all you have to do is click the OK button, press Enter or space. Besides that it doesn't matter if you do something. It updates anyway even if you haven't pressed the nagscreen.

roj reviewed v9.0.0.394 on Apr 27, 2009

Get rid of the sloppy and juvenile nag screen.

And no, I don't want to hear about any kludges to get rid of it.

It shouldn't be there.

Period.

THREE stars for the unnecessary annoyance factor and author stupidity (which is a shame since the product kicks a** and would get a FIVE otherwise).

Mumoto reviewed v9.0.0.394 on Apr 27, 2009

Nice Antivirus, but... latest build hangs while scanning? It's still responsive but doesn't continue -_-

Landsnes reviewed v9.0.0.386 on Apr 18, 2009

Quality German programming!

I've used this anti-virus application for years and I'm still incredibly impressed! The detection rates are just unparalleled:

http://www.av-comparatives.org/

http://mtc.sri.com/live_data/av_rankings/

With some additional custom settings, malicious software will have a hard time infecting your PC system. I've also used AVG, Avast and NOD32, but this application is still my first choice by far. Version 9 has some extreme on-demand scanning performance improvements for users with a multi core CPU. A company offering a freeware version of their flagship application like this, inspires genuine trust and respect!

craigun reviewed v9.0.0.386 on Apr 10, 2009

Excellent software, low on system resources. Highly recomended.

prghon reviewed v9.0.0.386 on Mar 27, 2009

us3r, yeah that and scan is painfully slow. Otherwise it has a strong detection rate which is absolute number one priority so I'm giving this 4.5

us3r reviewed v9.0.0.386 on Mar 23, 2009

This version ( 9.0.0.386 ) hogs CPU without any particular reason. Especially when updating product or saving files to HDD. I'm very dissapointed with Avira PE 9.

CobraPL reviewed v9.0.0.386 on Mar 20, 2009

I tested so far:
KAV (AVP), NOD32 v2,3,4, McAfee Antivirus, Arcavir, Trend Micro Office Scan, Norton AV (various versions), F-Prot v5 + DOS version and Avira (8 and 9) of course (including premium).

I recommend Avira because:
- highest detecion level (beats even Kaspersky!)
LOOK THERE: www.av-comparatives.org
- fast scanning
- free for personal use
- fast response from support
- it needs small amount of resources
- premium users can download a rescue cd
- no problems with installation and running (like BSOD etc.)

Peter

grimbles reviewed v9.0.0.386 on Mar 18, 2009

Still very good detection rates but don't get too excited about the new anti-spyware feature. The Avira site refers to that component in the free version as 'Basic' and in the Premium version as 'Enhanced'........hmmm!

timocad reviewed v9.0.0.386 on Mar 18, 2009

For the first time there is the protection from spyware and adware! It is really complete now.

sn0wflake reviewed v9.0.0.386 on Mar 18, 2009

I tried this application years ago when my PC was a 800 MHz processor and found that it worded perfectly and with a minimal impact of the system. Norton AntiVirus would simply "kill" my system.

NightFright reviewed v9.0.0.386 on Mar 18, 2009

Finally, PE users also get spyware/malware detection features previously only available for Premium product. No problems with this on my XP SP3 system, cannot say anything about how it runs in a Vista environment.
Note that this will also install "Microsoft Vistual C++ Redistributable v9.0.30729.17" in case you don't already have it. It is required for the program and may not be uninstalled afterwards (previous program version required that libraries as well, so nothing to complain about, really).
All in all, probably the best scanner you can get for free. If you know how to deactivate the splash screen and the ad window (during update), it's even better.

doctorsmith reviewed v9.0.0.386 on Mar 17, 2009

5 stars all the way.

unger71 reviewed v8.2.00.337 on Mar 16, 2009

fast backdround scanner with many updates.
Have tried avg, commodo and avast.
Best for games except for popups

CobraPL reviewed v8.2.00.337 on Jan 30, 2009

Better (!!!) detection rate than NOD32.
Speed comparable to NOD32.

mikeo2 reviewed v8.2.00.337 on Jan 25, 2009

nice

PlayazCircle reviewed v8.2.00.337 on Jan 1, 2009

Nope Avira will not good.

Use:

Comodo Internet Security
Spyware Doctor
Drive Sentry

guti reviewed v8.2.00.337 on Dec 31, 2008

After two years of a paid NOD32 user, I migrated to Avast!, and some weeks ago, to AntiVir Free.

Maybe it does not include as many features as Avast!, but its superior detection ratio, plus its NOD32-comparable scanning speed, has made it my preferred free AV, and am now considering upgrading to the paid Premium version, which is also quite cheap compared to other products.

sorlag reviewed v8.2.00.337 on Dec 7, 2008

This is the worst antivirus solution ive tested so far.

It looks ok after installation, but soon it begins to popup big scary ads "notifier from avira. spyware is monitoring you, for 20 euros we protect you from thoose imminent attacks".
So it's not freeware... it is Scareware/Nagware.

My sister got infected by a virus and antivir popps up (after the infection spread!) 6+ big warning windows (they are as big as the screen itself) that clutter the screen, and if i close it, new ones popp up.
If i click repair or delete, antivir is simply doing nothing... no message, no removal... nothing.

The only thing it does on my sisters pc is naging/scaring her to buy the pro version and flooding her with a virus warning...

Chiome reviewed v8.2.00.337 on Dec 1, 2008

I used Nod32 for a couple of years, it was good, but then registration problems began to the point of utter frustration, and tech support was rude to the point of non-existance! Then someone told me about Antivir, and thank goodness they did. It is a wonderful AV and I couldn't be happier. Best of all its free! And the updates are everyday and quite fast. And as to the nag screen, well it's quite tolerable, not too mention easily dissabled. I will never pay for an AV again.

Zenphic reviewed v8.2.00.337 on Nov 30, 2008

Very good software that is lighweight and has a high detection rate. It did however have trouble removing a trojan by the name of Win32.TROJAN-AGENT-TDSS. I had to make a virus scan with another system to actually remove it. Nag screens and splash screens are annoying, but they can be easily removed if you know about restricting access to certain .exe. Update download speeds for free users have greatly improved since a few years ago.

glassdesigns reviewed v8.2.00.337 on Nov 30, 2008

When AVG released version 8, I went looking for a new free anti virus program. I tried them all and finally settled on this one. It has the best detection results of them all and does it with the least amount of resource usage. What more could you ask for? I give it a 4 rating because of one bug. When the check for rootkits is activated the automatic scan hangs about half way into the scan. By default the check for rootkits is not activated and I guess this is why. When this bug is fixed, I will definately be rating this program a 5.
PS. I also found the nag screen very annoying, so I deactivated it. Now I consider this truly freeware instead of adware.

eclipsingdivinity reviewed v8.2.00.337 on Nov 30, 2008

An extremely powerful antivirus with the added benefit of being free. Never had a problem with this AV and it's one of the lighter ones in the market today. Couple it with a few other free programs and you'll be virus free for a very long time.

keiichi999 reviewed v8.2.00.337 on Nov 29, 2008

the best free anti-virus period

mynamehere reviewed v8.2.00.337 on Nov 28, 2008

I switched from Avast! to Avira after reading http://www.av-comparatives.org

The nag screen only pops up after an update & clicking OK just closes the window, it doesn't take you to their site pr anything, so not a big deal. If you do a search you'll find that there is a rather simple way to disable it, but I believe there's also a possible downside to it.

My only problem is that I haven't gotten it to ignore complete hard drives under exceptions & the "nag" screens take focus from full screen games, after an auto update.

some guy reviewed v8.2.00.337 on Nov 28, 2008

best freeware virus program period

oh
pollok2
F you and your wanna bee Warez site

Adrian79 reviewed v8.2.00.337 on Nov 28, 2008

google nag screen, everything about avira is smooth and accurate

Undesired Username reviewed v8.2.00.337 on Nov 28, 2008

There's another way to disable the notification. It's called buying the full version. Couldn't resist, sorry.

I use the "premium" version and I'll never go back to the highly-overrated NOD32 or the highly-buggy Gaspersky*. Avira detects more and doesn't make my system feel like it is a P-33 with 32-MB of RAM. My main gripe is that Avira generates too many false positives (FPs). This can cause not only headaches for users, but serious headaches for the software vendors unlucky enough to have their wares incorrectly flagged as "malware".

Oh, and if you do not speak German and try contacting Avira, either to submit a sample or request sales or technical support, be prepared for a serious language barrier. Their English is terrible. I'm not a chauvinist, I'm just saying if you sell worldwide and particularly in the US, you rrrreally should learn English.

* Spelling intentional :)

doctorsmith reviewed v8.2.00.337 on Nov 28, 2008

I've been a long time user of Avast but recently have been using Avira and am now a convert. As pointed out below it's hard to go past the data at http://www.av-comparatives.org/ , I'd hate to have been paying out top $$ for some of these AV programs after checking the scores at av-comparatives.
The nag screen is, well, a bit of a nag, but it's hard to complain too much about the price as your getting the program for zilch, besides it's easy enough to disable.

Sammo reviewed v8.2.00.337 on Nov 28, 2008

This is the best AV I have used. Check the ratings at http://www.av-comparatives.org

As for the nag screen, I disable it with Process Lasso - http://fileforum.betanew..._Lasso_x32/1070027121/1

XhmikosR reviewed v8.2.00.337 on Nov 28, 2008

@roj:
I agree with you, but you can remove the nag screen.

http://www.tipsfor.us/20...ree-edition-more-usable/

roj reviewed v8.2.00.337 on Nov 28, 2008

Great product but truly annoying and inexcusable nag screen. The process to rid oneself of the nagscreen is similarly odious. If this is free for personal use but you still want to flog your commercial version, then that's fine but there are more civil ways to do it.

That drops the score to FOUR instead of FIVE.

ModderXManiac reviewed v8.2.0.334 on Nov 10, 2008

As far as detection combined with how lightweight its real-time protection is, and after using everything freeware available, I can officially declare this the best freeware Anti-Virus solution, period. Avast and AVG Free, booo, this detects better than both and is lighter than both.

Don't like the nag screen? well that's an easy fix.
http://www.elitekiller.c...disable_antivir_nag.htm

Voox reviewed v8.2.0.334 on Nov 7, 2008

Great Free AV program. Very light, great detection.

I just wish Avira would get rid of the nag screen, regardless of the fact the user can restrict it.

I recommend this just above Avast, and way over AVG.

Adrian79 reviewed v8.2.0.334 on Oct 28, 2008

I just dumped AVG after 4 years for this~!

http://www.elitekiller.c...disable_antivir_nag.htm

VelvetElvis reviewed v8.2.0.334 on Oct 25, 2008

Slick antivirus tool, but loses a point for the nagware popups

aruprc reviewed v8.2.0.334 on Oct 23, 2008

The best with best detection and cleaning as well as fastest scanning engine out there.

landfish reviewed v8.2.0.334 on Oct 23, 2008

5 out of 5,
as pointed out go to AV Comparatives web site to see why this is a winner.
As for cleaning, if you do scan in safe mode, as you should to get rid of nasties, it wont miss a thing.

Undesired Username reviewed v8.2.0.334 on Oct 23, 2008

I don't know how good AntiVir is at cleaning, but as always, it's better to prevent an infection in the first place than to be a complete moron and run every "self-extracting archive" containing "Britney Spears nude pics" you receive in unsolicited emails.

CGA reviewed v8.2.0.334 on Oct 23, 2008

The good: Light on resources, good detection rates.

The bad: Cleaning out detected infections is were i find that this AV fails totally. I had the opportunity to test this on a severely infected computer not long ago. Antivir failed at cleaning most of the detected viruses. No matter what i choose, delete, disinfect, deny access, the warning messages kept popping up again and again for the same virus. At last i had to resort to a Linux boot cd to remove the virus files.

some guy reviewed v8.2.0.334 on Oct 23, 2008

ok
for free this is the best
now if your going to pay money it still out ranks the others
test score can be seen here
http://www.av-comparatives.org/

Sammo reviewed v8.2.0.334 on Oct 23, 2008

AntiVir has the best detection rate, free or paid. You can also disable the nag screen by disallowing it with Process Lasso - http://fileforum.betanew..._Lasso_x32/1070027121/1

The Seeker 11 reviewed v8.2.0.334 on Oct 23, 2008

The lightest free AV out there. Detection rates are also excellent. This used in conjunction with some common sense will keep most people safe.

For those wanting to disable the nag screen, see here.

DudeBoyz reviewed v8.2.0.334 on Oct 23, 2008

Auto updated to this version and seems to be working without any noticeable changes or issues.

Yes, the daily nag screen is a pain, but the features, configurability, interface and detection rate this thing offers is certainly worth it.

Good stuff.

Alexander-GG reviewed v8.1.0.367 on Sep 30, 2008

"They are watching you!!!"
Booooooo!!!
The quick updates are only for Premium product users. You should suffer as much as possible, cause you are free product user!!!
The Premium version is absolutely different. Avira will try it's best to make you not to forget that you are a free product user!!!
Upgrade to Premium version or you will be die!!!

Undesired Username reviewed v8.1.0.367 on Sep 24, 2008

@cowgaR:

AntiVir uses its own engine. It doesn't and never has used the Kaspersky engine.

This is the freeware Avira product, AntiVir Personal, which as you point out, lacks spyware/adware protection. AntiVir Premium (and AntiVir Security Suite) both have spyware/adware protection. I point this out because you mention buying licenses. But if you're buying licenses (and thus getting spyware protection), why rate the freeware version and complain about lack of spyware protection?

AntiVir is tops with me. Look at the August, 2008 av-comparatives.org results: AntiVir Premium (which I realize is not AntiVir Personal) rated best with "highest settings", and second-best with "default settings" (bested only by a product that uses two engines and offers agonizingly slow performance). Fanboy favorite NOD32 fared quite a bit worse (apparently, Eset thinks it's OK to miss 8% of trojans, and 15% of script malware).

I also find AntiVir one of the very few anti-malware solutions that does not impact performance so much that it drives me nuts. This is a huge point with me, as I will not put up with crapware that makes my system crawl.

My only real complaint with AntiVir is that it has too many false positives (as you can see on av-comparatives.org). You can mitigate this somewhat by not using heuristics, but then, obviously, you lose the benefit of heuristics.

UPieper reviewed v8.1.0.367 on Sep 21, 2008

I switched from Kaspersky to Avira about 1 year ago and I never looked back. There were some problems with the speed of the update-servers for the freeware version, but it looks like they upgraded their servers as I didn't experience any problems since months now....

Avira is using a proprietary engine(ie. it's not using the Kaspersky engine) with very good heuristics and it's constantly getting into the top 3 ranks with its detection rates....

...and that's all for free!

PS: It seems that version .367 is only for the premium version. The free version is till at .331

See here: http://www.free-av.com/e...ad/download_servers.php

cowgaR reviewed v8.1.0.367 on Sep 17, 2008

edit: @Undesired Username: there is no option to rate Premium version of Avira, betanews only list the free version so I take its rating as "universal", although I am aware it lacks malware/adware protection.

4/5 - to both versions, I will give it 5 when it satisfy me more than Kaspersky or NOD did in the past. So far it has couple of problems with Vista...

And I also noticed that ESET is not following their legendary wins they made in the past, what is happening in the company is a mystery for me.
--------------
original post:

Hi Avira fans,

can anyone enlighten me what scanning engine does Avira use? I thought Avira is some _branch_ of Kaspersky AV, as at one point I saw an offer of it being sold for free vs getting payed Kaspersky, but I am not sure now as they should end the same in the tests that way.

I was long user of Kaspersky AV until they started implementing iChecker and iSwift technologies and started playing with NTFS streams which in my environment is TABU! So I am left with NOD32 which is fast but its detection rate has gone down in recent months.

Sorry for low rating, I just want an answer, then I'll update it to 4 (as it doesn't contain spyware detection).
If Avira isn't using NTFS streams of every file as a CRC check like Kaspersky does, then I'll buy couple of licences tomorrow! Too bad the discount is only for buying 3 (unlike NOD32).

Hope they aren't altering File System as my disk raids very sensitive to data altering (as are my couple of SSDs only MLCs).

btw, has anyone tried this? (Avira premium for free)
http://www.trialpay.com/...3c168ad&tid=6rGUiCo

DudeBoyz reviewed v8.1.0.367 on Sep 5, 2008

Update: Still no auto-update in the app to get to this "newer version". It lists .331 and that's it. No .367 to be found, it seems.

I hope someone fixes this.

Original Post:

I too have found that there may be a problem with updating to this specific version. My installation, though updated, still lists .331 as the product version.

That potential issue aside, I'm finding AntiVir to be an increasingly impressive program. Yes, daily updates trigger a nag screen each time, but that is about the only reason that I have for rating it a 4 instead of a 5.

Perhaps the lack of live Email scanning bugs me just a bit, but I'm finding that if I lock-down Outlook Express 6 (restricted zone, plain-text only, etc.) there are no problems. Each and every attachment can be scanned as they are saved to disk, so that may end up making my concerns a moot point. I just had to "re-think" my expectations about how email works and should behave. It may not scan attachments as they arrive from the mail server, but it does scan them if you save them, so isn't that pretty much the same thing since all scripting and HTML coding is disabled?

It was hard to leave AVG 7.5 behind, but this program feels lighter, tighter and certainly seems to be more effective than almost any other app in terms of detection rates, configuration flexibility and the protections it provides.

I hope they continue the good work and do not lose sight of the lean efficiency that makes this product so worthwhile.

JustinUT79 reviewed v8.1.0.367 on Sep 5, 2008

Yes, I can confirm what vailr posted.

It does NOT appear that version 8.1.0.367 has actually been released or the vendor failed to update the version information tab in the program (very doubtful).

I believe this is why http://www.filehippo.com has NOT updated Antivir to version ".367".

Also, the file size for the so called ".367" version is the exact same size as the ".331" version.

I wish all software vendors would always clearly post version numbers and release dates on their official website.

vailr reviewed v8.1.0.367 on Sep 5, 2008

A fresh install using the version offered as "8.1.0.367" actually results with version "8.1.0.331" [dated 8/12/2008]. Doing the "update" requires about 4 Mb and 9 updated files. After which, the version number remains as "8.1.0.331". Note: the file that MajorGeeks.com offers produces the same installed version: "8.1.0.331".

legion reviewed v8.1.0.367 on Sep 5, 2008

Great piece of soft :)

aruprc reviewed v8.1.0.367 on Sep 4, 2008

Every tests they throw at it works out in Avira's favor and it keeps coming out with flying colors consistently. Also the fact it hardly ever creates issues in your system with updates speaks volumes of its developers. Best AV keeps getting better day by day.

pep086 reviewed v8.1.0.367 on Sep 4, 2008

the best one, i tried avg, avast, nod32,mc affee, not even close to this one, and its 4 FREEE, i still need to find a license for the premium oneee xd

madmike reviewed v8.1.0.367 on Sep 4, 2008

Top Rank, the best

cyclone22 reviewed v8.1.0.331 on Sep 1, 2008

Very good program.Detected every Autorun virus in my computer which AVG free version could not detect at all.

mfarmilo reviewed v8.1.0.331 on Aug 17, 2008

Excellent program, I always recommend it to my customers - although where possible I recommend the premium version, which also includes Antispyware and is very reasonably priced.

On a sidenote - the version currently being downloaded here is still 8.1.0.326, not 8.1.0.331.

immortal223 reviewed v8.1.0.331 on Aug 16, 2008

Flemens

I have 64-bit OS and Avira works well. Don't understand your complaints...

Flemens reviewed v8.1.0.331 on Aug 16, 2008

Good AV but low rating for not being available for 64bit.

spacemarine reviewed v8.1.0.331 on Aug 16, 2008

@Skyfrog:

It is a free AV an has among the best
detection rate of any AV out there.
So what do you expect ? I mean, I find it
absolutely OK that the developers added a
little nag screen.
There are several (dead easy) ways of getting
rid of the nag screen for good. But you have to search for yourself, I'm not posting this here.

Bottom line:
------------
This is the best free AV out there, and beats
most paid AVs when it comes to the detection rate.
See www.av-comparatives.org for detection
statistics.

The scanning itself is *very* fast and the background guard does NOT bog down your
computer as is the case with some other AVs
(Kaspersky *cough* *cough* ;)).

Five Stars hands down.

PS: Of course there are always some weirdos,
morons and plain old idiots out there on the net
who simply don't recognize an excellent
application when they see one... :(.
This is NOT directed to anyone in particular,
it is just intended as a general remark, so please, nobody should feel addressed directly.

No hard feelings ;)
--Spacemarine

some guy reviewed v8.1.0.331 on Aug 16, 2008

the best free one out their period!

DudeBoyz reviewed v8.1.0.331 on Aug 15, 2008

I have chosen this as my replacement for AVG 7.5. I liked AVG tons, but version 8 is just not a very good follow-up, imo.

So, even though this program has a daily nag screen when you do an update, I still like it very much.

The 8.1.0.331 version downloaded via auto-update and seems to function just as well as the previous release.

It does generate a few false positives on things like game trainers, but it has a very good EXCEPTION option in Expert mode for both the SCAN and the GUARD sections, and that is a feature I really appreciate.

So far, so good. I hope they keep it lean and clean, because it seems to have about the best detection rate out there, free or paid.

I'm glad they have a free version, to be sure.

Skyfrog reviewed v8.1.0.331 on Aug 15, 2008

Probably works ok but I absolutely will not use this or recommend it to anyone until the developer gets rid of the stupid nag screen.

Adrian79 reviewed v8.1.0.331 on Aug 15, 2008

how is this compared to AVG Free?

glassdesigns reviewed v8.1.0.331 on Aug 15, 2008

I started using this program at the beginning of July.(see revue) I am still very happy with it. If you are running XP pro you can disable the nag pop up. Do a google search on how to accomplish this. The developer should remove the nag which will no doubt discourage some people from using this program. If you are using the home version of XP then you are out of luck disabling the nag. At least as far as I know. People looking for a free anti virus don't want to be nagged. If the nag pop up is to remain in the program then it should be reclassified as adware instead of free. I am still rating it a 5 because their is a workaround for the nagging. If there wasn't I would have to lower the rating because of the irritation factor.

therube reviewed v8.1.0.331 on Aug 15, 2008

Given the linked file's size, 25,049,240 bytes, I'm going to guess that this is actually 8.1.0.326 & not .331.

For whatever reason Avira has been real screwy with version numbers & downloads. Sometimes changing back & forth in the same day even.

Their website does show .331 (at least currently), but it looks not to be available (yet?).

TC17 reviewed v8.1.0.326 on Jul 30, 2008

Why is it all the antivirus programs are crap anymore. This free version of Avira would be ok, but it has the stupid problem of not updating half the time, then I get the constant annoying message from Windows that it needs updating. I didn't even like their bloated pay version of Avira. AVG is bloated now, taking forever to boot up... Avast has the annoying popup while your playing an online game (unless there is a way to turn that off, I dont' know). It seems every new version of any AV program makes it more bloated and slower. Its getting to the point its not worth it anymore.

pctech5189 reviewed v8.1.0.326 on Jul 18, 2008

Ive recently installed avira anti vir after i got rid of avast. I decided to try somthing new. Ive had this program a day and love it. I did full scan and found nothing but i like anti vir better. Its super light much lighter then avast, and alot of different settings for advanced users. It looks like ill stay with avira. The update is slow once in a while but doesnt matter really. It has a fast scanner and btw it scans more files then avast.

ninjeratu reviewed v8.1.0.326 on Jul 18, 2008

armpit: Wrong. Avira has 'scan all files' and 'scan real-time packers' enabled by default. In the default setup for NOD32 they're not. You even have to select "unwanted applications" (keyloggers and so on) manually if you didn't select a custom installation. There's a good reason for this since enabling this can result in FPs (false positives). Finding Vundo's got absolutely nothing to do with NOD32's detection rate or heuristics, which are first class. Learn to read the manual first.

That said. Avira's got an excellent heuristics module for a free AV and one of the the best detection rates of all AV (including most commercial products). Updates are unfortunately slow during German business hours. Just set your scheduled update to be on off-peak hours and you're fine. The free product has, surprisingly, a very quick response time (update when new virii has been found). The slow servers unfortunately make this a moot point.

The drawback with Avira is the annoying nag screen and lack of HIPS (host-based intrusion-prevention), web/email scanning and lack of adware/malware detection with the free product (some malwares are detected as virus, though). Use the free Comodo firewall for this.

The only real contender in the free market is the chinese Rising Free AV with its excellent HIPS and heuristics. Download.com's got a mirror here: http://www.download.com/...00-2239_4-10674783.html

You can find info, comparisons and test results on
http://www.av-test.org/
http://www.av-comparativ.../ergebnisse_2008_05.php
http://www.virusbtn.com/index

aruprc reviewed v8.1.0.326 on Jul 17, 2008

The best keeps getting better......unsurpassed German technology, at the top of all tests thrown at it consistently and has least impact or issues to the user.

armpit reviewed v8.1.0.326 on Jul 17, 2008

Excellent antivirus, much better detection than NOD32. It found several vundo infected files even with an outdated database using heuristics only. After updating avira reports those files by name as various vundo related trojans/malware. NOD32 highly overrated heuristics just lets them pass.

It´s a shame that my NOD32 3.0 license still has almost a year to go. I wish i had tried avira first.

DudeBoyz reviewed v8.1.0.326 on Jul 17, 2008

I'm also a torqued off AVG 7.5 user. Version 8 of that app is not nearly as good as the 7.5 has been. The bloat, bugs and sluggishness have pushed me towards other products.

I'm not sure which I like better - Avast or AntiVir - but I'm glad that this free AV app is out there and so frequently updated. Wish it did include email scanning in the free version though.

And, I do wish all the interface windows could be resized for easy viewing of files with long paths and such. It's a feature I've come to expect in just about all the Windows apps I use, and not being able to simply grab a side or corner and enlarge the window is somewhat annoying.

Also - I do wish that the user was able to quickly specify a file in the "EVENT" dialog be added to the Exceptions list. Perhaps put an "Add To Exceptions" in the right-mouse click context menu. I'll send that off as a feature request.

1uk3 reviewed v8.1.0.326 on Jul 17, 2008

The best free anti-virus - full stop!

hap8192739 reviewed v8.1.0.326 on Jul 17, 2008

their update service is so poor that anyother av will do

Alexander-GG reviewed v8.1.0.46 on Jul 7, 2008

I am a former user of avast, but because of increased boot time an system slow down in the last update of avast (4.80) I decided to find an other free alternative.

Now I use avira antivir pe and I'm very happy with it. Yes it lacks the mail scanner, but I think it's not a big problem, cause I never had a virus detection in mail and to say honestly, it depends on the user not to open every garbage in the mailbox.

I have no idea what people are tolking about the slow update of the avira antivirus. It takes about 9-10 seconds at my PC to update and the database download speed is about 250-300 kb/sec.

The only thing, that is really boring and irritating is that pop-up screen at the end of the update. I guess it's payment for a free version.

Inspite of this nag screen I rate 5, bacause of high detection rate, low system impact and scan speed.

glassdesigns reviewed v8.1.0.46 on Jul 3, 2008

As a former AVG user due to their new version 8 I have been trying out the competition. It has taken me awhile to get to this one.(should have started alphabetically) Avira, without a doubt is the best free antivirus out there. I love its low impact on resources. I couldn't believe how much faster my system boots now and I am seeing a 15% drop in memory usage. I have read some complaints that this doesn't do email scans. All I can say to that is, so what. I can't ever remember seeing a virus reported by an email scan by AVG and I used it for years. If you are careful about attachments you have nothing to worry about. I'll take the performance increase over a feature that isn't needed any day of the week.
Congrats to the developer of this great app. Wish I could rate it more than 5. Keep it lean like this and I will be with you for along time.

PS. It figures this would be the last of the free anti virus programs that I tested. Oh well, at least I won't be thinking there are greener pastures out there by someone else.

Try it you'll like it.

Undesired Username reviewed v8.1.0.46 on Jul 1, 2008

I am so SICK of hearing high, undeserved praise for NOD32! AntiVir not the equal of NOD32? That's a compliment. Avira actually adds legitimate malware samples to the database, while Eset only does so if it is proven to affect "enough people". And av-comparatives.org rates AntiVir more highly than NOD32. AVtest.org rates it much more highly than NOD32.

normishmael reviewed v8.1.0.46 on Jun 30, 2008

Yeah it can be tough to update,the last few days have been bad,but you can always do a manual update.

The thing is It is lighter than KAV,and as incredable as it seems, DOES have a better detection rate than NOD-32. (at least for one test).
Is equal to NOD-32?
I don't thank so,but its not the issue.
It does not cost 40 US a year either.
Compare it with Avast!AVG,Bit-defender free,COMODO anti-virus,etc,and you see just how much better it is than these turds.

Blaxima reviewed v8.1.0.46 on Jun 26, 2008

Good to see you gave it a try Dude. I don't download emails and I even disable it in NOD so I wouldn't hold that against Antivir.

This is hands down the best free AV and honestly I think this is second to only NOD even though it has even better detection rates than NOD. Both are at the top in detection and both are lighter than the others. The thing I really like about both is that they don't slow my system down. Coming from KAV I noticed the differences immediately in surfing and opening apps. The scan times are also much quicker. I personally have never encounterd a false positive with either one and KAV gave me many. I much prefer the interface of these too in comparison to any of the others especially avast which has one of the worst gui's I've ever seen.

Have a look at the latest tests
http://www.av-comparativ.../ergebnisse_2008_05.php

DudeBoyz reviewed v8.1.0.46 on Jun 26, 2008

I don't think agapecpus is correct about it not being able to update. It has a "Start Update" link in the OVERVIEW section. It lists current versions for both the Search Engine and the Virus Definition File. It can be incredibly slow to connect and download those updates though, at least on my system.

That said, I can't give it a 5 because unlike the other competitors in the free AV market, it does not do email scanning.

However, I like when it flags suspicious or even explicitly known viruses, you can have it present a list of options to choose from each time, which means you can choose to ignore known false positives. Very convenient.

Also, I very much like the way Quarantined files are handled. Under the Administration section, when you look at the Quarantine area, there are quite a few ways to handle the files that are contained in there including:

Rescan
Display Properties
Restore to Original Location
Restore to Other Location
Add Suspicious File to Quarantine
Send to Avira
Delete File

I do wish that the main interface window, and in fact ALL interface windows, could be resized so that it is easier to read the path and file name at a glance instead of being forced to scroll through horizontally.

So, all that said, it is a very good product, and if they added email scanning and improved server response time for update downloads, and maybe a few interface tweaks, I think it would easily earn a full 5 rating from me.

Landsnes reviewed v8.1.0.46 on Jun 15, 2008

Very good!

In my opinion, this is the best free anti-virus program available! I've used it for quite a while and I've experienced only few problems. Here's a reliable site for comparison to other programs:

http://www.av-comparatives.org/

beautifuldisaster reviewed v8.1.0.46 on May 26, 2008

The best Anti-virus program, ever! Better than AVG, better than any other anti-virus software that I had to pay for. Detects viruses that other anti-virus software can't. And it is FREE.

leofelix reviewed v8.1.0.46 on May 22, 2008

Excellent antivirus with antirookit detection module

agapecpus reviewed v8.1.0.46 on May 21, 2008

This is a good program, lightweight and has great detection rates. So why a 3? Can't get updates for the free version which make detection rates drop. I have tried this program a number of times over the years in the hopes they would fix the issue but the haven't. If you get the Premium version it will update but it only updates once a day from what I can see. Yes there is the popup window but I think you can deal with that for a free program. If they would ever fix the update issue I would highly recommend this program. Till that day Avast or AVG will have to do.

UPieper reviewed v8.1.0.46 on May 20, 2008

One of the best detection rates + very good heuristics....and doesn't hog the system

AND it's free! What do you want more?

topgear reviewed v8.1.0.46 on May 19, 2008

I'm using it for 2 years now. It's the best free av out there with low resource usage.

godofthunder reviewed v8.1.0.46 on May 19, 2008

5 STARS ALL THE WAY!

........ _____
......../____
......._____/
.......

spacemarine reviewed v8.1.0.46 on May 18, 2008

This is the BEST free Anti-Virus.
See www.av-comparatives.org for
comparative reviews.

Very clean UI (!), fast background guard
and fast scanning speed (does not bog down
the PC)

I have been using this for ages, have had zero
problems so far.

#1 Software!

echoiz reviewed v8.1.0.46 on May 16, 2008

Please update to the new UI screenshot,more pretty.

aruprc reviewed v8.1.0.46 on May 16, 2008

Amazing that it manages to stay on top of the tests for the free and paid versions. Excellent AV with minimal system impact.

gismo409 reviewed v8.1.0.46 on May 16, 2008

AntiVir is top of the line,
I have used it for years!!!

BTW.....

Screen shot is old .... and 8.01.00.46 is not the version number its the Search Engine, if thats the number they are referring to!

x-ray reviewed v8.1.0.46 on May 16, 2008

plz update screen shot it is old and there changed the gui

Soozy reviewed v8.1.0.46 on May 16, 2008

First off, after I downloaded from BetaNews I ended up with 8.1.0.295 and then it updated me to 8.1.0.296.
So where is 8.1.0.46?
I wouldn't think from the size of the download that it's just the search engine.

CharlieGimbert reviewed v8.1.0.46 on May 16, 2008

white lightning and M a t t L e e, it ain't no lightweight and update sucks (poor too). but not too bad anyway.

moog reviewed v8.1.0.46 on May 16, 2008

updates servers are very very slow
and why do i need to update manually and also need to watch this process

white lightning reviewed v8.1.0.46 on May 16, 2008

The best for sure .
1st in all reliable tests, lightweight, no compatibility issues .

leofelix reviewed v7.06.00.268 on Apr 21, 2008

maybe one of the best free antivirus I ever used.
Light and very accurate.
Never heard about new 8.1 version?;)

http://www.avira.com/en/..._antivir_version_8.html

http://www.free-av.com/e...al__free_antivirus.html

really improved

M a t t L e e reviewed v7.06.00.268 on Feb 13, 2008

u know what i love are the ppl who rate avast and avg over antivir. its funny because neither avg or avast has as good a detection rate as antivir ((avg is rated poorest anti-virus around)). neither avast or avg scan as quickly either.

so basically choosing avg would be saying, "i dont need as much protection as possible. i dont even mind viruses"

choosing avast is saying "i dont mind the slow scans, and the nag during updating."

i love the ppl who say "well antivir has too many false positives". ok so its better that an antivirus misses some viruses then it detect something as "generic"? common sense would tell you that the generic is prolly not a virus rather an application running that isnt in the database yet. better safe than sorry, choosing the other 2 is saying "better sorry, than safe".

and to the dumb a** who calls antivir's pop-up as adware, its not. its part of the program itself. adware is a malicious code installed, moving banners ((ie what windows live messenger has)), or products that install or ask to be installed from other companies ((ie trillian with the optional tool bars)). also not all adware will hurt your pc, i dont see ppl complain much about windows live messenger, i dont see them complaining about trillian. both advertise or have optional installation of third-party products.

ill reviewed v7.06.00.268 on Feb 2, 2008

Read:

http://www.sunbelt-softw...estresults_2D2008q1.pdf

Read this too:

http://sunbeltblog.blogs...-test-results-from.html

It's better than most across the board. Reading the report some areas are weak, but overall the prog is superb.

why hello there reviewed v7.06.00.268 on Feb 2, 2008

"Javascripts will be checked when they enter the PC into the caches. Sometimes the simplest approach for scanners is still the best."

Uh... You either didn't read or didn't understand comeoffit's remarks. Malicious JavaScript will not be scanned before it is rendered in the browser, unless there is a HTTP scanner in place. This means that unless you have an HTTP scanner in use, malicious content (not just JavaScript) can hit your browser. Just look at how many JavaScript and other content-related vulnerabilities the browsers (including Firefox) have had over the years to see why this matters.

Zenphic reviewed v7.06.00.268 on Jan 8, 2008

Impacts very little performance of my system. Scans are faily quick and the interface is easy to use. It is frequently updated and third-party tests show that it has a very good detection rate. The only downside of the free version of Antivir is that when it updates it opens a popup recommending other products from the same company. A small trade-off for free software! 5/5

MarvinK reviewed v7.06.00.268 on Dec 25, 2007

Seems to have less impact on system performance than most fuller-featured products, and Antivir gets great ratings for catching newer virus....
unfortunately, I think it is totally ridiculous for a company that fights adware to actually provide adware. The nag screen is unacceptable and an AV company shouldn't be doing this. If they can't provide an adequate solution for free--then only offer the commercial versions.

Seems like eEye Blink Personal or Avast would be better free alternatives.

godofthunder reviewed v7.06.00.268 on Dec 14, 2007

I've had no dramas with regards to updating.

The nag screen can be removed using the following:

http://www.elitekiller.c...disable_antivir_nag.htm

Landsnes reviewed v7.06.00.268 on Nov 9, 2007

(Based on version 7.06.00.270)

Impressive!

This free anti-virus program is easy to install and configure. It's also easy to update and has a very light system resource usage. I've seen recent tests on the Internet and this program scored very well. The graphical user interface is simple and easy to use. The only downside I can think of is the nag screen you get when updating, but hey; this program didn't cost me a cent either. I can highly recommend this program!

CharlieGimbert reviewed v7.06.00.268 on Oct 18, 2007

Update system sucks.

Yggdrazil reviewed v7.06.00.268 on Sep 19, 2007

To get a free 6 months license for Avira AntiVir PersonalEdition Premium visit http://www.avira.com/pcwk (only for PC World Komputer :-)

Jerrymiah reviewed v7.06.00.268 on Sep 6, 2007

After installing this program, I attempted the Update process. After many attempts I finally succeeded to access the web site. One hour later, I had only received about 3000Kb of 24000Kb of the updated files. I looks like their download/update site operates only on very low bandwidth. I'll attempt one more time again later. I do not want to take hours to update the software every time I need to do it.

Tao2005 reviewed v7.06.00.268 on Sep 6, 2007

This program may, or may not be free, I dunno. I have used a previous version of this, and it kept bugging me to update. Not to mention the licence was only good for a year.

In assuming this thought. I dumped it, and went with Avast. Avast is not only a better program, but in my opion smokes this program.

horsecharles reviewed v7.06.00.268 on Sep 5, 2007

Disregard those who can't figure settings out plus speculate erroneously and expect it to interface seamlessly with new software-- rather than ascribing resposibility to other developers.

This prog has been around a long time-- I've used it on win98 and onward.
In freeware category for Vista, i rank it among top 3 along with Avg & aVast.

Nikkie reviewed v7.00.04.15 on Sep 5, 2007

Use this with dynamic security agent and superantispyware..another nice little bundle.

http://fileforum.betanew...rity_Agent/1150224527/1

http://fileforum.betanew...ee_Edition/1142662646/1

Vagman reviewed v7.00.03.02 on Apr 25, 2007

I don’t believe the ranks from professional virus websites… they love the expensive software cause they can earn from those ones...
Antivir its the best and lightest free around... better of more of the expensive ones...
Me and most of my friends we r using it for more than 2 years and we never had problems!

Oldsod reviewed v7.00.04.13 on Apr 20, 2007

Excellence is hard to achieve and for free it is truly a genuine gift for the community. Great AV.

BTW Javascripts will be checked when they enter the PC into the caches. Sometimes the simplest approach for scanners is still the best.

Oldsod

Ian C. reviewed v7.00.03.02 on Mar 23, 2007

While this program does have slightly higher detection rates than other freeware anti-virus software, it also has proved to provide a lot of false positives. Not to mention that it has tons of other problems that I experienced during the month that I was giving it a try.

First off, it seemed to really slow my computer down a lot. I use Minefield a3 as my main browser, and it has a tiny little hang up every now and then, but with Antivir, it would freeze every 10 seconds, for several seconds each time. I also notice performance issues with several other applications.

The second major issue I had was it keep making my floppy drive light come on, and the drive would make noise like it was trying to read a disk. Every time it did that, my computer would noticeably drop in performance, and it did that about every 30 seconds.

Also it seems more like it's an extended trial than actual freeware. The key that it installed with says it's only good for another two months or so. And on top of that, every time it updates it brings up a huge window reminding you to buy the full product.

Anyway, I've uninstalled it, and now I'm able to enjoy my computer again. Back to trying to decide whether I like AVG or Avast better.

Ian C. reviewed v7.00.03.02 on Feb 26, 2007

On the plus side, this has slightly higher detection rates than AVG and Avast! On the downside it's had several false positives in the week that I've been using it. Also I'm not sure it should be listed as freeware because the free version has a popup once a day reminding you buy the full version, and the free license says it expires in three months. This should probably be listed as shareware.

Zebbie79 reviewed v7.00.00.47 on Jan 22, 2007

It's free and found a trojan NOD32 couldn't detect!

comeoffit reviewed v7.00.00.47 on Oct 19, 2006

bellgamin might want to revise his bold, broad statements on how AntiVir covers "EVERY" possible vector for malware. As one obvious example, AntiVir doesn't scan HTTP, so malicious JavaScript, among other things, can bite you. Scanning HTTP can intercept malicious content before your browser renders it, which is when the harm is done--and it happens BEFORE the file is saved to disk, where the real-time scanner will be able to review it. Yes, this is a fact, and I have seen it happen.

-1 for the stupid nag screen, and -1 for lack of HTTP scanning.

The Bullet reviewed v7.00.00.47 on Oct 8, 2006

Whats important to you when selecting an anti virus program?

Well, for me, the important aspects are:

1. High detection rate
2. Low ram usage
3. Doesn't slow system down
4. Regular Updates

AntiVir ticks all the boxes for me and is one of the best virus programs out there today.

However if you are more concerned with a fancy GUI and advanced features you never use then be my guest and go use other virus programs which look great but slow down your system.

The choice is yours!

BUSIAK reviewed v7.00.00.47 on Sep 29, 2006

It`s free and I like It. I use it and I think that`s be enought for my needs. Good work, thanks!

datdeejay reviewed v7.00.00.47 on Sep 26, 2006

THE BEST ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE EXISTING. Fast and effective. I rate it 5/5

hurzx reviewed v7.00.00.47 on Sep 25, 2006

Said to be the best anti-virus out there. However there is a major problem with virus definition auto-update (antivir doesn't identify your connection !) and no support on that. They don't even reckon the point. Go to their forums and see by yourself... You simply cannot rely on the product.

christoofar reviewed v7.00.00.47 on Sep 25, 2006

While I much appreciate a/v companies that offer freeware versions of their programs to keep virus activity in the general public to a minimum,Anti-Vir seems clunkier than some of he others (such as Avast)
The updating process throws out a big nagscreen,& it interrupts what you are doing to update.
Only reason I tried this is because the latest version of Avast wouldn't stay enabled on my system.

anomoly reviewed v7.0 (6.35.01.51) on Aug 6, 2006

Quote:
You went back to Symantec lol.. Probably the worst protection you could possibly have.

Oh really. There are many many pay for solutions. But few are free & fewer actually work well.
Symantec corporate works fine & I've used nearon EVERY single one. I'll probably go back to avg after I'm finished with etrust. In any case as long as one attempts a solution, it is fine as there are many people who could not even name an av software.

I emailed antivir's authors for a key, recvd a "we'll get back to you" response & that was all.
Eusing did the same thing with their software & they had no problem in responding (with a key) to my email. If these guys can't issue a key in response to a very simple email request, I can't use their bs software either.

dejavu reviewed v7.0 (6.35.00.243) on Jul 24, 2006

Step by step version 7 became problematic! What a pity!

utomo reviewed v7.0 (6.35.00.205) on Jul 15, 2006

The version number is confusing
7.0 (6.35.00.205). It is version 7 or version 6.X ?

It need many improvements to detect more Bad things.

bbplayer reviewed v7.0 (6.35.00.205) on Jul 14, 2006

Best free AV, period.

"works but should rightly be called ADWARE/NAGWARE.
I went back to symantec as it does not suffer this crippling affliction."

I found that funny.. You went back to Symantec lol.. Probably the worst protection you could possibly have.

niknet reviewed v7.0 (6.35.00.41) on Jul 11, 2006

This Product Is Very Popular And Free But Skip Lot Of Trojans And Backdoors In Your System! Im Use AntiVir About 8 Monts And Dont Think About This Problem. SmartCop-Simple Antivirus Scanner Detect 15(!)Trojans In My System! AntiVir Nothing..Active Guard Cant Work! Today Im Use KAV And My PC Is Clean And Running Smoothly.

anomoly reviewed v7.0 (6.35.00.41) on Jul 3, 2006

works but should rightly be called ADWARE/NAGWARE.
I went back to symantec as it does not suffer this crippling affliction.

Oldsod reviewed v7.0 (6.35.00.41) on Jun 23, 2006

Perfect!

shantanu reviewed v7.0 (6.35.00.41) on Jun 17, 2006

The scanning itself is very good, detected all the viruses that I threw at it...but it juuuussst made my machine craaaawl. :( :(

It literally brought my machine to a halt. Also the UI is a bit confusing (for me, atleast).

So...detection fine...speed...could be better!

tontito reviewed v7.0 (6.35.00.41) on Jun 16, 2006

Good product, i have been using it for almost 1 year.

The update feature works fine (every single day) and i never got a virus in my system.

About the comment "There is no way I would pay when it works like this.", i am sorry to disapoint you but this is a freeware product for single users.

TC17 reviewed v7.0 (6.35.00.41) on Jun 16, 2006

Has problems updating during normal work day, daytime hours. It also spams you with very large ads. This is NOT freeware when it does that. More like crippled spamware. Neither Avast or AVG cripple their software like that.

I find it stupid so many here find this acceptable.

If I'm playing an online game, the last thing I want is Windows redirecting me back to the desktop because of the stupid popup. Or not being able to get updates when you need it. (if you read all the posts here, you will see many complaints about the updates, even from 5 star reviews).

bellgamin reviewed v7.0 (6.35.00.41) on Jun 16, 2006

AntiVir-PE is highly ranked by AV-Comparatives, an independent testing organization that tests AVs using a large test bed of all types of malware.

AV-PE updates signatures at least daily, plus it has a very aggressive and effective heuristic. Therefore, it affords good protection against a broad spectrum of in-the-wild malware, including zero-day attacks.

AV-PE is among the very lowest users of system resources, and is very stable.

On the negative side, the free version's servers sometimes are slow. You can largely avoid this problem by downloading when Europe is asleep -- at roughly 7:30 PM to 11 PM, Central time, USA.

Also, AV-PE's *Notifier* sometimes pops-up at the start of a download, with some blurb about AntiVir's commercial version. Blocking notifier with your firewall will NOT work. Neither will changing the name of Notifier's exe.

Notifier can be blocked on WinXP as follows...
Control Panel > admin tools > local security policy > additional rules -- right click and choose new hashrules -- browse for and add avnotify.exe (shows as a lot of letters and numbers) and set this rule to "dont allow" - OK

bellgamin reviewed v7.0 (6.35.00.41) on Jun 16, 2006

AntiVir-PE is highly ranked by AV-Comparatives, an independent testing organization that tests AVs using a large test bed of all types of malware.

AV-PE updates signatures at least daily, plus it has a very aggressive and effective heuristic. Therefore, it affords good protection against a broad spectrum of in-the-wild malware, including zero-day attacks.

AV-PE is among the very lowest users of system resources, and is very stable.

On the negative side, the free version's servers sometimes are slow. You can largely avoid this problem by downloading when Europe is asleep -- at roughly 7:30 PM to 11 PM, Central time, USA.

Also, AV-PE's *Notifier* sometimes pops-up at the start of a download, with some blurb about AntiVir's commercial version. Blocking notifier with your firewall will NOT work. Neither will changing the name of Notifier's exe.

Notifier can be blocked on WinXP as follows...
Control Panel > admin tools > local security policy > additional rules -- right click and choose new hashrules -- browse for and add avnotify.exe (shows as a lot of letters and numbers) and set this rule to "dont allow" - OK

jon8rfc reviewed v7.0 (6.34.01.173) on May 31, 2006

A great alternative to AVG. I feel most comfortable with Avira out of all the freeware antivirus apps.

sQin reviewed v7.0 (6.34.01.92) on May 17, 2006

large definition base doesnt protect you much. When new virus comes, only very advanced heuristics (nod32 for example) or good proactive defence (KAV '06) helps here. Antivir heuristics are strong, but shows many false positives

Oldsod reviewed v7.0 (6.34.01.92) on May 17, 2006

Free or paid (20 Euros is cheap)is great! Great heuristics! Great compatibility with other security applications such as firewalls and antispies. Very reliable and a very large definitions database. Read and write is always scanned. Premiun (paid version) does have a dedicated email scanner, and the free (Classic) version does scan all mail as downloaded/opened. Not bad on resoureces either. More spyware/malware capability in the paid version than the free version. No cons, just pluses! Oldsod

Viajante reviewed v7.0 (6.34.01.92) on May 16, 2006

Well everyone has the right to their opinions.
I´ve got mine :)
And for at least 5 years with no infection i guess i can say that Avast is very good.

Viajante reviewed v7.0 (6.34.01.67) on May 12, 2006

First of all POP3 is not out email is in email SMTP is out email, i´m concerned about what enter in my computer and avast besides scanning everything that enters or is exectuted in the pc it scans every single email that enters in the pc what i think is another point in security.
The diference is not that much, yes it found more virus than avast but till today i didin´t have a single problem with avast so for.
And if is not that important why in the payed version of AntiVir has POP3 Scan???
I´m staying with avast for now.
If they include in the Avira Antivir Free edition the POP3 Scanning i might think in changing from avast to Avira.

http://antivirus.about.c...arereviews/a/freeav.htm

See this test. Adding the spyware results avast still is the best, and one of the major problems right now is spyware.
But for free it´s one choice to think about.
It´s up to you to choose.

bellgamin reviewed v7.0 (6.34.01.67) on May 11, 2006

An AV that proudly proclaims that it scans every email message & attachment makes good ad copy, but why single out email??? After all, any decent AV will scan EVERYTHING, regardless of how it enters your computer.

Malware can enter your computer in many ways -- downloads, email, infected CD-roms, penetration by hackers -- MANY ways. Why single out POP3? AntiVir scans anything & everything that is about to be opened or executed or filed or moved, regardless of how it enters your computer. That includes email, downloads -- EVERY sort of possible threat.

Avast is a good freebie, but it ranks below Antivir in actual tests. Those tests demonstrate that Antivir will stop more threats, regardless of HOW they enter your computer. See the links given below.

Viajante reviewed v7.0 (6.34.01.57) on May 10, 2006

It´s a good antivirus product but doesn´t have POP3 Scan so it has a huge lack in security that´s why i only give s points.
Avast is far much more better and much more complete.

Reposed reviewed v7.0 (6.34.01.57) on May 10, 2006

By far and away the best free AV out there. Thanks bellgamin for the avnotify fix. Here are a couple of other interesting test results.

http://www.overclockers.com/articles1260/

http://nepenthes.mwcollect.org/stats:scannertest

bellgamin reviewed v7.0 (6.34.01.57) on May 9, 2006

Based on testing against a huge array of ITW as well as zoo stuff, AV-PE is ranked at the very top by the highly regarded AV-comparatives test organization.

AV-PE's heuristics are VERY strong. Thus, it is an excellent protection against zero-day malware.

AV-PE's signatures are updated multiple times daily. Check HERE.The free version can *normally* receive one or two sig updates each day. The paid version has its own servers & gets them all.

As for avnotify.exe, you can readily block it on WinXP as follows: Control Panel - admin tools - local security policy - additional rules - right click and choose new hashrules - browse for and add avnotify.exe (shows as a lot of letters and numbers) and set this rule to dont allow - OK

For Win9X you can block it using Online Armor.

What does NOT work: change file name, delete file, use firewall to block. NO soap with those tactics!

tony1l reviewed v7.0 (6.34.01.57) on May 9, 2006

I've been using Anti-Vir for couple of years now and have always recommend Anti-Vir but recently switched not because it didn't work but because they started using annoying nag pop-up screens for the freeware version. They do deserve to be paid but there are other free alternative programs that don't mind living quitely in the background plus doesn't turn my computer into a slug. This program should be classified as nagware.

sQin reviewed v7.0 (6.34.01.57) on May 9, 2006

in free version you can shedule only 1 update per 24hr. new viruses come much more frequently.
Premium version consumes more than 40mb of ram. i'd rather switch to Norton instead of this one. But there are better antivirus apps in this world..

Esquire reviewed v7.0 (6.34.00.194) on Apr 17, 2006

As of yesterday, I have removed AntiVir and switched to AVG on all my computers, despite AntiVir having better scheduling functions - I found more virus and trojan infections on a friend's computer using Windows Live Safety Center, Trend Micro HouseCall, and AVG Free Edition than using AntiVir.

ModderXManiac reviewed v7.0 (6.34.00.194) on Apr 17, 2006

The update server is still "so so", the resident scanner is notorious for crashing(I don't need it anyway, I know how to prevent viruses from entering my system, it just takes a brain)all the resident scanner does is run at startup, bringing your system to a crawl, regardless of the specs(mine being an Athlon 64 3700+ 1 gig 3200 ram)

Avast! Home edition found 7 viruses that AntiVir missed, 3 of which found in memory instantly, that AntiVir missed in memory check as well.
The memory check is too fast to be legitimate, the way I see it.

For offering a good freeware alternative, I give it a 3, but I always come back to Avast!
Problems with bloat on Avast? run msconfig and services.msc and disable everything named Avast(obviously) if you have no need for auto update/resident/ etc. And if the skin slows it down, change it to a basic one!

Why would they give good ratings to this when Avast does it BETTER for free as well? For a commercial scanner, Kaspersky or NOD32 do the best.

Orbitration reviewed v7.0 (6.34.00.185) on Apr 14, 2006

This is one of the best free antivirus programs going. I put it on ALL my clients' computers when their Norton or McCrappee trial version runs out.

As for Kaspersky (guy below me) :
One: It's NOT free.
Two: It's a real pain to uninstall when you find out it doesn't really catch everything like you thought it was going to do.

ezh reviewed v7.0 (6.34.00.185) on Apr 13, 2006

VB100% - it tests only on 600-700 viruses, but in a week is created more than 1500 viruses...

Did you tryed the last Kaspersky 6.0? Give it a try, it's so amazing!

Oldsod reviewed v7.0 (6.34.00.154) on Apr 12, 2006

Simply one of the best! Unobtrusive, quiet. low resouces. dependable, efficent. fast, excellent heuristic, large definition base, installs and uninstalls are clean and simple. Free! The Premium version does include Adware/Spyware capabilites and a very good dedicated mail scanner. Also found out the key is sent in seconds of purchasing. Just accept the "Germany" as designated country and type your own country in your address form , when purchasing. Superb!

uberfly reviewed v7.0 (6.34.00.154) on Apr 8, 2006

Wow, I love this app. Its interface and functionality is very well designed - it's easy to use and understand. Also, according to VB100% it hasn't failed to achieve 100% detection since April 2004 (9 straight). Very impressive and comparable to the well-known contenders. Good stuff. Have it running on server 2003.

bbplayer reviewed v7.0 (6.34.00.154) on Apr 7, 2006

Great AV for being free. Protection is tops among the free AVs.

If you have 40 bucks to spend, get Nod32 or Kaspersky. If you want free, get this. Period.

sn0wflake reviewed v7.0 (6.34.00.154) on Apr 7, 2006

The best.

FlAshdobe reviewed v7.0 (6.34.00.154) on Apr 7, 2006

The best AV I have ever used so far!

sQin reviewed v7.0 (6.34.00.154) on Apr 7, 2006

very good program. It offers better virus detection than any other freeware antivirus

Esquire reviewed v7.0 (6.34.00.154) on Apr 6, 2006

wanderer2005, yes you are right about the free PersonalEdition Classic does not have POP3 scanning, but you are still protected by AntiVir Guard.

The paid Premium edition includes POP3 scanning, and despite the occasional advertising popup, the free version is still an excellent tool to have on any home computer.

themanhimself reviewed v7.0 (6.34.00.154) on Apr 6, 2006

Simply Brilliant:) I used to use AVG Free , till I found out it was pants. I installed this program it found 8 trojans that AVG missed.

Top program:)

wanderer2005 reviewed v7.0 (6.34.00.154) on Apr 6, 2006

Antivir PE Classic is a great antivirus program. However, the free version does not scan incoming e-mail. The premium offers POP3 scanning. But both versions offer SMTP scanning for outgoing messages. To the best of my knowledge, Antivir lastest version 7 lacks POP3 scanning. Does anyone know for sure if that is the case? Thanks.

horsecharles reviewed v7.0 (6.34.00.154) on Apr 6, 2006

Nothing negative to report on various OS: outstanding job. The difference from v6 to this one is like night and day. Keep up the good work.

dejavu reviewed v7.0 (6.34.00.154) on Apr 6, 2006

The BEST free antivir! Five Stars!

bernis reviewed v7.0 on Feb 9, 2006

yes, it became a nagware with those popup windows ... and update doesn't work ... but otherwise does it's job right

josejosefo reviewed v7.0 on Feb 7, 2006

Antivir is THE BEST free antivirus available today. Much better than AVAST or the problematic AVG.
In this new version, the update process is really fast and can be configured to update daily on a configurable basis. There are minimum 3 daily updates a day so you can rest assure that the software catches the latest known viruses in the wild. Doesn't eat your system resources, now have an attractive interface (for those users who rate based on that...) and catches more trojans than Norton Antivirus or the other two major free AVs.
Definitively this piece of software is highly recommended.

Edu_SS reviewed v7.0 on Feb 5, 2006

Good Program. Better than AVG and Avast. Look this analisis:
http://www.virus.gr/engl...lt.asp?id=72&mnu=72

mr_mirr reviewed v7.0 on Feb 4, 2006

Liked the older ver 6, with the incremental updates
and the beta 7 worked better than this release has so, I too don't like the splash screen on the update, and the fact it doesn't update , just sits there counting the time you've been trying. Hopefully they well get this fixed before long.

TC17 reviewed v7.0 on Feb 4, 2006

It seems like a nice antivirus program except for some negatives. One which I hate is the stupid spam it gives whenever it does a virus definition update.. it pops up some annoying large ad which covers most of the screen trying to get you to buy the premium version.

The other thing I'm not happy about is that many times now (to the point its annoying or unusable) it refuses to download the update. It pretends its waiting to download the update, but just sits there and never does. And since it doesn't download the update, then WindowsXP spams me about the virus scanner being out of date.

I have not experienced any of these types of problems with Avast or AVG.

uberfly reviewed v7.0 on Jan 26, 2006

Wow! sn0wflake uses it on HIS system?! SAY NO MORE!!!

It's a pretty good free AV option, but still a bit less than AVG and Avast home. Maybe with a little more dev time they'll be equal. It's nice an light on the resources which is a very big plus.

sn0wflake reviewed v7.0 on Jan 26, 2006

It's what I use on my system. Nothing more to say.

Dwiebelhaus reviewed v7.0 on Jan 26, 2006

I;ve personally seen viruses actively running on systems while this anti-virus is reporting that every thing is ok , so i've been using and recommending avg for about a year and has yet to fail me or our 2,000 plus customers BUT , this is a *good* free anti-virus program.

http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1

foe reviewed v7.0 on Jan 26, 2006

very nice !
There r 2 versions of this download tho.
1 for win 2000/XP and 1 for 9x/me.
The 1 here is the xp/2000 version !

fourte3n reviewed v7.0 Beta on Dec 7, 2005

I am very impressed, i had used this program a few years back and wasn't too impressed with its performance and virus database.

Going by the latest av-comparitives it has done very well and that made me give it another chance. I have been using NOD32 for ages now and It has been flawless (I still believe it to be the best) but I have been wanting to use as much freeware / free software as possible.

Great job! 5 Stars.

Kramy reviewed v7.0 Beta on Nov 29, 2005

NOTE - THIS IS THE NT/2K/XP BETA VERSION
Win9x/ME download available at site.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I might give this some thought now...

Since I typically _never_ run antivirus scans, I rely on my AV to scan things:

-When I download them.
-When I run them.

avast! does that quite well, but with all the remarks about how speedy this is, I might try it for a while in the future.

Antivir, avast!, AVG, and Arovax.... O_o

The 4 AV's on my watchlist.

horsecharles reviewed v7.0 Beta on Nov 28, 2005

EDIT: Beta7 update--
__________________________________________________
Complete re-design, BetaNews screenshot needs updating. I am raising rating from 2 to 4, though some of the beta kinks need to be worked out, which I'm sure they will be: upon install the readme file creation fails/returns error message, and the program does not start(nor gives an option to start it on the last install screen(though it does give the readme file option), nor a reboot option-- though a manual reboot does autostart it.
All my previous complaints have been fixed: manual update does not freeze, its speed hovered slightly over 200kps, about 1/3 of my max speed. An unmentioned improvement is that the scanner doesn't autostart upon update completion. No more false positives re Nirsoft products. Of course, this is only a limited & very cursory initial impression.
__________________________________________________

Whoever submitted this needs to provide a change log...

Uninstalled it at last previous version 6.32xx...

Agree w/ most that the updater has always been hit or miss: speed-wise, sometimes it freezes: the new issue is that the popup ad for the commercial version freezes the system during update-- it's way more than about time for a background auto-updater if it wants to play in the big leagues.
Another issue is false positives, to wit re some Nirsoft utilities, PSPV for one...this becomes worse if like me, you stick shortcuts to apps on your browser links bar, as everytime you open your browser you have problems. Worst of all still, I don't see any option or setting to allow a particular app...I don't care that the authors think a particular app is risky-- I'll be the final arbiter of what I am allowed to use on MY computer-- heck, Windows itself puts one at risk: let's have AntiVir alert & sandbox or delete the OS everytime it boots up.

sQin reviewed v7.0 Beta on Nov 28, 2005

updates are big and very slow, but detection rates very good! the scanner detected more riskware than nod32 on my machine

eclipsingdivinity reviewed v7.0 Beta on Nov 28, 2005

For those who rave about how great Avast is, you forget that there are a majority of PC owners who don't have the money or patience to invest in extra ram or a new system to handle the memory Avast requires. I installed Avast over Etrust on my PC and have noticed a huge differenc in performance, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the program.

And finally to stomp on the little cheese heads who say Antivir has poor residential detection, and detection rates all around; you've failed to notice that Antivir has recieved the most 100% Virus Bulletin awards out of all freeware AV's available. PC magazine has also made a comment in their review about how Antivir's detection rates are very solid and seemed to deflect all the virus threats they threw at it.

The score I place here isn't in reflection of the new beta but the standard version. I'm working on getting the beta downloaded now so I can see new Antivirus with it's shiny GUI. (hopefully).

-1 point for an unstable residential protection that sometimes likes to randomly shut off.

+4 for being the AV of choice for older PCs. You can't go wrong.

AshG reviewed v7.0 Beta on Nov 28, 2005

The graphic currently displayed does not represent the total visual overhaul. AntiVir has gone from looking like a basic Windows95 program to having a slick, functional, and easy to use interface.

Updating is still a concern. The free version has had no problems updating for me, but the premium can't seem to connect to the update server. I bet this is due to increased strain with the beta going public; if not, then AntiVir has some work to do.

ModderXManiac reviewed v7.0 Beta on Nov 28, 2005

The online updater only works half the time, has a lousy resident engine:just scans at startup...

It has a good scanning engine, very fast and sensitive, but has nothing on Avast!

ezh reviewed v6.32.00.51 on Nov 6, 2005

Have you seen AV tests? How can you claim it's the best then?

sn0wflake reviewed v6.32.00.51 on Nov 4, 2005

My favorite antivirus program right now.

Win98crash reviewed v6.32.00.51 on Nov 4, 2005

Recommended to all my friends and family, been using it for few years now with no major issues.

The update servers are busy or slow sometimes, but the new versions have incremental updates which should take the majority of the burden off.

Simple, lightweight, free. A 5+ rating from myself any day of the week.

wizard68sc3 reviewed v6.32.00.50 on Oct 25, 2005

I have a problem with it updating. Sometimes it will , Sometimes it wont....weird

iknowyouknow reviewed v6.32.00.50 on Oct 19, 2005

Great program, let down by poor interface which is clunky. Also, scans use a considerable amount of resources to complete. Apart from that , excellent

bellgamin reviewed v6.32.00.07 on Sep 23, 2005

AntiVir is the best of the free antivirus programs, and is even better than many NON-free antivirus programs.

AntiVir's heuristics are very strong -- excellent for protecting against very new malware for which signatures have not yet been disseminated. AntiVir's signatures update daily, which is grrrreat!

Signature updates are large (~4MB each) so AntiVir presently is best used by those on broadband. There is an incremental updater now in advanced beta, so smaller updates -- suitable for dial-up users -- can be expected in the near future.

benZin reviewed v6.32.00.07 on Sep 22, 2005

The best free anti virus. But in sharewares, there is BitDefender 9, better than all anti virus!!

elopez17 reviewed v6.32.00.07 on Sep 21, 2005

AtiVer is a very good program, but I agree with ModderXmanic “this has an awesome scanning engine, but a very poor resident scanner”. Avast and AVG are excellent programs but for me I’ll go with Kaspersky but all agree in one item and that is “Norton” to big to expensive and lately a lot of program conflict making your computer to slow. To any one who have not install a secondary antivirus program (a must this days} this is a good choice or BitDefender 8 free.

ttrimble reviewed v6.32.00.07 on Sep 21, 2005

I've been using AntiVer now for a couple months and I'm very impressed. I've given up on Norton, due to it's conflicts with other applications. I tried AVG, which was okay. But AntiVer found issues that the others didn't and with the included scheduler, I have just as much protection as I had with Norton. And the price can't be beat!

Timothy Trimble
The ART of Software Development
www.timothytrimble.info

ModderXManiac reviewed v6.32.00.07 on Sep 21, 2005

As I have said before, this has an awesome scanning engine, but a very poor resident scanner. Avast still has the best resident scanner I've ever seen.

lordnaastik reviewed v6.32.00.06 on Sep 14, 2005

This is a kind of software that is very rarely available as freeware. antivir has a excellenet scanning engine and its resident guard has alerted me of viruses on numerous occasions. however its internet update is a bit trouble some as its VDF files are compatible with that particular version only and if we update to a new version we have to download the whole VDF file again.since new versions come out every other day thats 3.8 mb of download every alternate days. Having said that its miles ahead of any other product in its class.

joeshmoe7 reviewed v6.32.00.06 on Sep 13, 2005

Still my favorite anti-virus, only weakness is hard to update sometimes when servers are busy, and often false alarms.

horsecharles reviewed v6.30.00.17 on Mar 25, 2005

i have to agree with: ModderXManiac... also, Avast's auto/background update is leagues ahead...

Dirk van Hoofen reviewed v6.30.00.17 on Mar 23, 2005

Thanks for this good piece of FREEware. It is much work to update the virus data base. All this is made available free of charge - THANKS again.

ModderXManiac reviewed v6.30.00.17 on Mar 23, 2005

I give this a 4 because it has the best scanning engine I've ever used. But the resident scanner is B.S. compared to Avast's.

horsecharles reviewed v6.30.00.10 on Mar 9, 2005

We need to be able to award decimal points- or at least ¼ points.... 5 may be too high for this app-- though the freeware effort may make up for it-- but 4 is definitely too low / will drag its current overall rating down.

As pedromoreno states, they need to fix their server-- & automatize updates like AVG does, as well add auto mail scanning. And its Guard is better than AVG's, which causes BOD's when dealing w/ certain malware--

like robtinbc intimates: AVG just didn't improve in v7, & having sex with MS is more conducive to the 'opposite' of improving...

I do find Cionno's comments perplexing-- the nod32 suggest is most excellent; but in the same breath to include Norton, one of the worst possible products: i get it for free & i still wouldn't use it-- this after formerly having been an ardent supporter of it.

Betachecker reviewed v6.30.00.10 on Mar 8, 2005

Very good AV but not comparable to Avast

mastergeese reviewed v6.30.00.10 on Mar 8, 2005

awesome !
free and powerfull.
taht one found any little virus hidden.
love it and haven't to pay for !

pedromoreno reviewed v6.29.00.03 on Mar 2, 2005

Antivir is a GREAT antivirus software. It's passed the last Virus Bulletin test, on Windows NT, and received the VB100% award. McAfee, a big reference in the antivirus world, has failed to pass the same test. Among the three main free antivurus programs avaiable (Avast!, AVG and Antivir), I recommend Antivir. My reasons are: 1- I don't like advertisements of any kind. AVG displays buttons and functions that are only avaiable in Pro version and once you click them, you get a message telling you to purchase a license. Avast! also does something similar. That bothers me. Antivir, on the other hand, doesn't disable important features in PersonalEdition, and only shows a small message in the 'about' dialog box recommending you the Pro version in case you're not a non-commercial user. 2- Antivir is lower on system resources than both Avast! and AVG. 3- Antivir also scans for dialers and other unwanted programs. (Maybe Avast! and AVG scan for some of these too, of course.) 4- Some people complain about Antivir's interface being ugly. I totally disagree. I much prefer a simple, functional interface over a Winamp-looking Avast! skin. So, it's simple, not ugly.

Downside: Antivir has a big update file (around 2.6MB now and growing), that may be a problem to dial-up users. And sometimes the server is too busy or just taking a nap or something. But usually works fine.

NOTES: - Antivir doesn't feature POP3/SMTP scanning like Avast! and AVG. However, it will definitely not let you open an unsafe file, as its Guard automatically scans every file movement.

- malcolmsuperstar said that Avast! features script protection. That's not correct: Avast! Pro features script protection.

- Antivir version 6.30 has already been released, but BetaNews hasn't still updated its entry here.

robtinbc reviewed v6.29.00.03 on Dec 18, 2004

Used to recommend Grisoft AVG to all the people that called me at work but AVG 7 does not work with the first release of Windows 95, Grisoft has got into bed with Microsoft and not AVG 7 requires IE components and Win95 first release didnt ship IE.

AntiVir works with all Windows platforms.

Cionno reviewed v6.29.00.03 on Dec 17, 2004

nice but not so effective...
norton is a better answer
feeling best with avast (free for personal use)
if you can, go with nod32

malcolmsuperstar reviewed v6.29.00.03 on Dec 16, 2004

this is not a bad antivirus program. Like everything that is new, you need to play with it to config it.

The best are Avast and AVG.

The avast has an amazing anti-script highjack for explorer and finds anything instantly in realtime.

with AVG 7, it will always better than norton and Macfee, but now with AVG 7 its hard to find a good crack or a good serial key to activate to full since they really clamp down on those who try to crack it instead of paying for it. To add another thing here. Time Warner USA and Shaw Cable in Canada both use Grisoft AVG on their servers.

Nessmaster reviewed v6.29.00.03 on Dec 16, 2004

Why use this when you can use NOD32? I mean even Norton is better.

RedBoar reviewed v6.28.00.10 on Dec 4, 2004

What a piece of crap... 20 minutes to scan my c:\ drive, and dropped frames when playing Wolfenstein:ET. My PC didn't do this with Avast! installed.

ProdyThe reviewed v6.28.00.10 on Nov 22, 2004

Plain and simple = the best !
To get AV Guard activated, is must connect to www.spywareinfo.com (check your firewall).

OrbitOne reviewed v6.28.00.10 on Nov 16, 2004

I don't think there's any one program that "does it all". I tried Kaspersky and my box went to a crawl, and my downloads ceased... 5 bytes per second. !! AntiVIR has caught many things that Norton and McAfee have let slide that prevented the system from accessing the internet. Norton... fine program.... back in the DOS days...(commander / utilities). Bloatware now. Boat Anchor material. I've been using AntiVIR for over a year and go to some pretty unsavory spots on the net. No problems ... EVER. Luck ? you be the judge.

jogygeorge reviewed v6.28.00.10 on Nov 16, 2004

well ... seems to work fine ... except that I just can't get to activate the Virus Guard! Any ideas how? Or is it available only with the registered version?

ezh reviewed v6.28.00.07 on Oct 21, 2004

This sucks. Kaspersky Anti-Virus is the best!

http://www.virus.gr/engl...lt.asp?id=67&mnu=67

n00by reviewed v6.27.00.04 on Oct 5, 2004

It's free, it uses a lot less memory than Norton and its relatives AND it never failed to detect any viruses (for me)...just keep it up-to-date.

May lack the fancy looks, but - hey - less graphics, less mem usage...

A definite D/L IMHO.

debonair reviewed v6.27.00.03 on Sep 12, 2004

It is indeed a bit ghetto, but it's pretty intuative, and it's free. I haven't compared it to any other virus program as far as actually detecting anything, but I'll update my review then.

dj_jorjinho reviewed v6.27.00.03 on Aug 31, 2004

Does This AV have incremental download updates?

kebabi reviewed v6.27.00.03 on Aug 23, 2004

GUI looks old, but so what? It doesn't matter (for me).
And this is freeware!
And vdf file is updated very often, sometimes even many times a day!
Engine is fast and good.

Download this if you want a very good AntiVirus program...

kbyron, that's true, but you can scan one folder using context menu.

romualdrichard reviewed v6.26.00.01 on Jul 15, 2004

It's good to see such Antivir, free, vdf are updated almost every day, small memory foot print.

Support is on a forum and accurate.

kbyron, it's true for the folder thing but... try the right click on the folder you want to scan and use 'Scan with Antivir' option :)

The0retics reviewed v6.26.00.01 on Jul 15, 2004

This is a great program and for the price it cannot be beat. I have used this program for over a year and half now and have had very very few problems with it. The program is very clean and compact so I do not have to worry about the bloat of other programs such as Norton and Mcafee, both of these have become lumbering beasts over the years. The vdf is usually up to date enough that I do not have to worry about downloading something that is too new for it to find.

The only draw back is the last comment that I made about the vdf file. Because of the fact that it is free I assume, possibly wrongly, that it is not as up to date as other programs. Because of this I may use it but I usually only recomend this to people who actually know what they are doing and are capable of keeping it up to date.

kbyron reviewed v6.24.00.10 on Apr 28, 2004

Sorry. This one looked very good on the surface, but will not scan a particular FOLDER; just complete drives. I like to scan my Downloads folder prior to installing programs I have just downloaded instead of keeping a virus guard in memory during download. You can do that with McAfee--at least version 4.0x.

GeneralLeoFF reviewed v6.24.00.10 on Apr 11, 2004

The GUI is ugly and looks like it should be running on Windows 95 but it's small, it's free, and it works damn well.

taxis reviewed v6.24.00.10 on Apr 10, 2004

I cannot claim to have much experience with viruses, as I have been very lucky avoiding them until now. Still, it seems clear to me, that the software is able to detect a lot of them; http://www.virusbtn.com/...t_comparative/index.xml even shows that it has won one of their 100% awards now.

What I like most is the attitude of the authors: The software is completely free for private use, still it is very professional, and there are frequent updates.

(One very small deficiency: The scan at first installation could be sped up if the priority of the setup process was diminished...)

dougau reviewed v6.24.00.07 on Mar 25, 2004

It's free and better than running no AV software

IGx89 reviewed v6.24.00.07 on Mar 25, 2004

I used to use this program, but then stopped because of a bug it has: if you use XP's Fast User Switching feature, it will restart the computer every few days :(.

Ozmodius reviewed v6.24.00.07 on Mar 25, 2004

I used to use this program, but found out, more often than not, viruses would attach themselves to components of this program, necessitating the need to clean with another antivirus program.

Needless to say, after about the third time this happened, the program was not afforded space on my machine, and I moved on to more reliable AV protection.

kandjar reviewed v6.24.00.07 on Mar 25, 2004

Weed: you're right, to win an award you need to pass through all the tests !! And so ? Is it not what a user want ? To have a "100%" protection ?? Personnally, when I'm installing an antivirus I want it to be as perfect as possible, and I'm sure it's the same for almost everybody (but you). This antivirus never win an award, result of that: lots of people (including me) have caught a virus under its protection. OK, you will say: "but you still able to catch a virus under the protection of another antivirus", that's right. But I trust more a antivirus which has gained 100% award than an antivirus which hasn't, am I wrong thinking that ?

weed reviewed v6.24.00.07 on Mar 25, 2004

To clear up what adamdawg stated, this is a quote from Virus Bulletin redarging their testing:"VB 100% award

A VB 100% award means that a product has passed our tests, no more and no less. The failure to attain a VB 100% award is not a declaration that a product cannot provide adequate protection in the real world if administered by a professional. We would urge any potential customer, when looking at the VB 100% record of any software, not simply to consider passes and fails, but to read the small print in the reviews."

A VB100 pass requires a 100% pass on all tests. This A/V software may be 99% and still fail their tests. I have not used this program, but it shouldn't be trashed based on VB100 testing.

adamdawg reviewed v6.24.00.07 on Mar 24, 2004

I've used this before, and I've never had it catch a virus. Horrible virus engine & late definition updates.

See more here: http://www.virusbtn.com/...roducts.xml?antivir.xml

kebabi reviewed v6.24.00.07 on Mar 24, 2004

I use this, and this is just the best 8)
But, this version has been out for a one week...

romualdrichard reviewed v6.24.00.03 on Feb 20, 2004

Light, reliable.
No support? not true. It's in a forum and they reply :D
Moreover, Virus list is updated alomst everyday.

yokozuna reviewed v6.22.09.09 on Dec 6, 2003

I find Avast and AVG as the best antiviral tools. They are for free, with decent engines, and do the job well. Maybe you will be surprised but I decided to use AVG instead of Norton Internet Security (bundled with my mobo). Both need far less resources than NIS, which ate 200 meagabytes of my HDD, 20 megabytes of my RAM, and God knows how many cycles of my CPU. Moreover, NIS is "americanocentric" so it does not reacts quick enough for viruses that appear in Central Europe (where I live at the moment). Kudos to both antiviral tools!

devilrider reviewed v6.22.08.08 on Nov 15, 2003

I dono how good AVG is compared to others. But be aware that Pro's suggest 2-3 virus scanners to be used to be quite secure.

I cant remember which where suggested. I can ask again if one wanna know which 3 are the best o use.
One virus scanner alone always leaks in best security (because one may miss a virus a other one would detect)

The review (www.virus.gr) is missing some Virus scanners ... i use NOD32 atm actually just to test the program (i never had a virus btw. since 1983 only once because of NAV infecting my pc due a bug in NAV engine which was fixed later and norton excuse-mail).

Personally I like FreeAV (this tool here) and NOD32 and Kaspery (but laags pc to much) and some others I tested.

VikingStorm reviewed v6.22.08.08 on Nov 15, 2003

Still improving, speaking of Norton:

http://www.virus.gr/engl...lt.asp?id=59&mnu=59

AntiVir has a pretty mediocre showing, but this was before they hired their new staff. October results aren't released yet it seems.

eddie reviewed v6.22.08.08 on Nov 14, 2003

artic6: This is freeware, so of course its not Norton.

artic6 reviewed v6.22.08.08 on Nov 14, 2003

Welcome to the world of antivirus and the is not a top 10 infact this is not a top 100, it does not really do its job as a complete anti-virus suite, when compared to norton home edition 2004 and norton corporate edition 8.6.

this is a very basic model edition in my opinion and should not be used by pro's

Ozmodius reviewed v6.22.07.07 on Nov 13, 2003

Used it for several months, and found that nearly every time I had a virus infection, the virus had infected the AntiVir program and would not find the infection in itself--no joke either! I finally had to remove it for that reason alone.

Avast4 is great, particularly if you do a lot of European websurfing, as it detects those common viruses quite readily.

Personal recommendation is to run one antivirus program all the time, and keep a second antivirus program as a check. Not every antivirus program will detect everything, but keeping a secondary backup antivirus program is a good insurance policy.

arossetti reviewed v6.22.07.07 on Nov 12, 2003

My only complaint is the relatively large (1.5MB) updates. It's a pain for a dialup user compared to Norton and others 100-200KB updates, but then again you have to consider the cost...

dejavu reviewed v6.22.00.01 on Oct 13, 2003

Excellent freeware side by side with Avast and AVG!

BaLtO reviewed v6.22.00.01 on Oct 13, 2003

Simple, fast, takes little resource, and updates out frequently. It helped me caught a lot of virus flawlessly. Just let it run in the background silently, and you will be safe from virus.

Coqui_PR reviewed v6.22.00.01 on Oct 13, 2003

Like many of you said this program is good,and a ++++ because its free. But like Dwarden said for your home the best there is for free is Avast4Home.If yuo like to bye one then there is 2 choises,Avat pro and NOD32.There is no other AV program on the market that are as good at this 2 progarm.

Dwarden reviewed v6.21.09.20 on Sep 12, 2003

Best free antivirus is Avast4Home ... this is just something what everyone must consider as standard minimum for AV

softssa reviewed v6.21.04.04 on Aug 5, 2003

AVG is Not very reliable, take a peak at www.virusbtn.com and get surprised. AntiVir is great that is if you want an antivirus that doesn't demand huge resources and doesn't cost a thing. Otherwise there is NOD32 check them out also at www.virusbtn.com they've got the best results of all.

gigsvoo reviewed v6.21.04.04 on Aug 5, 2003

Yes, it works everything fine except 2:
1. When you run an Internet Update, your CPU will shots at 100% until the update is finished, including downloading files.
2. After you uninstalled it, you will still see the AntiVir Update service inside Services control panel, even u restarted many times.

Drewz reviewed v6.20.17.44 on Jul 24, 2003

Its not as good as AVG. AVG lets you scan things individually in a more convenient way and quicker too. Never had problems with AVG, its done its job well, but Antivir I had to reinstall it once or twice.

IGx89 reviewed v6.20.17.44 on Jul 22, 2003

(neutral rating)
Question: how does this compare to the free avast! antivirus program?

Tegel reviewed v6.17.04.56 on Dec 31, 2002

The best 1 I have ever jused :D it is faster then any other program I jused :D

bubbabob reviewed v6.17.00.50 on Dec 6, 2002

setup contains the Liberty virus in avewin32.dll

KanadiaN reviewed v6.15.05.55 on Nov 8, 2002

This has to be by far the best freeware virus program I have come across.. They seem to be on top with updates and dose not hug ram/memory. The install for this program is very easy to use and understand..

sting reviewed v6.15.05.55 on Sep 21, 2002

Im constantly testing AV programs and so far Antivir® has worked very well.

klumy reviewed v6.15.05.55 on Sep 21, 2002

The best Virus scanner in the freewaresector !!