Avira AntiVir Personal 10: A Review - Computers - Operating Systems

Ranked among the top 3 free antivirus software versions, Avira Personal 10 has all what it takes to become a good antivirus software. Don't take my words; read on to check what makes it fetch the 3rd slot in the line of best free antivirus software products. Avira Personal 10 provides basic protection against worms, viruses, spyware, and Trojans among other malicious programs. It is light on resources and effective on virus threats. While installing Avira AntiVir Personal 10, you need to confirm your use of freeware by clicking the box. Occasionally, Avira AntiVir Personal 10 keeps launching nagscreen (large advertisement pop-up) that ask users to buy the full security suite. It could be irritating especially when you are in the middle of finishing an important work. Let's take a closer look at the good and bad aspects of Avira AntiVir Personal 10.

Positives

Smaller footprint; user interface; fast installation; fast and effective antivirus scans; good detection rates; good malware installation prevention on a clean PC; automatically updates the entire antivirus program; good email virus protection; Scheduler to set schedules scans; GenericRepair for automatic PC repair; Virus Guard for real-time monitoring; and Rescue System CD resolves several installation issues among others.

Negatives

User interface requires much improvement; support Windows only; Low detected malware removing capability; nagscreen; not recommended for PCs with low RAM or less CPU power;

Particulars

Publisher - Avira GmbHCategory - Security Software/AntivirusPrice/License Model - FreeType - PersonalOS Compatibility - Windows 7/Vista/XPTechnical Support - Online Forum, and Phone Support

Lab Tests Say

ICSA, an independent 3rd party lab, has awarded certification to Avira AntiVir Personal 10 for good malware detection capability but not removal.

West Coast Labs so far has not conducted any tests on the Avira AntiVir Personal 10. Virus Bulletin awarded VB 100% certification to AntiVir Personal 10 in the only and the lately conducted tests. Avira's premium suite, however, has more often been through the lab's tests than its AntiVir Personal 10. To one's surprise, Avira's premium suite has failed to prove its metal in 4 out of the 10 Windows-based tests conducted last time by the lab.

AV-Comparatives.org, another independent lab, rated Avira's premium suite "ADVANCED+", the top rating in its rating list, for both proactive detection and on-demand scanning irrespective of the fact that it did raise several false positive alarms. We should tell you that the lab tested the full security suite of Avira in a dynamic protection test.

In malware tests, Avira AntiVir Personal 10 holds an edge over other free antivirus products. It detected around 99% of malware samples thrown in scanner based detection tests. These tests mainly take malware signature files into consideration.

Avira AntiVir Personal 10 does automatically schedule a daily full scan; however, you can change the scan schedules as per your requirement. The Rescue System CD resolves many problems related to installation.

Overall, Avira AntiVir Personal 10 does outstanding in blocking malware from being installed on the clean PC. However, if the PC is already infected, the Avira free antivirus is not a good option as it misses on the already detected threats. So, it would be better if you install it on a clean PC to avoid compromising on the security.