Free Software: ClamWin

There are literally hundreds of anti-virus products on the market these days - McAfee, Norton, BitDefender, Panda and AVG Technologies make up just a few.  These products all share a common endeavor: a goal to intercept and block the threat of system crippling malware and attempts from hackers.  While many of these programs work effectively as advertised, you will find that they also require annual subscription fees in order to receive updates that keep your computer secure.  When considering how dangerous viruses, Trojans, spyware and internet worms can be, it's totally understandable how many users have no problem purchasing these comprehensive security solutions. 

Name brand products are great, but what if there was a way that you could get armored protection for your computer without paying one red cent for the software?   Sound to good to be true?  Well, we thought the same  until stumbling upon ClamWin Free Antivirus.  This program actually provides exceptional protection, allowing you to keep a little of that hard earned cash in your pocket. 

Overview of Features

Free software of various types are under fire by the critics.  Many feel that something just has to be missing.  ClamWin defies some of the statics by providing state of the art technology that now supports both Windows XP and Vista operating systems.  The update feature keeps your free software current with protection against the latest viruses.  The comprehensive online database is refreshed several times every 24 hours.  Scans can be launched at your leisure or on a custom schedule.  Right-clicking the mouse offers options for more in-depth scans that searches through specific files and directories.  ClamWin also provides seamless integration with the popular Microsoft Outlook application and scans your email attachments for destructive payloads. 

Lack of Features

There is no denying the fact that ClamWin Free AntiVirus does an exceptional job at detecting and riding your system of infections.  However, this product does lack a few helpful features.  For instance, ClamWin doesn't automatically scan newly activated files.  Because of this, all of the files you recently downloaded from the web should be put through the scanner before execution.  Without doing this you may be putting yourself at serious risk.   

The biggest knock against ClamWin is that the program still doesn't have the ability to scan files on demand, a popular feature found in many newly released anti-virus products.

These aren't bad trade-offs when you're getting a free virus scanner in return.  Combine that with the sophisticated spyware module and your computer is set for many of the malicious threats that are sure to come your way. 

Decent Protection for Already Safe Computer Users

ClamWin Free AntiVirus is a quality solution for those already practicing safe surfing on the web.  We put ClamWin to the test by installing the product on a computer already crippled with a few viruses.  While the product was able to detect a number of malware items, more advanced infections prevented the software from even examining them and remained on the operating system.  After a lengthy scan, we found that the power of ClamWin wasn't enough to repair an infected computer.