Avast 4! Home Edition
Avast 4! Home Edition is a free anti-virus scanning program equipped with the standard anti-virus, anti-spyware, and adware features. If you read through blogs and forums, you'll find that many users commend Avast 4! Home Edition as one of the very few free anti-virus programs that offer scans on bootup.
Through bootup scanning, Avast has an increased ability to remove stubborn viruses and infectors, especially those that thwart removal attempts via resuscitators.
Features
As mentioned, Avast is equipped with built-in anti-rootkit and anti-spyware protection. Aside from this, the program also has protection mechanisms for emails and instant messages that scan incoming and outgoing mails and instant messages for any malicious content.
The program's Standard Shield feature also provides real-time protection against viruses and malware by scanning documents and files as you download and execute them. Avast 4! Home Edition also has P2P (peer-to-peer) protection - something that very few free anti-virus programs provide.
As mentioned, Avast 4! Home Edition has a boot-time scanning feature that removes viruses and infections that load during Windows startup. The viruses that load during startup are usually hard to remove; some of these viruses can even shut down virus protection once Windows starts. This is why the boot-time scan is one of the program's plus points that users commend.
Avast 4! Home Edition is also equipped with self-protection mechanisms. This means that aside from protecting your system, it also protects itself from malware that terminate and damage Avast processes and files. Similar to most anti-virus programs, Avast automatically updates virus definitions on a regular basis, further increasing its chances of detecting constantly evolving viruses and infections.
Installation and Setup
The Avast 4! Home Edition free anti-virus program is suited for those with older PCs or those with limited system resources because it only takes up under 40MB of disk space. Upon successfully installing Avast 4! Home Edition on your machine, make sure you register the program on the manufacturer's website within the first 60 days of use.
Registration is required for you to get the license key that will enable you to use the program for one year.
Not to worry though, this doesn't mean that Avast 4! Home Edition can only be used for a year. After a year upon your initial registration, all you have to do is simply re-register the program for continued usage and functionality.
User Interface
Many users report mixed feelings on Avast 4! Home Edition's graphical user interface. Some find it refreshing while some find it cumbersome. Avast 4 Home's user interface has a visual style similar to WinAmp's interface skins, which can be customized and changed by downloading skins from Avast's website.
Customizable skins aside, some users feel that Avast 4 Home's user interface is not that user-friendly and is less than intuitive. This is especially true for those who would much rather have easy-to-browse menus with standard Windows interface than have the sleek and skinnable look of the user interface.