Be Gone You Nasty Wee Bugs (Avast 4 Home Edition)

Member Name: kenjohn

Product:	Avast 4 Home Edition
Date:	20/12/08 (313 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Keeps your computer free from viruses.

Disadvantages: Not a lot!

When you spend as much time on the Internet as I do then you really do need to have an efficient anti-virus software programme, as there are literally thousands of unscrupulous sites and unscrupulous persons out there in cyber space who are simply waiting for the opportunity to infect your poor wee hard drives with all sorts of nasty wee viruses and bugs that will make your old (or new) computer very sick indeed.

For years I used the Norton Anti Virus software. While it was relatively expensive to purchase it had the reputation for being one of the best on the market, with the facility to constantly update the software and renew your subscription over the Web on a yearly basis. But when I changed my computer a couple of years back I discovered that Norton simply didn't want to know about the Windows XP 64-bit operating system which was installed. (This may have changed now, but it was certainly the case back then)

So I was quite literally forced into looking around for new anti-virus software, and decided on Avast after a strong recommendation from my wife's nephew, who has a Master's degree in Computer Science and so should know what he's talking about. (In theory anyways!)

The first thing that really appealed to me about Avast is that it is totally free. (I'm not a Scotsman for nothing) Of course, if you're a business user then you can purchase their "Professional" edition at a current price of £24.95 per year, (for one computer) but as the free edition is so good I've never felt the urge to reach for the old credit card. (Heh, heh) The latest edition of Avast is version "4.8.1296", and this is the version I am using. It would be hard *NOT* to be using it, as one of the best features of Avast is that it automatically updates your computer with all the latest virus definitions and threats and any new versions of the programme that they might release without you even needing to ask.

Avast comprehensively covers you against threats from viruses and nasty wee hackers, (or even nasty BIG hackers!) by constantly screening all your online activities. Your email is constantly scanned and you're provided with a standard shield and a Web shield while you're surfing. One important feature for me is that it provides me with protection when either myself or my teenage daughter are downloading music or movies from P2P websites such us "UseNext". Only last night I downloaded a little software programme from UseNext and when I went to install it Avast immediately spotted that it was infected with a worm virus and spyware, stopped the installation in its tracks, and flashed an on-screen warning to me that told me what virus was present and what to do about it.

If you download a music or movie file you can then right click on the file in question and run an immediate Avast scan before you even open it that tells you straight away whether or not it is safe to do so.

The first time I ran a scan of my hard drives using Avast I was totally amazed at the number of viruses, worms, and other assorted muck that had managed to find their way onto my computer. My main hard drive had been transplanted from my old computer to my new system as it saved having to transfer files and gave me extra space. Over the years this hard drive had supposedly been comprehensively protected by Norton Anti Virus, but judging by the number of viruses that Avast discovered during my first system scan then I'd been totally wasting my money purchasing Norton for years! Literally hundreds of potentially lethal viruses had been totally ignored or missed by Norton but were picked up on immediately by Avast. Considering that Avast is *FREE* and that Norton is expensive to purchase and then charge you an on-going yearly subscription, it says a lot for Avast, and even more about the poor quality of protection that is being offered by a Norton who are supposedly market leaders in Anti Virus software. (Hah!!! Pick me up off the floor when I've stopped laughing.)

The Avast download only takes a very short time, (the initial file is around 30Mb) obviously depending on how fast your internet connection is. Once you have installed it (easy peasy) then you are up and running, and you can set the level of protection you want for each function to either normal or high, or if you're a computer buff (I'm not) then you can customise your own settings. What's truly wonderful about Avast is that it automatically updates itself every time you turn on your computer without you having to do anything and without you even realizing it. When it's done it will flash up a small box in the bottom right hand corner of the screen telling you how long the new download took, and the size of the new files that were added. I don't know about you, but this daily automatic download gives me great reassurance that here's a company that really take their business seriously, and have the best interests of their users at heart.

When Avast *DOES* discover a threat on your computer then it immediately flashes up a large box on the middle of your screen telling you all about the nasty wee bug they have discovered, and advising you on what action to take to remedy the situation. This usually involves either deleting the file in question, or else placing it in the Avast "quarantine" files, where it can do no further harm. This screen amuses me as it has a big hazard warning sign right in the middle that reminds me of the radiation warning sign you see on radioactive and hazardous materials.

Despite the on-going protection that Avast gives you it's still advisable to carry out a scan of your entire system every now and again, as it's always possible that some new wee bug or virus has slipped through the Avast net before they have managed to download the protection to their software. You can choose to carry out either a quick scan or a thorough scan. Personally I carry out a quick scan once a week and a thorough scan every month. Very occasionally Avast will pick up on some new virus or threat during these scans, but more often or not the results are clear. But it gives me peace of mind and it's better to be safe than sorry.

Once you have the Avast anti virus software running for about a month or so then you'll get a message from the company advising you that they require you to register your details with them if you wish to continue using the software for free. This is an easy process, and they will then send you an email once a year with a new registration key. None of this costs you a bean, by the way.

I highly, highly recommend Avast to anyone who surfs the Web. In the 12 years or so I've been an Internet user I've never come across any other anti virus software that even comes close to the efficiency of Avast. If you don't already use it then you should look them up on the Web (simply Google the name) and consider doing so.

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© KenJ December 2008

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Summary: A superb *FREE* anti virus software package.

Variety of features:
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