PC Pals Forum

Technical Help & Discussion => Software, Hardware & Website Recommendations => Topic started by: Rodders on September 09, 2011, 22:51

Title: Ten Free Online AV Scanners
Post by: Rodders on September 09, 2011, 22:51
In the time-honoured tradition of PC-Pals, once again here's something for nothing!  You can throw away the wire-brush and Dettol now, because each of those links below point to an entirely free online Anti-Virus scanner.

  SuperAntiSpyware (http://superantispyware.com/onlinescan.html)
  Virus.Org (http://scanner.virus.org/)
  VirusChief (http://www.viruschief.com/)
  ESET Online AV Scanner (http://go.eset.com/us/online-scanner)
  VirScan (http://www.virscan.org/)
  NoVirusThanks (http://vscan.novirusthanks.org/)
  Metascan (http://www.metascan-online.com/)
  Jotti's Malware Scan (http://virusscan.jotti.org/en-gb)
  VirusTotal (http://www.virustotal.com/)
  Trend Micro HouseCall (http://housecall.trendmicro.com/uk/)

So just how safe are these links then?  Well, actually they're very safe, but if you'd like to know exactly how safe, download and install Web Of Trust's (WOT) free Safe Surfing browser tool from the following URL: www.mywot.com (http://www.mywot.com/).  For the ultra paranoid, like me, you may wish to Google WOT first.   8-)
Title: Re: Ten Free Online AV Scanners
Post by: Clive on September 09, 2011, 22:59
Very useful Rodders!   8-)
Title: Re: Ten Free Online AV Scanners
Post by: Simon on September 09, 2011, 23:01
Nice one, Rod.   :thumb:

I'd add MalwareBytes (http://www.malwarebytes.org/) to the list.
Title: Re: Ten Free Online AV Scanners
Post by: Rodders on September 09, 2011, 23:12
Malwarebytes is certainly a useful weapon in the fight against malware, but doesn't really fall into the same category as the online scanners above, IMHO.

Perhaps it's time we had a comprehensive list of AV freebies - to also include the more traditional-type apps.
Title: Re: Ten Free Online AV Scanners
Post by: Simon on September 09, 2011, 23:49
Point taken, Rod.  We could certainly sticky this.  Do all of the above also remove nasties without requiring  purchase of the full versions?
Title: Re: Ten Free Online AV Scanners
Post by: Rodders on September 10, 2011, 00:16
None of the links point to Ransomware of any kind, Simon.

As regards removing malware, some of those applications are designed to analyse individual files only.  Thus, whilst one would have to be incurably bonkers not to delete a file that's been positively identified as a risk, what one actually does with it is largely up to the individual.
Title: Re: Ten Free Online AV Scanners
Post by: Simon on September 10, 2011, 09:58
I wasn't meaning Ransomware, in the malicious sense, Rod.  More as you then described.  Some online scanners are purely that, not removers.  :)
Title: Re: Ten Free Online AV Scanners
Post by: chorleydave on September 10, 2011, 13:07
Hi, Rod.

Never used one.  How long do they take to do a full scan and can you continue to use the PC while they are running?

Cheers.

Dave.
Title: Re: Ten Free Online AV Scanners
Post by: Rodders on September 10, 2011, 13:24
The duration of a scan is contingent upon variables like the capacity of your HDD and degree of fragmentation.  You can usually carry on working during a scan, but the less work your CPU has to do on other operations, the more cycles it can devote to the scan.  A piece of string, really.    :hatoff: