The Rescue System partially solved this problem, but it left the test system with no network connectivity. In addition, the system kept spontaneously rebooting, perhaps due to partially-removed malware. In theory it should only pop up once for a given threat, but on one test system it detected the same items over and over, making quite a racket. When Avira detects active malware, it pops up a notification and makes an alert noise using the PC Speaker. A full uninstall and reinstall solved that one. After installing the antivirus I got a message that one of its services wasn't working correctly. Malware on another system actively terminated Avira's installer every time it launched. With no option for active tech support, I relied on the bootable Avira Rescue System to solve this problem it did!

Trouble with Installation, Scanning Ransomware on one of my test systems blocks access to the desktop, so getting antivirus protection installed is always a challenge. Of course the real-time protection, system scanning, and update components are ready and available. Hovering over grayed out controls gets a tooltip explaining that an upgrade is needed in order to use this component. Features that aren't actually available are simply disabled and grayed out. That can be a problem if malware cleanup causes system problems, as I discovered in testing.Įvery feature that's present in other Avira products, right up to the top-of-the-line 'ultimate' suite, is represented on the free product's main window, making it a bit busy. The free product lacks some features of the paid edition, and users aren't entitled to any direct help from tech support. Avira Free AntiVirus (2014) doesn't quite go that route. Some vendors go all in, making their free antivirus a showpiece. Getting thousands or millions of non-paying users is only practical if the mindshare and reputation that's created results in sales of higher-end for-pay security solutions. Best Hosted Endpoint Protection and Security SoftwareĬompanies that offer antivirus protection for free are taking a bit of a gamble.

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