VirusScan --
McAfee's VirusScan is an excellent utility for catching any viruses that may be hiding out in the darkest recesses of your hard drive. Its graphical interface is both visually appealing and intuitive. VirusScan can run in the background, allowing you to continue working on other projects while it does its job. The newer releases do an excellent job of using minimal resources while running in the background. VirusScan's on-line help documentation provides useful insight into the program's many options. These options include the ability to configure the level of scanning desired, the ability to keep and/or print an activity log, and several additional user-configurable preferences. VirusScan's best feature is the fact that it gets updated very often to accommodate for new viruses. While great at catching many viruses, the 2.x and earlier versions of VirusScan lacked the ability to remove many types of viruses. For this task, a program like F-Prot or the latest VirusScan version is necessary.
The latest release of VirusScan, v3.0, offers the highest level of virus detection rates in the industry as well as advanced removal capabilities and stellar overall performance. In addition, the new release also includes Virus Shield, which runs in the background and automatically checks files for viruses, and the impressive new Hunter scanning technology, which dramatically improves scanning performance thanks to its 32-bit, multithreaded implementation designed to utilize the latest advances in memory and I/O management. The 3.0 release is available for Windows 3.x, 95, and NT platforms and also supports virus detection and removal of polymorphic and macro viruses (including Office97 viruses). Additional features in this release include ZIP file scanning, an Emergency Disk creation utility, activity log reports, and ScanPM (a command-line scanner that operates in protected mode environments like DOS), All in all, VirusScan 3.0 is by far the best virus scanner in the industry.
Pros: Easy to use, scans in the background, cool interface, advanced virus scanning engine
Cons: The older releases (2.5.x) do not remove (or scan) viruses as well as F-Prot and other scanners
New: Hunter scanning technology, VirusScan Console, Office97 virus detection and removal, more
New for Sept VScan 2.x DAT (v9709): Detection of 265 and removal of 210 new viruses; complete list here
New for Sept VScan 3.x DAT (v3009): Detection of 292 and removal of 236 new viruses; complete list here
F-Prot and F-Prot Pro --
F-Prot for DOS was one of the first virus scanners ever released; today it remains one of the fastest scanners and one of the best clients available for both catching and removing viruses. Yet while the freeware DOS version manages to hold its own against other scanners in terms of speed and effectiveness, its limited usability and lack of support for platforms other than DOS continue to keep it from being more competitive with other virus scanners. Thankfully, though, there is now a deluxe commercial version available called F-Prot Professional that capitalizes on the freeware's deficiencies while still retaining its distinctive competencies. F-Prot Pro delivers many of the same great features found in similar Windows-based scanners including the current champ, VirusScan. The client sports an intuitive, graphically appealing interface, it can be updated regularly with new virus definitions to keep up with emerging virus strains, it can run in the background while you work on other projects, and it offers extensive help resources including direct links to the web for the latest information on the client. At just under $100 F-Prot Pro may be quite a bit more expensive than some comparable clients (including VirusScan), but for many long-time F-Prot for DOS users, the Pro release will be well worth the cost.
One of F-Prot Pro's best features is the Gatekeeper, which, like VirusScan's VirusShield, actively scans files for you in the background. In addition to being used for common tasks like checking files on a floppy disk or scanning the contents of a compressed archive, F-Prot Gatekeeper is specifically designed for use with the Internet and to protect your computer from viruses that have been transmitted over the Internet. Using advanced Dynamic Virus Protection technology (DVP), Gatekeeper checks all your e-mail messages and downloaded files as they arrive, ensuring that any viruses are detected and removed before they have the opportunity to infect your computer. The real-time background scanner detects traditional viruses as well as polymorphic and encrypted viruses. Additional F-Prot features include a non-resident virus scanner, a rule-based scanner designed to detect previously unknown viruses, a checksumming program that both detects and destroys previously unknown viruses, advanced scheduling capabilities, and the F-Agent -- a traybar icon that allows for easy access to the F-Prot program and that also lets you know when Gatekeeper is running in the background. F-Prot Professional is available on all three major Windows platforms and also offers a unique feature called Web Club that allows registered users to access technical information, program updates, and updated virus definitions on the web. While perhaps not the best client in its class, F-Prot Pro is an extremely quick and effective virus scanner that delivers in all areas.
Pros: Quick and extremely efficient virus scanner; sports Dynamic Virus Protection technology (DVP)
Cons: Price, lacks some features found in VirusScan, updates aren't as readily available as for VirusScan
New: New Windows-based Professional release, Dynamic Virus Protection technology (DVP), Gatekeeper, more
Norton AntiVirus --
Symantec's Norton AntiVirus (NAV) is designed to protect your computer from every imaginable type of virus, regardless of rather the virus has been contracted from a file downloaded off the 'net, a floppy disk, your hard disk, as an e-mail message attachment, or from an office network. NAV scans for and removes normal viruses as well as the more advanced Macro viruses (including Word and Office 97 varieties) and polymorphic viruses. The client will even scan up to one level deep within compressed files. NAV is replete with user configurable options and includes several handy tools for a variety of tasks, including automatically downloading the latest virus definition updates (via LiveUpdate), creating an emergency backup disk in case a virus infects your system's boot sector or RAM (via RescueDisk), and automatically scanning your files in the background (via Auto-Protect). Scheduling routine background scans is another quick and painless process thanks to the integrated Norton Program Scheduler. NAV can also be set up as a helper application for your favorite browser. The helper app scans files for viruses as they are downloaded from the 'net and before they can actually infect your hard disk. The most recent version of Norton AntiVirus incorporates Symantec's advanced Bloodhound technology to detect new and unknown viruses; currently the client detects more than 12,000 known viruses as well as many more unknown viruses via the Bloodhound technology. The program's help documentation is adequate but pales in comparison to those of rivals like VirusScan and F-Prot Pro. However, Symantec does offer excellent help resources through the web, including the incomparable AntiVirus Research Center. And while no slouch at detecting viruses, Norton AntiVirus also lacks the blitzkrieg-like speed of its two closest competitors. Still, if you're looking for a fast, dependable virus scanner with free updates and excellent online help resources, Norton AntiVirus is your best bet.
Pros: Advanced Bloodhound technology, integrated program scheduler, excellent set of features, easy to use
Cons: Lacks the speed, help documentation, and some features of competitors like VirusScan and F-Prot Pro
New: Bloodhound technology, Norton Program Scheduler, LiveUpdate, macro virus protection, more
New for October Definition Update: Detection and removal of new viruses
Carmel AntiVirus --
Carmel has created an efficient and easy to use Anti-Virus program with releases for Windows NT/95 as well as Windows 3.x. Carmel AntiVirus includes scanning and removal of a long list of common viruses,
including Word Macro viruses, and monthly signature file updates are provided via Carmel's Web site to combat recent developments or mutations. Heuristic scanning methods also assist in the task of combating new viruses and it will scan up to ten levels deep in compressed files. Carmel AV for NT comes with a simple built-in
function to schedule basic scans, but if you wish to do unattended scans, you must manually enter all the parameters for the NT schedule service. As long as the user has the proper permissions, Carmel AV
will scan network drives and scans for viruses in the background. Carmel AV will also create an emergency disk to boot from if a virus does manage to get a foothold in the system, and can then clean out the offending code. It also creates a database of exe file lengths to look for possible virus infections at a later date and will create a log of all significant events during a scan. The help documentation is substantial, but is not a substitute for a manual. The client costs $89 to register and is available for a free thirty day evaluation period. There are 5636 viruses in the database and it scanned 963 exe files in 50 sec, and 6308 total files (including compressed files) in 4:01.
Pros: Easy to use, scans in background, virus updates with heuristic
scanning
Cons: Slow startup due to exhaustive memory search, Win 3.x style
help file, shareware
New: Automatic Internet updates, now scans downloaded files, full drag-and-drop capabilities, more
ThunderBYTE Anti-Virus --
ThunderBYTE's Anti-Virus utility is another excellent client for
catching and removing any viruses that may be crawling around your hard drive.
Like McAffee's VirusScan, TBAV comes in both Windows 3.x and Windows 95 versions and
sports an attractive graphical interface. TBAV runs well in the background but is
slightly slower at this than VirusScan. Recently added features for ThunderBYTE include advanced security options, alarm sounds (with WAV audio clips), and detection for platform-specific viruses. Like McAfee's VirusScan, the 8.0 release of TBAV recently received a speed infusion thanks to its incorporation of AMIR technology. This technology aids in making TBAV's virus detection and cleaning engine extremely fast (but not quite as fast as VirusScan, thanks to its Hunter scanning technology). One significant advantage that TBAV has over VirusScan is its on-line documentation listing which explains the nature of thousands of viruses. While nowhere near as comprehensive or detailed as Patricia Hoffman's Virus Information Summary List, TBAV's listing is still more complete than that of VirusScan. In terms of performance, TBAV and VirusScan are very similar, with VirusScan having a slight edge in background processing. Both apps are updated frequently with
new virus data files. In other words, deciding between these two clients will likely
once again come down to your own individual preferences.
Pros: Easy to use, scans in the background, cool graphical interface, virus information
Cons: Doesn't remove (or scan) viruses as well as F-Prot, a bit slower than VirusScan
New: AMIR technology (lightning fast macrovirus detection and cleaning), security options, alarm sounds, more
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