By Windows Talk
Free Online Virus Scans Good for Second Opinion
Free online security scans have become extremely popular services to use. Granted, they are not meant to replace a fully installed and updated antivirus or PC security program; rather they are there for a ‘second opinion’ or if your currently installed antivirus program is not up-to-date (but it really should be). Online scanners are designed to be a quick and easy means of obtaining a reliable antivirus scan.
On the plus side, these programs are updated regularly in order to include new virus definitions and new threats. Although they have minimal functions (they are ‘on-demand’ scanners only; an installed antivirus program is on-demand as well as a full-time monitor running in the background), they do provide free security scans and can help to keep a computer free of viruses and in some cases adware and spyware as well.
Here are a few examples of programs that are capable of providing you with a free online antivirus scan. Note: some may require you to download a small installer file first.
Trend micro house call: this is an online virus scanner that works within a web browser and is highly recommended among many PC forums and across the Internet. Using either an ActiveX engine or a Java engine, trend micro house call can work to scan your computer for viruses. It has support for Mozilla and Internet Explorer, updates regularly and allows you to set options for your scan to help increase the speed of scanning and make sure that you’re protected from every possible threat.
McAfee free scan: this is another great free online security scan from McAfee antivirus. Running specifically through Internet Explorer using an ActiveX control, this free online antivirus scanner works to quickly scan through files list your infection and also name detected viruses that are on your PC or Mac device. One problem with this scan is that it does not come with any form of removal software. You either have to find eliminate the threat yourself or download an antivirus software in order to eliminate the threats that are on your computer.
Bit defender: The Quickscan service can be accessed from any Internet-connected PC. You don’t need to install software, perform updates or do any configuration tasks. You can also use it without visiting their website by installing it as a browser extension or widget. I installed as an extension within Chrome. You click on the little icon up near the address bar and the web page opens and starts scanning your PC. Easy!
ESET Online Virus Scanner: ESET Online Scanner is a fast and free tool that detects and removes threats on your PC. Utilizing only your browser, it scans your computer with ESET’s award-winning ThreatSense engine. It supports Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 or later (with ActiveX turned on) and support for non-IE browsers (Firefox, Opera, Netscape, Chrome, Safari and others).
Using any one of these free online security scans will help you to have a better functioning computer. Using them regularly will help to keep your computer free of infection and also ensure that you can continue using your computer to the most of its abilities.
Shared with permission from Windows Talk.
