Antivirus Software and Virus Removal
PowerNET recommends that all computers run antivirus software. If you are interested in keeping your PC secure, consider PowerNET’s PC Maintenance Service which includes an antivirus program as well as maintenance on updates to your software and daily security check.
For those who are budget conscious, we’ve compiled a list of free anti-virus programs that you can install for use on your personal computer. We do not recommend downloading just any program advertised as “antivirus program”, as some are actually viruses. Below are our recommendations for free antivirus tools.
Recommended Free Antivirus Tools
| Description | For More Information | Download Link |
|---|---|---|
| Avast – The #1 downloaded free antivirus tool and our top pick | Avast Website | Download |
| AVG - The original free antivirus tool and our second pick | AVG Website | Download |
| Avira – Another good, free antivirus tool if you don’t mind the pop-up advertisements for the paid version of this software | Avira Website | Download |
Despite the best protection on your computer, it is still possible to get a virus. In general, each antivirus program does better or worse than other antivirus programs at detecting certain viruses. Do not install more than one antivirus program on your computer because these programs usually interfere with each other. Instead, if you are concerned that virus may have infected your computer, the following tools can be used to detect and/or remove viruses from your system.
Please be aware that any of these tools can cause even worse problems if your PC is infected or the tools malfunction. As an alternative, you may bring your computer to the experts at PowerNET for a thorough check and removal of viruses.
Recommended Online Virus Scanners
| Description | Download Link |
|---|---|
| Bitdefender – Online scanner that will do a quick scan of the whole computer in the web browser | Download |
| Trend Micro Housecall – A small, self-contained scanning application that you download and run manually | Download |
| Virus Total – This tool scans individually selected links or files from a web browser | Download |
Recommended Malware Virus Scanners
These tools will scan for more than just viruses, but require installation.
| Description | For More Information | Download Link |
|---|---|---|
| Malwarebytes – The #1 consumer malware remover. It is simple and easy to use. | Malwarebytes Website | Download |
| Spybot S&D – This tool has been a mainstay in the consumer malware removal market for a long time. It contains more features than Malwarebytes, but is also more complicated and occasionally more buggy. | Spybot Website | Download |