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Avast Antivirus is one of the best antivirus programs around, and it has a free version which is highly regarded in the industry. The full version keeps getting better and better and Avast has added some good features in this new version. It is developed by AVAST Software and has won numerous awards like the 2006 Secure Computing Readers’ Trust award for best antivirus and the coveted “Advanced A+” rating by AV Comparatives.

It has come a long way since its inception in 1988 and a report by OPSWAT suggested that the free version is the world’s leading antivirus application in terms of actual installations.

Installation

Installing Avast Antivirus is a fairly simple process. Once it is fully installed it will prompt you to restart your PC and allow it to run a pre-emptive scan that will locate threats that could obstruct the setup. The whole process takes a few minutes and is very straightforward, and doesn’t require several steps as some antivirus programs.

Ease of Use

Avast Antivirus has an impressive interface unlike any other. It is a radio style interface with all the major components arranged in various buttons, like the scan button as the play button. It might take a little while to familiarise yourself with, but with a little testing, you will easily figure it out. Avast does most of its work in the background with little interference. Files are scanned in real-time as they are opened, and it all happens in the background without interfering.

Effectiveness

Avast is a very effective antivirus program and it has received A+ rating from AV comparatives. It also deemed Avast Professional edition one of the seven best antivirus solutions. Virus Bulletin certified it with a VB100% (caught 100% of-in-the-world viruses) and found it effective in proactive and reactive scans, within a score of 71.4 in both.

Support

Sadly this is where Avast is slightly lacking. It offers decent support through user guides, knowledgebase and a support forum, but if you need to contact them by phone, then you are stuck because there are no actual numbers to be found in its files. You can also contact support by email, but only after registering with them.

Overall, we have found Avast to be one of the best antivirus programs and we recommend it to all. It is continually improving and has really impressed with its simple skinned interface.