The Great Geek Manual

On this day in 1986, the first virus for the IBM PC, dubbed “the Brain,” appeared, infecting the boot sector of 360 Kb floppy disks. Twenty-one years later, we’re still grappling with viruses. In fact, sometimes it feels like keeping your computer safe is turning into a full-time job.

Below, are listed the most helpful and credible free anti-adware and anti-virus utilities available. Of course, there is not a magic bullet for protecting yourself from malware when you’re surfing online, but installing the downloads I have listed here, using one of the online scanning services I’ve listed, and always using Firefox rather than Internet Explorer to browse the Internet should be a great start towards safeguarding your computer.

Single File Online Virus Scanners
AVAST – A free online virus scanner that allows you to check one file at a time with a size not exceeding 512Kb.

Avert(r) Labs WebImmune – This service from McAfee requires registration, but is otherwise free. “The service markets itself as the world’s first Internet virus security scanner that resides on the web.” WebImmune allows you to submit potentially infected files analysis. It returns information about your files, including solutions and real-time fixes, if available.

ClamAv – Allows you to upload binaries, zip-files, or complete e-mails of up to 500Kb.

Fortiguard – Allows you to scan one file of up to 1Mb.

Kasperkey AntiVirus Scanner – Allows you to scan one file of up to 1Mb. Harddrive scanner available as well.

Ukrainian National Antivirus Online – Allows you to scan files and any popular archive format up to 2Mb in size.

Virus Total – The only online scanner that allows you to e-mail your file to the service. Allows files up to 10Mb in size.

Free Complete Harddrive Scanners
Arcaonline – Requires IE, Active X and Java.

BitDefender Online Scanner – scans your system’s memory, files, folders and drives’ boot sectors – the default options automatically cleans the infected files. Requires IE with ActiveX.

Command Online

Freedom Online Virus Check – Works with Firefox as well as IE.

F-Secure

McAfee Freescan – This free virus scanner from McAfee is based on the McAfee VirusScan engine. Should viruses be found, FreeScan prepares a list of infected files and links to information about the viruses on your computer. It also gives you an option to clean your system. Requires IE with ActiveX.

Rising AV – Require IE and Active X, but comes in a convenient download on the same page.

Symantec Internet Security – An online virus scanner from the developers of Norton Antivirus 2007 can detect most virus threat but there is no option to delete the virus infected file or repair it. Does not examine compressed files. Requires IE with ActiveX.

Trend Micro HouseCall – An online virus scanner that’s absolutely free and scans your PC hard drive for any sort of viruses or even spyware. HouseCall allows you to remove detected infections. Works with Firefox and IE. Requires Java.

VirusChaser

Windows Live OneCare Scanner – A free antivirus online scanner from Microsoft that cleans your system from viruses and also recommends ways to improve the overall performance. Part of Windows Onecare.

Free Anti-Virus Software for Windows
ArcaMicroScan

Avast! Home Edition – One of the most popular antivirus software, can also be run from Explorer context menu. You can either scan the entire hard drive or selected folders. Ships with an Antivirus screen-saver.

AOL Active Virus – a free virus scanner from AOL based on Kaspersky Antivirus that doesn’t require an AOL account to download the software. The software can be configure to check only new and modified files thereby reducing the memory requirements. Also support scanning of incoming and outgoing email messages.

ClamWin Virus Scanner – An open source antivirus software that is great for running routine antivirus checks on your PC. You need to manually scan a file in order to detect a virus or spyware.

AVG 7.5 Free Antivirus – One of most popular free virus scanning software is AVG 7.5 Free Edition (read comments). Initially, there was confusion whether AVG 7.5 would be free like AVG 7.1 but the good news is that AVG 7.5 Free edition is already available for non-commercial, single home computer use.

Free Open Source Software
Clam AntiVirus – Clam isn’t as good a scanner as AVG was, but unlike AVG, WinClam is still free to use. It should be noted that WinClam doesn’t run in the background of Windows like AVG did. It also doesn’t have many options. It’s pretty much one touch, no-frills virus scanning, which couldn’t be better for novices. It includes a scanning scheduler, context menu integration, and an optional add-on for Firefox.

Free Privacy Software
Ad-Aware SE – Ad-Aware SE cleans your pop ups from your system and increases the your privacy while you surf.

Spybot – Possibly the best free privacy utility available. If you still use Internet Explorer, you can’t afford not to have this utility. Spybot removes spyware that silently tracks your surfing behavior using the Windows registry.

Just a few short years ago, having Ad-Aware SE and Spybot installed would have meant peace of mind. Unfortunately, scumware has simply outstripped the combined capabilities of these two utilities. A few of the following pieces of software will help tilt the balance back to the user’s advantage, though.

Spyware Terminator – removes spyware, adware, trojans, keyloggers, home page hijackers and other malware threats.

Windows Defender – a free program that helps you stay productive by protecting your computer against pop-ups, slow performance and security threats caused by spyware and other potentially unwanted software.

Free Rootkit Scanners
BlackLight – Blacklight is possibly the easiest rootkit scanner to use. Many others utilities provide an output that can be difficult to interpret. Unfortunately, this software is only a free trial, not a permanent version.

DarkSpy – An extremely effective rootkit revealer, Darkspy may be difficult for beginners to use.

IceSword – Originally written in Chinese, Icesword has been interpreted into English. There is a tutorial over at Castle Cops, but you need to register to read it.