Today we are going to propose a list with eleven free programs to remove malware. These are top-level applications with which to search for all kinds of threats on your computer. In addition to the proposals, we will also teach you how to use two of them to locate any malicious program on your computer.
It is important that you keep in mind that it is not recommended to have two or more antiviruses running at the same time on your computer, since they could interfere with each other exposing you to a threat going unnoticed. In any case, most of the applications on the list are perfectly capable of defending your computer on their own.
List of free programs
We start by showing you a list of eleven free applications with which you can protect your computer from viruses and malware. We have configured the list based on the results of the awards for the best security software of 2017 given by the AV Comparatives institute, one of the most reputable and whose awards visibly shine all security applications.
- bitdefender: Awarded product of the year 2017 by AV Comparatives, in addition to its paid solutions we also have the free version of Bitdefender. It offers us lightness to work on less powerful computers, silent scans and the absence of slowdowns or integrated advertising.
- Avira: Although the price of the full version is 10 euros per month, one of the best security programs on the market also has its free Avira Free Antivirus application. You will have two free options, either simply download your antivirus or download a suite with advanced features such as a password manager or VPN.
- avast: Avast has become one of the security giants after buying AVG to ensure that it is present on 40% of the world’s computers. Its main feature is clear notifications with all the necessary information.
- AVG: Although newly acquired by Avast, AVG continues to hold its own as a very well-positioned independent antivirus. It has an AVG Free for those looking for a versatile and cost-free solution.
- eScan: Also highly valued for its security, having false positives and its security against malware, along with its paid offers, it offers us Free eScan Anti-Virus Toolkit. It allows you to scan and clean your computer from viruses, spyware, adware and many other types of malware.
- Tencent: The Chinese telecommunications giant also has its own free security suite called Tencent PC Manager, which also ranks very well in the list of best antivirus on the market. Protects against all types of malware, and monitors online payments, links, and searches.
- VIPRE: Clean and with a very careful interface, VIPRE is also among the best security solutions. It does not offer a free antivirus, but it does offer a free malware removal tool called VIPRE Rescue.
- Panda: The mythical security company remains among the greats thanks to its simple and perfect solution for real-world dangers. It offers an easy, lightweight Panda Free with an excellent rate of detection of threats. It includes a USB scanner and a game mode to reduce its consumption when you play video games or play multimedia content.
- ESET: It may not have such balanced results, but it has been awarded for its excellence in not being confused with false positives. It only has paid solutions, but it also has a free online scanner to be able to scan your computer for malware without having to download anything
- BullGuard: Another popular defense program that has been awarded precisely for its ability to defend us from malware. Unfortunately BullGuard does not have a free version, but for specific moments we can use the 15 to 30-day free trial that they offer us.
- Windows Defender: And we end with the native security solution of Windows 10, which Microsoft is making evolve with each update so that using it you do not need to install any other type of third-party antivirus. Possibly it is still a bit unknown, but in Genbeta they thoroughly tested it, getting very good impressions.
How to remove malware with them
Since it would take forever to explain how each of them works, we are going to explain how to scan your computer for malware with two of them. On the one hand, we are going to use Bitdefender because it is one of the most outstanding programs awarded by AV Comparatives, but we will also teach you how to do it with Windows Defender because it is the pre-installed application on all Windows computers.
Find and remove malware with Bitdefender
The first thing you have to keep in mind, both with Bitdefender and with most free antiviruses, is that the first thing you will have to do is register to have an account on the service. You will do this by clicking on the registration button, whose position will depend on the application, but which will be visible because sometimes you will not be able to use the program until you register.
Bitdefender is an extremely easy application to use. When you open it, you will see a green message telling you that your system is protected. On this main screen, click on the System Scan button to start a scan of all the files on your computer. You can also drag folders to the application to analyze them.
At that time, the application will start scanning your computer. You will see a System scan in progress message below, and next to it a percentage that will indicate the progress of the scan. When it reaches 100% it will be over. Most free antiviruses are usually that simple to use, and you will always have to look for a scan button that will usually be perfectly visible.
When the scan is finished, a screen with the results will appear. Here, the number of detected malware files will appear in red. If you have detected any Click on the View files button to see what files are and decide what to do with them.
Here you will be shown the threats that have been detected, and you can ask Bitdefender to do what you think is most appropriate with them. For it, opens the Action column dropdown window (1) to the right of each threat, and choose whether to clean, delete, quarantine, or ignore the threat. Do it with all the threats, and then press Apply Actions (2) to apply the orders you have given it.
Many free antiviruses work in a similar wayand the options that you have been able to see in the step by step focused on Bitdefender will not vary too much in the rest of the alternatives when running them and performing an analysis.
Find and remove malware with Windows Defender
The native security program of Windows 10 is prepared so that you do not have to complicate your life. When you open its main screen, Click on the Virus and Threat Protection option which will have a shield icon. The option is both on the main screen and in the left column of options.
Once on this screen, just click on the Browse Now button to start a system scan. This is a quick scan that won’t find all threats, but it will catch the most important ones.
If you want to do a more exhaustive analysis, it is recommended that click on the Run a new advanced exam option. It will take you to a screen where you can choose different types of exams that are most effective.
on this screen you will be able to choose three types of analysis. The first is a thorough and thorough one that will thoroughly scan your computer and will take over an hour to complete. You can also make a custom one from the folders you want, and a quick one offline from Windows that will take just 15 minutes.
When you’re done, Windows Defender will tell you if there are any threats, and if so you only have to press the Start Actions button and let him take care of the rest. Its main difference from most other alternatives is that it won’t let you choose the actions, but will take whatever action the app deems appropriate when you ask it to do something with the malware.
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