Automatic updates are another need in virus protection. Both the virus database and the program itself can be updated automatically. The updates are incremental, with only new or missing data downloaded: thus reducing the transfer heavily. The typical size of a virus database update are tens of KB; program updates are typically in the hundreds of KB range.

The Virus Chest can be thought of as a folder on your disk drive, having special properties that make it a safe, isolated place suitable for storing certain files. You can work with the files in the Chest, though with some security restrictions.

avast! antivirus features outstanding integration into your system. A scan can be started directly from Windows Explorer, by clicking a folder or a file with your right mouse button and selecting the corresponding choice from the menu.

Since version 4.1, avast! includes the Virus Cleaner, a tool designed for a complete removal of most common infections from already-infected computers. So now is avast! capable even to reliably heal (not only detect) the most common malware.

avast! Home/Professional now fully supports the 64-bit Windows platform. ALWIL Software is anticipating massive take-up of this platform, as Windows XP 64-Bit Edition will support up to 32 GB of RAM and 16 TB of virtual memory, enabling applications to run faster when working with large data sets.

Commitment to internationalization is one of the key benefits of avast!. During the last 2 years, avast! has been translated to a number of languages and the latest version added additional language modules.

ImVajra Spyware Remover is multifunctional anti-spyware to protect local system and networking security. It enables you to scan every process under your local/web-service, to block and remove spyware, PUP, or any type of Browser Plug-in.

Copperhead AntiSpyware provides the best protection against spyware, adware, trojan horses, auto dialers, keyloggers, spyware cookies, adbots, spybots, rootkits, browser hijackers, phishing attacks, backdoors and other malware threats.

AVG Anti-Virus Professional did a fine job in the disinfection tests, reversing more than 80 percent of changes made by malware. It was the only program that removed all malware files and reversed both changes to the Hosts network settings file, though like every other app it missed some less-important Registry changes.

McAfee FreeScan helps you detect thousands of viruses on your computer. Based on the award-winning McAfee VirusScan engine, FreeScan searches for viruses, including the latest known "in the wild" viruses, and displays a detailed list of any infected files.