• Can A Avast Boot Scan For Pc Work On Mac
• Avast Boot Scan For Windows 7

Our free Mac antivirus protects on 3 fronts. Malware isn’t the only threat to your Mac. Malicious websites and vulnerable Wi-Fi networks can also jeopardize your safety. Avast Security provides essential free protection against all 3 threats, and our new Pro version goes the extra mile to expose Wi-Fi intruders and stop ransomware. On the other half, it asked for the boot-time scan after the full scan. Every system got both a normal full scan and a boot-time scan. Every system got both a normal full scan and a boot-time scan. Avast Free Antivirus raises the bar on security with real-time protection, intelligent threat-detection, and added security for your network, passwords, and browser. Easy to install and easy to use, no other free antivirus comes close. XP, Compac Presario I just unloaded AVG and went to Avast. When I boot up PC, it does what looks like to be an entire scan of system. I have the option to escape if I want to, but I don't want.

1. You can run different types of scans with Avast, such as a smart scan, a full scan, a boot-time scan (scans for malware before the Windows loads up). The freeware includes a Wi-Fi Inspector tool (helps you find vulnerable networks and settings in your home network) and a limited Software Updater (tells you about other outdated applications).
2. Avast Free Antivirus, boot-time scan running In case Avast detects an infected system file that is critical for running Windows or is located in Windows folder or its subfolder, it stops and waits for an action to perform.

Besides AVG AntiVirus FREE, another solid free security option for Windows is Avira Free Antivirus (sometimes also “misspelled” as Advira) from Germany. How does it compare to Avast Free Antivirus? Both products are very similar to great sets of features. However, Avira is scoring lately as #1 antivirus in the independent tests, especially in the virus and malware detection and a low number of false positives.

On the other hand, Avira is much more aggressive in terms of up-selling to paid versions and the pop-up offers are extremely annoying. Of course, Avast is using them too, but not that frequently. Anyway, let’s take a closer look at both products and see which one is the best.

Avira has also recently started pushing a new product called Avira Free Security Suite which combines all Avira free products – Antivirus, Phantom VPN (500 MB/month), Password Manager, System Speedup, Scout (browser) and Software Updater. Obviously, the whole free suite requires much more system resources, so we recommend staying with the basic Free Antivirus and adding the components you need.

Feature Comparison Table – Does Avira Offer More Than Avast?

Avast definitely offers more in terms of advanced features and tools like Home Network Security for scanning router vulnerabilities, Browser Cleanup for scanning browser extensions, or Software Updater for scanning outdated software in your system. Avira is purely an antivirus, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Both products offer an option to create a bootable disc with the latest antivirus version to clean your system when it doesn’t start.

The only feature which has Avira on top of Avast is the Firewall management. It’s not a built-in Firewall, it’s just providing front-end management for the default Windows Firewall. What is nice about Avira is that it doesn’t require a user to register/activate the product (as Avast does). So you can install and use the product for free forever.

Impact on the System Resources – Which Product is Lighter?

We have measured the impact on the system resources using two ways:

1. How long does the computer to boot into Windows desktop while the Avira or Avast is installed
2. How does the computer perform in various areas (CPU, Graphics, Memory and Disk operations) while the Avira or Avast is installed

In the boot time test where less is better, it took only 28 seconds (on average) to load Windows desktop when Avira Free Antivirus was installed. The same operation took 30 seconds (in average) when Avast Free Antivirus was installed. Default boot-time without any antivirus solution in place took 28 seconds. So according to our testing, Windows loads faster with Avira. Actually, Avira has no delay or impact on the system startup.

Avast vs. Avira – Performance Test Results

In the second area, we have tested computer performance in various areas and impact of the Avira or Avast on the results. Avast scored 2,138 points and Avira got even slightly more –2,147 points. The default performance without any antivirus installed was 2,156 points. So the overall impact on the system performance is really low for both products, but again Avira is the winner here.

Final performance test results are highlighted in the chart below. You can clearly see the difference between no antivirus and Avast or Avira present. Please note the vertical axis ‘Performance Score‘ is not starting from 0, but from 2,116 to clearly show the small differences.

You can find more details about how we tested in the ‘Additional Notes‘ section at the end of the article.

User Interface – Is Avast Easier to use Than Avira?

Avast user interface is really nice and clear. There is only one main action leading to Smart Scan, which runs all seven Avast scans: compatibility, viruses, outdated software, browser add-ons, router issues, performance, and weak passwords. The green button ‘UPGRADE‘ (or ‘ACTIVATE‘) leads to a comparison table of Avast Free Antivirus and Avast premium product (Avast Internet Security).

The status is also indicated by color when green obviously means ‘You’re protected’. The left menu is easy to navigate and structured in four groups – Status (home screen), Protection, Privacy, and Performance. At the bottom part, there is usually an up-sell banner which is quite soft and does blend nicely within the Avast interface.

The whole Avast interface is quite large (1010 x 674 pixels) and will not work on 800 x 600 pixels screens. On 1024 x 768 pixel screens it takes almost whole monitor space.

Avira user interface was completely redesigned in the 2019 version and looks so much better compared to the old one. Although it is much nicer, it is definitely not better in terms of user experience. It kind of lacks the main call-to-action to lead user – there are several different elements which attract user attention (‘Get Pro’ and ‘Register’ buttons in the header, almost invisible button for a quick scan, and a bottom banner promoting mobile security).

The left menu is quite straightforward and allows a user to open quarantine (virus chest), schedule a scan or disable specific protection modules (real-time protection, firewall).

Avira Free Antivirus 2019 User Interface

Can A Avast Boot Scan For Pc Work On Mac

Similar to Avast the status is also indicated by green colors and the message ‘Your computer is secure‘. The components ‘Web Protection‘ and ‘Mail Protection‘ are available only in the paid versions. Game Mode is no longer available in the 2019 version, not sure why it has been removed. What is nice about the interface is that there is no up-sell banner in the whole user interface. The only way to up-sell within the interface is the green ‘Upgrade Now‘ button.

You can start system scan or update directly from the main page although it’s not much visible. Settings are accessible through the cog wheel in left-bottom part of the user interface. Unfortunately, you can’t change program language using the settings.

Localizations/Translations – Is The Product Available in my Language?

Both Avast and Avira are available in plenty of languages, of course for free. But Avast offers many more.

Avast languages (46): Arabic, Belorussian, Bengali, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English (United States/United Kingdom), Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malay, Norwegian, Persian, Pirate talk, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil/Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu and Vietnamese

Avira languages (12): English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Turkish, Russian, Japanese, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional)

What is really annoying is that you can’t change the language manually within the Avira product. It’s somehow automatically detected based on the system settings.

Popularity – Which is the Most Popular Free Antivirus? Avast or Avira?

The better product is, the most users it has. It’s simple as that. However, it’s not easy to say which is the most popular antivirus, if Avast or Avira. For expressing popularity we are using several, publicly accessible methods: official websites, OPSWAT reports, CNET Download.com ratings and social media.

1. Official Sources

According to the official website, Avast is protecting more than 400 million users worldwide, but that also includes AVG products. Last publicly available number was 230 million users before the AVG acquisition. Avira is not stating user numbers publicly anymore before they usually claimed to have over 100 million users. In the recent tweet, Avira stated over 500 million users are protected by their technology. Based on these reliable claims, Avast has at least twice more users than Avira.

2. Antivirus Vendor Market Share by OPSWAT

OPSWAT is regularly releasing reports about the antivirus market share. Data are based on the OPSWAT GEARS software installed on the client machines. According to the latest report from December 2017, Avast is dominating the worldwide market with 19%. Followed by ESET with 14.03% and Malwarebytes with 12.73%. Avira is in the eighth position with 5.81%. It is also important to mention Microsoft for some reason is not included at all.

Avast vs. Avira – Market Share Report December 2017 by OPSWAT

3. CNET Download.com Ranking

Download.com by CNET is the World’s most popular download portal. According to its popularity rankings, Avast has more total downloads – more than 406 million, while Avira has ‘only’ 147 million. Avast is also leading the most popular downloads list for the recent week, while Avira is not even in the top 20.

However, these stats are influenced by each vendor download model. Avast is sending visitors from Avast.com to Download.com while Avira is downloaded from their own internal servers which are not counted to Download.com statistics.

Avast vs. Avira – Number of Downloads & Rating on CNET Download.com June 2017

Both vendors have great editor’s rating of 4 stars (meaning excellent), but Avast has better user/community rating of 4.5 stars versus Avira’s 4 stars.

4. Number of Fans on Social Media Networks

Another way how to measure product/company popularity is by the number of fans/followers on social media networks like Facebook and Twitter. Avast is leading on Facebook with 4.1 million fans vs. Avira’s only 1.2 million. On Twitter, the difference is even bigger. Avast has 181 thousand followers and Avira only 19 thousand.

Avast vs. Avira – Number of Fans/Followers on Facebook and Twitter

Independent Labs Test Results – Will Avira Protect You Better Than Avast?

If you are looking for a more advanced comparison of antivirus protection, the best resources are the independent test labs. These labs are regularly performing various tests like how many viruses will get through the antivirus software, or which vendor offers better performance.

In most of the independence tests, the winner is Avira, whether it’s the Real Word Protection Test or Performance Test. Avast is usually in the top 3. However, Avira usually sends their paid product (Avira Antivirus Pro) for testing while Avast is being tested on the free version.

Selection of the most important and relevant test results is below:

• AV-Comparatives Real Word Protection Test Results (November 2017)
• AV-Comparatives Performance Test Results (October 2017)

Respected computer magazine PCMag gave Avast rating of 4,5 stars and Editor’s Pick award in their comprehensive comparison of free antivirus solutions written by security expert Neil J. Rubenking. Avira got only 3,5 stars.

Our current Editors’ Choice products for free antivirus utility are Avast Free Antivirus and AVG AntiVirus Free. Both get very good scores from the independent labs, and in our own tests as well. Both include some useful bonus features.

Neil J. Rubenking for PCMag

System Requirements & Compatibility – Will the Product Run on my Computer?

Both products will run on a majority of today’s computers as there are no special requirements. The major difference is that Avira is not supporting older versions of Windows (XP or Vista), but it will probably run there too. Both Avast and Avira are also fully compatible with the latest Windows 10.

System Requirements for Avast Free Antivirus 2019

• Supported operating systems: Microsoft Windows 10 / 8.1 / 8 / 7 SP1 or higher / Vista / XP SP2 or higher (any Edition, 32-bit or 64-bit)
• Processor: Intel Pentium 4 / AMD Athlon 64 or above
• Memory: 256 MB RAM or above
• Space: 2 GB of free hard disk space
• Please note that Avast Free Antivirus 2019 won’t work on Microsoft Windows 95 / 98 / ME / 2000 / Server, or any other operating system which isn’t specified above

System Requirements for Avira Free Antivirus 2019

• Supported operating systems: Microsoft Windows 10 / 8.1 / 8 / 7 (any Edition, 32-bit or 64-bit)
• Processor: Intel Pentium 4 / AMD Athlon 64 or above
• Memory: 2 GB RAM
• Space: 2 GB of free hard disk space
• Please note that Avira Free Antivirus 2019 is not officially supported on Microsoft Windows XP / Vista / 95 / 98 / ME / 2000 / Server, or any other operating system which isn’t specified above

Test Conclusion – Both Avast and Avira are Worth of Trying!

Both products have their pros and cons. Avira is definitely more straightforward product with simple features but a better level of protection. Avast offers great protection and lots of extra features on top.

We don’t want to recommend only one of them, instead, we would like to encourage you to try both, and see if Avast or Avira will suit you better. Even they are offered completely for free, the level of protection you will get is comparable with the paid-for antivirus solutions. The download links are below.

If you are looking for premium protection, check out our Internet Security suites comparison including Avast, AVG, Avira, ESET, and Norton (Symantec).

Additional Notes

Information about the product features has been obtained from the official websites of each vendor. If you believe we have stated something not correct, please let us know, and we’ll fix it immediately. Our intention is to offer a fair and fact-based comparison of each product.

For measuring the boot time we have used a free tool called BootRacer. We have tested Avira Free Antivirus 2016 (2016.0.7163) and Avast Free Antivirus 2016 (2016.11.1.2253) released on February 3, 2016. Both tests were performed on a Windows 7 Professional x64 computer with CPU Intel Core i7 @ 2.70GHz and 8 GB RAM.

For measuring the overall PC performance we have used a free tool called PassMark PerformanceTest which tests various areas including CPU, graphics, disk, and memory.

If a Windows system is badly infected with malware, running an antivirus from inside Windows often won’t help. You can more easily find and purge malware by scanning from outside Windows.

Malware can hide itself on an infected system, avoiding detection. Other malware may attempt to battle the antivirus software, preventing it from properly installing or scanning. This is why it’s important to catch malware before it infects you.

Boot Into Safe Mode

Avast Boot Scan For Windows 7

RELATED:How to Use Safe Mode to Fix Your Windows PC (and When You Should)

Safe Mode isn’t completely outside of Windows, so it may not help you if a malware has deeply infected your system files. In Safe Mode, Windows won’t load third-party startup programs or hardware drivers. If malware is running when you boot into Windows normally, it shouldn’t automatically run when you boot into Safe Mode.

From this minimal environment, you can install an antivirus program, scan for malware, and remove it. If you already have an antivirus program installed and it’s failing to remove malware — or the malware is returning after it’s removed — you may have to boot into Safe Mode to remove the malware properly.

To enter Safe Mode on Windows 7 or earlier, restart your computer and repeatedly tap F8 at the start of the boot-up process. Select Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking in the menu that appears. Normal Safe Mode offers no Internet access so you’ll have to install an antivirus from a USB drive or other removable media, while Safe Mode with Networking offers Internet access so you can download and update an antivirus from within Safe Mode. Log into your computer, download and install the antivirus software, and run it.

On Windows 8 or later, press Windows Key + I to open the Settings charm pane. Press and hold the Shift key as you click the Restart option under the power button. Your computer will restart into a special boot options menu. Click Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart. On the Startup Settings screen, press F4 or 4 to enter Safe Mode or press F5 or 5 to enter Safe Mode with Networking.

Restart your computer when you’re done to leave Safe Mode.

Use an Antivirus Boot Disc

RELATED:How to Use An Antivirus Boot Disc or USB Drive to Ensure Your Computer is Clean

Antivirus companies often create boot discs you can use to scan and repair your computer. These tools can be burned to a CD or DVD or installed onto a USB drive. You can then restart your computer and boot from the removable media. A special antivirus environment will load where your computer can be scanned and repaired.

This is all happening outside of Windows — some of these discs are even based on Linux — so the malware won’t be running while this happens. This allows the antivirus to detect rootkits and other normally hidden types of malware, as well as remove malware that would normally try to defend itself.

Scan With a Linux Live CD

RELATED:The 10 Cleverest Ways to Use Linux to Fix Your Windows PC

You can also scan your Windows PC from a Linux live CD or USB drive. For example, if you have a Ubuntu Linux installer disc or USB drive lying around, you can restart your computer with the bootable media inserted and boot into Ubuntu. Click the Try Ubuntu link and you’ll get a full Linux desktop environment you can use.

From here, you can install antivirus software like the open-source ClamAV and its graphical interface ClamTk, or install the Linux version of a commercial antivirus like AVG for Linux or BitDefender for Unices. You can then scan your Windows drive for malware and clean it up from inside Linux. This option is a bit less convenient and will require some knowledge of Linux or Googling if you’re not familiar with using Linux as a troubleshooting toolkit, so most people will prefer a dedicated antivirus boot disc instead.

Remove the Hard Drive and Connect it to Another PC

RELATED:How to Remove Viruses and Malware on Your Windows PC

If you’re dealing with a desktop PC or another computer that allows you to easily remove the hard drive, you don’t have to leave it inside your computer. Open the computer, remove the drive, and connect it to another PC. You’ll then have access to all the files on the hard drive — assuming it wasn’t encrypted, of course.

Whatever the operating system on your other computer — Windows, Linux, or even Mac OS X — you can install antivirus software and use it to scan the secondary drive for malware. This malware can be found and removed from the other operating system, so the malware won’t be running and can’t fight back as you remove it.

All these methods allow you to gain the upper hand over malware running on your PC. Rather than fighting the malware on its own terms, this method allows you to freeze everything happening on your main operating system and carefully clean it up from the outside.

Of course, if your computer does become infected with malware, there’s no way to be completely sure the all malware is gone. For this reason, it’s often a good idea to reinstall Windows — or use the Refresh or Reset features on Windows 8 — after a computer becomes badly infected. You’ll get a clean system with no malware so you’ll know for sure your computer is safe. You also won’t have to waste any time attempting to find and remove malware. If you have backups of your important files, this process often won’t take too long.

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