

While Bitdefender Free doesn't include every feature of the commercial edition, its core antivirus engine is the same as what the independent labs test, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus. Kaspersky Security Cloud Free also performed impressive optimization in its latest test, going from 70 minutes for the initial scan down to 4.5 minutes for a repeat scan. That scan clearly performed some optimization, as a repeat scan finished barely over a minute. A full scan took 58 minutes, quicker than the current average of 64 minutes. When you launch a scan, the scan's progress simply appears in the events timeline, unless you click it to see the full scan window. That's the whole interface.Īs always, you should run a full scan right after installation, to root out any malware that infested the system before you installed antivirus. There's a button to run the full system scan, a drag/drop spot to scan specific files or folders, and a timeline of recent activity. The premium edition's main window isn't especially busy, but the free edition is simplicity itself.

Many free antivirus products look just like their commercial equivalents, but with some features grayed out or visibly locked. You need to sign up for a Bitdefender account to activate the product (or sign in if you already have one). During the setup process, it downloads the latest version and scans for active malware. Getting Bitdefender Free running on your system is quick and easy. Best Malware Removal and Protection Software.Now I feel like I'm on a crusade for Truth and Justice. If I have to choose between BitDefender and Remote Utilities, it's Remote Utilities hands down! I submitted a false positive for the agent to their website: It looks like I can change permissions, but when I try, everything's grayed out. It looks like it's owned by me and and I have full permissions, but when I try to run it, I get still access denied. I've spend 2 hours on the web, but it's clearly something deeply behind the scenes that none of these posts even address. The REAL definition is "almost certainly unwanted" as in, <1% of people ever use it, and 99% of people have it installed unintentionally, and 99% of people when they discover it and have the opportunity, uninstall it.Īlso of note: when I restored the file from quarantine, somehow it now has security permissions that I can not access it. I know plenty of people who would say, "I don't want that crap anywhere near my system." Even the Windows 10 installer is, technically, "potentially" unwanted.


It's a unilateral decision, judgement call, by BitDefender. So there's no signature, nor application process that you can appeal. PUA stands for potentially unwanted application.
