Having an antivirus application or antimalware software installed on your system while connected to the internet is essential these days, not only to protect you if you browse questionable websites or use torrents etc, but even legitimate websites can be hacked and serve malicious files to unsuspecting visitors. One example is celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's website recently being hacked several times serving up possible malware to its unsuspecting visitors.
If you have a computer that isn't connected to the internet, such as one with XP installed, it's still useful to sometimes scan the computer to make sure nothing malicious has found its way onto the system. Even with an antivirus installed on the system, some malware can disable your internet connection and if it was somehow allowed to get through, you cannot go online until the issue is fixed.
There are ways to run a virus scan without an active internet connection or installing a full antivirus suite, one option is to run a scan from a bootable CD or USB stick. Here's another solution which is using a portable antivirus scanner that can check your system for viruses and malware without needing installation or an internet connection on the target computer. We have 10 for you to try out.
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1. Emsisoft Emergency KitThis is perhaps less of an emergency kit than previous versions as HijackFree the system analysis tool and BlitzBlank the hard to remove file and registry entry deleter have been removed, but you still get the effective award winning anti malware scanner in both GUI and command line versions.
Download and run the executable to extract the Emergency Kit. If you run it on a system with no internet connection select No to bypass the online definition update. For the latest virus definitions you can take the EEC folder to another computer and let it update, although the website seems to update the Emergency Kit executable at least once a day so the definitions should never be more than 24 hours old.
The Quick Scan is only a light scan and checks a few common locations where malware commonly resides, while the Malware Scan is more thorough and Emsisoft's recommended option. For a total scan of the entire system with all the scanning and cleaning methods the Emergency Kit has at its disposal, use the Custom Scan. A useful option is the Whitelist which excludes files, folders or processes from the scan.
Download Emsisoft Emergency Kit
2. Avira PC Cleaner
Avira used to be the most popular free antivirus around until they entered into a partnership with Ask.com and its unpopular toolbar. There's no denying though, that Avira's detection rates are still very good and running an offline scan with Avira PC Cleaner gives you that benefit.
The main issue with Avira PC Cleaner is it needs to be semi installed and run on an internet enabled computer first to download the 100MB+ of definitions. Once that's done, go to the Windows Temp folder (Win+R and type %temp%) and copy the folder Cleaner to another folder or flash drive. Then run the ‘Remove Avira PC Cleaner' desktop shortcut to delete everything. An option is available in the main interface to copy PC Cleaner directly to a USB flash drive.
Then when you run PC Cleaner simply use the avwebloader.exe and select Yes to use the existing definitions. There are two modes, normal and a check box for a Full scan which obviously takes longer. It's not fully clear what each mode does but normal appears to scan critical areas such as the Windows and Users folders, full will likely scan the whole drive or all drives on the computer.
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3. Microsoft Safety Scanner
Safety Scanner is effectively an offline portable version of Microsoft Security Essentials. Sadly Security Essentials took a reputation hit a few years ago after Microsoft stated that MSSE will always be behind other antivirus software in terms of detection rates because it's designed that way. But it's still a quick and easy tool that can also be run alongside other security software.
Download the version of Safety Scanner compatible with your offline system (32-bit or 64-bit), run the tool and accept the license. Three scan types are available, Quick Scan checks the important and common areas of the system that could contain viruses, Full Scan will check the entire system and the customize option allows adding of a specific drive or folder which will be checked in addition to a Quick Scan.
The around 180MB Safety Scanner executable you download will expire in 10 days, at which point you will need to download a new version, Microsoft say that the downloadable Safety Scanner executable is updated with the latest virus definitions several times a day.
Download Microsoft Safety Scanner
4. Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool
Kaspersky is well known for being top or close to the top in most major antivirus tests so the Virus Removal Tool is potentially one of the best antivirus scanners around. KVRT has undergone a few changes recently and now has no configuration options to speak of and the main program is more self contained, extracting only the virus database to the Windows Temp folder.
After running KVRT and accepting the license agreement, wait for it to initialize and unpack its database to the Temp folder then choose what you want to scan by clicking the Change parameters button. There are options to scan the system memory, startup objects, drive boot sectors, the system drive and other folders/drives of your choice from the 'Add object…' button. It will only run a quick scan by default (memory, startup objects and boot sectors).
After a few days Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool will warn the database is outdated and prompt you to download an updated version from the website, Kaspersky updates the executable every 2 hours or so and it's around 100MB in size. The 2015 versions of Virus Removal Tool also adds command line arguments to the program.
Download Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool
5. Comodo Cleaning Essentials
The Comodo Cleaning Essentials mini suite consists of a few other useful tools besides the antivirus cleaner. You get an advanced task management, monitoring and analysis tool called KillSwitch and a part of KillSwitch that can be used as a standalone tool is the Autorun Analyzer that shows and allows you to view and control anything starting with your computer.
You will need to run Comodo Cleaning Essentials on a computer with internet access first to download the virus database. To do that launch CCE.exe and start a Smart Scan which will automatically download the 200MB+ signature database. When it starts to scan exit CCE and you have the database ready to use offline. When using the program with an offline computer just choose Skip when it says the server cannot be contacted.
Smart scan checks system memory, autorun entries, services, boot sectors, registry entries and system files. Full Scan will perform a scan of all drives on the system in addition to the Smart scan. Custom Scan will let you manually choose what you want somewhere in between the two. Comodo Cleaning Essentials has an options window at the top right with extra settings like scanning archives or MBR's and setting the heuristics level.
Download Comodo Cleaning Essentials
6. ClamWin
ClamWin is an open source on demand virus scanner that is built around the also open source ClamAV antivirus engine. While ClamWin itself has no real-time protection abilities, another free tool called Clam Sentinel can help give basic real time scanning.
The portable version of ClamWin is created by Portableapps.com and only includes the program without the virus definitions databases, so they will have to be downloaded on an internet enabled computer through ClamWin or manually download the 3 CVD files from ClamAV and add them to the ClamWinPortableDataDb folder.
Scanning is done manually in ClamWin so you just click on a drive or double click and browse for a folder or file to scan, multiples can be selected via Shift-click. Alternatively a quicker memory scan will check just the files loaded into system memory. Because it's an on demand scanner from the outset, there are a number of options for filtering, email alerts, size limiting, Office attachments and how to treat infected files.
Download ClamWin Portable
7. Dr.Web CureIt!
Dr.Web have been offering CureIt! as a free standalone antivirus scanner for several years and it's also able to scan for and detect a number of different types of threats, including adware, hack tools, jokes and riskware in addition to the viruses, trojans, spyware, rootkits you would normally expect.
You'll notice the download filename is different each time which is a security measure to help bypass some malware. On launch the program unpacks itself to the system Temp folder and then runs. The main default scanning mode is an Express scan which checks memory, boot sectors, root folders, Windows and Document folders and Temp folders. You can alter those options and add your own drives or folders from 'Select objects for scanning'.
CureIt! has a number of settings in the Preferences menu at the top right, such as auto applying actions, exclusions, default actions and protecting CureIt! operations. Dr.Web are very quick with their updates as the program cannot update itself, new executables are released approximately every hour.
Download Dr.Web CureIt!
8. Panda Cloud Cleaner Portable
Despite the name, Cloud Cleaner will also work while you are completely offline. It is less effective without the internet though because the local virus database only detects the most common and dangerous infections. That said, Panda Cloud Cleaner is still a useful program while offline.
The PCCLauncher.vbs is useful because it closes unneeded processes first and then runs the cleaner, which helps if an infection has stopped you running exe files. To get the latest virus definitions the program will first need to be run online, then taken to an offline PC. For a normal launch run PCloudCleaner.exe and click the button to accept the license and run a default quick scan which checks the registry, memory and common malware locations.
Two other scan options are available by clicking the arrow next to the scan button, 'Analyze all PC' will scan the whole system and 'Analyze other elements' allows for selecting additional drives or folders. Besides malware, Cloud Cleaner also checks for unknown files and other suspicious behavior or settings, in addition a basic cleaner can remove temp files, browser files, cookies and etc. Options to close unnecessary processes or deleted locked files are in Advanced Tools.
Download Panda Cloud Cleaner Portable
9. eScanAV AntiVirus Toolkit
eScanAV is perhaps less well known than most of the other tools here, but detection results in the major antivirus tests for eScan products put it ahead of some major household names. They also offer this Antivirus Toolkit which is a proper dedicated portable virus scanner.
One issue is the kit currently contains virus definitions that are months out of date, so you need to first get them updated on an internet enabled computer. The best way to do this so the updated version can be reused is to unpack mwav.exe with an archiver like 7-Zip and run mexe.com to launch the program, then click Update to download the latest definitions. Once that's done the mwav folder can be taken to an offline computer and eScanAV launched with mwavscan.com.
Usage is very easy as all the options are in the one window, select which areas, drives and/or folders to scan, choose if you want to scan only or clean as well and whether to check archives, then start the process. Note that an unpacked eScanAV folder with updated definitions is around 600MB in size.
Download eScanAV AntiVirus Toolkit
10. VIPRE Rescue
VIPRE Rescue is different from all the other tools here because it is run entirely using a command line interface so it's not as easy for the average user to control the options and view the results. This one may be more suited to the technically minded.
It is easy to get the program running though, simply download the 200MB+ executable and upon launch it will extract to the folder of your choice and begin running a scan. The default is a Deep Scan with Rootkit checking enabled. If you want to run a Quick Scan use the /quick argument, to disable the rootkit scan use /norootkit. Supplying /path {path to folder} allows scanning of custom folders. Don't forget to CD to the path or you'll get a definition files not found error.
By default VIPRE Rescue will clean the infected objects so if it falsely quarantines something you will need to use the command line to list and the restore a quarantined item. As the program cannot update itself, new downloadable executables are added to the website every day with the latest definitions.
Download VIPRE Rescue
Notes:Sophos Virus Removal Tool would be an unofficial number 11 but there was a few reasons we left it out. Firstly it asks for a name and email to download, it also installs itself fully onto the system before you can copy the folder and only a full system scan is carried out. Still a useful option if you want something extra to try. We did also look at Zillya! Scanner but the definitions have not been updated since December 2014. Norman Malware Cleaner which you might see listed elsewhere is no longer available.
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ReplyThanks for the mid-2015 update to this very useful list.
Please consider two small additions to the next update.
— First, for each product explicitly identify whether it is scan only OR scan & remediate (default clean; default ask (best!); mandatory clean) and whether changes are reversible (i.e., whether both deleted and originals of 'cleaned' files are quarantined). For example the VIPRE Rescue review is slightly ambiguous.
— Second, include a summary table at the end.
Can always use another virus tool in my tool-box. Thank you much….
ReplyThanks raymond very much
ReplyThanks Raymond! I had an infected PC that disabled task manager and my antivirus. But when i scanned it with this, it was detected and my PC is working well again. Thanks again!
ReplyMy experience was firstly, fun to use the commandline, but scanner is real slow, actually took overnight. Very much dependant on parameters you choose for scanning. I used 'Smart' as I thought it may be quick, as I just wanted to trial the program, not do an allnighter. The results, four FP's was disappointing.
I'm sure this is an excellent program, I was able to update the sig Database o.k. Didn't use any advanced tools, they I would hope, may be the most dynamic of the bunch in this package.
Hmmm, you know compared with downloading MalwareBytes AntiMalware, and running Hijackthis, makes me think that to be a better option personally, remembering each persons computer environment is specifically their own, what suits one doesn't necessarily suit all.
Offsite I see this Emisoft bundle a great way to run a Malware test on a comp with no internet access.
Thanks Raymond. It is now part of my scanning kit.
Regards.
thanks raymond!
Replyhey. thanks man. this is what i'm looking for… emergency kit
ReplyNot been a great fan of A-Squared for few years now, but this is a totally different program it seems. Thanks for the heads up.
I take it as being an on demand scanner like MalwareBytes Anti Malware, with a bells and whistles 'toolkit' !
ReplyThank you Raymond for sharing the info. Seems to be a must have tool.
ReplySounds like very useful, by the way, this is first time i heard of it. Will go download and try it out.
Replygood . thanks…
ReplyThanks a lot for showing us this important security tool.
ReplyHey nice article. zit helps to have something to scan on the infected systems
ReplySounds very cool software. Ghostnote 2 2 3 esv.
ReplyThanks for the news, It's a useful tool!
ReplyThis is cool. Thanks for the information.
ReplyThanks for this useful tool!
ReplyHey Raymond, thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyLeave a Reply
Hello friends, Today I will share top 15 best free Malware scanner for Windows PC/Laptops. All the Malware Scanner are free, and you can use on Windows 10, 8, and 8.1. They will provide free Malware protection. These Malware scanners can identify any virus or an infected file on your PC/laptops. They have free malware protection for your computer and users can also use firewall protection.
In this world of digital advancement and online activities; online threats such as viruses, ransomware, phishing and other kinds of malware have come to prominence too. Your PC and other devices face risks from these harmful threats now more than ever. And that's why; an anti-virus or a malware scanner is a must-have necessity for your machine nowadays. And some shortage of cash shouldn't let you or your devices vulnerable to these online threats.
Contents
- 1 Top 15 Best Free Malware Scanner 2018 for Windows 10, 8, 8.1 PC/Laptops
These are the best top 15 Free Malware Scanner of 2018. We have shared their download link with the brief description of every Antivirus. You can check the complete list of free Malware Scanner for your Windows PC/Laptops.
Read more: Top 10 Best Free Antivirus for Windows 7 – Download Free Antivirus of 2017
Top 15 Best Free Malware Scanner 2018 for Windows 10, 8, 8.1 PC/Laptops
These are the best top 15 Free Malware Scanner of 2018. We have shared their download link with brief description about each and every Antivirus. Some of these Malware scanner even have free firewall protection. You can check the complete list of free Malware Scanner for your Windows PC/Laptops.
- Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition
- Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
- Avira Antivirus
- Avast Free Antivirus
- AVG Free Antivirus
- Kaspersky Lab Internet Security
- 360 Total Security
- Sophos Home Free Antivirus
- Panda Free Antivirus
- Comodo Antivirus
- Check Point ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall
- Microsoft Windows Defender
- Quick Heal Antivirus Free
- Adaware Antivirus Free
- Emsisoft Anti Malware
Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition
Bitdefender is a Romanian online security firm that is currently on a roll regarding its malware scanners. The company offers a range of remarkable anti-virus and anti-malware products, which can protect your computers from all kinds of threats. Including viruses, worms, Trojans, rootkits, spam, adware, etc. If you are looking for a free malware scanner for your PC, the Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition should be the first one you can give a try.
Remarkable Features
Real-time protection, almost 100% detection rate, autopilot, anti-malware and anti-phishing.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
Malwarebytes is one of the most popular and useful malware scanners in the market. Its popularity precedes its name as it comes loaded with tons of features and tools to help combat malware and other threats on your PC. You can use Malwarebytes smoothly even with other Antivirus as it doesn't try to obstruct their working. It helps in better maintenance of your PC's security by complementing the anti-virus. Its basic free version is super-powerful in itself and can take out almost all kinds of malware threats from your PC alone.
Remarkable Features
Powerful, efficient, reliable analytics, works smoothly with other Antiviruses.
Read more: Top 20 Types of Computer Viruses – Names of Computer Viruses – 2018 Updated -Beware-
Avira Antivirus
Avira Free Antivirus is candle holder in the field of protection from viruses and malware. Every computer user has used Avira Antivirus at least once in its life. Avira has made a name for itself since its establishment in 1986 and has served millions of satisfied customers over the years. One of the greatest things people love about Avira is that it doesn't bother you always to upgrade to paid version, unlike other antiviruses. Avira boasts of a clean and straightforward UI and provides the users with lots of options for scanning and blocking malware.
Remarkable Features
The free add-on, the best protection against all kinds of malware, fantastic interface.
Read more: Top 10 Best Android P Features You Must Know – Latest Android Version
Avast Free Antivirus
Avira Free Antivirus is candle holder in the field of protection from viruses and malware. Every computer user has used Avira Antivirus at least once in its life. Avira has made a name for itself since its establishment in 1986 and has served millions of satisfied customers over the years. One of the greatest things people love about Avira is that it doesn't bother you always to upgrade to paid version, unlike other antiviruses. Avira boasts of a clean and straightforward UI and provides the users with lots of options for scanning and blocking malware.
Remarkable Features
The free add-on, the best protection against all kinds of malware, fantastic interface.
AVG Free Antivirus
If the constant ad pop-ups of Avast bother you too much, you can switch over to AVG for malware scanning and protection on your computer. AVG Free Antivirus provides the users with all-around protection against all types of malware. It also keeps vigilance against your online activities for protection against online threats while its smart gaming mode ensures smooth performance of games on your computer. AVG is one of the complete malware scanners you can get out there.
Remarkable Features
Marvelous ratings, on-demand malware scan, the range of customisation.
Read more: Has my Email been Hacked? Top 10 Ways to Check Email Hacked
Kaspersky Lab Internet Security
Another famous and reputed name in the online security field, Kaspersky has long claimed itself to be the best malware scanner in the market. And once you use it, you won't disagree. The latest edition of Kaspersky Lab Internet Security is fitted with more tools with a simple home interface which allows you to choose from the options of Scan, Update and many more. Kaspersky comes loaded with advanced features like audio and webcam protection, online shopping protection, vulnerability scanner, etc. The Kaspersky firewall never bothers you, and there are not many annoying pop-ups on your screen with this one.
Remarkable Features
Parental control, firewall, online protection, regular updates, efficient malware detection.
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360 Total Security
Caesar slot machine. Another reputed and well-known player in the field of malware scanners and antiviruses, 360 total security entirely lives up to its name and provides your system with all-around protection from all kinds of threats like viruses, Trojans, ransomware, phishing, spamming, pop-ups and whatnot. 360 Total Security has its mobile app and also provide mobile security which is its most prominent feature. The one major negative you may point out with 360 is its not-upto-the-mark interface.
Remarkable Features
All-around protection, real-time threat detection, mobile application, mobile security.
Sophos Home Free Antivirus
Sophos Home is a malware scanner package which doesn't end up creating a hole in its users' pockets. It's a highly rated free malware scanner which can provide enterprise-grade security at your personal computer. You will have to create an account on their website to get the free version of the Sophos malware scanner, but that is a simple and straightforward process. All you need to do next is to download the installation file to your PC and run it then. Sophos antivirus not only secures your computer from malware and online phishing, but also from harmful or unwanted apps and spams. Sophos won't bother you to upgrade to paid version too, like ever.
Remarkable Features
100% free, no nagging, enterprise-grade security, web activity scanner.
Panda Free Antivirus
This fantastic but free malware scanner named Panda Free Antivirus provides you with excellent scanning and customisation features. Panda is capable of real-time protection and can detect the latest malware too. It also does sometimes provide you with false positives to increase its image and keeps nagging you to upgrade to its premium version. Other significant features of Panda Free Antivirus include real-time protection from malware, Panda Cloud Cleaner, URL scanner for safeguarding the web activities, and USB protection for combating with Trojans.
Remarkable Features
Little to no impact on system performance, excellent customizability, fantastic interface.
Comodo Antivirus
Comodo is an amazingly feature-rich malware scanner with a free basic version that works just fine. It also one of the strictest malware scanners right now which ensures that each program being executed clear through its scanner nose. Comodo malware scanner comes with an option of cloud scanning which is kept regularly updated with latest threats and malware. It keeps improving itself time-to-time as new data are fed into it by the users.
Remarkable Features
Auto sandbox, clean interface, strictest scanner among all malware scanners.
Check Point ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall
Check Point's ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus is another excellent free malware scanner which comes with a badass firewall that makes it entirely worthy to be put on our list. Although you need to keep a close tab on it during installing this program as it may try to fix its browser too, ZoneAlarm also downloads and updates its directory with all the latest definitions of malware and signatures during installation. ZoneAlarm also comes with a neat and pleasant looking interface and is entirely free to use.
Remarkable Features
Swift interface, Kaspersky licensed malware scanner, effective firewall.
Microsoft Windows Defender
The Windows Defender of Microsoft has managed to improve its reputation today. This easy-to-use malware scanner comes pre-loaded with all versions of Windows, and its latest version of Windows 10 has made sure you won't need to install any other malware scanner on your PC ever. It won't bother you with nagging pop-ups and would never ask to upgrade to premium version. It has managed to score significantly on a recent test by showing the ability to kill prevalent malware and threats.
Remarkable Features
Completely free, doesn't affect Windows performance, never nag for upgrading to premium.
Quick Heal Antivirus Free
An Indian offering, Quick Heal has managed to make a name for itself in its target market, and audience and have even succeeded in overthrowing the need for different malware scanners among Indian users. Although Quick Heal is far from providing security from all kinds of possible threats, it guarantees excellent and useful threat detection with real-time support. Quick Heal also boasts of an automatic rogue ware scanner which scans and takes care of rogue softwares and applications, a remarkable feature rarely found in other malware scanners.
Remarkable Features
Automatic rogue ware scanner, simple user interface, efficient threat protection.
Adaware Antivirus Free
A rebranded malware scanning program previously known as Ad-aware Free Antivirus+, Adaware is an okayish but straightforward malware scanner which can cater to your necessary security requirements. The antivirus lives up to its name and glorifying history against spyware protection pretty efficiently and also comes with a behavioral analysis feature. This malware scanner from Adaware monitors downloaded programs to detect threats and inconsistencies automatically and provides with a warning in case you are about to visit an unsafe website.
Remarkable Features
Download protection, malware scanner, excellent anti-spyware, behavioral analysis.
Emsisoft Anti Malware
Emsisoft is a simple anti-malware software which can be used efficiently to scan and remove malware from your computer. It can be stored in USB drives and used from there, so you don't even need to store it on your PC for scanning malware. Emsisoft features a fast and interactive interface which is designed primarily to save your time and can do much more than cleaning viruses and malware from your PC.
Remarkable Features
Quick interface, portable (can be stored and used for pen drives.
Last Words on Top 15 Best Free Malware Scanner 2018 for Windows 10, 8, 8.1 PC/Laptops
Fastest Free Virus Scanner
These are the best and most used free Malware scanners. Several users around the world are using these Malware scanners on their Windows PC/Laptops. All these Malware scanners can track and remove the virus from your Windows. You can also share your best Malware Scanner in the comments below and don't forget to share this article with your friends.
