Avast Antivirus 2017 Free Download Offline Installer

Most free antivirus programs don't offer much besides basic malware protection, but Avast Free Antivirus is a half-step toward being a full-fledged security suite, with many features you 'd normally be charged for. It has not only a password manager and a local network security scanner but gives you lots of configuration options. [UPDATE: Since this review was posted, Avast Free Antivirus has added a secure browser.]

Yet while it didn't sap much of our computer's performance, Avast Free Antivirus took a long time to scan, and its malware protection could be better.

Avast Antivirus

Avast Antivirus Protection

Avast Free Antivirus matches new files with a continually updated database of malware signatures. Anything that slips through is subject to behavioral monitoring that looks for telltale signs of malicious activity. If new malware is found on your machine, you can opt to upload it to Avast's servers for further analysis.

Avast Free Antivirus screens out malicious email attachments and rogue Web pages-- which some other free antivirus products don't do-- and offers a dizzying range of customization options for each feature. However, it doesn't scan online repositories of files for threats. It offers full and quick system scans, the former of which can be scheduled.

The software uses its Smart Scan feature to look for dodgy browser add-ons, weak passwords, compatibility problems, outdated software, network threats and performance issues. You can't fix performance problems, however, without subscribing to the company's Cleanup product for $23.88 a year.

You can use Avast Free Antivirus to scan any single drive, folder or file by locating the item with Windows Explorer or File Explorer, then right-clicking the item and selecting. But Avast won't automatically scan a USB thumb drive when it's plugged in.

Antivirus Performance

Avast Free Antivirus was better at catching malware than Microsoft's Windows Defender or Security Essentials but paled next to the more effective malware shields of the other free Windows antivirus products we reviewed.

Avast did better against widespread, previously recognized, malware, stopping 99.8 percent in September and 99.3 percent in October. All the other free products we recently reviewed, aside from Microsoft's Windows Defender, caught either 99.9 or 100 percent.

In AV-TEST's Windows 8.1 evaluations, Avast Free Antivirus had more success against zero-day malware, stopping 100 percent in November 2015 and 98.3 percent in December. Against widespread malware, it was 99.8 percent effective in each month. That's not bad, but Avira and Bitdefender did better in both categories. Avast scored two false positives-- benign software mistakenly flagged as malware-- in November, and one in December.

Security and Privacy Features

Like most free antivirus products, Avast Free Antivirus has no sandbox to dry-run suspect software. But it does have a password manager, which you won't find in most free AV software, a secure Web browser for banking and shopping, and a game mode for interruption-free play.

The secure browser, called SafeZone, is based on Google's open-source Chromium browser, but we weren't able to add Chrome extensions. That's a good thing, as every extension is a security risk. We were able to take screenshots, however, which the competing free SafePay secure browser from Bitdefender won't let you do.

Installation and Support

Avast Free Antivirus runs on Windows XP (with Service Pack 3) through Windows 10. Once you download the installer, you can either select the easy-installation route or choose "Customize," which lets you pick which Avast Free Antivirus components to install. All told, it took 6 minutes to set up the software; other programs took a minute more or less.

Make sure you uncheck the two little boxes at the bottom left of the first installation screen. If you don't, the Google Toolbar will be installed on your Web browser, and its default search engine will be changed to Google. (If the installer comes from a third-party site, inspect every pre-checked option box.).

Avast notifies you that it may collect your personal information and Web history, but promises to strip identifying details and not to share or sell the information to third parties.

You don't need to register with Avast to use Avast Free Antivirus or receive malware definition updates. Avast tries to upsell you to its paid products, but less intrusively than some other brands. The most annoying bit is a recurring notice at the bottom of the main screen that promises a "welcome gift." It's really an offer for a discount on the premium version.

Avast offers online technical support, and its technicians promise to respond within 24 hours of a query. You will need to register with Avast to do this, but some other free AV products only toss you into the discussion forums if you have a problem. You can also set up Remote Assistance from a more technically minded friend or family member-- let's just call that "grandchild mode.".

Avast Free Antivirus goes beyond what's expected of a free antivirus program by including a password manager and a home-network scanner. It has a barely noticeable system impact and lets you make deep changes to how it operates. Yet the software can take a long time to fully scan a system, and doesn't offer the greatest malware protection. Still, Avast Free is good for those who want extra features with antivirus software, but don't want to pay for them.

Most free antivirus programs don't offer much besides basic malware protection, but Avast Free Antivirus is a half-step toward being a full-fledged security suite, with many features you 'd normally be charged for. Avast Free Antivirus screens out malicious email attachments and rogue Web pages-- which some other free antivirus products don't do-- and offers a dizzying range of customization options for each feature. In AV-TEST's Windows 8.1 evaluations, Avast Free Antivirus had more success against zero-day malware, stopping 100 percent in November 2015 and 98.3 percent in December. You don't need to register with Avast to use Avast Free Antivirus or receive malware definition updates. Avast Free Antivirus goes beyond what's expected of a free antivirus program by including a password manager and a home-network scanner.

Avast Antivirus 2017 Free Download Feature:

Three great new ways to take control

Another huge improvement in Avast 2017 is the user interface. Avast has always been simple to use, some options have sometimes remained hidden or have been unclear. This problem has been solved and Avast 2017 has a clearer and more intuitive interface with configuration options always to hand.

Using Passive Mode is intuitive and easy but we've put together a tutorial, which you can find here, that'll show you exactly how to do it.

Activating Avast 2017 Game Mode is really simple. You can find a walkthrough tutorial here that'll show you the easiest way to get it up and running.

Avast 2017's other great new feature is the Passive Mode, which is perfect for anybody who is enthusiastic about their online security. You can run Avast in Passive Mode whilst another program is running real-time protection.

One such improvement is to CyberCapture, which prevents your PC from becoming infected with Malware. In Avast 2017 CyberCapture gathers data from over 400 million sensors worldwide and makes daily changes to ensure all threats are avoided.

As shielding you from system notifications (vital in online games) Game Mode will optimize your PCs performance by preventing other processes from beginning whilst you're playing games. No resources will be diverted for running updates, for example, they'll be reserved exclusively for the game that you're playing.

Avast are always listening to their customers and year after year they add features and make improvements based on what they want. On top of everything mentioned above Avast 2017 includes security and usability improvements.

Avast 2017 includes, in every version (Free, Internet security, Premier, and Pro), two brand new modes that'll be useful on all PCs. Game Mode and Passive Mode. On top of these new modes, there is also the new Behavior Shield.

Another very useful option has been added to Avast 2017, the Behavior Shield. What Behavior Shield does is monitor the other programs on your PC for any suspicious behavior.

Game Mode is the antivirus setting that every gamer needs. With Game Mode, Avast 2017 will ensure optimized performance whilst silencing all types of notifications during your gameplay.

What is included in each version?

Avast 2017 includes, in every version (Free, Internet security, Premier, and Pro), two brand new modes that'll be useful on all PCs. Avast 2017's other great new feature is the Passive Mode, which is perfect for anybody who is enthusiastic about their online security. You can run Avast in Passive Mode whilst another program is running real-time protection. Like every other year's release, Avast 2017 includes various plans to fit your specific needs. You can check out what each version of Avast 2017 includes in the table below.

Like every other year's release, Avast 2017 includes various plans to fit your specific needs. The free version will keep you protected from most threats and has all of the new features we've already mentioned but there are other extended versions available. You can check out what each version of Avast 2017 includes in the table below.

OS: Windows All

System Requirements: Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista and XP. Including both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

License: FREE

Website: https://www.avast.com

Download Link Free Version: http://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avast_free_antivirus_setup_offline.exe

Download Link Pro Antivirus: http://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avast_pro_antivirus_setup_offline.exe

Avast Internet Security: http://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avast_internet_security_setup_offline.exe

Download Avast Premier: http://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avast_premier_antivirus_setup_offline.exe

Download Free Mac Security: http://download.ff.avast.com/mac/avast_free_mac_security.dmg