As you already know, having a PC without an antivirus is a really, really bad idea, so I’m presuming you all have one installed, right? Why then, you might ask, am I going to tell you about the best standalone virus apps? Surely they are surplus to requirements? Well, you might be helping out a friend with a virus problem, using a computer you don’t know or treating a specific problem that you’re not entirely confident your normal antivirus can deal with. Either way, here are some great apps for treating problems that your standard antivirus just can’t handle.
NoVirusThanks Malware Remover is the perfect app for a quick scan of a suspicious computer. A few clicks and this lightweight application will scan for malware such as trojans and worms. It won’t cause conflicts with other security apps you may have installed and, best of all, it’s really easy to use, meaning that even beginners can do some basic virus troubleshooting.
Stinger shouldn’t be used as an anti-virus application because there is a limited number of viruses it can detect. That said, Stinger’s “limited” range still covers over 3,000 nasties, which means that if you come face-to-face with a possible infection (say, a PC that has no antivirus installed), it’s a great first port of call.
VirusTotal Uploader is a desktop app from VirusTotal.com, a fantastic website that any computer user who knows anything about security probably already uses on a regular basis. This program lets you upload suspicious files directly to multiple antivirus engines, without having to open a browser and go to the website manually. You’ll still need the internet to view results, but if you check files on a regular basis, it makes the job much easier.
Hitman is a great app that acts as a second opinion for suspected viruses. If you’ve run your standard suite, a specific vaccine like Stinger and individually picked through your files and folders, but still can’t find the nasty that’s re-directing your homepage (or worse), this is the app you need. It has a number of features going for it that make it the best option when you’ve run out of virus-fighting ideas, the main ones being that it’s portable and doesn’t interfere with security apps you already have installed, meaning that you can run it whenever and wherever you like! Let’s hope you never need a last option, but if you do, Hitman should be it.
