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Avast Free Antivirus offers a robust feature-set in a revamped interface that makes using the product a breeze. New features include wake-on-scan, heuristic engine and code emulator, integrity checking, behavior analysis, and a gaming mode for uninterrupted play. Avast Free Antivirus has been certified by both AV-Test.org and AV-Comparatives, receiving respectable scores from both testing agencies.

Avast also has a consistent Pass record in VB100 testing.

In a three month test performed by AV-Test.org in the fourth quarter of 2010, Avast Free Antivirus scored a 3.5 (out of a possible 6) for prevention of malware and a 4.0 for its ability to remove an existing infection. AV-Test.org rated usability at 5.5.

Avast Free Antivirus has somewhat limited scanning of Web traffic (the paid version offers more complete coverage), but it does offer fairly extensive scanning for peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing and instant messaging downloads. Email scanning is accomplished via a basic proxy or, in the case of Outlook, via a special plug-in.

Avast has a large user community, while helps if seeking assistance. The large community also facilitates rapid collection of emerging new malware samples, which in theory could mean faster updates. Overall, the price can't be beat (it's free) and the feature set is solid.

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