Portable Antivirus
Is something not quite right with your computer? Are you being plagued by pop-up windows trying to get you to download security software or alerts claiming your PC isn’t secure? It sounds like you’ve been infected with a type of threat known as scamware.
Sometimes the antivirus tools installed on the machine just aren't enough. When that time comes, you'll be glad you have one (or more) tools on your USB drive to help you out. I've found five such tools that could certainly get you out of a serious pinch. All these tools are portable and work great.
Kaspersky Security Scan
They’ve changed the way this software runs now, it is not portable anymore but still perform the scan as usual. Checks for known malware and software vulnerabilities on your PC – plus advises you on your PC’s security status with the free Kaspersky Security Scan. Kaspersky Security Scan uses Kaspersky Lab’s latest technologies – plus real-time access to cloud-based security information – to ensure it can scan your PC for the latest viruses and emerging threats.
ClamWin Portable
ClamWin Portable is very much like its big brother: It's free, open source, and does a great job of disinfecting machines. ClamWin has a high detection rate, has frequently updated definitions, and provides an easy-to-use graphical interface. ClamWin doesn't offer a real-time scanner, but that's not an issue for a portable version. This is my go-to portable virus scanning
Comodo Cleaning Essentials
Comodo Cleaning Essentials (CCE) is a set of computer security tools designed to help users identify and remove malware and unsafe processes from infected computers. Designed as a portable application, the software requires no installation and can be run directly from removable media such as a USB key. CCE consists of two core technologies:
- KillSwitch – an advanced system monitoring tool that allows users to identify, monitor and stop potentially unsafe processes that are running on endpoint systems. Uniquely for a product of its type, KillSwitch leverages Comodo’s huge whitelist database to isolate untrusted processes with an extremely high degree of accuracy – improving IT operational efficiency by reducing false positives and cutting the amount of time spent troubleshooting an endpoint machine.
- Malware scanner – fully featured malware scanner capable of unearthing and removing viruses, rootkits, hidden files and malicious registry keys hidden deep within a system. The scanner is highly configurable, uses the latest heuristic techniques to detect previously unknown viruses, features first-class malware removal capabilities and is capable of detecting hidden drivers and services loaded during system start-up.
Norton Power Eraser
When it comes to antivirus programs, Norton (by Symantec) is a legendary name, and the Norton Power Eraser does it full justice. It’s a lightweight, standalone utility that can quickly detect and remove even the most aggressive of the viruses. In addition, it can get rid of unwanted applications of root-kits. But perhaps the most unique feature of Norton Power Eraser is Reputation Scan, which can be used to send a specified file/folder to a Symantec server, so that it can be scanned by signature-based detection engines. You can even configure it to scan a particular OS, if your PC has more than one Operating System installed.
Microsoft Safety Scanner
Do you think your PC has a virus? The Microsoft Safety Scanner is a free downloadable security tool that provides on-demand scanning and helps remove viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. It works with your existing antivirus software.
NOTE: Microsoft Safety Scanner expires 10 days after downloading. To re-run a scan with the latest anti-malware definitions, please download and run Microsoft Safety Scanner again.