Ad-Aware Free Antivirus+ 10.1

First launched back in 1999 as a specialist antispyware tool, Ad-Aware has come a very long way in the following years - and this latest version adds more new features and functionality than ever.

The program's two engines now do an even better job of protecting you against viruses and spyware, for instance. And Ad-Aware Free now includes all the advanced real-time protection features which were previously only available in the paid edition. So malicious processes are detected and blocked before they can launch; the program monitors your Registry, alerting you when a program tries to make changes; and Ad-Aware blocks connections to known malicious websites to help keep you safe.

Ad-Aware 10 Free tracks your downloads, too, detecting and blocking malware before it can be launched.

A new Ad-Aware Security Toolbar provides basic browsing protection (though only for IE or Firefox), scanning links and URLs in real-time to warn you of online dangers.

There are improvements in the program's performance, behavioural monitoring, sandbox and more.

And Ad-Aware 10 Free is also easier to use than ever, thanks to a redesigned and simplified interface, and a new (to the Free edition) Game Mode which takes care of security business automatically while you're doing other things.

Put it all together and the program once again looks like a viable free antivirus contender, but if you need more power then of course Lavasoft have commercial editions available. Top of that list is Ad-Aware Pro Security, which includes all the above features and adds a two-way firewall, intrusion protection, automatic scanning of external storage devices, enhanced email protection, real-time web filtering, social networking protection and more: and it's all yours for an annual $36.

Ad-Aware 10.1 is a major upgrade. New features/fixes include:

ENGINE
 - Cached Scanning for faster scheduled scans.
 - Cached schedule scans complete sooner.
 - Performance improvements have been made to the engine
 - Reliability improvements have been made to the file system drivers
FIREWALL
 - Trusted programs are now white-listed in the definitions
 - Reliability improvements have been made to the Firewall Drivers
 - Improved 64-bit support
REAL-TIME PROTECTION
 - Reliability improvements have been made to the Real-Time Protection Drivers
 - Improved 64-bit OS support

Ad-Aware Free was lagging a little behind the free antivirus competition, but this release helps a lot, providing the real-time protection you need and introducing a cleaner, simpler, easier-to-use interface. If you're in the market for a free antivirus tool then it deserves a closer look.