AOL Active Virus Shield

Publisher's description of AOL Active Virus Shield

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Protect your PC from both known and unknown virus attacks, spyware, Trojan horses and malware with AOL's free anti-virus software, Active Virus Shield. This comprehensive anti-virus software installs quickly, works fast, always stays on and updates automatically every hour. Plus, it takes traditional virus scanning methods and combines them with advanced technology to help detect and protect against malicious programs that can infect your PC and important files before they are infected.

Note: Clicking "Download Now" will redirect you to www.activevirusshield.com, where you can download the product and register with an e-mail address and download the free antivirus software. An activation code will be send to the email address you provide. This activation code will fully enable your free version of AOL Active Virus Shield.

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User reviews of AOL Active Virus Shield

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  AOL Active Virus Shield

  Its Kaspersky AV for free!...BUT, its slimmed down. Important features gone!

  by: CableguyTK on 07-Aug-2006 12:30:07 PM

  Pros: Its Kaspersky AV with an AOL frontend GUI.

  It comes with a free 1 year license to the program. And my guess is that if you register enough times you can get infinite time. Should get a few converts from NAD...*cough*...NOD32.

  There arent many other pros...its just Kaspersky AV, for free, only from geico.com...*cough*...which is the best idea ive seen AOL have in a LONG time.

  Some notes:

  -it is based off v6.0.0.299 of Kaspersky AV.

  -it has all the same scanning abilities, services, processes and icon locations (logon and logoff screens in windows) as the normal Kaspersky.

  -it downloads the same antivirus databases as the real KAV6.

  Cons: It is just a 1 year license. Good enough for most, not enough for some. The license is also exclusive to this product. The activation key you receive when signing up through the AOL website works ONLY in AOL Active Security Shield. I tried it in KAV6 and it failed saying its not a license for KAV6.

  Oddly, the Scan menu is grayed out even though it works 100%. It is very weird.

  It is a slimmed down version of KAV6. Differences are the following:

  -Web Antivirus has been removed. This is a necessary feature of KAV6, which immediately scans web cache and such. A big hole is left without it.

  -Proactive Defense has been removed. This is a feature which scans all process requests and alerts you of them, asking for your permission to allow them or not. This is becoming the norm with security software. KAV6 has it, Spyware Terminator has it. I think it is the future of security software. It is too bad they removed it.

  -Trusted zone settings have been removed. All trusted zone entries can only be added as you get alerted by questionable material.

  -Rescue Disk creation abilities have been removed. I never used this tool, but there are some who probably do use it.

  -Mail connection monitoring settings have been removed (i.e. monitor POP3/SMTP/etc.)

  -Appearance settings (for changing the look and feel of the program) have been removed. This isnt a big deal to most, but maybe to some. It only controls transparency and the system tray icon in KAV6, so its not a big deal.

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  Basically, without the things that have been removed this pretty much becomes Kaspersky AV 5.0. KAV5 didnt have proactive defense, appearance options, etc. But that is perfectly fine. Kaspersky is pretty expensive, so getting it for free, a slimmed version of it, isnt terrible at all. Just spare the world one more DOPE USING NOD32 or SYMANTEC AV and get this free version of Kaspersky AV while you can...Kaspersky is the best AV in the world as proven by many sites.

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  AOL Active Virus Shield

  Glad I switched!

  by: 19monty64 on 27-Sep-2006 12:33:44 AM

  Pros: Have used McAfee, Avast, AVG and my fav AntiVir... but this takes the cake!!! 1)Faster and lighter than the others, 2)has a "scan only changed files" option, 3)automatic updating that can be changed to manual or scheduled, 4)scheduled "specific-areas" scanning, 5)optional notifications of suspicious files or eMail. so in my experience this is the first free set-it-and-forget-it anti-malwhere scanner with real-time protection.... AND IT'S KAPERSKY!!!

  Cons: 1)eMail registration required, but you can opt out of future mailings without impacting your AOL AVS... 2)customer support is absent, at least for now... 3)if you want application monitoring, get PrevX, SSM or AntiHook.

  Was this review helpful? Yes | No (33 of 40 users said yes)

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  AOL Active Virus Shield

  Kaspersky Free version

  by: xraze on 07-Aug-2006 01:50:54 AM

  Pros: You knew kaspersky AV, you know about this product. Great AV sure can top AVAST or AVG for free AV. 1 of fast new malware respond. It update its library eah 2 hours.

  Cons: I'm still waiting for my activation code to activate Active Virus Shield. :( I have follow the instruction but still don't get the activation code. Maybe AOL kept my email address for other thing [I dunno]. I hope they'll send one as promise or perhap it is the limitation of free. No online AV armor.

  Was this review helpful? Yes | No (21 of 22 users said yes)

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  AOL Active Virus Shield

  Its Kaspersky For Free

  by: Reborn master on 21-Dec-2006 11:54:27 PM

  Pros: Aol virus shield is actually is kaspersky antivirus.Has only the most important features of kaspersky:file protection, mail protection, virus scan and updates.Most of all it's free.

  Cons: Requires email registration.No proactive defense and some features are missing.

  Was this review helpful? Yes | No (19 of 28 users said yes)

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  AOL Active Virus Shield

  The Best!!!

  by: Phenom_Deadman on 07-Aug-2006 01:54:32 AM

  Pros: Well if you know about kaspersky products than you don't my vote.

  This kaspersky's latest AV and comes free here.

  You don't need to be a AOL user to download or use it.

  KAV has the best detections rate and its given free!

  Cons: None!

  Was this review helpful? Yes | No (21 of 26 users said yes)

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