The sensible local antivirus installed on your personal computer will provide reliable protection against malicious code. But some, due to different circumstances, cannot afford such software and try to find another, no less effective protection without a full installation of software.
In order to be able to scan your computer for viruses without installing a massive distribution kit, there are special online services. The latter are quite a lot on the Internet, but not all of them adequately cope with the tasks. Therefore, many users are asking the question: “What is the best way to scan a computer for viruses and do it as efficiently as possible?” We will try to highlight this problem in our article.
The services described below do not require full installation of the distribution kit and registration. To work, just download a small executable module and run it. And then select the scan area. All the necessary functionality, tools and databases will be downloaded from the Internet.
In this article, you will learn how to scan your computer for viruses using specialized cloud services. We will analyze each product in detail: features, advantages and basic functionality. So let's get started.
ESET Online Scanner
You can scan your computer for viruses for free using the popular and well-established service from ESET. For verification, it is necessary to download from the official website of the developer a small executable client that works without installation.
To scan a computer for viruses, the service accesses the databases of a full-fledged ESET NOD32 product through the network. The developer claims that the client is able to detect all types of threats, as well as conduct a detailed heuristic analysis of the contents of your PC. Judging by the numerous user reviews, the way it is.
Antivirus Features
After starting the client, you can immediately scan your computer for viruses with the default settings or set beacons on the necessary parameters: scan archives, search for potentially dangerous software, use a special proxy server, etc.
After completing the procedure, the program will provide a detailed report on the work done: found and eliminated threats, time spent, number of objects, etc. You can test the cloud antivirus by downloading it from the official ESET website.
Kaspersky Security Scan
Another free utility that allows you to get rid of the presence of malicious code on your PC with due efficiency. You can scan your computer for Kaspersky viruses after downloading the client.
Unlike the previous product, this must be installed in the operating system. The module takes up very little space and installs extremely quickly, even on slower machines. It is also worth clarifying that if you only need to check and remove malicious code on your PC, it is better to remove the beacons in the installation wizard from other Kaspersky products.
Antivirus Features
After installation, the program immediately offers to scan your computer for viruses. By default, all available drives are checked along with RAM and system files. If a spot check is necessary, then it can be indicated in the settings.
A full scan will take quite a lot of time, and upon completion, the program will issue a detailed report on the work done. It will reflect all found, eliminated and potential threats, as well as other related information. The program leaves the database on the computer, so the next time you run the verification process is much faster.
Dr.Web Online
In the case of Dr.Web Online, you can also scan your computer for viruses for free. Doctor Web Online is a completely external service without any local modules or clients. That is, for its operation you only need a browser with Internet access.
On the control panel, it is just the site, you must select the scan area or upload specific files. It’s worth to clarify that the service scans the computer, but does not eliminate the malicious code. To get rid of viruses, you will have to install the local Doctor Web application.
Panda cloud cleaner
This antivirus works in the format of a cloud service and to check your computer for viruses, you need to install a small client on your PC. It does not “take root” in the system, like full-fledged anti-virus products, and acts from the outside. There is also a portable version that does not need installation.
After starting the client, you will see a window with the assistant wizard, where you can configure the scan to your discretion: check all or some individual elements. By default, all beacons are placed for a full (deep) scan.
Unlike Kaspersky, Panda runs noticeably faster and is not so demanding on system resources, namely RAM. At the end of the procedure, the program will provide a detailed report, where all passive and active threats, as well as suspicious files and applications, will be indicated. Then you can choose to eliminate all or just some specific virus code.
The only negative that some users sometimes complain about is the lack of Russian-language localization. But due to the simplicity of the interface and the intuitive menu, many do not need it.
F-Secure Online Scanner
This service is not as famous as the above products, but judging by the reviews, many advanced users prefer to work with it when a high-quality and effective online virus scan is needed.
To scan the system, you need to download a small module from the official website of the developer. The client is portable and does not need installation. After starting, the main window of the service will appear, where you can see only one button "Start Scan". Such a product is ideal for beginners who do not want to go into the jungle of settings and study the menu branches.
After checking, the program will put on the desktop a detailed report on the work done. All malicious elements found on the computer will be listed there. Scanning performed by the program can be called deep, because both OS system files and RAM are used.
Housecall
This service also allows you to check your personal computer for malicious code: viruses, trojans, spies, rootkits and more. To scan a PC, you need to download an independent module from the official website of the developer and start the client.
Despite the exclusively English-language localization, the program interface is simple and intuitive, so even a beginner will figure it out. The scan is launched using the Scan Now button. By default, a deep scan is set, which affects all areas of the personal computer: internal and external drives, RAM, as well as system files inaccessible to the user.
If necessary, you can change the scan settings in the settings: individual drives, files or folders. The program is portable in the full sense of the word and does not leave any traces of the presence in the system. All necessary tools are provided through the developer's servers. As such, the system requirements for the normal functioning of the client are practically absent.