Free scanning tools

I was just reading an email from Microsoft promoting a free scanning tool from their OneCare service, so I decided I’d post here about it and also include some links to a couple other scanning tools.

The first time I ran the scanning tool from OneCare, it crashed Internet Explorer. Not a good sign, but it could have something to do with all the other windows I had open at the time. The second time, it finished completely. It took a while to scan, a little over an hour and a half, most likely because it was performing other scans in addition to just a virus and spyware scan (it also scans the registry, temporary files, disk fragmentation, and network security). All in all it seems like a decent tool to use in addition to your existing software. I still wouldn’t reccomend OneCare as your primary security suite because it has gotten very poor reviews; the number one reccomendation is still Norton Internet Security. If you want a full rundown of the latest security suites, check PC Mag’s full review here.

Here are some links to free scanning tools:

TrendMicro’s HouseCall and RUBotted (click on the Free Tools tab)

Panda’s ActiveScan 2.0 (registration required)

Microsoft’s OneCare