Does some one knows a good virus scanner that is just a scanner?

I am looking for a good virus scanner that is just that: A scanner.

I don't need a big suite that with an integrated firewall and
background scanning and real time protection and what not. I don't
need all these things since I patch regulary and don't allow every
activeX applet to run and don't download dodgy software.

With that practice I never caught a virus in in the last five years.
(I run every four months a few online virus scanners just to be sure,
and never got an alaram)

I just need a scanner because sometimes I want to try some shareware
and want to scan the installation file first. For that, I have
currently AVG (free edition) installed but that thing comes with all
that annoying real time protection baggage, I turned everything off,
but it stills installs a special background service which needs to be
active, without it, it won't even scan one single file.

So, my current practice is to deactivate this service, until I need to
scan a file, then I reactivate the AVG service, open up AVG, it moans
and groans about all the deactivated background scan- and real time
protection options yawwwnn... and only then I can scan finaly the
file.

So, all I want is just a scanner. with no services that need to run,
no real time protection, no e-mail scanning no nothing. Just a scanner
that I can fire up on will to scan a file sometimes.

Does such a scanner still exists? Or did they die together with DOS?

<> wrote:
>
> I am looking for a good virus scanner that is just that: A scanner.
>
> I don't need a big suite that with an integrated firewall and
> background scanning and real time protection and what not. I don't
> need all these things since I patch regulary and don't allow every
> activeX applet to run and don't download dodgy software.
>
> With that practice I never caught a virus in in the last five years.
> (I run every four months a few online virus scanners just to be sure,
> and never got an alaram)
>
> I just need a scanner because sometimes I want to try some shareware
> and want to scan the installation file first. For that, I have
> currently AVG (free edition) installed but that thing comes with all
> that annoying real time protection baggage, I turned everything off,
> but it stills installs a special background service which needs to be
> active, without it, it won't even scan one single file.
>
> So, my current practice is to deactivate this service, until I need to
> scan a file, then I reactivate the AVG service, open up AVG, it moans
> and groans about all the deactivated background scan- and real time
> protection options yawwwnn... and only then I can scan finaly the
> file.
>
> So, all I want is just a scanner. with no services that need to run,
> no real time protection, no e-mail scanning no nothing. Just a scanner
> that I can fire up on will to scan a file sometimes.
>
> Does such a scanner still exists? Or did they die together with DOS?
>

I'd just continue using the online scanners if you are happy with that. I
use them every couple of months or so, just in case. I find the ESET and
Ewido (now AVG) online scanners to be the best ones. Do you know of any
that you think are better?

When you have any dodgy 'shareware' that you want to check, try this online
scanner. It's good, as it uses all the popular scanning engines:
VirusTotal

http://www.virustotal.com/

ss.

Do you know what virus are probaly not. You can get a virus from just
visiting a web site. I did a couple of weeks ago from Microsoft Download
Center website but my virus software caught it and took care of it. So in
this case you must not surf the web that much. And for your question i do
not know of any scanners for just scanning feature.

<> wrote in message
news:331cdb0d-38e9-4750-9b88-...
>I am looking for a good virus scanner that is just that: A scanner.
>
> I don't need a big suite that with an integrated firewall and
> background scanning and real time protection and what not. I don't
> need all these things since I patch regulary and don't allow every
> activeX applet to run and don't download dodgy software.
>
> With that practice I never caught a virus in in the last five years.
> (I run every four months a few online virus scanners just to be sure,
> and never got an alaram)
>
> I just need a scanner because sometimes I want to try some shareware
> and want to scan the installation file first. For that, I have
> currently AVG (free edition) installed but that thing comes with all
> that annoying real time protection baggage, I turned everything off,
> but it stills installs a special background service which needs to be
> active, without it, it won't even scan one single file.
>
> So, my current practice is to deactivate this service, until I need to
> scan a file, then I reactivate the AVG service, open up AVG, it moans
> and groans about all the deactivated background scan- and real time
> protection options yawwwnn... and only then I can scan finaly the
> file.
>
> So, all I want is just a scanner. with no services that need to run,
> no real time protection, no e-mail scanning no nothing. Just a scanner
> that I can fire up on will to scan a file sometimes.
>
> Does such a scanner still exists? Or did they die together with DOS?
>

Try the free version of MalwareBytes AntiMalware from
http://www.malwarebytes.org/. I use it offline and like it a lot.

<> wrote in message
news:331cdb0d-38e9-4750-9b88-...
> I am looking for a good virus scanner that is just that: A scanner.
>
> I don't need a big suite that with an integrated firewall and
> background scanning and real time protection and what not. I don't
> need all these things since I patch regulary and don't allow every
> activeX applet to run and don't download dodgy software.
>
> With that practice I never caught a virus in in the last five years.
> (I run every four months a few online virus scanners just to be sure,
> and never got an alaram)
>
> I just need a scanner because sometimes I want to try some shareware
> and want to scan the installation file first. For that, I have
> currently AVG (free edition) installed but that thing comes with all
> that annoying real time protection baggage, I turned everything off,
> but it stills installs a special background service which needs to be
> active, without it, it won't even scan one single file.
>
> So, my current practice is to deactivate this service, until I need to
> scan a file, then I reactivate the AVG service, open up AVG, it moans
> and groans about all the deactivated background scan- and real time
> protection options yawwwnn... and only then I can scan finaly the
> file.
>
> So, all I want is just a scanner. with no services that need to run,
> no real time protection, no e-mail scanning no nothing. Just a scanner
> that I can fire up on will to scan a file sometimes.
>
> Does such a scanner still exists? Or did they die together with DOS?
>

<> wrote in message
news:331cdb0d-38e9-4750-9b88-...
>I am looking for a good virus scanner that is just that: A scanner.
>
> I don't need a big suite that with an integrated firewall and
> background scanning and real time protection and what not. I don't
> need all these things since I patch regulary and don't allow every
> activeX applet to run and don't download dodgy software.
>
> With that practice I never caught a virus in in the last five years.
> (I run every four months a few online virus scanners just to be sure,
> and never got an alaram)
>
> I just need a scanner because sometimes I want to try some shareware
> and want to scan the installation file first. For that, I have
> currently AVG (free edition) installed but that thing comes with all
> that annoying real time protection baggage, I turned everything off,
> but it stills installs a special background service which needs to be
> active, without it, it won't even scan one single file.
>
> So, my current practice is to deactivate this service, until I need to
> scan a file, then I reactivate the AVG service, open up AVG, it moans
> and groans about all the deactivated background scan- and real time
> protection options yawwwnn... and only then I can scan finaly the
> file.
>
> So, all I want is just a scanner. with no services that need to run,
> no real time protection, no e-mail scanning no nothing. Just a scanner
> that I can fire up on will to scan a file sometimes.
>
> Does such a scanner still exists? Or did they die together with DOS?
>


Clamwin does exactly what you want.

http://www.clamwin.com/

--
Kerry Brown
MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/
http://vistahelpca.blogspot.com/

wrote:
> I am looking for a good virus scanner that is just that: A scanner.
>
> I don't need a big suite that with an integrated firewall and
> background scanning and real time protection and what not. I don't
> need all these things since I patch regulary and don't allow every
> activeX applet to run and don't download dodgy software.
>
> With that practice I never caught a virus in in the last five years.
> (I run every four months a few online virus scanners just to be sure,
> and never got an alaram)
>
> I just need a scanner because sometimes I want to try some shareware
> and want to scan the installation file first. For that, I have
> currently AVG (free edition) installed but that thing comes with all
> that annoying real time protection baggage, I turned everything off,
> but it stills installs a special background service which needs to be
> active, without it, it won't even scan one single file.
>
> So, my current practice is to deactivate this service, until I need to
> scan a file, then I reactivate the AVG service, open up AVG, it moans
> and groans about all the deactivated background scan- and real time
> protection options yawwwnn... and only then I can scan finaly the
> file.
>
> So, all I want is just a scanner. with no services that need to run,
> no real time protection, no e-mail scanning no nothing. Just a scanner
> that I can fire up on will to scan a file sometimes.
>
> Does such a scanner still exists? Or did they die together with DOS?
>

Clam.

Alias

On Sat, 03 Jan 2009 18:00:34 +0100, Alias wrote:

> wrote:
>> I am looking for a good virus scanner that is just that: A scanner.
>>
>> I don't need a big suite that with an integrated firewall and
>> background scanning and real time protection and what not. I don't
>> need all these things since I patch regulary and don't allow every
>> activeX applet to run and don't download dodgy software.
>>
>> With that practice I never caught a virus in in the last five years.
>> (I run every four months a few online virus scanners just to be sure,
>> and never got an alaram)
>>
>> I just need a scanner because sometimes I want to try some shareware
>> and want to scan the installation file first. For that, I have
>> currently AVG (free edition) installed but that thing comes with all
>> that annoying real time protection baggage, I turned everything off,
>> but it stills installs a special background service which needs to be
>> active, without it, it won't even scan one single file.
>>
>> So, my current practice is to deactivate this service, until I need to
>> scan a file, then I reactivate the AVG service, open up AVG, it moans
>> and groans about all the deactivated background scan- and real time
>> protection options yawwwnn... and only then I can scan finaly the
>> file.
>>
>> So, all I want is just a scanner. with no services that need to run,
>> no real time protection, no e-mail scanning no nothing. Just a scanner
>> that I can fire up on will to scan a file sometimes.
>>
>> Does such a scanner still exists? Or did they die together with DOS?
>>
>
> Clam.
>
> Alias

When you install clam:

How do you know it is working properly?

How do you update on a automatic and regular basis the virus definitions.

www.avast.com home edition (FREE)

when installing do a custom install and deselect the services you don't
want..

you can also right click on the tray icon, and stop on-access services and
set it so that it will not prompt you again to start them


or as others said clamwin.. but I don't like clamwin..

I would go with avast... and configure it as I say


but have in mind.. you only need to get a bad virus once...



<> wrote in message
news:331cdb0d-38e9-4750-9b88-...
> I am looking for a good virus scanner that is just that: A scanner.
>
> I don't need a big suite that with an integrated firewall and
> background scanning and real time protection and what not. I don't
> need all these things since I patch regulary and don't allow every
> activeX applet to run and don't download dodgy software.
>
> With that practice I never caught a virus in in the last five years.
> (I run every four months a few online virus scanners just to be sure,
> and never got an alaram)
>
> I just need a scanner because sometimes I want to try some shareware
> and want to scan the installation file first. For that, I have
> currently AVG (free edition) installed but that thing comes with all
> that annoying real time protection baggage, I turned everything off,
> but it stills installs a special background service which needs to be
> active, without it, it won't even scan one single file.
>
> So, my current practice is to deactivate this service, until I need to
> scan a file, then I reactivate the AVG service, open up AVG, it moans
> and groans about all the deactivated background scan- and real time
> protection options yawwwnn... and only then I can scan finaly the
> file.
>
> So, all I want is just a scanner. with no services that need to run,
> no real time protection, no e-mail scanning no nothing. Just a scanner
> that I can fire up on will to scan a file sometimes.
>
> Does such a scanner still exists? Or did they die together with DOS?
>

Avira can be installed as a On-Demand Scanner Only.

<> wrote in message
news:331cdb0d-38e9-4750-9b88-...
>I am looking for a good virus scanner that is just that: A scanner.
>
> I don't need a big suite that with an integrated firewall and
> background scanning and real time protection and what not. I don't
> need all these things since I patch regulary and don't allow every
> activeX applet to run and don't download dodgy software.
>
> With that practice I never caught a virus in in the last five years.
> (I run every four months a few online virus scanners just to be sure,
> and never got an alaram)
>
> I just need a scanner because sometimes I want to try some shareware
> and want to scan the installation file first. For that, I have
> currently AVG (free edition) installed but that thing comes with all
> that annoying real time protection baggage, I turned everything off,
> but it stills installs a special background service which needs to be
> active, without it, it won't even scan one single file.
>
> So, my current practice is to deactivate this service, until I need to
> scan a file, then I reactivate the AVG service, open up AVG, it moans
> and groans about all the deactivated background scan- and real time
> protection options yawwwnn... and only then I can scan finaly the
> file.
>
> So, all I want is just a scanner. with no services that need to run,
> no real time protection, no e-mail scanning no nothing. Just a scanner
> that I can fire up on will to scan a file sometimes.
>
> Does such a scanner still exists? Or did they die together with DOS?
>

Ah, thank you for the suggestions guys.