ClamWin Free Antivirus facts for kids
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ClamWin running on Windows 11
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| Developer(s) | ClamWin Pty Ltd |
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| Last release |
0.103.2.1 / June 7, 2021
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| Written in | C++ and Python |
| Operating system | Windows 98 and newer |
| Type | Antivirus software |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later |
ClamWin Free Antivirus was a special computer program. It helped protect computers from viruses. This program worked on Windows computers. It was free to use and its code was open for anyone to see. ClamWin used the Clam AntiVirus system to find bad stuff. The program has not received updates since 2021.
Contents
What ClamWin Could Do
ClamWin Free Antivirus had several helpful features. These features were designed to keep your computer safer.
Scanning for Viruses
- It could check your computer for viruses at certain times. This only worked if you were logged in.
- The program automatically updated its virus list. This helped it find new threats.
- You could run a virus scan whenever you wanted.
- It added a quick scan option to your Windows Explorer menu.
- There was an add-on for Microsoft Outlook. This helped check emails for viruses.
- A special version could run from a USB flash drive. You could take it anywhere.
Some add-ons for Firefox also let users scan downloaded files with ClamWin.
No Constant Protection
ClamWin Free Antivirus scanned files when you told it to. It did not automatically check files as you opened or saved them. This is called real-time protection.
Other projects like Clam Sentinel and Winpooch added this feature. They worked with ClamWin to give it real-time scanning.
How Well Did It Work?
ClamWin Free Antivirus was sometimes criticized. People said it did not find as many viruses as other programs. Also, its scans could be slower.
Older Test Results
In the past, ClamWin struggled to find different types of bad software. For example, in 2009, it missed many trojan horses and other malware.
Tests from 2008 and 2009 showed similar results. ClamWin found about half of the threats. Other antivirus programs found over 99% of them.
What to Know Now
These tests are quite old now. ClamWin has had updates since then. However, big testing groups do not often test ClamWin anymore.
ClamWin is still a free and open-source antivirus program. It might not protect as well as some paid programs. If you need very strong protection, you might want to use other security tools.
In 2011, cNet gave ClamWin a good rating of 4 out of 5 stars. They liked how easy it was to use. They also liked its regular updates. But they also noted it was slower and found fewer viruses than some other software.
More to Explore
- List of antivirus software
- List of free and open-source software packages
- ClamTk, a similar program for Linux computers.
See also
In Spanish: ClamWin para niños
