Panda Free Antivirus protects your computer from dangerous malware. It is completely free, and users only need to deal with some advertisements for certain Panda products. One of these is the Rescue Kit feature that allows you to generate a bootable USB drive featuring a recovery environment.
Installation and Usage
Installation is straightforward, making it perfect for technology novices. The setup program only asks the user to accept certain settings by default. For example, you will need to make your default home page the Panda website. You will also need to change your default search engine to Panda Safe Web, which is powered by Yahoo. However, you can change these back to your preferences in Settings.
The primary user interface can be difficult to navigate initially. You have to contend with a mountain range background image, which adds nothing to the overall usability. These mountains can make it difficult to read text. The buttons automatically move upward when you scroll over them to find more text. You will need to hover over each one to see what they all do.
The VPN aspect limits you to 150MB each month. Fortunately, this is a free addition with a paid upgrade available. When the system contends with a USB drive full of malware, Panda shows a dialog box right away. You can enable automatic scanning to become the default in Settings, if necessary. After the system has eliminated the threat, you get a full report on some of the malware detections. You can get more information by visiting the Panda website.
Security Alerts
You get protection in real time, and everything is shown on your home page. The software will alert you if the protections have been deactivated, and you can turn them back on by clicking “Fix.” In the event you accidentally download a malicious file or app, Panda notifies you immediately. It will send you an alert telling you the issue has been quarantined.
Points of Interest
When you insert a USB drive into your computer, Panda will promptly ask you to scan it. You can also display labels for the various features on your home page. All you need to do is click the Aa to get started. The system also offers a multimedia/game mode, which ensures you can engage in multimedia content without being disturbed by your antivirus system.
Pros and Cons
There is plenty to like with this program. It comes with an inviting and clear user interface, along with reasonable pricing. It also comes with excellent malware detection rates, so you can always feel confident that your computer is secure. However, the detection scores from the newest version are lower than prior editions. It does have a moderate impact on system performance, and the presentation on the packages and pricing can be unclear at times. Most of this could be resolved with a simple patch update, so it is still a worthwhile antivirus system for anyone who wants peace of mind.