There is a lot of antivirus software on the market, but you don't necessarily have to pay for one to protect your PC or website. There are plenty of free online virus scanners that you can use from any web browser, just like you would to check email or look at Facebook.
Still, you should not abandon your current antivirus software for a virus scan online. Online, scanners can be a handy way to do a second opinion scan, especially if you think your computer has been infected with a virus. Here are some techniques you can use to scan for viruses online.
Use VirusTotal
It's not uncommon for a single file to contain multiple viruses, especially if they were designed to exploit many different security vulnerabilities. This is why it's essential to run various scans instead of just one.
However, running scans one after another can be time-consuming. That's where VirusTotal comes into play. This free online virus scan lets you upload files or enter URLs and scan them using dozens of antivirus programs all at once.
The service is operated by Google and was acquired by the search giant some years back. It has millions of monthly users and has scanned more than 2 billion files since it launched.
Scan from another Computer with an Antivirus Boot Disc
If you can't open your antivirus program, or if you can't even boot into Windows, you can use an antivirus boot disc to scan your Windows system for malware and remove any infected files.
Most popular antivirus programs have a rescue disk feature. If your current antivirus program doesn't offer this feature, you may consider switching to one that does.
An antivirus boot disc must be created before your PC is infected, as it's challenging to remove an infection from within Windows while it's running. After completing the disc, please keep it in a safe location so it'll be ready when you need it most.
If a virus infects your PC at some point in the future and prevents you from running or installing new antivirus software, you'll need another computer with a working internet connection to create an antivirus boot disc.
Scan with an Antivirus Live CD/USB
One of the best online file virus scanner is to use an antivirus live CD or a USB drive. If you don't have one, you can get them from many major antivirus companies. What's nice about the live CD antivirus scanners is that they're entirely standalone and don't require any installation or configuration. You can boot into any operating system and run the virus scanner in complete isolation.
The only downside is that if your antivirus software needs to download any updates, it can't do so if you have no internet connection.
Scan with the ESET Online Scanner
The ESET Online Scanner is a web-based virus scanner. It's not antivirus software that runs in the background, checking all files you access for malware. Instead, it will only scan your computer when you ask it to and can be used as a second opinion if you think a file might be infected.
To use it, head to the ESET Online Scanner website and click Start. The tool downloads itself and opens automatically once the download is complete.
If your computer has another user account, switch to it before starting a scan — some viruses may be hidden from users who don't have administrator privileges, so running a scan as every user ensures that no infection goes unnoticed.
When the scan is complete, close any file windows opened during the process (this isn't always necessary but is worth doing just in case), then click Finish in the ESET Online Scanner window.
Run an Offline Antivirus Scan Using Windows Defender
Another way to check your computer for viruses without installing antivirus software is to use the built-in Windows Defender virus scanning tool. This program can be found in the Control Panel under Windows Security.
Once you open it, click on the Advanced Scan option and check all of the boxes on the next page. This guarantees that every element of your computer is thoroughly checked and that viruses will not attack your website.
After doing this, click on Scan Now and wait for the program to scan your computer for any potential viruses or malware.
Final Thoughts
Virus scans are essential for keeping your computer (and personal information stored on it) safe from hackers, malware, and other threats. Traditional antivirus software typically takes up a lot of space on your hard drive and uses resources that slow down your system. Online virus scans are web-based, so they're lightweight and don't require installation.
