12 Best Free Offline Virus Scanner Tools [2023 Updated]

BEST ANTIVIRUS WE RECOMMEND

ESET Antivirus

Secure your devices with award-winning cybersecurity technology.

4.9/5

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TotalAV

Browse the web securely for up to 3 devices across Windows, Mac, iOS or Android systems.

4.8/5

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Guard.io

Best security tool for intense browsing activity.

4.5/5

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Bitdefender Antivirus

Keep secure with groundbreaking AI detection and prevention technology.

4.3/5

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VIPRE Antivirus

Prevent data breaches and malware infections with user-friendly controls.

4.0/5

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Having an antivirus application or antimalware software installed on your system while connected to the internet is essential these days, not only to protect you if you browse questionable websites or use torrents etc but even legitimate websites can be hacked and serve malicious files to unsuspecting visitors. One example is celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s website recently being hacked several times serving up possible malware to its unsuspecting visitors. So, if you’re looking for an emergency kit virus scanner,

If you have a computer that isn’t connected to the internet, such as one with XP installed, it’s still useful to sometimes scan the computer to make sure nothing malicious has found its way onto the system. Even with an antivirus installed on the system, some malware can disable your internet connection and if it was somehow allowed to get through, you cannot go online until the issue is fixed.

There are ways to run a virus scan without an active internet connection or installing a full antivirus suite, one option is to run a scan from a bootable CD or USB stick. Here’s another solution which is using a portable antivirus scanner that can check your system for viruses and malware without needing installation or an internet connection on the target computer.

Best Offline Antivirus Scanner

• TotalAV – Best Offline Virus Scanner Overall
• BitDefender – Best Free Cybersecurity Software
• Emsisoft Emergency Kit – Best Emergency Kit Malware
• Avira PC Cleaner – Best All-in-One Secure Anti-Virus
• Microsoft Safety Scanner – Best Scanner for Windows
• Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool – Best Virus Removal Tool
• Comodo Cleaning Essentials – Best Malware Removal Emergency Kit
• ClamWin Portable – Best Tool for Viruses and Spyware Removal
• Dr.Web CureIt! – Best Scanning Tool for Viruses
• Panda Cloud Cleaner Portable – Best Portable Anti-Virus Tool
• eScanAV AntiVirus Toolkit – Best Independent tool for Virus Scanning
• VIPRE Rescue – Best Command-Line Virus Scanner Tool

1. TotalAV – Best Offline Virus Scanner Overall

• Operating System: Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android
• Pricing: Free, Paid
• Developer: Protected.net

TotalAV is a comprehensive antivirus software with an intuitive user interface. The software conducts a periodic scan of the system and allows the user to customize the scan frequency and depth. The scanner also provides real-time protection against potential threats and immediately alerts if it detects malicious activity.

Furthermore, the tool has various features that improve the computer’s performance. For example, it comes with a system boost, disk cleaner, and startup manager, all of which prevent viruses from taking advantage of any vulnerabilities. After installation, set up real-time protection and click “Enable Protection.”

The software also has a robust firewall that consistently monitors internet connection and blocks any attempts to access your computer without permission. 

Pros:

• Gives real-time protection.
• Easy to use.
• Provides optimization tools.
• Offers secured browsing.
• Excellent malware protection.

Cons:

• The free version is limited to features and protection.

Download TotalAV

2. BitDefender – Best Free Cybersecurity Software

• Operating System: Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android
• Pricing: Free, Paid
• Developer: SOFTWIN 

BitDefender is another popular virus scanner that offers a wide range of protection against malware and online threats. The software includes quick scan, full system scan, and custom scan, all of which provide round-the-clock protection against viruses. The tool also has anti-phishing and anti-fraud protection features to protect the user from websites that attempt to steal personal information.

In addition to this, BitDefender uses a multi-layered protection approach to detect potential malware. These methods include behavioral detection, signature-based detection, and advanced machine learning. The software is available to all devices, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.

Pros:

• All platforms supported the tool.
• Ensures security for online browsing.
• Detects phishing attacks.
• Comes with advanced algorithms to block viruses.
• Grab a very minimal amount of ram space.

Cons:

• Unwanted promotional offers keep appearing on the interface.

Download BitDefender

3. Emsisoft Emergency Kit – Best Emergency Kit Malware

• Operating System: Windows, Mac, and Android
• Pricing: Free, Paid
• Developer: Emsisoft Ltd.

This is perhaps less of an emergency kit than previous versions as HijackFree the system aEmsisoft’sol and BlitzBlank the hard-to-remove file and registry entry deleter have been removed, but you still get the effective award-winning anti-malware scanner in both GUI and command line versions.

Download and run the executable to extract the Emergency Kit. If you run it on a system with no internet connection select No to bypass the online definition update. For the latest virus definitions, you can take the EEC folder to another computer and let it update, although the website seems to update the Emergency Kit executable at lThere’sce a day so the definitioAvira’sld never be more than 24 hours old.

The Quick Scan is only a light scan and checks a few common locations where malware commonly resides, while the Malware Scan is more thorough and Emsisoft’s recommended option. For a total scan of the entire system with all the scanning that’s cleaning methods the Emergency Kit has at its disposal, use the Custom Scan. A useful option is the Whitelist which excludes files, folders, or processes Cleaner’s scan.

Pros:

• Suitable for personal, educational, and business use.
• It has the most powerful dual-engine scanner feature.
• A complete portable tool for Windows users.
• Offers customized scanning options.
• Comes with a command-line interface.

Cons:

• No real-time protection.

Download Emsisoft Emergency Kit

4. Avira PC Cleaner – Best All-in-One Secure Anti-Virus

• Operating System: Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android
• Pricing: Free, Paid
• Developer: Avira, Inc.

Avira used to be the most popular free antivirus around until they entered into a partnership with Ask.com and its unpopular toolbar. There’s no deIt’sg though, that Avira’s detection rates are still very good, and running an offline scan with Avira PC Cleaner gives you that benefit.

The main issue with Avira PC Cleaner is it needs to be semi-installed and run on an internet-enabled computer first to download the 100MB+ of definitions. Once that’s done, go to the Windows Temp folder (Win+R and type %temp%) and copy the folder Cleaner to another folder or flash drive. Then run the ‘Remove Avira PC Cleaner’ desktop shortcut to delete everything. An option is available in the main interface to copy PC Cleaner directly to a USB flash drive.

Then run the PC Cleaner, simply install avwebloader.exe and select Yes to use the existing definitions. There are two modes, normal and a check box for a Full scan which obviously takes longer. It’s not fully clear what each mode does but normally appears to scan critical areas such as the Windows and Users folders, full will likely scan the whole drive or all drives on the computer.

Pros:

• Able to remove malware-infected files.
• Offers advanced email protection.
• Gives web protection to ensure safe downloads.
• Firewall management.
• The developer offers regular updates.

Cons:

• The free version displays unwanted ads.

Download Avira PC Cleaner

5. Microsoft Safety Scanner – Best Scanner for Windows

• Operating System: Windows
• Pricing: Free
• Developer: Microsoft

Safety Scanner is effectively an offline portable version of Microsoft Security Essentials. Sadly Security Essentials took a reputation hit a few years ago after Microsoft stated that MSSE will always be behind other antivirus software in terms of detection rates because it’s designed that way. But it’s still a quick and easy tool that can also be run alongside other security software.

Download the version of Safety Scanner compatible with your offline system (32-bit or 64-bit), run the tool, and accept the license. Three scan types are available, Quick Scan checks the important and common areas of the system that could contain viruses, Full Scan will check the entire system and the customize option allows adding of a specific drive or folder which will be checked in addition to a Quick Scan.

The around 180MB Safety Scanner executable you download will expire in 10 days, at which point you will need to download a new version, Microsoft says that the downloadable Safety Scanner executable is updated with the latest virus definitions several times a day.

Pros:

• Offers on-demand quick and offline scans.
• Compatible with 32 and 64-bit Windows systems.
• Can detect multiple malware.

Cons:

• Doesn’t provide automatic updates.

Download Microsoft Safety Scanner

6. Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool – Best Virus Removal Tool

• Operating System: Windows, Mac, and Android
• Pricing: Free
• Developer: Kaspersky Lab

Kaspersky is well known for being top or close to the top in most major antivirus tests so the Virus Removal Tool is potentially one of the best antivirus scanners around. KVRT has done a few changes recently and now has no configuration options to speak of and the main program is more self-contained, extracting only the virus database to the Windows Temp folder.

After running KVRT and accepting the license agreement, wait for it to initialize and unpack its database to the Temp folder then choose what you want to scan by clicking the Change parameters button. There are options to scan the system memory, startup objects, drive boot sectors, the system drives, and other folders/drives of your choice from the “Add object…” button. It will only run a quick scan by default (memory, startup objects, and boot sectors).

After a few days, Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool will warn the database is outdated and prompt you to download an updated version from the website, Kaspersky updates the executable every 2 hours or so and it’s around 100MB in size. The 2015 versions of Virus Removal Tool also add command line arguments to the program.

Pros:

• Its rescue mode removes the most stubborn malware even.
• Offers effective cybersecurity.
• Quick scan deal with critical infections instantly.

Cons:

• Customer support is limited.

Download Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool

7. Comodo Cleaning Essentials – Best Malware Removal Emergency Kit

• Operating System: Windows
• Pricing: Free
• Developer: Comodo Group, Inc.

The Comodo Cleaning Essentials mini-suite consists of a few other useful tools besides the antivirus cleaner. You get an advanced task management, monitoring, and analysis tool called KillSwitch, and a part of KillSwitch that can be used as a standalone tool is the Autorun Analyzer which shows and allows you to view and control anything starting with your computer.

You will need to run Comodo Cleaning Essentials on a computer with internet access first to download the virus database. To do that launch CCE.exe and start a Smart Scan which will automatically download the 200MB+ signature database. When it starts to scan exit CCE and you have the database ready to use offline. When using the program with an offline computer just choose Skip when it says the server cannot be contacted.

Smart scan checks system memory, autorun entries, services, boot sectors, registry entries, and system files. Full Scan will perform a scan of all drives on the system in addition to the Smart scan. Custom Scan will let you manually choose what you want somewhere in between the two. Comodo Cleaning Essentials has an options window at the top right with extra settings like scanning archives or MBRs and setting the heuristics level.

Pros:

• Portability reduces the hassle of downloading it on different PCs.
• Uer-intuitive interface.
• Prevent wrong malware detection.
• Offers cloud-based scanning.

Cons:

• No real-time protection.

Download Comodo Cleaning Essentials

8. ClamWin Portable – Best Tool for Viruses and Spyware Removal

• Operating System: Windows
• Pricing: Free
• Developer: Rare Ideas, LLC.

ClamWin is an open source on-demand virus scanner that is built around the also open source ClamAV antivirus engine. While ClamWin itself has no real-time protection abilities, another free tool called Clam Sentinel can help give basic real-time scanning.

The portable version of ClamWin is created by Portableapps.com and only includes the program without the virus definitions databases, so they will have to be downloaded on an internet-enabled computer through ClamWin or manually download from ClamAV and add them to the ClamWinPortable\Data\Db folder.

Scanning is done manually in ClamWin so you just click on a drive or double-click and browse for a folder or file to scan, multiples can be selected via Shift-click. Alternatively, a quicker memory scan will check just the files loaded into system memory. Because it’s an on-demand scanner from the outset, there are a number of options for filtering, email alerts, Office attachments, and how to treat infected files.

Pros:

• Able to detect and remove all kinds of viruses and malware.
• Its open-source functionality allows its users to do modifications.
• Has customized scanning options.
• Portable and user-friendly interface.
• Able to quarantine malware.

Cons:

• Doesn’t support real-time protection.

Download ClamWin Portable

9. Dr.Web CureIt! – Best Scanning Tool for Viruses

• Operating System: Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android
• Pricing: Free
• Developer: Doctor Web

Dr.Web has been offering CureIt! as a free standalone antivirus scanner for several years and it’s also able to scan for and detect a number of different types of threats, including adware, hack tools, jokes, and riskware in addition to viruses, trojans, spyware, rootkits you would normally expect.

You’ll notice the download filename is different each time which is a security measure to help bypass some malware. On launch, the program unpacks itself to the system Temp folder and then runs. The main default scanning mode is an Express scan which checks memory, boot sectors, root folders, Windows and Document folders, and Temp folders. You can alter those options and add your own drives or folders from “Select objects for scanning”.

CureIt! has a number of settings in the Preferences menu at the top right, such as auto-applying actions, exclusions, default actions, and protecting CureIt! operations. Dr.Web is very quick with its updates as the program cannot update itself, new executables are released approximately every hour.

Pros:

• Provides real-time protections.
• Automatic scanning and updating.
• Multiple platform-supported apps.
• Include behavioral analysis techniques.
• Protects browsing from phishing attempts.

Cons:

• Limited customizations are available.

Download Dr.Web CureIt!

10. Panda Cloud Cleaner Portable – Best Portable Anti-Virus Tool

• Operating System: Windows, Mac, and Android
• Pricing: Free, Paid
• Developer: Panda Security S.L.

Despite the name, Cloud Cleaner will also work while you are completely offline. It is less effective without the internet though because the local virus database only detects the most common and dangerous infections. That said, Panda Cloud Cleaner is still a useful program while offline.

The PCCLauncher.vbs is useful because it closes unneeded processes first and then runs the cleaner, which helps if an infection has stopped you from running exe files. To get the latest virus definitions the program will first need to be run online, then taken to an offline PC. For a normal launch run PCloudCleaner.exe and click the button to accept the license and run a default quick scan which checks the registry, memory, and common malware locations.

Two other scan options are available by clicking the arrow next to the scan button, “Analyze all PC” will scan the whole system, and “Analyze other elements” allows for selecting additional drives or folders. Besides malware, Cloud Cleaner also checks for unknown files and other suspicious behavior or settings, in addition, a basic cleaner can remove temp files, browser files, cookies and etc. Options to close unnecessary processes or deleted locked files are in Advanced Tools.

Pros:

• Can detect Trojans, rootkits, spyware, and more.
• Allow users to scan specific files or folders.
• Cloud-based advanced threat protection.

Cons:

• Requires internet connection to be fully functional.

Download Panda Cloud Cleaner Portable

11. eScanAV AntiVirus Toolkit – Best Independent tool for Virus Scanning

• Operating System: Windows
• Pricing: Free
• Developer: MicroWorld Technologies Inc.

eScanAV is perhaps less well known than most of the other tools here, but detection results in the major antivirus tests for eScan products put it ahead of some major household names. They also offer this Antivirus Toolkit which is a proper dedicated portable virus scanner.

One issue is the kit currently contains virus definitions that are months out of date, so you need to first get them updated on an internet-enabled computer. The best way to do this so the updated version can be reused is to unpack mwav.exe with an archiver like 7-Zip and run mexe.com to launch the program, then click Update to download the latest definitions. Once that’s done the mwav folder can be taken to an offline computer and eScanAV launched with mwavscan.com.

Usage is very easy as all the options are in one drive, select which areas, drives, or folders to scan, choose if you want to scan only or clean as well, and whether to check archives, then start the process. Note that an unpacked eScanAV folder with updated definitions is around 600MB in size.

Pros:

• Portable; no need for installing on the system.
• Allows real-time scanning and cleaning.
• Provides regular updates.

Cons:

• Web browsing safeguards feature isn’t available.

Download eScanAV AntiVirus Toolkit

12. VIPRE Rescue – Best Command-Line Virus Scanner Tool

• Operating System: Windows and Mac
• Pricing: Free, Paid
• Developer: VIPRE Security Group

VIPRE Rescue is different from all the other tools here because it is run entirely using a command line interface so it’s not as easy for the average user to control the options and view the results. This one may be more suited to the technically minded.

It is easy to get the program running though, simply download the 200MB+ executable and upon launch, it will extract to the folder of your choice and begin running a scan. The default is a Deep Scan with Rootkit checking enabled. If you want to run a Quick Scan use the /quick argument, to disable the rootkit scan use /norootkit. Supplying /path {path to folder} allows scanning of custom folders. Don’t forget to CD to the path or you’ll get a definition files not found error.

By default, VIPRE Rescue will clean the infected objects so if it falsely quarantines something you will need to use the command line to list and restore a quarantined item. As the program cannot update itself, new downloadable executables are added to the website every day with the latest definitions.

Pros:

• Very fast at scanning and detecting threats.
• Gives firewall and email protection.
• Includes advanced detection algorithms.
• Eligible for business purposes.

Cons:

• The paid version isn’t budget friendly for personal use.

Download VIPRE Rescue

Notes: Sophos Virus Removal Tool would be an unofficial number 11 but there was a few reasons we left it out. Firstly it asks for a name and email to download, it also installs itself fully onto the system before you can copy the folder and only a full system scan is carried out. Still, a useful option if you want something extra to try. We did also look at Zillya! Scanner but the definitions have not been updated since December 2014. Norman Malware Cleaner which you might see listed elsewhere is no longer available.