Features
On-demand scanning
It's possible to scan the whole file system, network volumes or a mounted removable volume. You can also run a custom scan. Scan reports are automatically archived and are accessible from the GUI at anytime.
On-screen alerts
Alert messages are displayed on-screen whenever a threat is detected.
File Shield
The File Shield scans the binaries of started applications and all files at the time they are modified.
Web Shield
The Web Shield monitors and filters all HTTP traffic coming from web sites on the Internet. Connections from your web browser are redirected to the Web Shield module. The Web Shield in turn connects to the requested web server and while downloading the content, it simultaneously scans it for viruses and Trojans. Only clean data is delivered to the browser, all malware is stopped before it gets saved on your Mac.
Mail Shield
The Mail Shield monitors and filters all POP3 and IMAP traffic coming from mail servers on the internet. It does not prevent saving of infected files (doing so could lead to irreversible data loss), it just detects them. The File Shield prevents any infected attachments from causing harm to your system.
Automatic updates
The scanning engine is automatically updated with our regular VPS database updates.
Known Issues
Sometimes Apple's default icon is shown in the Dock and Finder instead of the avast! icon.
Some items in the menus and some buttons in the GUI are greyed out / disabled as their functionality is not yet fully implemented.
Installation & Uninstallation
To use the Mail Shield, you need to disable encrypted POP3/IMAP connections in your email client's settings so the traffic can be scanned. By default, the Mail Shield encrypts all outgoing traffic itself if the mail server supports it (encrypted connections can be forced for selected mail accounts in the Mail Shield settings).
Uninstallation must be carried out from the application's menu bar - item "Uninstall avast!"
To run avast! Free Antivirus for Mac (Beta) your system must meet the following criteria.
Operating Systems Supported
Mac OS X 10.5.x (Leopard)
10.6.x (Snow Leopard)
10.7.x (Lion)
Minimum Hardware Requirements
Intel-based Mac
Please note that avast! will not run properly if you have other antivirus software installed.
