Scope of Protection:  

At first glance, PC Tools AntiVirus seems like a decent antivirus software; it protects worms, viruses, and Trojans. But the software makes no mention of unearthing rootkits, or protecting from the newest threats that continue to evolve.

Effectiveness:  

PC Tools AntiVirus isn’t terrible, but it certainly doesn’t offer a high enough level of protection. To their credit, the software has been approved by the West Coast Labs, receiving checkmark certifications for effective desktop protection from viruses, spyware, Trojans, and malware.

On the other hand, PC Tools has failed both of the latest tests from Virus Bulletin (for Windows XP and Windows Vista).

Ease of Installation:  

Installing and setting up PC Tools AntiVirus isn’t really difficult at all. The installation follows the traditional Windows installer method, and didn’t require us to restart our computer.

Ease of Use:  

The software itself isn’t really complex to use, but doesn’t have any compelling usability enhancements either. The interface won’t leave any user confused, but at the same time is noticeably dated. Running manual scans, setting scheduled scans, or performing updates are straightforward and easy.

Features:  

PC Tools’ antivirus software doesn’t include some of the nice features higher ranked software does (like silent ‘gamer’ mode, battery saving mode, or USB detection), but also doesn’t include some of the important security features. Noticeably missing from the software was password protected settings and a bootable rescue disk (or even the ability to create one).

On a positive note, PC Tools AntiVirus does feature real-time protection from threats, and includes heuristic file analysis (at least for emails and archived files).

Updates:  

PC Tools AntiVirus is equipped with automatic updates (the completely free version doesn’t include high-speed updates). Updates are scheduled to run by default every day, but you can increase the frequency to every hour, or even every 30 minutes.

Help & Support:  

We weren’t too impressed with the help and support for PC Tools. The in-program help is limited to an insufficient quick-start guide. Luckily, you can get support over the phone, email, or with live chat (as long as you’ve paid for the software). Online you can also find some help from the knowledgebase or user forums.

Overall, PC Tools AntiVirus is decent, but they just don’t even compare to the other antivirus software we reviewed. If you’re looking for an advanced antivirus software, you’re going to want to look elsewhere. Even if you’re looking for a free antivirus, we definitely recommend looking at a better solution.