[Question] Running Anti Virus on Offline Computer

[Neville Bailey]

How can one install and keep up to date an anti virus system on a computer that is not connected to the Internet?

Even though the computer is safe from online sources of infection, it is still vulnerable to infection from memory sticks and CD/DVD disks.

Is there a way of downloading up to date anti virus definitions onto a memory stick on an online computer and then installing them onto the offline computer?

[Mike C]

Hi Neville - I know that it can be done. Don't use AVG free any longer but in the earlier days when we still downloaded via a telephone line (and it used to take a long time), I would log onto the site, download the virus update and then update the other two computers from that.

[Neville Bailey]

I have downloaded Avast free edition onto my computer, which I will install onto the offline computer with a memory stick.

Avast allows one to download updated definitions from their website, which one can then install onto the offline computer via memory stick.

[AndyD]

Disable the autorun feature for all drives on the offline pc, that will reduce the chance or virus and malware infections enormously. As far as I'm aware most AV programs can be updated offline.

[tec0]

Google for "portable antivirus for USB" you will then find a few options that will allow you to keep the antivirus on a memory stick. So basically you take the stick update it on the PC with internet and then run it on your standalone offline system. I am still looking for a good one so no recommendations yet but if I do find something worth while I will post it here. Or if you find one that is working well please let me know.

Almost ALL my software is "portable software" and I am very happy with idea that I can hop from PC to PC and have all my software available to me.

a good place to start is here

[irneb]

I'm with you on the PortableApps idea, have been using it for the last few years (awesome to have your email & web settings simply work on any PC, not to mention stuff like Gimp/LibreOffice/XnView/NotePad++/FileZilla/CamStudio/VLC Media Player/KompoZer/Ant Renamer/Code::Blocks/XAMPP ... and all sorts of others). Unfortunately some of the more obscure stuff are not available as portable editions, and AV usually needs to run at boot-time to be effective - so it's not going to be much use through PA.

It seems the official list of AV's in PA is a bit scrappy: http://portableapps.com/apps/security
They're mostly just a scanning AV like ClamWin. But you might try some of the betas, or even the latest releases: http://portableapps.com/news/new