McAfee Stinger 12.1.0.1120

Handy stand-alone software solution that can detect then clean a wide range of viruses and other types of malware, without slowing down the PC

last updated on : September 30th, 2014, 9:48 GMT

file size : 10.5 MB

price : FREE!

developed by : McAfee

license type : Freeware

operating system(s) : Windows All

McAfee Stinger is a portable and free application designed to remove malware-infected files from the computer. It scans the hard disk on demand and detects viruses, rootkits, Trojans, worms, and other e-threats.

Portability advantages

Since there is no setup pack involved, you can drop the executable file anywhere on the hard disk and launch the tool immediately. There is also the possibility to save McAfee Stinger to a pen drive and scan any suspicious computer without installing anything else.

Just keep in mind that the storage device shouldn't be read-only, since the app automatically creates some files when it's running, such as logs with statistics for each scan. An important aspect worth taking into account is that, unlike most installers, McAfee Stinger does not modify Windows registry settings.

Clean and intuitive interface

The GUI is user-friendly, made from a regular window with a neatly organized layout. By default, the application looks only into system areas where viruses are known to hide, such as program files and the Windows directory. However, you may customize the scan and reduce its duration by handpicking a drive or directory.

Identifies and quarantines malware

During scanning you can view the currently verified file, scan time and total files scanned, along with found and cleaned threats. Any suspicions are sent to the quarantine, where you can decide whether to keep or remove the files in question. Log details may be examined in separate files. It is possible to modify the quarantine's default location and include all scanned files in logs.

Evaluation and conclusion

The tool uses moderate RAM and low CPU during scanning, which may take a while, depending on the target's size. However, we have come across some issues in our tests. McAfee Stinger wouldn't take into account the custom locations we assigned for scanning, and kept running in default mode instead.

Nevertheless, users are welcomed to try McAfee Stinger for themselves and figure out if it's a suitable on-demand virus scanner for them. Just keep in mind that it does not provide real-time protection against malware, so you still have to install an all-round antivirus application to keep the PC safe at all times.

Reviewed by Elena Opris on July 11th, 2014

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