Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security is a Windows antivirus application for detecting malicious files, checking risky websites and restricting access to important folders. It combines automatic monitoring with scans you can start or schedule, and includes Pay Guard for banking and shopping in a protected browser window. Antivirus+ is a paid subscription product with a free trial available.
Malware scans and threat handling
Real-time scanning checks files and folders as they are downloaded or copied onto the computer. The program also looks for suspicious behavior, including unauthorized changes to system settings and documents. Scan preferences let you enable checks inside compressed ZIP and RAR files and use machine learning to detect new or unknown threats.
Manual scans cover different sets of data:
- Quick Scan checks places where threats commonly hide, including running programs, startup items, shortcuts, the hosts file and browser settings.
- Full Scan checks the computer and external drives, excluding network drives. Its duration depends on how many files need checking.
- Custom Scan checks selected files or folders. A file or folder can also be scanned directly from its Windows Explorer context menu.
Scheduled scans can run a Quick or Full Scan at a chosen time. Smart Schedule instead selects a suitable time based on recent computer use. The Scan Results page shows the number of files scanned and threats resolved.
When an infected file is found, Trend Micro attempts to remove the threat from that file. If that attempt fails, it deletes the infected file. Notifications report detected, quarantined or removed threats and suspicious program behavior.
Protection levels change how aggressively suspicious activity is handled. Normal targets clearly risky behavior, while Hypersensitive also acts on programs presenting a smaller apparent risk; automatic switching can raise the level when needed. The option to delete files showing signs of a threat is more aggressive and can remove harmless files alongside malicious ones.
Folder Shield access controls
Folder Shield protects the files inside folders you select, including their subfolders. It restricts access by processes and services unless they are permitted through its exception or trusted-program controls. This adds a separate access barrier against unauthorized encryption of the selected data.
You can add more protected locations and maintain a Trusted Program List for applications that need to use those files. Programs are added individually and can be removed from the list later. Locally stored and synchronized files from OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox can be included by selecting their folders on the computer.
Website and link checking
The Trend Micro Toolbar in Chrome and Microsoft Edge checks links in search results, social networking pages and webmail. Ratings can appear on the page or when you hold the pointer over a link, helping you inspect a destination before opening it. Website protection also blocks dangerous destinations.
The ratings distinguish several conditions:
- Safe, Suspicious or Dangerous indicate the assessed risk of a destination.
- Blocked or Trusted reflect your own decision to block or trust a page.
- Untested means the page has not been tested or uses an unsupported protocol.
- No Response means the rating service could not be contacted and no rating is available.
The toolbar is included with the paid Antivirus+ subscription without a separate fee. Its link checking covers destinations appearing in webmail pages as well as ordinary browsing.
Pay Guard banking and shopping sessions
Pay Guard opens a protected version of your default browser for financial browsing. It supports modern Microsoft Edge, Chrome and Firefox, and isolates the browser from possible attacks. A blue border identifies the Pay Guard window.
Launching the Pay Guard shortcut opens the protected browser, where you can visit your bank or shopping website and sign in normally. The blue border identifies the window for the transaction.
You can also have Trend Micro ask before opening banking or shopping sites in Pay Guard. Adding a website address to its site list makes that destination open in Pay Guard automatically; removing it stops that automatic opening. The feature is included in the security subscription without an additional fee.
Antivirus+ and other editions
The Windows editions share the core malware, ransomware, scam-protection and Pay Guard functions. Their additional tools differ:
| Function group | Antivirus+ Security | Internet Security | Maximum Security |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malware and ransomware protection, scam protection, Pay Guard | Included | Included | Included |
| Child safety, social-media privacy and system optimization | Not included | Included | Included |
| Password management and mobile-device protection | Not included | Not included | Included |
