The popular download portal Download.com for instance has also started to bundle adware with the majority of downloads they provide site users with.

Today when I was downloading the latest Adobe Shockwave Player from Adobe’s website I noticed that both the slim online installer and full installer were now offering to install a third party application as well.

Near the end of the installation you are taken to a screen that will install Norton Security Scan on the system if you do not opt-out of it.

Norton Security Scan is a free program that checks computers for potential threats. It will download the latest definition updates to the system when an online connection is available. The program detects but does not resolve the issues though. It in fact very similar to scareware in this regard, which alerts the user of serious problems on the PC to sell a product.

You can only scan the system after launch. Initiating a scan will first check for updates. You will also be notified if security and web protection is installed on the system. Only tracking cookies were detected on the system, which did not keep the program from displaying a big Fix Now button on the left side of the screen. When you press it you are taken directly to a web page where you can purchase one of Norton’s security programs.

Removal of Norton Security Scan is straightforward though. Just click on Start Menu > Control Panel > Uninstall a Program and select it for uninstallation. You need to restart the PC to complete the installation.

Looking for free alternatives that you can make use of right away? Try AVG Anti-Virus Free or Avira Free Antivirus, but keep in mind that they too may be bundling their programs with toolbars.

Norton’s Security Scan (via JK Web Talks) is such a software. While it has been primarily designed to sell a Norton antivirus product like Norton 360 it can be used to scan the system without interfering with the current antivirus solution. What makes it interesting is that it uses the latest virus definition files that are also used in Norton retail antivirus software products. It does however perform only a partial scan of the computer system by default but this option can be changed in the settings on the main page.

The antivirus software program will check the virus definition file and initiate a download of the latest if it is outdated. The antivirus software will then either perform a quick or full scan of the computer system. A quick scan will only check the most common locations where viruses and other malicious programs are found while the full system scan will check all files located on connected hard drives.

The interface will display banner advertisement during the scan; Most users will probably minimize the program interface or move other applications into the foreground to prevent those distracting advertisements from appearing on the computer screen. Norton Security Scan will list all discovered threads in a table on the main page providing information about the type of threat (e.g. tracking cookie) including a description, the threat name and target name.

The antivirus program is only a scanner which means it is not possible to clean the files directly. Possibilities include research on the Internet to find a free antivirus software that can clean it or to contact the developer of the installed antivirus solution about the problem. It should be obvious by now that the program is great for users who want to perform additional security scans of their computer system but not for those who are looking for a complete security solution.