Free Windows Antivirus - Powerful Software to Safeguard Your PC

Choosing the best antivirus program to safeguard your computer from the threat of an online virus attacks is essential if you want your PC and files to remain safe. When downloading a free windows antivirus program you should be sure to check all of the available features. Though numerous antivirus options are available online and can be downloaded for free, choosing the best software that perfectly suits your PC is important to protect your computer from online threats and viruses.

The most harmful spywares and virus threats such as Trojans, worms and other malware programs were created to destroy the efficiency of your PC and to steal your personal information without your consent. To safeguard yourself from such a loss, upgrade your PC with the best free antivirus program available by looking for some of the features mentioned below:

Frequent Updates: Free computer virus removal software needs to stay updated in order to remove the most recent threats. To fight the newest viruses on regular basis, frequent updates are crucial and are required for any good antivirus program to be effective and protect your system. Even though there is no 100% assurance with any software, a frequently updated anti virus program does the best possible.

System Requirements: To find the best antivirus software for your particular needs, it is crucial to make sure it functions perfectly with your operating system. Be sure to review the antivirus requirement of your computer and double check that it will work properly with your operating system.

Ease of Use: Even if the antivirus program matches with your system's requirements, in some cases those products can be difficult to execute and use. It is important to try a demo version before downloading the final program and finishing the purchase. Is the software easy to use? Check the control panel of the software and if you are having any issues look for an alternative option.

Scan Reports: All free antivirus download software should generate a report showing the number and types of threats discovered after each scan. Make sure it provides complete information on any threats and the actions that were taken before you download it.

Everyone may have different requirements for their anti -virus software, so be sure to examine the features to make sure it provides all options you need to protect your system from anti virus. Search online and review a few anti virus programs to make sure that your PC security will be taken care of.

What is the Best Free Antivirus Software?

We often get asked the question: "What is the best free antivirus software?"

The best free antivirus software is actually a combination of several different free software programs. If you combine the right programs, you will have a good level of protection for your computer. The free software will protect you from virus, malware, spyware, hackers, phishing, scams, fraud web sites, and a lot more. All of the freebies on our list will give you real time protection against threats both known and unknown.

In order to give your computer a high level of protection, you need the following: (1) antivirus (2) antispyware (3) firewall (4) secure web browser (5) anti-hack tool (6) fraud, scam, and phishing filter (7) a good sandbox to isolate your browser and other programs while they are running.

Here are the freebies:

1. Antivirus: Choose one - Avira or Avast.

2. Antispyware: Choose one - Malwarebytes or Spyware Doctor.

3. Firewall: Zone Alarm.

4. Secure web browser: Explorer 8 and/or Firefox.

5.Anti-hack tool: SnoopFree Privacy Shield

6. Fraud and phishing filter: We recommend that you use both WOT (Web of Trust) and Site Advisor.

7. Sand Box: This is for for added safety, virus protection, etc. We recommend Sandboxie.

We do want to add this one thought:

Although the free software is very good, the maximum level of real time protection comes with the paid, professional versions. That is the way the software companies design the stuff. The good news? Most of the paid versions are really not that expensive.

You can use a combination of both free and paid versions for the highest levels of protection. You only need to upgrade one of the programs to get an excellent level of protection. For example, if you use the freebies here, then upgrade your Avast, Malwarebytes or Spyware Doctor to the full version, you will have a really high level of protection for your computer.

If you install and operate your Windows computer with the free software that we have shown you, your computer will well protected from online threats. For more ways to protect your privacy and your computer, visit the Spyware Blockers website.

Best Free Antivirus Software

To safeguard own computer from viruses, Trojan, worm and similar threats, you need to use a superior-quality anti-virus software. Not using anti-virus software leaves you open to viruses, which can lead to more malware invading your system. Just remember to install just one anti-virus software, doing otherwise will cause severe system instability.Here comes commonly asked question: Which anti-virus should I use?Many of us pay a lot of money to buy anti-virus software, but this is exactly so unnecessary, because there are several good free anti-virus software that offer the same kind of protection as the boxed software you should purchase on the store.That can assist you out, I made a decision to provide you the list of top 9 free anti-virus. Let’s begin with it.

1)Avast
Note: Free, and you’ll need to register for a product key.

2)AVG

3)Antivir

4)ClamWin

5)PC Tools

6)Rising Antivirus

7)Spyware Terminator

8)Moon Secure Antivirus

9)Spyware Doctor + Antivirus 2010

If you're confident any free anti-virus software that I didn’t mention, please write a comment, and I will add it.

Antivirus help - Tips to prevent from computer viruses

Welcome to the antivirus help report.

We have put together this comprehensive antivirus report in order to help millions of computer users around the world get a better understanding of computer viruses and basic personal computer safety.

Viruses and similar computer threats such as Trojan horses and internet worms are constantly becoming more serious threats to the safety of our computers and computer networks.

As we all become more dependant on computers for the running of our daily lives, the threats take on a much more personal significance. As recently as only 5 years ago, a virus might only attack a local computer (like the one you are using to read this report), or perhaps a small network (such as a university or small business). Rarely did they have far reaching global economic impacts.

Today viruses, and more seriously mass mailing internet worms are having devastating impacts on businesses both large and small. Most often this is managed by creating viruses, Trojan horses, or internet worms that take over control of certain parts of unprotected private computers.

Most recently we have seen the impact of attacks such as MyDoom, Sasser, and SoBig, all of which infected unsuspecting personal computers in people's homes and small businesses, and then launched internet attacks on specific corporations such as Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, eBay and others.

The goal of this report is to provide you with very easy to understand explanations of:

1) how viruses, Trojan horses, and internet worms work2) how you can recognise when one reaches your machine3) what you can do to protect your computer or computer network from being infected, and4) what you need to do to stop your machine from being used as a host to spread viruses, Trojan horses, or internet worms to other machines.

This antivirus help report is designed for people who have only basic knowledge and understanding of viruses, Trojan Horses, and Internet Worms. It is not going to make you an expert on viruses and such, but it will give you the knowledge and skills that you need to protect your home computer, or computer network in a small business.

The antivirus help guide is designed to be read from start to finish, but there is no reason that you can't jump between chapters if there is something that you are keen on reading.

We have tried very hard to make it as non-technical as possible but still provide accurate and valuable information that you can use in your fight against computer viruses and related attacks.

Computer security products and free antivirus software review

There are many computer security products available in the market. But how do you know which products are good and suitable to your circumstances? Welcome to the free antivirus software review

With my 12 years experience in IT, I have personally supported many PCs with different computer security products installed. Different products have different advantages and disadvantages.

The most important factor is that how up-to-date they are with the latest threats and how quickly a solution can be provided. Reputed suppliers have their own large research teams working 24/7 to identify and develop solutions for latest threats.

Check for the following

Features ? The software should have enough features to provide adequate security

Market reputation ? There is nothing like testimonials from actual customers who are using the product. Discussion forums, product reviews, blogs and are few places to find out user experience. Don?t worry I have already done this for you.

User friendliness.

Technical support

Price - It should not be overpriced.

PC resource usage ? Security software should not use lot of computer resources such as Memory, CPU and Hard disk space.

I would like to recommend below products considering all those factors and my personal experience.

Please note that these links will take you directly to the manufacturer?s web site. No resellers or intermediate parties involved.

Because everyone cannot afford to buy high end products, I have divided products into three sections including FREE computer security products. So do not worry if you have a tight budget.

These are the major products that I recommend. They may be a bit expensive, but the reliability is very high.

Norton Products

Norton is the leader in the market. I highly recommend their antivirus software products. One of the below two are more than enough to protect your Computer

Norton All-in-one

Norton Internet Security (If you cannot afford to by the all in one package)

Trend Micro

Trend Micro is one of the oldest antivirus products in the world. Previously they called PCcillin. Check the features of Trend Micro Internet Security software. The price is also reasonable.

Zone Alarm is a very high quality Antispyware product from Zone Labs Inc. Click the banner to learn more about this product.

If your budget is bit tight and cannot spend much then below products are for you.

Panda Internet security software.

Panda has gained a considerably large market share and is reputed for the best priced security products. There Internet security package includes Antivirus, personal firewall and AntiSpyware. Click the banner to find more information about this fast growing product

The other low-end antivirus software we recommend is ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite

There are free low end computer security products if you cannot spend money at all. Visit free computer security software and free antivirus software review page for more details.

Why use antivirus software

Why use antivirus software? The answer is really simple. To protect your own computer, and to prevent your computer from being used to pass on infections to other machines without your knowledge.

Let’s look at the costs for a moment:

Computer $600-$2,000Monitor $150-$1000Software $500-$5000 (office package, games, multimedia etc.)Internet Connection $25+/monthPersonal Data Priceless

Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m guessing that you wouldn’t use a car that had all the locks removed and didn’t need a key to start it. You may as well paint “STEAL ME” on it too.

Having a computer that does not have up-to-date antivirus protection is absolutely the same. You are simply asking for trouble, and it WILL find you…because that is what viruses etc. are made to do, find unprotected computers and attack them.

The top antivirus software programs cost as little as 2 months internet connection. They all include constant and unlimited automatic updates that keep your system safe and clean.

If you can afford $750 + on a computer, $300+/year on internet connections, you can definitely afford another $50 once to make it safe (and prevent it from being used to spread viruses, hackers and spyware.

Some people have started to make claims that people not using antivirus software should be held legally responsible should their machine be used as part of an attack (even if they did not know about it).

There are so many free antivirus software that you can download from the Internet. But can you depend on them? My answer is no.

Here is the reason.

There are new viruses coming out every day. The antivirus software developers have to maintain highly experienced staff to work on their labs and develop solutions to detect and protect from these new viruses. This is a very high cost project. My common sense tells me that free antivirus software developers cannot cope up with the cost to maintain their free tools up to date.

We recommend following antivirus products.

Norton All-in-one

Norton Internet Security (If you cannot afford to by the all in one package)

Trend Micro Internet Security

Download ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite

If you install antivirus software by yourself then try to use default settings. You always can change the settings later. The following settings are a must. Configure your anti-virus software to boot automatically on start-up.Antivirus software must run in the background at all times.Configure to update the antivirus database automatically whenever you are online.Enable spyware protection.Enable firewall.

 

5 tips for PC health: Categorize your folders, update Windows, run antivirus software.

5 tips for PC health: Categorize your folders, update Windows, run antivirus software.
Performing on a slow, disorganized computer may be frustrating-also it occurs to the better of us. This short article will give you some easy-to-follow guidelines on how to keep your computer on the right track using tools in Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Microsoft Office 2010.

1. Categorize your folders
We all know how easy it can be to abandon files into the incorrect folder after we're in a very hurry. But a technique to make sure you keep the files organized is to remove the clutter with a filing system that is sensible for the best way you employ your computer. Listed below are a few tricks to get you started:

Start clean.
Start by deciding which files you no longer need in your hard disk drive.
Think it through.
Take the time to plan how to organize your files. How must you spend your time on the pc, and what do you create? Do you're employed with photos and image-editing software, surf the web, write short stories, research school projects, or play games? The folders you create in Documents (called “My Documents” in Windows XP) can be easily tailored to show you just the type of data about your files that you need to track. For further tips about setting up a well-organized filing system, see File organization tips: 9 tips to manage your files better.
Use sub folders.
Once you have an idea from the types of items you create and need to save lots of, create folders and sub folders to stock up your files. Make sure to use logical, easy-to-understand names. For example, within Documents, you might create additional folders called Projects, HR Benefits, and Career. Then, within the Projects folder, you could create sub folders for each different project.
Clean your files periodically.
Once you have set up your file system, check and clean it regularly Routine maintenance tasks, such as deleting old or duplicate files and folders and ensuring that important files are in the correct folders, can save you a large number of time and frustration.
Email folders specifically usually spiral out of control, so be sure to spend time ordering and maintaining them. Microsoft Outlook 2010 offers nifty features to help you stay on top of your Inbox. For further tips, see Get organized: 7 ways to better sort, store, and search your email.

Tips:

To make a brand new sub folder with Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP, right-click anywhere in the folder, click New, after which click Folder. Type the name for the new folder, and press ENTER. For further recommendations on making a well-organized filing system, see File organization tips: 9 tips to manage your files better.
To create a brand new folder in Windows 7, in Windows Explorer, click New Folder at the top of any folder or library. Also in Windows 7, the new libraries make managing your files easier than ever. Learn more about working with libraries.

Windows 7 makes it easy to maintain track of the files and folders.

2. Pack up your hard disk
Now that you've organized your files and folders and cleaned up your desktop, you can organize the data itself. Windows includes two utilities-Disk Cleanup and Disk Derangement-that assist you to free up more room in your hard disk drive and help your computer work more efficiently.

Disk Cleanup compresses your old files to free up storage space.
Disk Derangement scans your hard disk drive and consolidates files that may be scattered across the disk.
It's as much as you to decide how often running these utilities, but it's a good suggestion to do so at least once a month. Windows Vista users take note: Disk Derangement is automatically scheduled to run once a week (Sunday at 4 A.M.). You are able to change the scheduled time for this feature or, if you prefer, turn it off.

Learn how to run Disk Cleanup
Discover ways to run Disk Derangement
3. Use System Restore
System Restore is one of those programs that may be a life-saver when you've been the unlucky recipient of unstable software, a badly timed power outage, or a harmful thunderstorm. System Restore records important documents, settings, and preferences on your computer. If the unthinkable happens and your computer files are damaged or inaccessible, you should use System Restore to revive your computer to identical state it was in before the data was lost.

System Restore creates restore points daily and whenever you put in device drivers, automatic updates, and some applications. However it's a good idea to get into the habit of making a system checkpoint (called a restore point) whenever you're about to install new software or take any action you suspect might make your computer unstable. Then, if there's any conflict at all, you possibly can restore your computer to the purpose just prior to a began the installation.

Make a restore point in Windows 7

Create a restore point in Windows Vista

Create a restore point in Windows XP

Although System Restore can put your computer back so as, it’s prudent to periodically back up all the files in your computer. Whether you select to use an external hard disk, DVDs, or even a network location to copy your files, Windows 7 makes it easier than ever to safeguard the contents of the computer. It is possible to copy your files in the event you’re running Windows Vista or Windows XP, too. Learn more about backing up your data.

4. Keep Windows and Microsoft Office up-to-date
Computer programs are continually improved according to customer feedback and regular product testing. As problems are resolved, you should benefit from those improvements. By checking Microsoft Update often, you can be sure to've got the most recent Windows and Microsoft Office improvements available to you.

Windows 7 and Windows Vista users don't need to sign up for Microsoft Update: An account is automatically created for you in the course of the registration process, and Windows Update is automatically installed in your computer with default settings that you can change later, if you wish.

Windows XP users must visit Microsoft Update to begin the update process. First-time visitors might need to sign up for the service. After you've visited Microsoft Update, you need to configure your computer running Windows XP to receive critical updates automatically. This free service is called Windows Update in Windows 7 and in Windows Vista, and it is called Automatic Updates in Windows XP.

Learn how to receive critical updates automatically in Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP:

Windows 7
Windows Vista
Windows XP
Important: If you do not select the recommended automatic updating option, you must download and install every critical update. If you download the updates but forget to install them, your computer will not be protected with the latest enhancements.

5. Run antivirus software including a spyware detection and removal tool
Updating your Windows software is simply step one to keep your computer safe. Next (if you haven’t already done so), you'll want to install antivirus software from a reputable vendor, for instance Microsoft, AVG, Norton, or McAfee. As is possible with Windows, it is critical that you keep your antivirus software approximately date. Free antivirus software comes pre-installed on many computers, but after the trial period expires, you’ll be exposed to new and emergent threats. Be sure to renew your subscription or to secure alternative virus protection.

If your computer seems sluggish or if you begin to see plenty of pop-up advertisements, even when you're not surfing the world wide web, your computer might be infected with spyware, ad ware, or other unwanted software. Learn more about spyware and what it can perform to your computer.

Microsoft Security Essentials offers comprehensive protection against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. You can download it for free. You can also download the free Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool.