When a computer gets virus-infected you don’t even really know what it is most of the time; your computer just slows down a lot or acts erratic. And if you don’t know a lot about computers, you’re just going to blame Windows. Apple keeps trumpeting how virus infections on the Mac are practically unheard of, and the Mac experience is all about just getting work done. Across the pond in England, enough people are fed up with the general Windows experience that one in four computers sold now is a Mac. It looks like the Macintosh is approaching critical marketshare momentum and it will be unstoppable soon. So now, to protect the Windows image from further tarnish next to a very safe (and shiny) Mac OS, Microsoft has decided on the thing it should have a long time ago – free Microsoft antivirus software; they call it Microsoft Security Essentials.

Microsoft has indeed had an antivirus product for a few years now; it is called , or rather was called, Microsoft Live OneCare; but it cost just as much as the other paid packages, so it was nothing remarkable. What we have now today, is free. If so, why doesn’t Microsoft just include it with Windows and end it there? Why do they make you search for it, download it and install it yourself? Well it could be the kind of experience Microsoft has had in the past with Netscape and Real Player. When they put out Windows with Internet Explorer included for free ten years ago, Netscape sued them for being anticompetitive; if they put out Windows 7 with free Microsoft antivirus software included, they are surely going to have a bunch of antivirus software manufacturers, Symantec, Kaspersky , snarling away at their heels. So, all said, this should be quite a good call.

So what is this free Microsoft antivirus software like? Is it a case of you get what you pay for, which in this situation is nothing? Microsoft Security Essentials is easy to download, and after a Windows Genuine Advantage check, it pretty much installs and updates itself on autopilot. The user interface is neat and simple: there are no complicated-looking options like with Kaspersky or Norton. It updates on its own, as a part of the whole Windows Automatic Updates Function, and there’s pretty much nothing you have to do. I installed it personally on a computer infected with an AutoRun.inf worm, and Windows Security Essentials caught it right away and cleaned my computer up. I personally thought that Microsoft’s product was sure to be less of a problem in slowing my computer down like some other antivirus products, but there I was disappointed. My Core2 Quad did slow down somewhat, and there were annoying flickers on the screen. These went away as soon as I uninstalled it. It looks like Microsoft with its special inside knowledge of Windows still can’t make antivirus software completely problem-free. And you know, it does come for free, and it seems to be no less effective than the others.. I wonder when it is going to send all the other paid programs packing.

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Choosing the best antivirus software largely comes down to personal preference, so I’m not going to sit here and debate the merits or demerits of each particular program. Instead, I’m going to tell you which kinds of protective features you should look for, and let you make the final choice on your own. Even though I’m not going to endorse a specific product, I do want to tell you to forget about free programs like AVG, Avira, and Avast. Though these programs have some support in the online community, they are also frequently blamed for missing viruses, not being able to quarantine or remove infections, and not stopping other types of malicious attacks. Yes, you’ll save a few bucks by going with one of these free downloads, but your computer will still be fat risk.

Okay, so what about the best antivirus software features that I promised to tell you about? Well, here are some of the things you should definitely look for. First, the program should come with an adequate database of current and past viruses, trojans, and malware, and that database should be updated frequently. This feature is a no-brainer because an out-of-date program will not provide you with the kind of protection you need.

Second, the product should also come with a firewall to protect you against immediate threats while online. This is something you need to be very careful about, as not every program has this capability. Typically, you’ll need to upgrade to the “internet security” package rather than just the antivirus software, but the extra money is definitely worth it. A firewall can help protect you against “phishing” sites or other sites that try to install a script as soon as you land on the page.

The best antivirus software programs also have tools that guard against identity theft. These include such things as a virtual keyboard that you can pop out to securely type in passwords, and controlled access to identity data contained in sensitive files on your computer. These are options you certainly won’t find in free programs, and you’ll be glad to have them at your disposal if someone ever tries to steal your financial data.

Before you go spend money on computer protection, it would pay to make sure you’re getting the best antivirus software features in return. A virus can wreak untold havoc on your system, so it’s definitely in your best interest to take all necessary precautions right now!

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At some point you may have noticed your computer functioning at a ridiculously slow pace. This sluggish behavior could be due to a virus or spyware of some sort. You see, even though you do not remember your PC getting infested with a Trojan horse or oodles of spyware, it still may have occurred. It commonly happens to people when they are visiting websites and opening emails. Whether you realized it or not, there are many negative files encrypted in these places. Countless emails are sent out to individuals all over the world containing corrupt files or data every day. It is up to you as a computer user to obtain the latest anti virus software downloads to protect your PC.

Always remember to avoid shady websites that may contain spyware and viruses. In reality, a virus can literally obliterate the data on your hard drive. If this occurs, how will you get to all that crucial information that has been stored on your PC for years? It would be utterly horrible to lose all that data, whether it is work related, photos, emails, or fun stuff. As for spyware, this is more or less a way for someone to get into your computer. They may be able to see what you are doing, what sites you are viewing, have access to your bank account information and site passwords, and even be able to track your every key stroke. It is time to acquire the latest anti virus software downloads.

Be sure to know what anti virus software you are getting. Although a few of these downloads are free of charge, most of them cost money. However, sometimes these anti virus software downloads are corrupt themselves. So be sure that none automatically begin downloading when you view their website. If this occurs you need to put a stop to it. Therefore it could be a virus itself. Some individuals cloak viruses in the form of anti-virus software. Ones you can count on are Norton anti virus software, and Symantec Client Security for PCs. No matter what route you choose, just be sure to protect that precious data on your PC’s hard drive. The last thing you want to deal with is losing all of your information and having to purchase a new computer.

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Whether the application is accounting, graphics and painting, media players, a variety of calculators, financial planning, word processing or an array of other solutions, including full software and database systems, you can get it for free! Free software should be your first consideration when you’re looking for software to solve some data or information processing problem.

Downloading free software naturally starts with finding free software to download. Search on the subject and include the words �free�, �software� and �downloads�. Somewhere, on the first few pages of the results, you should find the software you’re looking for. Downloading free software entails some risks. Since it is software you are downloading, it is probably an executable, a program that will run on your machine and execute computer instructions. What those instructions are, you have no way of knowing. Some malicious programmers like to combine their software with viruses that may damage your system, wipe out your files, or hijack your personal information and send it to some server for illegal use. This is why it is a good idea to perform a search on the company and the software itself, for any posting on the net warning you of any dangers others have encountered downloading free software from the company that has made the software you’ve chosen.

When downloading free software, the vendor may put you through a survey first. They are offering the free software in order to gather marketing information on you. If they ask you for an email, then ask you what your interests are, you can be sure you’ll be receiving a variety of unsolicited emails, offering you deals on products or services that correspond to the interests you’ve claimed on these surveys. Some people find this irritating, but others are willing to pay the price of deleting those emails en masse, for the privilege of downloading free software to solve your immediate software needs.

When downloading free software, you will normally by asked to accept a licensing agreement. Most free software, also called freeware, comes with a general licensing agreement that commits you to using the software for yourself only and to not distribute the software yourself, which frees the vendor from any liability. Some software offered for free may be only partially functional, requiring you to pay for the rest. If the working functions are all you really need, don’t bother buying the entire thing. The vendor is trying to get you to try out the software in the hopes you’ll be pleased enough to buy the rest. This is fair enough. If you don’t like the software, you can always get rid of it.

Downloading free software is easy enough, and the benefits of free software can save you hundreds, even thousands of dollars in costs. Before buying that expensive and well advertised package, try downloading free software instead.

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