Best Free Virus Protection Software

The viruses pop out from nowhere on our computers and they do have the power to mess everything around. You do not have to be connected on the internet to catch some – even though this is the “safest” way to have your computer infested. It is enough to use an USB drive, to transfer something through a local network, or to copy some files from a CD or DVD that has viruses and you could have to reinstall the operating system soon enough. However, the more powerful they become, the more prepared we should be.



And we can do that, thanks to the producers that are constantly working to provide us updated and reliable software for virus protection. The nice part is that we can have them without paying. The best free version elected for this year, in 2011, was an Avast version.

This software can be found in both free and paid versions, with the mention that the free one was designed only for non - commercial and personal usage. You can have it on your personal computer, for daily computing tasks, and it does an impressive job. There is no wonder that Avast benefits from the highest and impressive popularity among users from all over the world. You only have to access the company’s web site, create yourself an account and download it. You will receive a registration code that should be typed into the software’s settings to benefit from free, complete and constant updates.

Do not get scared, there are requirements that most computer users fulfill nowadays. Avast is properly working on almost any Windows operating system - any XP higher than the SP2 version but including it, any Vista, excluding the Starter Edition, and on Windows 7 with no limitations at all.

As for the hardware necessities, a minimum Pentium 3 processor, at least 128 MB of RAM and at least 300 MB of free space on the hard drive should be more than enough.

Therefore, you need to keep in mind that this antivirus will not work on old Windows versions and it also does not do very well working together with other antivirus programs.

You must already be anxious to find out what is it that it makes Avast so popular. First of all, it has a powerful anti spyware and virus engine that will offer protection for your computer against a wide range of malicious agents.

Secondly, it provides a real time protection against root kits – those malware that are usually not detected by ordinary scanners.

Thirdly, the silent firewall works with safe applications, plus behavioral and heuristic analysis in order to stop hackers.

And finally, the antispam system works as a plug in for your e-mail, offering you a phishing filter.

In addition to all of the above, Avast is also appreciated for the feedback that it offers to the community of users and for their global network responsible with gathering information about numerous infected websites and new viruses.

Nevertheless, if you would like to try some other free and powerful virus protection software, you should take a look on Microsoft Security Essentials, AVG, Avira, Malwarebytes, Combofix, Clamwin, Panda Cloud or Comodo.

You can also visit some forums to discuss with other users about their preferences and to read some more about the experiences that others have had with all of the above.

Do not forget that no matter what option you choose, take them one at a time. Using more than one antivirus might make them detect each other as malicious software and you could have serious problems while trying to uninstall them.