Antivirus software is a must on any system. The most commonly used software,
McAfee and
Symantec can be intrusive as well as expensive. I have had the privilege of using both of these but they are constantly bombarding you to upgrade or buy their suite of computer protection programs. They both work well but I have found that they do not catch or eliminate all of the viruses out there, even if they are kept up to date. I've searched the Internet for free or moderately priced anti virus software and I found one that is not only very good but cheap. In fact it is free.
Avast! is an excellent software that has seven modules running simultaneously protecting different areas of your system. I sound like a commercial for this product but I have the utmost confidence in its performance.
This software has detected and eliminated viruses that the others have missed. You can go to
http://www.avast.com/ and download the home edition free. You have to register to get a free registration key and to renew it once a year. I have been using it for three years on four different systems and I have no complaints with its ease of use or its effectiveness. I recommend it to anyone with a limited budget and a need for a truly good antivirus solution.
Above is the control panel for the avast! software which lets you calibrate the
sensitivity of each module to your own needs.
