Is your new computer and complain for antivirus expired? Replace free of charge.

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Is Your New Computer Complaining About Expired Virus Protection? Replace It for Free. skip to content Fight Identity Theft ProtectionDetectionRecovery HomeBlogAboutContact Subscribe Printer Friendly Share this Page HomeBlogJanuary, 2010 Is Your New Computer Complaining About Expired Virus Protection? Replace It for Free.

In a few days, it will be a month since Christmas has come and past, and that usually means a month since you've opened up those new computers and laptops. While you're enjoying the free trial offers of expensive anti-spyware and virus protection programs, you're probably also aware (or even repeatedly reminded) that they're about to expire. If you don't want to pull out the credit card but don't want to lose the spam and virus protection, it's time to look at a third alternative - free programs.

Yeah, yeah, I know. You get what you pay for, right? Some people may even be so dead-set against free anti-spyware that they simply pay for the more expensive suites just to feel comfortable. Don't be that person. Let's check out a few free programs that actually deliver the goods:

Microsoft Security Essentials

Microsoft often gets a bad rap these days, especially when it comes to software bugs. But what people don't take into account is that most viruses are written for Microsoft or Windows software; of course they're going to get slammed. MS isn't oblivious to this, hence the free Security Essentials program that you can download right now. We love this as a security program because it's simple, gets the job done, and won't expire on you because it's absolutely free. Just one quick tip: make sure that you uninstall the previous spyware program you've been running if you decide to stick with Security Essentials. Keeping your computer free and clear of unwanted programs will help it run smoothly.

Download MS Security EssentialsAvast - with an Exclamation Point

avast! is another great alternative - they provide both hardcore, more costly Internet security systems but also offer Antivirus 5.0, a free program. You'll get the usual suspects - anti-spam firewalls, message scanning, and compatibility with your latest Windows system - as well as a few avast!-unique frills like avast! Community IQ. Which is the better choice? It depends on your needs. Give one of them a try or, if you're feeling ambitious, give them both a try and look for the best results. Ideally, a solid security program will run in the background, talk to you as little as possible, and keep your computer clean and fresh. If that's what one of these programs does for you, then it's doing its job. Leave it alone! You don't necessarily need the more expensive security programs unless you're really looking for some serious protection.

Download avast! 5.0Want to Learn More?

Still not sure which program to use? Lifehacker.com has a review and additional resources for both programs:

Avast Free Antivirus 5.0 Adds Behavior Monitor, Heuristics Engine, and Improved PerformanceMicrosoft Security Essentials Ranks as Best-Performing Free AntivirusDo You Have a Favorite Free Virus Program? Tell Us About It.

Let us know in the comments if you have a favorite free option. There are some good ones available and these aren't the only two out there.

Microsoft Security Essentials System Requirements

Operating System: Windows XP (Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 3); Windows Vista (Gold, Service Pack 1, or Service Pack 2); Windows 7

For Windows XP, a PC with a CPU clock speed of 500 MHz or higher, and 256 MB RAM or higher.For Windows Vista and Windows 7, a PC with a CPU clock speed of 1.0 GHz or higher, and 1 GB RAM or higher.VGA display of 800 × 600 or higher.140 MB of available hard disk space.An Internet connection is required for installation and to download the latest virus and spyware definitions for Microsoft Security Essentials.Internet Browser:Windows Internet Explorer 6.0 or later.Mozilla Firefox 2.0 or later.Microsoft Security Essentials also supports Windows XP Mode in Windows 7.Avast! System RequirementsProcessor Pentium 3, 128 MB RAM100 MB of free hard disk spaceMicrosoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7 (32/64 bit) January 21, 2010 3 comments Share This Page: Email Facebook Google Twitter MySpace Digg Add a comment3 Comments Keri Posted 3/10/2010

I have used AVG. It seemed to slow down my computer when booting up system. I also used McAfee, provided with my Comcast service. It also seemed to slow computer when booting up system. Comcast has switched to Norton Antivirus. It seems much faster when booting up and also includes option of backing up files. The thing I also didn't like with AVG is everytime I turned on my computer I had to restart it as it would update everytime I turned my computer on and that got to be a real drag after time. I started out with the free version of AVG and later went with the full paid version which offers much more protection than the free version. Since I have opted to use the antivirus protection provided by Comcast and have been fine with that.

Dave Posted 1/24/2010

I've also been a fan of AVG, but I agree with your comment about MSE. It's worked well and hasn't slowed down the computer the way some of the larger apps can.
I think Microsoft has a strong motivation to continue to improve MSE because of how Apple has been hammering them on their weak malware protection.

Cd-MaN Posted 1/24/2010

An other option would be AVG, which is also free and quite good. However recently I switched to MSE and it really seems to be more streamlined than the other options.

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