You took your time to research which among the existing antivirus software around best suit your computer and your usage. You took time to ask technologically savvy friends and relatives and you even visited some well known tech-related forums to get unbiased information about antivirus.
When you finally chose one antivirus program, you ordered your program online or you went to the local computer shop near your area. You install it on your computer and you leave it on working on the background while you do your usual stuff on your PC. You feel you have done your very best to protect your computer from those menacing viruses, Trojan horses, worms and malwares.
So you became tremendously disappointed when your computer suddenly crashes and you just realized it was infected by a virus and the virus basically wiped out your entire hard drive, taking with it your 1st year old baby's video on his first foot steps and that presentation for that client you were eyeing to bag, a presentation you've been working on since last month.
You try to consider where you went wrong. You feel you have bought the best of the best in terms of antivirus programs and you know you have turned it on for the past few days. What went wrong? Well, quite frankly, you just forgot the one thing that you should not have forgotten above anything else.
Antivirus update.
Once you have purchased an antivirus program, you have to make sure you do an antivirus update as often as you can, maybe even daily so what you may want to do is to put the antivirus update setting of your program in automatic. Some programs have their antivirus update settings turned on but some softwares are placed on manual mode so you may want to check your program's user manual just to make sure.
But why is an antivirus update important?
Initially, your antivirus program has set definitions for all sorts of worms, viruses, malwares, Trojan horses, bugs and other uninvited softwares. However, due to man's innovation (or sometimes boredom), new viruses and worms are introduced in a basis so frequent that your antivirus program needs an antivirus update to make sure it is up to date to the definitions of new viruses and worms.
Once your program is updated with the latest antivirus updates, then your computer is virtually safe from the latest line of computer bugs and traps. True there are some programs that have sophisticated intelligence that even if the virus is not defined in their knowledge, so long as it behaves in a "virus-like" manner, it is dinged and may be up for deletion, cleaning or is deemed for vault placing, depending on the action you would command it to do. However, this occurs in a very shot-in-the-dark manner as you can only hope that the new virus will behave like virus before it. Doing an antivirus update will make you very sure that you and your program are very much prepared for all those viruses and worms.
Author: Anu Kool
Antivirus softwares come in either paid or free versions. Both work well but with some differences in terms of features and options available to the user. If you are on a budget, then you can opt to download the free versions of the regular paid antivirus software. The free version might come with a little less features but it will work as well as the paid one. On the other hand, if you have the cash to spare then you should definitely go for the paid versions. Why? This is because you will be given to access to more features as well as the special options being offered. You can download antivirus software at the company website. It's usually the same company that developed the software; however, there are some antivirus software that are being distributed in other sites. Most of the time it's because that certain website is reviewing a free version of that software and offers direct links to their readers this is only commonly done on free softwares so never ever pay and download for an antivirus software if it's displayed on a non-company related website. Most likely it would turn out to be a scam.
So now that you know where you can get antivirus software, we should talk about what you must look for when deciding on which one to get. After all, there are numerous antivirus softwares available and they all have a unified claim of being the best. Basically, you wouldn't want to spend money on an outdated software that is absolutely useless against newer viruses. Remember, new viruses crop up on a weekly or perhaps even on a daily basis so it's recommended that you choose an antivirus software that will protect your PC against all old and new viruses. So when buying antivirus software, consider the following:
1. Does the antivirus software give you 2 levels of protection? Many of the available antivirus softwares would detect and the clean away all the viruses from your PC when you run a scan. So check if your software has the same kind of protection.
2. How effective has it been with cleaning up all the infected files on your PC? Does it quarantine or remove all the infected files efficiently? It's very important that your chosen antivirus is very effective in cleaning out all the infected files to put an end to the chance of it spreading to other files or worse, another PC.
3. Is it very easy to use? Of course, not all of us have backgrounds on IT and as such, we require something that is very simple in terms of user interface and doesn't require too much to be able to function well. You want it to clean up your PC not learn how it works.
4. Does your chosen antivirus software come with free updates from the website? Even free ones have regular free updates. So check if the company offers regular updates for free, remember that new viruses are always on the rise and as such you want to keep your antivirus software updated.
5. Does the company offer you with great online support for some of your technical difficulties? Are they fast and helpful with responding to even your most mundane questions? A company that provides total support towards their clientele is a great thing.
So there you have it, some ideas about antivirus download sites, what to watch out for and what to look for when choosing an antivirus for you computer.
Author: Zarqoo Zaimoo
PC antivirus software could be the most important program you own. It could save you hours of frustration and heartache. Most importantly it could save you a huge sum of money and give you piece of mind.
You may ask yourself this question constantly. Do I need PC antivirus software? The answer, quite simply, is yes. If you spend any time at all connected to the internet or moving files from other PC’s, you definitely need it. Viruses are most commonly picked up through the internet or by opening files from an unknown source.
A virus can create havoc on an unprotected computer system. You can lose files, programs and personal data. In some cases, you can lose everything on your pc and end up having to replace the whole thing. All of this can be prevented simply by purchasing good quality PC antivirus software. Most of these programs are relatively inexpensive and provide all of the protection you need for daily use.
PC antivirus software comes in all shapes and sizes. There are free antivirus programs and ones that you need to purchase and then purchase a subscription to keep them up to date. The free software usually offer little protection and are out of date quickly. This leaves your PC open to infection and possible data loss or damage to the system. This is obviously not a situation that anyone wants.
The best choice for PC antivirus software is a paid solution which is updated frequently. Viruses are being written all the time and if your software isn’t updated it will not detect a virus that has been written since your last update. For this reason it is necessary to maintain a subscription to whatever software you purchase. There may be a fee for this service but, it is a small price to pay for the peace of mind and security solid PC antivirus software will provide.
There is no one magic program that provides complete protection but, some of the best on the market include Norton Anti-Virus, Kaspersky Anti-Virus, Trend Micro Anti-Virus and Panda Anti-Virus. Any of these quality products can provide you all of the virus protection and security you will need if updated regularly.
Author: Greg Kelly
Today more then ever, 90% of my service calls are virus related. Everyone knows how careful you must be when browsing the internet, and what sites you visit. The antivirus industry is a billion dollar industry, with many different companies producing software. I am constantly asked by my clients what antivirus program should they buy to protect their computer.
What makes a good Antivirus Program
Throughout the years I have tried many different antivirus applications, and have learnt what to look for when choosing what is right for you. Based on my experience, I have been able to break out the qualities of antivirus products into the following categories:
- How often does the software update new virus releases
- How easy is it to keep your virus software up to date
- How much resource does the program take to run (slow down your computer)
- Can the program scan for virus's in the background without effecting performance.
We have created an depth website outlining a full list of qualities that make up the Best Antivirus Software
My Anti-Virus of Choice
My answer to my customers when the pose the question about what anti-virus software to purchase is typically as follows; "buy the same one I use". When i give this answer it usually fills people with a sense of comfort to know that a professional technician has a brand name of choice. Obviously the next question in line is, so what product do you use? The answer to that question is; Norton Anti-Virus.
Why Choose Norton Anti Virus
There are certain things I look for when I rate anti virus programs. The obvious one is, does it block threats from infecting my computer. In most cases all the "accredited" seem to work. Where I find a big difference is in the smaller less noticeable things. I have detailed below a short list of reasons why Norton is the best choice.
- Norton sends virus definition updates sooner then any other company
- Norton automatically updates your system with the latest updates
- Norton does not slow your computer down when it is running
- Norton scans your computer in the background without you having to wait and watch it
These are some small points as to why Norton is the most effective solution for you. There are several other reasons that I suggest Norton Anti Virus, and for a full write up please visit my web page. You can follow a link to the page talking specifically about Norton at the bottom of this article under Appendix A.
Is Norton Enough?
Although I am a firm believer that Norton Anti-Virus does an effective job of protecting your computer, I feel that ALL anti virus programs have a small piece missing to make them virtually perfect. Anti Virus programs specialize in blocking worms, trojans and other virus's from infecting your computer. What they do not effectively block is spyware and adware which create pop ups on your computer. Although advertisement software on your computer is not harmful, sometimes they seem like windows messages that you should click on, and when you click on them they bring you to harmful sites in which case then you get infected.
In addition to Norton Anti Virus, I have been very impressed with a product called Webroot Spysweeper. This program is designed to clean and block the exact adware and spyware that I mentioned above. This in cooperation with Norton Anti-Virus will ensure that your computer is safe when browsing the internet.
In Summary
As mentioned before, I am providing you with my long history of knowledge about anti virus programs, however in reality all software packages will help you. It was my goal however to share with you some information I gained over the years, and I hope you learned something while reading this. I suggest you visit my web page as it will provide you with a deeper understanding of the anti virus products, and you can even get great prices on Norton and Webroot products. I thank you once again for reading and hope to help you with another computer related issue in the future.
Author: Chad Ingram
