Computer Tips From A Computer Guy

Get Free Microsoft Antivirus Software For Your Windows PC

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 03:37 AM PST

Is there really such thing as a good free antivirus software? Companies like McAfee and Norton only charge around $40 for their basic antivirus packages, which is a relatively low price for software.

However, these companies turn around and bite you with a renewal subscription fee after a year. You can still use the virus scan that you purchased without paying the renewal fee. But, you will not be able to get the latest updates and virus definitions, which leaves your computer vulnerable to the latest threats.

The answer is yes. There are some great free antivirus programs out there. No need to pay for antivirus software at all, unless you prefer a certain virus protection software that costs money.

Among the best of the free options is a program named Security Essentials, which is freeware distributed by no other than Microsoft themselves. To get Microsoft Security Essentials up and running on your PC, start by heading over to this page.

The next step is quite obvious, go ahead and click on the blue Download Now button located in the center of the page. This should open up a pop up box. If you are using a pop up blocker, you may need to disable it or set it to allow pop ups for this page. From within the pop up screen, select your operating system and language that you would like to use.

Save the installer file to your computer. After the download finishes, double click on the installer icon to start installing Security Essentials. Proceed through the install wizard, agree to the terms, and follow the screen prompts.

One thing to note, there is a step during the install process where the installer will check to make sure that your version of Windows is genuine and registered. So, no using this software on the Windows 7 that you got with Limewire.

After the installation process completes, Microsoft Security Essentials should be ready to use on your PC. If Security Essentials does not automatically start up, double click the Microsoft Security Essentials icon on your desktop (it looks like a castle).

The first thing that you should do, with any new software, is adjust the settings. So, click the settings tab located along the top portion of the Security Essentials window. Go through the numerous options and adjust them to your security needs.

Next, you need to do a quick update to make sure that you have the latest virus definitions installed. Click the update tab located along the top portion of the Security Essentials window.

Click the large grey update button and wait for Windows to check for and/or install updates. Be sure to check for updates on a regular basis to keep your PC safe.

Last but not least, it's time to scan the computer. Click the Home button to go back to the scan page. This page will present you with three scan options: quick, full, and custom.

Choose the one that best suits your needs. The quick scan can be significantly faster than the full scan, and the custom scan should only be setup if you want to exclude or include certain items from scans.

There you have it, an efficient, easy to use antivirus software; distributed straight from Microsoft and works with XP, Vista, and 7. Even though this software is free, it still does it's job just as well as yearly fee antivirus software. The site AV-Comparatives, a security software review site, recently gave Microsoft Security Essentials it's highest ranking.