A Free Antivirus For My Computer

Protect your pc for free

I'm sure you've asked yourself "how do I get a free antivirus for my computer?"  Most companies who sell antivirus software give away free trial versions of their software.  That software is good for only 15 or 30 days before you either have to delete it and never use it again or pony up the money to keep using it, and the subscription usually only lasts a year.

Some companies, though, make their limited function, personal versions available for free.  "Limited function" means it doesn't have all the bells and whistles and adjustability the high-end personal or even the commercial software has.  It doesn't mean that the antivirus part is broken in any way.

But what functions will you miss out on if you get the free version instead of the paid version?  The corporate version includes a license to use the software on as many computers as they need and fancy tech support including on-site service and priority updates to the virus database.  What this means is that the automatic update feature of the software will let them download the updates faster than anyone else.

Often fancy scheduling software to make the software run automatic full checks when the user wants is only available in the commercial versions.  And sometimes they also get the newest version of the interface, so the software looks prettier while it's running.  But the big difference is the free technical support from the company.

Now I'm sure you're asking yourself, "But what do I get with a free antivirus for my computer?"  You get antivirus protection, and that's about it.  But, really, what more do you need?  Tech support?  The company doesn't officially provide tech support, but they often have a user forum where other people can help you get things set up, or fix things if they break.

I decided a free antivirus for my computer suited my needs perfectly. I could run a check whenever I wanted, and the antivirus protection was always on, keeping my IMs, my email, everything I downloaded over my network connection, every bit of software I ran on my computer free of viruses.  So far I haven't missed all the fiddly settings I'd get with the commercial versions.