Almost all new computers come with pre-installed name brand AntiVirus trial programs. The hope and probable outcome is that after the 30 or 60 day trial, you’ll go ahead and purchase an annual plan from that company just because it’s already on your system. In all probability, many people will in fact extend the trial plan and purchase a subscription, sometimes up to 3 years to get the best deal from the manufacturer.
I’m not here to necessarily discourage people from purchasing these types of programs. However, the truth of the matter is that free software can do just as good a job of protecting a system as a paid subscription if you’re careful, and I simply want people to be aware of the free versions in case they want to test them out and compare brands.
A few of the free programs I recommend are the following (the first two are AntiVirus programs and the other two scan your system for malware):
Please remember to completely uninstall the pre-installed trial verision of the AntiVirus software and reboot your system prior to installing any other AntiVirus program! Having more than one installed AntiVirus program on a system can cause major slowdowns and system conflicts.
Keep in mind that paid subscriptions have a major plus when it comes to technical support (that is definitely sacrificed when it comes to free software). But it’s important to be aware of all the options and make an informed decision so money isn’t spent when it doesn’t need to be.