Free Security Tools that Keep Your Windows 7 Safe

The first thing you probably do after successfully installing Windows 7 on your computer is running Windows Update to get your system all patched up with the latest patches and updates. And the second thing then is probably trying to install the anti-virus program to keep your new Windows 7 from the virus attack. It’s not that bad yet but I bet those tireless hackers (not our type) will be trying hard inventing the new ways to attack the new OS when it’s officially released. So it’s always a good practice keeping your system up to date and having one rock-solid anti-virus in place to keep the system in a good healthy shape.

So what choices do we have to keep our Windows 7 safe? Here are 2 good choices we have.

AVG

Always my first choice to fight with the bad virus. It’s reliable, frequently updated, and mostly, free for non-commercial and home use. Its new registered LinkScanner Active Surf-Sheild feature checks web pages for any threats at the time when you are about to click that link.

The free version doesn’t include the Anti-Spyware feature, only the paid version does. However, with free Microsoft Defender built-in in the Windows 7, you’ve already got that part pretty well covered.

Finding the download link for the free version is quite tricky on AVG website, you will have to go through the comparison page in order to get to it which redirect you to download.com in the end. Here is the free edition link and you can check it out and find the download link in that page too.

http://www.avg.com/product-avg-anti-virus-free-edition

avast!

Avast! is also a good choice too, and provides a free edition as well in a manner that includes both anti-virus and anti-spyware, and much more.

Free antivirus software providing desktop security and data protection. avast! detects and removes all forms of malware, including spyware, rootkits and trojans. Free for home users.

avast! antivirus software represents complete virus protection, offering full desktop security including a resident shield. Daily automatic updates ensure continuous data protection against all types of malware and spyware. avast! antivirus is certified by both ICSA Labs and West Coast Labs Checkmark, and all avast! products are available to download for a free 60-day trial period.

Same as AVG, the free edition is only for non-commercial and home use, and requires a registration to remove the 60-day time limit. The download is quite obvious appeared on the website, which is good.

If you are looking for a all-in-one product, Avast! may be better and the way to go.

Both AVG and avast! are all compatible with Windows 7, and my test on both has proved that.

However, if you are willing to pay for the paid version, besides AVG and avast!’s various paid editions, TrendMicro’s home and home office editions also are the good choices too.

For corporate users, it’s a no brainer that TrendMicro would be a better choice. What about Symantec Norton Anti-Virus? Forget it, they are way behind the game now.