How To Install Free, Effective Antivirus Software (For Beginners)
Anyone running a Windows computer knows how important it is to have good anti-virus software but you dont need to pay for good protection! If someone you know still doesnt have anti-virus software running, heres a quick guide you can send them to help them set it up.
This guide was originally published in 2011, but our recommendations have changed since then. Microsoft Security Essentials, our previous favourite, is no longer adequately rated by most antivirus tests. If youre an advanced user, Avast is our personal favourite antivirus program, but it requires some configuration. For beginners, I cant recommend Bitdefenders Free Edition highly enough.
Note: This guide is for Windows users. If youre on a Mac, we recommend installing Sophos instead.
Heres how to set up Bitdefender on your Windows PC:
From now on, you should see a little Bitdefender B icon in your system tray that means Bitdefender is running in the background, monitoring your computer for any viruses that may come your way. Bitdefender doesnt have many options, which makes it incredibly simple: just leave the Virus Shield and Auto Scan options on and you should be well protected.
In many cases, Bitdefender will prevent you from visiting a web site if it detects malware on the page. If you ever do get an infected file on your system, Bitdefender will automatically quarantine it. You can see your quarantined items by clicking Bitdefenders icon in your system tray and clicking the Show Files button under the Quarantine section. From there, you can use the buttons on the right to delete the file, or if you know it isnt a malicious file restore it.
Remember, good anti-virus software is important, but its even more important to browse the web safely. The best way to avoid viruses is to make sure you dont download them in the first place. Dont click on anything that claims you have a virus unless its coming from Bitdefender itself. Dont click on any suspicious Facebook posts, and dont click on suspicious email links. If you get an email from ebay.com, hover your cursor over the link and look at the bottom of your screen to make sure it actually goes to http://www.ebay.com if it goes somewhere else, its probably going to harm your computer.
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How To Install Free, Effective Antivirus Software (For Beginners)