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Comparison between free and paid Internet security software has become a major topic of discussion among the most of all computer users recently. A number of people who have used both free as well as paid Internet security software place their strong opinions. Though most people think that the paid Internet security software is better but there are a number of people who are quite satisfied with free version of internet security software that they use.

It is a very common sight that a number of people think that they do not have any other options other than using paid version of internet security software as their computer is shipped with it. But a user can easily uninstall a paid version of anti virus and shift to a free one in his/her computer. There are a number of good quality free Internet security software such as Comodo Firewall, AVG anti virus and anti-spyware, Avast! Home Edition and many more. Some of the reputed paid security software are Symantec and McAfee.

Basic characteristics like scanning spyware and virus are same in both free and paid security software. But when you compare you may find some features like firewall, anti rootkit, anti-spam and technical support, which is offered for free.    

Anti spyware and anti virus, which are provided for free, are generally intended only for private use. But the creators of free security software can also create paid versions like AVG Internet Security and AVG Anti virus Pro. All these are paid versions whereas there is also a free version from AVG called AVG Free Edition.

Comparison between free and paid Internet security software shows that a free anti spyware or anti virus can only help to scan spyware and virus. On the other hand if you want technical support you may go for paid version of Internet security software. You may use free or paid internet security software whatever you wish but one of the most important thing which you have to keep in mind is that while choosing a security software you should select the best. You may have to spend a little for that but this little investment will ensure the safety of your computer in future.

On computer problem, many people would say, “I am so familiar with that because my computer always provides me the chance to learn how to fix it all the time!” From slow running speed; pops-up that always ask you to buy certain program; to blue screen some of the time, no one can stand these problems forever! How to fix such computer will be tough for many people since not every one is good at computer. So I would like to provide you some useful tips for solving these problems.

Reduce the quantity of programs while booting computer. Some people do not take it for serious because they think it is not a big deal of setting this. Actually, more programs add to booting list, the slower you computer will operate. To some extent, your computer will be easier to get blue screen because of too many booting programs. It is indeed quite important for maintain your computer. Use an excellent and professional anti-virus program to protect your computer security. This is one of the most effective and easiest ways to keep your computer far away from the malware and other malicious programs. Although there are many anti-virus programs in the software market, you should choose the one which fits your PC the best. For example, you can try Spyware Cease, Avast and so on. Do remember to update the program and scan your system periodically. Delete the unnecessary files in your computer, especially C Disk. For those documents that you seldom use or never use, pick them up and get them out of your PC immediately! This is for saving memory of your computer.

There are also many other useful ways to maintain your computer. You can simply follow the above instructions and keep your computer safe with ease. For your convenience, you can click here to get the best security program for fixing your computer problem FOR FREE now!

The internet is a dangerous place these days no matter if you have a PC or MAC, you download or you don’t.  In this article I’m going to show how to protect your Windows PC with some free software that essentially makes your PC impervious to ANY virus (or potential unwanted programs – PUPS) while browsing websites on the Internet. 

First, let me explain how 90% of my customers get infected.   We’ll use “Bob” as our example.

Bob never installs his Windows critical updates for whatever reason. Bob has basic antivirus (also known as signature based antivirus) that may or may not be updated. Bob gets on the Internet everyday and mainly reads the news from various news site, searches for stuff on Google and maybe plays free online games. One day while searching for a cheap cell phone Bob all of the sudden is inundated with lot’s of popups and a new (fake) antivirus program that says he’s infected and needs to buy this antivirus “right now!!!” Bob is infected with malware and a fake anti-virus.

Bob could have prevented this malware infection with a few free anti-malware applications, and when I say a few I only mean two:

A free anti-virus – There are 3 free anti-virus applications that are pretty robust and easy for the average PC user to install.  Avira’s AntiVir, Avast Antivirus and Grisoft’s AVG Free. Sandboxie Free – This application places all files downloaded from the Sandboxie web browser into a “virtual computer” that runs on your computer (ya never know it’s there).  If configured properly, once you close the Sandboxie web browser the virtual computer is destroyed along with any malicious files that you may have accidentally downloaded to it.

Now we’re going to secure your PC with both applications:  A free Anti-virus and the Sandboxie web browser.

Pick your antivirus.  My personal favorite is Avira, but any of the 3 anti-viruses I previously mentioned will work just fine.  Download, install and update it (updates are usually automatic).  Remember, anti-virus by itself is not enough protection for your PC these days, you need additional protection. Now it’s time to install Sandboxie.  You can go to Sandboxie(dot)com and download the free version of Sandboxie from there.  Once Sandboxie is installed you should have an icon on the desktop called “Run Sandboxed Web Browser”.  If the shortcut is not on the desktop you may click start, all programs, Sandboxie, then right-click over “Run Sandboxed Web Browser” and click send to desktop.  Next, we’ll configure the Default Sandbox to DELETE all contents once the Sandboxed Web Browser is closed.  This is the most important part. Click Start (or click the Windows globe for Vista). Click All Programs. Click Sandboxie. Click Sandboxie Control. Right Click Sandbox DefaultBox. Click Sandbox Settings. Click Delete. Click Invocation. Click the First Checkbox (automatically delete the contents of the sandbox). Click Apply and OK. Close Sandboxie Control.

Ok, now we’re all set to say goodbye to any form of malware (viruses) that get’s installed via browsing ANY site on the internet.  Go ahead and double click “Run Sandboxed Web Browser”.  Looks just like you’re default web browser (firefox or IE) right! 

Notice the little # signs on each side of the title bar at the top of the web browser.  This means that ALL files downloaded unintentionally are stuck inside the sandbox and are DELETED as soon as you close the web browser.  Basically this means you can visit any website without having to EVER worry about getting infected.  That is the power of browsing the web via a sandboxed web browser.

One last quick note.  If you want to intentionally download a file (like a picture) Sandboxie will ask you where you would like to “recover” the file.  This is up to you.  You can recover to the default folder or choose a folder.  Please be aware that recovering files can be dangerous, this is where you’ll need your free anti-virus (to scan recovered files).

We all like something for free, especially software as it can be so costly. So what software is there that doesn’t cost a dime and is legal to use?

For your operating system why not choose either Linux or Ubuntu. These are stable, respected and renowned alternatives to Microsoft Windows. They will be more secure as people only mainly write software viruses for Microsoft based products.

Can’t afford Microsoft Office – or simply don’t want to use it? Download Open Office for your word processing and spreadsheet requirements – all free to use.

When you buy a brand new computer with Microsoft Windows and Office already installed, you can benefit from free anti-virus software. You can pay the price for Norton or McAfee but there are many equally good anti-virus programs that are available to download for free personal use. Among the popular free anti-virus programs are Grisoft’s AVG, Alwil Softaware’s Avast! and Alvira’s Antivir.

If you have bought a new computer but have decided to download and install free anti-virus program then do not install the free three-month trial that may be included with your program bundle. The manufacturer’s want you to install this software then pay for the subscription at the end of the free term. Instead, remove the program using Add/Remove programs in the Control Panel. Then go on and download and install your free anti-virus program. Remember to set it so it automatically goes and gets frequent updates to its virus definitions.

For firewall software, try out the free version of Zone Alarm. (Note, don’t try free trial version that will keep bothering you after its trial period expires). Just remember to turn off the Windows firewall if you are using Zone Alarm as you should not be running two firewall programs simultaneously.

Many people wonder if it is worth it to download any of those free anti-virus programs out there or just go out and purchase one at fifty dollars. Most people would rather go with downloading the free anti-virus instead because of budget and convenience and that is just fine.  There are small differences when it comes to the free one and the kind that you pay for.  Free anti virus programs have less features and are usually downgraded from the paid for one, some slightly downgraded to others that only just detect and do not do anything about it until you pay for the subscription.

If you are not protected by any kind of anti-virus, there are a ton of disastrous things that could happen to your computer.  Your hard drive could be wiped clean, files lost or damage, constant freezing, or worse, people could log on to your computer and steal your information.  If any of this happens, more than likely you will have to replace any of your hardware that has been damaged. Even a simple free downgraded anti-virus can help prevent you from spending hundreds on replacement parts.

The convenience of free anti-viruses helps make it the more popular choice. You can just Google for free anti-viruses and you will easily find where to download one. It is also easier to install since it does not require CDs or any hardware to insert into your computer.  All you would have to do is download it from the site, install, and set its settings.  Most anti-viruses will run in the background and use as little resource as it can as to not bother you or slow down your computer.

The answer to the question, whether an anti-virus downloaded for free will work and help protect your computer, is yes it will.  It may not have as many features as if you had gotten the paid subscription, but it will protect your computer from most of the malicious software out there.  The anti-virus will scan your computer from any infected files and attempt to clean the files, quarantine or delete the file, whichever you choose.  Along with the infected files, it will also search for any malicious software that has caused those files to be infected and get rid of them.  These anti-viruses will not delete any file without prompting you what to do, so you don’t have to worry about it accidentally deleting a file you need.

There is lots of free anti-virus software out there for you to download.  The top rated three have been Avast!, Avira-AntiVir, and AVG.  You can download these from their respected websites.  They have been ranked as the top free anti-virus by many users and computer experts.  Though be cautioned, they may not get rid of everything and they do not fix the speed of your computer.  If that is what’s wrong with your computer, it may be a completely different problem.  To find which anti-virus is the right one for you, I suggest you try each one.

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