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 don't need to pay for good protection! If
someone you know still doesn't have anti-virus software running, here's 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 favorite, is no longer adequately rated by most antivirus tests. If you're an advanced user, Avast is our personal favorite antivirus program, but it requires some configuration. For beginners, I can't recommend Bitdefender's Free Edition highly enough.
Note: This guide is for Windows users. If you're on a Mac, we recommend installing Sophos instead.
Here's how to set up Bitdefender on your Windows PC:
- Head over to the Bitdefender's Free Edition home page (not to be confused with their premium offering) and download the software. Double-click on the installer to begin the installation process.
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
doesn't 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 Bitdefender's 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 isn't a malicious file—restore it.
Remember, good anti-virus software is important, but it's even more important
to browse the web safely. The best way to avoid viruses is to make sure
you don't download them in the first place. Don't click on anything
that claims you have a virus unless it's coming from Bitdefender itself.
Don't click on any suspicious Facebook posts, and don't 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
www.ebay.com—if it goes somewhere else, it's probably going to harm your computer.
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