If you have a Windows PC, then you probably have some form of Anti-Virus software installed on it. It may be 'what came with the computer' or you may have purchased it in a shop or online. Is it still working and up to date? If not then you should do something about it. Your first thought might be to renew or update the product you have currently got installed.

As a home user, you also have other options available to you for Anti-Virus solutions. Did you know that there are free programs available that also do a great job of protecting you from viruses?

Here are a few:

* AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition http://free.grisoft.com/
* Avast! 4 Home Edition http://www.avast.com/eng/free_virus_protectio.html
* Avira AntiVir Personal Edition Classic http://www.free-av.com/
* Comodo AntiVirus http://antivirus.comodo.com/

I have tried the first three myself when I changed my Anti-Virus software a couple of years ago. The last is from the manufacturer of the firewall software I use, so I shall have a look at it sometime. For me the best one was Avast!. It was a small download and will install and work without pre-registration. Once it is installed, you register at the Avast website and they send you a license key that is valid for 12 months; when it expires you just re-register for another one. It is a fairly small program that you don't notice running most of the time. When you start your computer, there is a bit of a slowdown as it connects immediatly to get any updates, but other than that it isn't very intrusive (unlike some commercial products - not naming names - Sxxxxxxc/Nxxxxn).

The virus signatures are updated at least once a day, so it is as good at keeping up with the latest viruses as any other product.

What Anti-Virus product do you use and is it up to date?

I used to use AVG and Avast!, but I've been a convert of AntiVir for quite sometime.

I feel as though AntiVir's got a better feel than AVG and Avast! - AVG I don't really have a problem with, but Avast!'s skinning features don't really cut it for me - it's antivirus software, not a media player, so I don't enjoy it that much. However, that's actually very subjective.

As you mentioned, Avast! slows the computer down a bit when you start your computer, which I don't really enjoy as there's already a bunch of other programs hogging my processor and ram when the computer starts up. However, I'd like to mention that AntiVir still slows the computer down when updating - I think all antivirus programs might, anyhow.

I'd have to agree with you on the lack of intrusion, unlike certain commercial products, haha.

I've also used ClamAV (available free on Mac, Win, and Linux/BSD) and F-Prot (free on Linux home pc, Windows for $29. I think). Of course, running Linux cuts out 95-99% of the virus problems anyway. ;-)