I am often asked to recommend software for virus and malware protection. I sent the following information to a colleague in an email and decided to post it here for future reference. I hope you find this information useful:

To get free anti-virus go to the following page:

http://free.avg.com/us-en/free-antivirus-download[*1]

 

Click the “Download Basic Protection” button:

 

 

a download.cnet.com page will open...

click on the green download button:

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Welcome AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2012 users

To complete your download, click on the link below:

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choose to save downloaded file to your computer.
file is named similar to: avg_free_stb_all_2012_####_cnet.exe

double click downloaded file to install AVG following prompts...

Basically

·         be sure to select free version

·         do not allow program to provide information to AVG (product improvement – or whatever)

·         I do recommend the installation of the AVG toolbar for browser and setting AVG as default search provider.

·         update AVG (possibly a couple of times) to get latest protections

·         run a complete scan as soon as possible

The complete process may take 30~60 minutes.

On Windows 7 (and Vista) the install places an AVG “widget” on the desktop with a scan button and an update button – as long as you occasionally do each you will be secure and up to date.

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and for good measure...

One of the best resources for instructions on cleaning up an infected computer can be found on the following page:

http://wiki.lunarsoft.net/wiki/PC_Cleanup[*2]

Of particular intrest here is the proper procedure for the installation and configuration of the following programs:

• SpywareBlaster.
• CCleaner.
• Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.
• SUPERAntiSpyware.
• Spybot S&D.

For best results download and use the recommended Anti-Malware_Toolkit[*3]
to download the above listed programs.

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Keep in mind: AVG should be all the Anti-virus you will need. Installing more than one anti-virus on a system is inviting problems.

Best of luck && Watch what you click!

Using the above resources I have been able to protect and clean several computers; from XP to Windows 7 - I have had success with these products. I have never seen the need to investigate the purchase of anti-virus or anti-malware products for personal computers. On rare occasions a system may be so infected that an operating system may need to be reinstalled or repaired; I have found that system stability is greatly restored using the above techniques, allowing for file recovery and backup efforts prior to the dreaded reformat.

yadda-yadda your results may vary yadda-yadda