I've recently switched from using my old symantec corporate anti-virus that I've used for many years due to it getting long in tooth and the new version of Corporate is pretty expensive. I've had a few problems with version 9 that I had purchased years ago letting some things through that I thought shouldn't have gotten by it.

I've been using Avast! for awhile now on my laptop checking to see how well it works and have had nothing sneak by yet.

As you can see from above they have a free version that has most of the features that the paid professional version has including Anti-Spyware and Anti-Rootkit protection. Avast! has done really well on third party tests and it has stopped spyware from getting onto my system as well. The program automatically checks daily to see if there are any updates rather than weekly like Norton and many others do. So far I'm very happy, so much so that I've actually gotten the professional version to try it out and see if there is any real difference worth paying the yearly subscription.

In my opinion there are very few free anti-virus programs that I would recommend getting as they always seem stripped of some of the important features. These guys have consistently kept first, or second, place with third party testing labs. I first ran across the company in one of my PC magazines and then went online and read every forum that I could find about them and other anti-virus programs. Norton and McAfee continue to disappoint me, especially their internet security suites that so many people buy and then wonder why their system has slowed down to a crawl. Both Norton and McAfee in my opinion are severely bloated and are incredible resource hogs which in turn slow even the stoutest PC's to a crawl. Avast! takes much less resources and seems to have less issues than either of those two mainstream programs. I'm not saying that either is bad and that they will let a virus through that Avast! wouldn't, they are both good programs, just too bloated for me.

The best part of this program is that it's a great anti-virus for a great price….FREE for non-commercial use. This is great for installing on your children's PC's to save having to buy copies for everyone. I still say to stay away from those security suites, I just use my router and Windows firewall to block people out along with some common sense. If you would like a great software firewall I would recommend ZoneAlarm as they have been the top dog for years in that industry.

You can use the free version by simply downloading it and all they ask is that you register it once a year with them and they will send you a key. You can also try the Profession version for 60 days for free and then they ask $39.95 for a 1 year, $57.94 for a 2 year or $74.13 for a 3 year subscription. You can get them HERE! and give one of them a try if you're interested.