AVG AntiVirus Free

Find viruses and other threats on your computer and prevent those threats from taking over your operating system with AVG Anti-Virus.

Though most computers come with some type of anti-virus protection, many of those programs are only valid for a short period of time. Once the deadline date passes, you have to pay a high fee just to protect your computer. AVG Anti-Virus offers all the protection you need for free. Designed for use with Windows computers, it recognizes viruses, malware, spyware and other problems when surfing the web.

One of its top features is called LinkScanner, and this feature works with the security protection awarded by your browser and identifies malicious sites. This keeps you from clicking on dangerous links and downloading harmful content to your computer. Keep in mind that this feature may change your privacy or security settings. You'll need to manually change those settings later.

Although other security programs will slow down your computer or keep you from using your favorite apps while performing a scan, AVG Anti-Virus lets you do everything you want while it scans and won't stop you from using your computer. The free version is a trial version that constantly asks you to upgrade to the paid version, which can be annoying.

Scanning your computer is the best way to eliminate harmful spyware and malware that steals your private information. You can simply open this program, click a button and let it scan while you continue with your everyday online tasks. The program also lets you decide when you want to scan for viruses. After choosing a day, the program scans on that date and gives you a detailed report of the problems it finds. You can then quarantine or remove infected files with ease.

While its scanning feature might slow down your progress when using apps or games that require more space, you can turn off the program or select gaming mode to keep it from getting in the way. It also comes with a feature called "File Shredder" that lets you instantly remove infected files instead of worrying that those files will corrupt the others. Similar programs will simply move the files to your recycling bin without deleting them completely. Considering it's free protection against viruses, malware and other common computer error, few programs can protect your PC to the level of AVG Anti-Virus.

Pros:

• Works with Windows 7 and updated versions
• LinkScanner will show you safe sites to visit and block dangerous sites
• Will scan automatically or let you select a date for scanning
• Offers protection against harmful links found on social networking sites
• Gaming mode let you play games without experiencing lag

Cons:

• Frequently asks if you want to upgrade to the paid version
• May slow down games and larger apps
• Can take more than an hour to install
• Changes your privacy settings
• May switch your homepage to the official AVG website