Best Free Anti-Virus Software Programs

Everyone wants to protect their computer from viruses, spyware and other malware. But buying new anti-virus software and subscriptions to virus definition updates can get very expensive. The good news is that you can download award-winning anti-virus protection for your Windows PC absolutely free. These anti-virus programs will run in both the 32 bit and 64 bit versions of Windows XP, Vista and 7. These free anti-virus software programs are available for download on sites like CNET's Download.com, Softpedia.com, Tucows.com and FileHippo.com. For best results, read both editor and user reviews before downloading to determine which free anti-virus software program is best for you.

Avira AntiVir Personal

Avira AntiVir free anti-virus software protects your computer from adware, spyware, rootkits, viruses, worms, trojans and autodialers. It has both real-time protection and a malware scanner. The software allows you to customize your virus scan options, scanning both internal and external drives. Avira AntiVir also has a quarantine option. Once quarantined, you can delete or restore the suspected malware file. AntiVir's heuristic engine can detect even unknown malware threats.

Avast! Free Anti-Virus 5

Avast! Anti-Virus offers free anti-virus software for personal use only. This anti-virus software provides basic protection against viruses, spyware and other malware. Avast! protects your computer from viruses and other malicious software in real time while you surf the web, read your email and browse your files. It has a virus scanner that can scan all your hard drives, rootkits and modules loaded in memory. Avast! Free Anti-Virus also has a silent gaming mode and automatic updates. A boot scan is also available for 32 bit operating systems. You must register Avast! Free Anti-Virus each year to use the software.

AVG Anti-Virus 2011 Free Edition

AVG Free Anti-Virus provides real time protection from viruses, spyware and rootkits. AVG also protects you while you're on social networks such as Facebook and MySpace. AVG comes with a link scanner that shows safety ratings when you search the Internet. AVG has an update manager that checks for virus file updates daily. AVG free has a smart scanning feature that scans files once, then refrains from scanning them again unless they are changed. Smart scanning allows you to manage how AVG uses system resources, so that the scanner won't interfere with your computer use.

PC Tools Anti-Virus Free 2011

PC Tools Free Anti-Virus gives your computer basic virus and malware protection. PC Tools' File Guard scans for and protects your computer in real time. There's also a Search Defender that points out potentially harmful or phishing websites. Like other free anti-virus software programs, PC Tools Free Anti-Virus updates automatically. It can either delete or quarantine the malware infections it detects. If the quarantine of a file causes problems with your computer, you can restore the file later.

Comodo Anti-Virus

Comodo Anti-Virus is a free software program that features adjustable security levels, scan scheduling and automatic updates. Comodo denies unknown applications by default to prevent infection. It also protects your computer from malware with Auto Sandbox Technology that isolates suspicious files, allowing them to run with only limited privileges while you work. This limits the number of interruptions you experience from Comodo while surfing the Web and working on your computer.

The system requirements for these free anti-virus software programs are regularly updated. Please check the download links for current requirements. For more information on this topic, read Best Free Sites to Scan Online for Viruses.