The Best-Rated Antivirus Programs of 2012

Computers have become such an indispensable and valuable part of our everyday experiences that we cannot seem to live without them. From logging into our social media accounts to conducting our business transactions, computers make such tasks possible. With this rapid pace of growth, however, comes the ever-increasing threat that malicious software such as viruses poses to unwary computer users. They have reached levels of sophistication unheard of before, so much that more efforts are spent to counter them. Fortunately for us, there are software manufacturers who are always working on giving us antivirus programs of better quality and service, and have consistently ranked on the top of the best antivirus reviews. Presented below is a short list of the top-ranked antivirus software available today.

The Vipre Antivirus is a relative newcomer in the antivirus category and it has not garnered the general following that is being enjoyed by the other more established antivirus programs. Nevertheless, it has proven to be as capable of eliminating virus infections. It handles itself well as it goes through the three general tasks of antivirus protection, namely, deterrence, discovery, and removal. It will not cause your computer to bog down. However, it may take you some effort to install it in your computer but once you have completed the process, just reboot your PC and you're good to go.

The BitDefender Antivirus Pro, meanwhile, features remote network administration and interception of pre-determined user information. It is easy to use and offers you beginner, medium-level, and professional-grade utilities in its antivirus arsenal. It runs discreetly as you work with your computer and it leaves PC processes untouched. These features have enabled BitDefender to be included in the best antivirus reviews for last year.

The McAfee Antivirus is well-known as one of the first antivirus programs to be offered commercially. Throughout the years, the company that makes it has strived to offer the best that can be found in antivirus software. It is so fast that when it detects viruses, it works to intercept them to within a millionth part of a second. It is 8 times quicker than its previous incarnation and it gives you more security from dangerous Internet sites than other comparable antivirus software. Despite it being a little sluggish compared to other competing antivirus programs, it is still included in the best antivirus reviews of 2012.

Like its competitor the McAfee Antivirus, the Norton Antivirus 2012 is the product of another trailblazing antivirus manufacturing company. It is noted for offering a comparatively broader area of antivirus security and attributes. This high grade of protection is augmented by continuous updating and any kind of spurious activity is checked by its SONIC 3 behavioral safeguard.

The Avast Pro Antivirus is another highly-recommended antivirus product that has gained renown due to the effective security that it offers against viruses and other types of malware. You will find it suitable in handling most kinds of malware such as viruses, spyware, and Trojan horses.

The Kaspersky Antivirus is considered to be one of the best antivirus products sold today. It works actively to shield your PC from commonplace malware as well as those that are recently developed and discovered, malware that comparable antivirus software would find difficult to identify. Its 2012 version offers a desktop utility that is easy and quick for you to use; it also can check Internet sites and emailed messages for any hint of malicious information.

Finally, the ESET NOD Antivirus 4 is a dependable antivirus product that can guard your PC from most threats. It gives you real time protection as you surf the Internet and makes sure that your PC runs at optimum levels.

So the next time that you need to buy or download an antivirus program, consider these well-regarded products. Having them listed in the best antivirus reviews for 2012 will mean that you will not go wrong with your choice of any of them.

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The Three Highest-Rated Free Spyware Elimination Programs

If you consider yourself to be a frequent Internet user, you might have unwittingly let your computer at the mercy of spyware programs. You might not know it, but you may have a spyware or two running secretly in the background at the same time that you have pulled this article up to read. The good news is that you can remove spyware from your computer without difficulty; even better is the fact that spyware elimination would not even cost you a cent. The best antivirus programs can do it for you; having an effective spyware removal application like them in your computer will be of great help to you. Here are the three highest-rated spyware removal software that are available for download.

The first and highest-ranked of the three is Spybot. If you let it scan your computer on a weekly basis, it will eliminate dangerous spyware, malware, bots, and adware from your computer system free of cost. It identifies spyware programs and then proceeds to terminate them. It is considered to be one of the more excellent freebie anti-spyware remedies available right now by the best antivirus reviews and highly recommended for you to use. If you liked it, you can also consider the Spybot S&D (Search & Destroy) variant which is best used with Ad-Aware.

Ad-Aware comes second among the list and its forte is initiating thorough and detailed system performance scans. Two versions of the scan are available; one is a quick scan that you can do one day a week, and the other is the deeper version that you can perform once in two weeks. As with most freebie antispyware applications, you can get it free via download from the Internet. There is a personal version that is called the Ad-Aware SE Personal that does not only help your computer get rid of spyware, but will also notify you on the type of danger that they possess. Such a personal touch has helped it to be regarded as one of the best antivirus programs that can be downloaded right now. It has proven to be so popular that it has been procured by more than 68 million computer users in one year.

Finally, there is the IE-SPYAD free anti-spyware application which can be more accurately described as a registry file with the file name "IE-ADS.REG." When you have set up the program it will include most of the known spyware makers and pushers, advertisers, and marketing agents to the restricted sites section of the Internet Explorer, enabling it to prevent any user from getting into these questionable websites.

Aside from these top three free antispyware applications, there are a number of other available software programs that you can consider. Some of these are HiJack This, X-Cleaner, XP-AntiSpy, and Spyware Blaster. In fact, there can be other applications there that can do antispyware work for you, among them some of the best antivirus programs available be they pay-to-download or free. It all boils down to how would you like your anti-spyware program to function and how would you use it to make certain that your computer remain spyware-free.

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A Beginner's Guide to Anti-Virus Programs and Removing Computer Viruses

Due to the immense importance people put on computer and technology, it is crucial that one knows how to protect their computers against computer viruses. These viruses can be downloaded from Internet, which makes it easier for a user to introduce a virus into their computer without him/her knowing about it. Anti-virus software programs can help block viruses from entering a computer, but sometimes a virus may slip past these defenses. There are two things a person can do to remove a virus from their computer without taking it to the repair shop.

1. Back up their data. Some users seem to forget to do this, and once a virus infects the computer and deletes all the data on the computer's hard disk, it would set them back a long way. While most computers come with an option to store a back up of a user's files onto an external hard drive, this also increases the chance that any available viruses would also be copied to the external hard drive. Users can use a hard drive dock or upload their files on online file storage systems instead.

2. Run virus scans. Users should first boot their computers into safe mode before running the virus scan. They can also download anti-virus programs on the Internet, but users should make sure that they chose tried and tested programs. If users can still access the Internet on the computers, they can utilize online scanners that would help them pinpoint and remove viruses. These scanners are also able to improve the computer's performance and clean the hard disk.

Before one performs these steps, they should first make sure that their computer and technology is indeed infected with a virus. Some "symptoms" of an infected computer includes inaccessible disk drives or disks, distorted menus, and strange error messages. Computers that crash often, freeze, or run slowly may also be infected with a virus. However, these may also mean that the computer has some problems with the software. Anti-virus programs and scanners are the only sure way to determine if a virus has been introduced into the computer.

There are several kinds of anti-virus programs that people can install into their computers to help them remove any harmful add-ons. Spyware is directly aimed at removing any spyware from a computer, and even prevents any spyware from being installed in the future. Browser security assures users that they can surf the Internet safely, and the firewall serves as the computer's initial defense against unauthorized access. Parental controls, spam filters, and phishing protection are other types of anti-virus programs.

Aside from providing people with easier ways to communicate (among other things), computer and technology also gives people the chance to protect themselves from viruses and those with malicious intent. These programs lessen the risk of viruses, thus allowing people to use their computers without any delays.

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The Elements That Define Top-Of-The-Line Antivirus Programs

Sometimes, you may find it surprising that making a choice among the foremost antivirus programs would turn out to be a difficult task because of the dizzying array of programs available and the various features and utilities that they offer. Ask another computer user what he believes is the foremost antivirus solution there is right now and he may have no idea what it is. He may also pick the one that he uses for his computer and regard it as the best there is even though he has never tested other antivirus programs before. He may have not even tried to check out the many free antivirus reviews in the Internet and be enlightened further on his opinion. So you ask the question, "What is the finest antivirus program that I can have for my computer?"

Before you proceed further, you should learn the reasons behind having a capable antiviral software installed in your PC or laptop. First of all, you must ensure that your PC or laptop is running at optimum levels and that it does not tend to bog down or crash altogether. This is important if you find yourself in front of your computer for long stretches of time each day. There is the utmost need to secure your system and personal files from potentially malicious intrusions by unwanted programs and unknown persons.

These days the media feature reports about malware that has been created to squirrel away our sensitive personal data such as our Social Security benefits, email accounts and passwords, and credit card account numbers. Top-of-the-line antiviral programs that are found in free antivirus reviews can deter these viruses and other forms of malware and will help keep our PCs and laptops safe and secure for our use. The foremost antivirus applications are accessible for every kind of user, be it beginner or expert. It presents a no-frills and straightforward interface that everyone can understand and interact with. It does away with complicated cues and instructions and does its job in an accomplished and convincing manner. But again you think of the numerous antiviral solutions that can be found in the Internet and the software market and realize that choosing the best among them is no easy thing. Free antivirus reviews and assessments by unassociated companies can help you narrow down your choice since they can help you determine if your chosen antivirus product works well with your PC or laptop.

Also, you must ensure that the antivirus product you selected bears the hallmark of leading antivirus programs, namely, that it can shield your PC or laptop from any and all types of malware and intrusions, be they phishing attempts, adware, worms, spam, viruses, keystroke recorders, Trojans, and others. It must target malware that might lurk in every corner of your computer's hard drive and help you block access to questionable and dangerous Internet sites, especially those that harbor pop-up windows.

Another thing to consider when making your choice among top-of-the-line antivirus solutions is if they offer you the corresponding first-rate customer assistance and technical support services that you can expect from the companies that made them. You might hear stories about users who want to know if there are other variants of their antivirus program available and then proceeded to call the antivirus manufacturer's help line, chat with its online message board, and send out emails to the company only to realize that it does not really care much for them. Put yourself in their shoes and you will feel their frustration as well. It would be in your best interest to have a good antivirus product that is backed up by good customer assistance and technical service.

Last and most importantly, in these difficult times you must select one of the foremost antivirus solutions that fit your budget. Most are priced at the $30 to $70 range; those that are valued at $90 or $100 and up are often overpriced and thus it would be impractical for you to buy.

Now that you have gone over the elements in choosing among the first-rate antivirus programs that are available today, consider yourself better prepared the next time you need to have a new antiviral solution installed in your computer. Using your own knowledge and information that you have learned from free antivirus reviews and online product assessments, you will feel more confident in making the right choice.

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