1. Windows Defender
Windows Defender is Microsoft’s free antivirus software. It comes pre-installed on all Windows computers, so it’s easy to use and doesn’t require any additional setup or downloads. When running a scan, it checks for known viruses in the system files as well as any programs that are installed on the computer. It also monitors ongoing activity and blocks malicious websites when they are detected.
2. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is one of the most popular anti-malware programs available today, and it is highly recommended by many computer security experts. It offers real-time protection against malware threats such as Trojans, worms, rootkits, and other malicious software, as well as checks for suspicious browser toolbars or hijacked search engines that might be installed without your knowledge or permission. It has both a free version which provides basic protection against malware threats, or you can upgrade to the paid version which offers more features including real-time protection and scheduled scans of your system files on a regular basis.
3. Avast Free Antivirus
Avast Free Antivirus is another good choice for virus protection on your computer system, offering an intuitive user interface with many useful options such as scanning specific drives or folders at any time you choose, scheduling periodic scans of your entire system, or just certain areas like removable media (such as USB drives). Additionally, it includes several advanced features such as sandboxing (which lets you run suspicious files in an isolated environment) and real-time protection against online threats like phishing attacks and drive-by downloads from malicious websites.
4. Spybot Search & Destroy 2 Free Edition
Spybot Search & Destroy 2 Free Edition is a great choice if you need something more powerful than just an antivirus program but don’t want to spend money on additional features like those offered by Avast or Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. This program searches not only your hard drive but also any network drives that are connected to the computer for potential threats such as keyloggers, spyware, adware, dialers, etc., then attempts to remove them before they cause damage to your system. Additionally, it includes some useful options like immunizing against known spyware sites, shredding deleted files securely, integrating with web browsers so that they block malicious sites automatically, etc .