Windows Antivirus

You recently had to take your computer for repair to your trusted technician to have it formatted for you. It all started with the fact that you are not an expert Web browser and, while trying to download software, you have accidentally clicked in the “wrong place”. The result? Your computer got infected with a virus, and Windows performance suffered a lot.

Don’t worry, don’t get discouraged, these things happen. If you are not particularly experienced in online browsing, it is easy to run into errors of this type. But now that your computer is back from service, you should be careful what you download but, above all, you should install a good antivirus for Windows.

I can understand that you have no technical knowledge and that you are not very well versed in the world of the PC, but you really shouldn’t be without antivirus. In this regard, in today’s guide, you will find several tips on some popular free and paid antivirus. I assure you that you are really spoiled for choice. Read on to learn more.

Index

• Microsoft Defender Antivirus
• Bitdefender
• Kaspersky Antivirus
• Panda Dome
• Other popular antivirus for Windows

Microsoft Defender Antivirus

Microsoft Defender Antivirus is the antivirus pre-installed on PCs running Windows 10 and later. It is very effective, light in terms of system resources occupied and, in fact, in the free environment, it is difficult to find better.

Its real-time protection system is able to analyze the system and detect any malware (malicious software), viruses and various types of threats, blocking their execution. The Windows Update System then automatically downloads Windows Defender updates to keep your PC safe and protect it from the latest malware and viruses.

To be safe, you can check that Windows Defender is active on your computer by following a few simple steps. Then press the Start button (the Windows icon on the taskbar) and click the Settings button (the gear icon ).

In the screen that you see, click on the items Update and security and Windows Security and make sure that under Virus and threat protection there is a green checkmark. If not, click on this item and, on the screen that is shown to you, press the Activate button that you find under the heading Virus and threat protection settings and then the Yes button.

Now let’s see in detail how Microsoft Defender Antivirus works. In the Windows 10 Settings panel, under Update and Security> Windows Security, press the Open Windows Security button, so as to open the main Microsoft antivirus screen.

If all security features are enabled, you should see green checkmarks at each entry in the Home section. To scan the files and folders on your PC, instead, select the item Virus and threat protection and then click on the Quick scan button, to run a quick scan, otherwise click on Scan options, to choose to run an in-depth or custom scan.

In the section below Virus and threat protection updates, by clicking on Check for updates, you can manually search for new updates. In general, however, Microsoft Defender Antivirus keeps itself updated thanks to Windows Update. For all the details, read my guide on how to activate Microsoft Defender.

Bitdefender

Among the best antivirus for Windows, there is certainly Bitdefender, a powerful antivirus available in both free and paid versions. Bitdefender is a modern antivirus, designed to deal with the latest online threats. Among its main strengths, in addition to a lightweight but extremely effective scanning engine, an extremely intuitive user interface.

Like many other antiviruses, Bitdefender scans the PC and updates itself in real-time, integrates different operating modes, and, generally speaking, protects the PC autonomously through its AutoPilot mode.

As for the full version of Bitdefender, prices vary based on the antivirus version you want to buy, with figures starting from € 29.99 for the first year for the Bitdefender Internet Security version up to € 44.99 for the first. year for the purchase of Bitdefender Family Pack. If you are interested in purchasing and want more information, you can consult the comparison table published on the official website. If, on the other hand, you want to save some money, you can take a look at the Mr Key Shop site, which allows companies to purchase unused antivirus licenses.

If you want to use it in a free version, you can download it via the official website by clicking on the Download it for free button.

After downloading the Bitdefender .exe file, double-click on it and press the Yes key. Then wait for the download of all the components necessary for the antivirus to work. Then put the checkmark in the appropriate box on the screen that is shown to you and click on the Install button to complete the setup.

I warn you that in order to be able to use the free version of Bitdefender you need to register for a free account. After launching the main Bitdefender screen, press the Sign in to Bitdefender button and enter your details to create an account. For the rest of the functions, I invite you to read my in-depth analysis on Bitdefender.

Kaspersky Antivirus

Among the antivirus known for their excellent performance, we must certainly include Kaspersky, software that cares about the protection of its users, offering numerous protection tools for privacy, especially against phishing attacks. Its strength is given by the simple and intuitive user interface that allows use even by those who are not familiar with the PC world.

Among the features of Kaspersky, there is the Parental Control tool, designed for the safety of children as well as the possibility of using a VPN to browse privately, especially if you are connected to a public network.

Kaspersky is a paid antivirus for which several versions are available for purchase. If you are interested in purchasing a license, I recommend that you take a look at the list of products available on the official website: it starts from a minimum of € 29.99 / year for the basic version of Kaspersky Anti-Virus for a license for a single PC device, up to € 139.99 / year for the purchase of ten annual licenses of the Kaspersky Security Cloud Family version. If you want to save money, I recommend that you take a look at the Mr Key Shop site, which allows you to buy 100% legal and original antivirus licenses unused by companies.

Although Kaspersky offers paid packages with their free 30-day trial versions, you can also download the free Kaspersky Security Cloud Free software. It is software with basic features that offer the bare minimum to perform a virus scan and generate a free report.

To check out the free version, head to the official website and click on the buttons Download and Play Now download. After downloading the .exe file, double-click on it, press the Continue button in the screen that is shown to you, and put a check mark in the box you see. Then press the Accept button (three consecutive times) and then click Install and Yes, to start the installation.

Once this is done, you will be shown options to customize the protection of your PC, choose which one to disable or keep active and click on the Apply buttons and then on Finish. In order to use Kaspersky for free, you need to create an account for this service. When the software starts, enter your email in the appropriate box and follow the wizard to activate your account. Read more here.

Panda Dome

Now I want to talk to you about Panda Dome, antivirus software that stands out for its extremely simple and intuitive interface and for its cloud-based protection system, therefore on the remote processing of some operations, in order to “lighten” the load on the system.

If you want to consider purchasing a paid version for Panda Dome antivirus, I recommend that you take a look at the price comparison table published on the official website. In this way, you will be able to get an idea of ​​which software to choose, depending on what your needs are. Just for example, there is the Panda Dome Essential version that can be purchased with prices starting from € 26.24 for the first year but also the Panda Dome Premium version, which can be purchased with prices starting from € 89.24 for the first year. If you want to save money, you can turn to the Mr Key Shop website, which allows you to purchase unused original antivirus licenses from companies.

I also want to inform you about the availability of Panda Dome Free in its free version. It stands out for being a very light antivirus software that performs many of its functions in the cloud (including analyzing files and updating the database with antivirus definitions), thus avoiding burdening the computer.

To download Panda Dome Free, go to the official website and press the Download, Download Now and then Download Free buttons to download the .exe file . Now, double-click on the latter, press the Yes button and then, on the installation screen, click the Next button.

Then click on Agree and Install and remove the check mark from the box relating to the installation of additional third-party software. Then click on Next and wait for the installation procedure to complete. Read more here.

Other popular antivirus for Windows

If the list of antivirus for Windows indicated so far has not fully satisfied your needs, I can tell you which are the other popular antiviruses worthy of note:

• Avira Antivirus– This is a popular and high-performance antivirus. It is available in both free and paid versions. Avira Antivirus is able to protect your computer very effectively against all major viruses and malware even if in the free version the features are clearly limited. It is very easy to use and offers the possibility of scanning for viruses in the cloud, thus speeding up and simplifying the process of analyzing the files on the PC. Read more here.
• Avast– Avast is one of the most complete and reliable antiviruses currently. It is available in both free and paid versions: the latter is able to completely protect the operating system to control all the activities that are carried out on the PC. Among its noteworthy features is the ability to optimize system performance by removing obsolete software. Read more here.
• Norton 360– this is the famous PC protection software available only for a fee, with a free 14-day trial version and often discounts in the first year of use, depending on the edition you purchase of this antivirus. It is packed with features that protect against viruses, malware, spyware and ransomware, as well as having a built-in firewall, password manager and VPN. For all the details, read my Norton 360 Deluxe review.

In case you want to know more about free Windows antivirus that you can install on your PC, but also on other operating systems such as macOS or those of mobile devices (Android and iOS / iPadOS), my advice is to read carefully the advice I gave you in this tutorial of mine.