[TomGuy]

I use Avast! free home edition. It updates daily. I am happy with it.

I formerly used AVG free home edition, but it started to have conflicts with some of my other software.

[JoeProBono]

AVIRA FREE

[WestwardHo]

Comodo free. Unless things have changed,dump Norton.

[kingu]

Use firefox and AdBlock extension. Three years and no bugs on my XP machine.

[newfreep]

I use MSE on my XP machine - auto update and no problems here.

[LibFreeOrDie]

so am relatively low risk for a virus

Not true. Legit sites can be infected.

Ditch Norton. It keeps trying to sell you online backup space.

Get Kaspersky. Works better than Norton or McAfee.

[surfer]

Works great...no problems. I have used them all and this is right up there with all of them...but it is free!

[surfer]

BTW...this is the first AV that I have used that I don’t even notice is there until it detects something. Very lightweight and efficient.

[koraz]

My brother-in-law computer geek told me about Advest - a free program that you can find on the web site www.savemybutt.com. I have been using it for over a year with good results. Only problem is that you need to get norton off your pc first.

[My hearts in London - Everett]

I have never used any of the security programs with come with a machine. I install ZoneAlarm for the firewall, Avast for the anti-virus and anti-spyware, anti-rootkit and Malwarebytes Anti-malware ~ all of which are FREE and have never had one problem.

[CedarDave]

Tech PING!

[manic4organic]

bookmark

[sportutegrl]

I have used MSE since it's debut. I had used the free suite included with Charter Cable's Internet, but after a while, it would fail to update, even after multiple reloads. I got some aggressive pop up ads that wouldn't go away. MSE's debut was in the news at the time, so I loaded on my Toshiba running Vista.

Since then I got a new HP with Windows 7 and wiped out the free Norton and loaded MSE and it has been trouble free since. No viruses, no hiccups. Faster scans and updates than Charter's suite. (Twice I got panicky and did a update and a scan, which runs so fast, even on the old Toshiba).

[Tarpon]

I upgraded all my home computers to 64 bit CPUs with across the board No Execute bit(NX bit) support in the CPU. This will take down about 95-98% of the viruses which exploit buffer overflow errors to infect your machine. It virtually takes out all the script kiddie stuff, leaving only the professionals writing really bad stuff -- ahem, stay away from those sites and you will be OK, make sure you wear protection if you don't..

You will need the appropriate OS to enable the NX protect feature, Windows 7 64 has it built in.

Real computers have enforced hardware separation between code and data pages for a very long time, bypassing the whole virus affair that windows users have had to wade through.

Most of the modern laptops have this 'NX bit' feature, the three Christmas laptops I bought had it, I believe all ATOM chips do, but you may want to check your CPU chip out at the Intel or AMD websites. Especially with laptops why waste cycles and battery on useless virus scanning tasks.

If I really want secure, like working the laptop over and insecure public hotspot, I switch to Ubuntu ... and use Ubuntu off of a bootable USB thumb drive exclusively for banking applications.

And above all else make rigid use of account management, never browse as admin ... Windows 7 64 is the best MS-OS so far.

You know what they say about free advice ...

[ansel12]

I have been wondering about the MS stuff as well, I am glad to see them doing that.

I do use Windows Defender and like it, I also use avast free, zonealarm free, a free copy (for one year)of IOBit security 360 pro, malwarebytes antimalware free, and superantispyware free.

I also do an occasional free scan with ESET online antivirus scanner, I like to double check my primary (live time) security with competitors versions.

You can run the MS suite and still periodically do scans with other brands, at least until you feel that you have become totally confidant of the MS versions.

[concentric circles]

For what it's worth:

PC Mag review of MS Security Essentials

In conclusion - Microsoft Security Essentials 1.0 is free, and it's better than no protection at all. But it's not a big improvement over the now-defunct OneCare as far as malware protection goes. Somehow I expected better. As it is, you'll get more protection from avast! antivirus 4.8 Home Edition or AVG Anti-Virus Free 8.0—both of which are also free.

[maddog55]

PC Tools.. get rid of Norton and anything Windows related.

[roving]

I have the new MS and avast. When I get into trouble, only the avast lets me know and takes care of it. I’m going to dump MS

[A Cyrenian]

ping for later

[kempo]

I've used AVG for years with good results. Added Malwarebytes 2 months ago and it saved my ass a couple of days ago. That's Malewarebytes and its free. Don't surf the internet without it.