rainydayz

It is important that anti-virus software be installed on any Windows computer, there are a great many threats which are specifically targeted towards the Windows user.
The choice of anti-virus software is firstly a choice between free and subscription-based services.
Many computers come with anti-virus software pre-installed, this is generally a subscription-based service which is free for the first few months, after which the user is expected to begin paying.
Some ISPs bundle anti-virus software as part of their broadband packages.

Just because you pay for anti-virus software does not necessarily mean that your product will be better than a free anti-virus product.
Anti-virus product efficacy varies from release to release, the product with the highest detection rate today may not have the highest detection rate tomorrow.

Some solutions may also include e-mail scanning, anti-phishing/anti-spyware detection or other general anti-malware detection included.

Two excellent sources of information are AV-Comparatives.org and Virus Bulletin.

For the purposes of this article we'll look at Microsoft Security Essentials, a free anti-virus solution from Microsoft.

For anti-virus solutions from other vendors consult the documentation that came with the package or check the vendors web-site.