Features

For any PC connected to the Internet, protection against viruses is absolutely essential. If you didn't get any anti-virus software bundled with your system, or it's reached the end of its trial period, Security Center will warn that you're not adequately protected. These warnings will appear as system tray pop-ups if there's no anti-virus software installed, if the virus definitions are out of date, or if there's a problem with the program that is installed.

Though trial software will encourage you to upgrade to a paid-for product, you don't necessarily have to shell out for commercial anti-virus software, as there are a number of free products available. One of the most popular is AVG, which integrates with Security Center so that Windows can alert you to any problems. Despite being free, AVG Free Edition offers a good level of protection. Be careful to download it only from its maker's website - there are some scams around on the web using the AVG name.

	1 In Internet Explorer or your preferred web browser, go to the download page for AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition at http://free.grisoft.com. Click the Download link under the 'Free basic protection' heading, then click the Download button in the AVG Anti-Virus Free column. Download the installation file and run through the setup routine in the usual way.

	2 Accept all the default settings. Once installed, any Security Center warnings about missing protection should disappear and the AVG configuration wizard will launch. Click Next and opt to download the latest virus definitions to ensure complete protection. You can then opt to scan your PC for viruses on a daily basis and rest easy that your system is secure.