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Just about everyone these days knows enough to secure their computer against viruses and spyware intrusions, but most people don't know how much free software is available to do the job. A lot of commercial software, like Norton Antivirus or McAfee, is bulky and slow, and can conflict with other programs you want to use. Freeware, on the other hand, tends to be lean and mean, and gets the job done just as well, only faster. What's Freeware, and why is it free? Freeware and Shareware are programs that are released for public use by coders who either developed them privately or adapted them from existing software, removing bugs and inefficiencies that can often only show up after lots of road testing. The software is completely legal and free, and available from a number of download sources. Why wouldn't these programmers charge for their software? Because a free program spreads faster, acquires a lot of users and makes a name for the coder who developed it. Freeware is also a great way to win customers over to your pay software, once they've appreciated what the free stuff can do. When a freeware program becomes popular, sometimes it will change into pay software, or develop a special expanded version that free users can pay to acquire. You can get almost any kind of software as Freeware - if you really want to, you could outfit your computer completely with Freeware alone! Once you've tried it, you'll never want to pay for antivirus software again. Things You'll Need:Step 1:
 Guard your computer against invasion with a ZoneAlarm firewall. Select your firewall. Possibly the most important Freeware to acquire for your computer is a new firewall, one that is both responsive to your needs and impervious to attackers. ZoneAlarm is the firewall of choice for many users. Once installed, you can "teach" it which programs are allowed to access the internet, and when the firewall should alert you about unknown internet activity. http://www.zonealarm.com Step 2:
 Immunize against infection with AVG Antivirus. Activate your Anti-virus. Your antivirus software should operate almost invisibly, doing regular scans and downloading updates without needing you to do a thing. The perfect program for the job is AVG Antivirus, which updates daily and runs almost imperciptively in the background. You might forget that you have it, until you realize that you haven't had a virus in ages... http://free.grisoft.com/doc/download-free-anti-virus/us/frt/0 Step 3:
 Get well sooner with reparative virus scanning. Schedule a check-up, when your computer is infected. If you think a virus or other malware has gotten through somehow, go in for a checkup. Trend Micro HouseCall is a free online scanner that will not only look for viruses but spyware as well. It can take awhile to run the first time, but it's up-to-the-moment and very thorough. http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ If you're infected with the irritating Blaster Worm, or something similar, try the Stinger. It's a targeted anti-virus scan that will remove a specific type of malware (mainly "worms") from your computer quickly. It's made by McAfee, and isn't nearly as obnoxious as their full antivirus software can be. http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/ Finally, call in the Startup Doctor to have a look at your Registry. If your computer is having trouble starting up, or takes forever to load your desktop, look carefully through Startup Doctor's recommendations and see if some malware hasn't slipped into your Startup Registry. http://www.utilitysoft.co.nz/startup_doctor.htm Step 4:
 Spyware can track and record your activities online - bust it up with Spybot. Round up and kick out your embedded spyware. A good spyware scanner will not only detect programs that lodge themselves on your computer and report your activities to outsiders, it will protect your computer from such invasions on an ongoing basis. Spybot Search and Destroy is still the best Free spyware detector around - it will pick up spyware programs as well as double-checking for viruses and ads on your system. www.safer-networking.org/ Newer kid on the block Spyware Terminator is even more thorough in its detecting abilities - if a little bit slower than Spybot. www.spywareterminator.com/ Step 5:
 Nobody likes a pushy salesman. Get all those unwanted intruding ads off your computer with AdAware. Avoid Adware and get back your storage space. Adware can clutter up your computer with loads of tiny files that can really add up. You collect it, unknowingly, all through your internet travels. Zap it with AdAware, a scanner that detects and removes all of that junk.
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