The Best Antivirus Software to Replace Security Essentials on XP

With the recent end of support for Windows XP, ten percent of Internet users will need to start looking for new antivirus software. At the same time, many of the rest of us are unsatisfied with the antivirus we're currently using, and desire a change. The problem most frequently encountered is that it's hard to know which of the dozens of antivirus programs available are the good ones. It's time to take that uncertainty away.

Each of these pieces of software has been tested extensively against active malware infections, viruses and other malicious software. They have also been examined for their efficacy in cleaning detected infections, as well as their performance. After all, you don't want an antivirus program that lags your computer to the point of instability. The bottom line is, use one of these antivirus suites to avoid costly virus-removal at a computer repair service.

#1: Bitdefender

The free edition of Bitdefender is a great little program, doing exactly what it should and not much else. It will protect your computer on a basic level, scan when you ask for it and remove viruses it finds. If you want any of the powerful advanced features, however, you're going to have to pay for the full version. That said, the Plus version of Bitdefender is worth the price.

Bitdefender scores well in independent antivirus tests across the board, the same tests used to rank most popular antivirus suites. It offers password management, additional browser protection for online shopping and even dynamic social media spam filtering. About the only issue with the suite is the difficulty installing it when infections are already in place.

Note: We have installed in this program on five client computers. The program is simple, easy to install, and doesn't use a lot of system resources. We have been quite pleased with it.

#2: Norton Antivirus

Norton, by Symantec, has had ups and downs over the last decade. It has gone from the best in the industry to one of the lower tiers, and back up. The 2014 iteration is back on top once again, with an updated look to match Windows 8 and a host of purely beneficial protective applications. You won't be looking at any costly server repairs when you're running Norton.

What makes the current version so powerful is a suite of active protections that block malicious URLs, phishing schemes and other common online threats. Viruses are, really, relatively rare compared to these web-based threats. It's also quite good at cleaning up malware infections, though it is better at preventing them overall.

#3: Webroot SecureAnywhere

At a cost of only $40, SecureAnywhere is one of the most interesting new antivirus products to hit the market, and it's only made possible by modern technology. Where most antivirus programs install slowly, act clunky and take time to scan through every file on your computer in laborious detail, SecureAnywhere is lightning fast. It's extremely compact, lightweight and easy to use. The suite is based in the cloud, meaning it can't be disabled by local software and it's always up to date.

The one problem with SecureAnywhere is the actual malware removal process. Webroot prevents infections very well, and for many infections, it has easily available tools to remove them. In some cases, however, a particularly tenacious virus may require a call to tech support and a long session of manual operation. Unfortunately, this computer repair service is time consuming enough to keep SecureAnywhere from a higher place on the list.

#4: McAfee Antivirus

McAfee is one of the biggest names in free antivirus, and it remains one of the top names in paid security suites as well. In this case, the $50 McAfee Antivirus Plus brings more to the table than most pure antivirus programs. With active site analysis and malicious link blocking, an intelligent firewall, a system tune-up application and a security vulnerability scan, you're looking at a full-service security suite for the price of a standard antivirus. It's a valuable tool to limit the extensive server repairs caused by malware.

If McAfee suffers from anything, it's from generalization. It does many valuable things for computer security, and it does all of them decently well. It does not, however, do anything particularly exceptionally. It's not the smoothest with malware removal, nor is it fully protected within its firewall. It's good at blocking malicious links, but it doesn't detect them all. As with many other suites, it's better at blocking incoming infections than it is at cleaning up existing malware.

Dominick Rivoli is the owner at A1 Rivoli, top office equipment and computer service and repair specialists for the Long Island, NY Nassau, and Western Suffolk areas. Visit the website at www.a1rivoli.com.