Microsoft Defender Antivirus
Microsoft Defender Antivirus is the antivirus pre-installed on PCs with an operating system Windows 10 and later. It is very effective, light in terms of system resources occupied and, in fact, in the free environment it is difficult to find better.
Its real-time protection system is able to analyze the system and detect any malware (malicious software), viruses and various types of threats, blocking their execution. The Windows update system (Windows Update) then automatically downloads Windows Defender updates to keep your PC safe and protect it from the latest malware and viruses.
To be safe, you can check that Windows Defender is active on your computer by following a few simple steps. Then press the button Home (the'windows icon on the taskbar) and click the button Settings (the icon ofgear).
In the screen you see, click on the items Update and security e Windows security and make sure the item Virus and threat protection there is a green check mark. If not, click on this item and, in the screen that is shown to you, press the button Attiva che trovi sotto the dicitura Virus and threat protection settings and then on the button Yes.
Instead, let's see now in detail the operation of Microsoft Defender Antivirus. In the panel of Settings of Windows 10, to the entries Update and Security> Windows Security, first prize Open Windows Security, so as to open the main Microsoft antivirus screen.
If all security features are enabled, you should see green check marks to each item in the section Home. To scan the files and folders on your PC, instead, select the item Virus and threat protection and then click the button Fast analysis, to perform a quick scan, otherwise press on Analysis options, to choose to perform a deep scan or a custom scan.
In the lower section Virus and threat protection updates, by pressing on the wording Check the updates, you can manually search for new updates. In general, however, Microsoft Defender Antivirus keeps itself up to date thanks to Windows Update. For all the details, read my guide on how to activate Microsoft Defender.
Bitdefender
Among the best antivirus for Windows there definitely is Bitdefender, powerful antivirus available in both free and paid versions. Bitdefender is a modern antivirus, designed to deal with the latest online threats. Among its main strengths, in addition to a lightweight but extremely effective scanning engine, an extremely intuitive user interface.
Like many other antiviruses, Bitdefender scans the PC and updates itself in real time, integrates different operating modes and, generally speaking, protects the PC autonomously through its mode. Auto Pilot.
As for the full version of Bitdefender, prices vary based on the antivirus version you want to purchase, with figures starting at 29,99€ for the first year for the version Bitdefender Internet Security up to 44,99€ for the first year for the purchase of Bitdefender Family Pack. If you are interested in purchasing and want more information, you can consult the comparison table published on the official website. If, on the other hand, you want to save some money, you can take a look at the Mr Key Shop site, which allows companies to purchase unused antivirus licenses.
If you want to use it in a free version, you can download it via the official website by clicking on the button Download it for free.
After downloading the .exe file Bitdefender, double-click on it and press the key Yes. Then wait for the download of all the components necessary for the antivirus to work. Then put the check mark in the appropriate box on the screen that is shown to you and click on the button install, but will conclude the setup.
I warn you that in order to be able to use the free version of Bitdefender you need to register for a free account. After launching the main Bitdefender screen, press the button Sign in to Bitdefender and enter your details to create an account. For the rest of the functions, I invite you to read my in-depth analysis on Bitdefender.
Kaspersky Antivirus
Among the antiviruses known for their excellent performance we must certainly include Kaspersky, software that cares about the protection of its users, offering numerous privacy protection tools, especially against phishing attacks. Its strong point is given by the simple and intuitive user interface that allows use even by those who are not familiar with the PC world.
Kaspersky's features include the parental Control, designed for the safety of children as well as the possibility of using one VPN to browse privately, especially if you are connected to a public network.
Kaspersky is a paid antivirus for which several versions are available for purchase. If you are interested in purchasing a license, I recommend that you take a look at the list of products available on the official website: it starts from a minimum of 29,99 € / year for the basic version Kaspersky Anti-Virus for a license for a single PC device, up to 139,99 € / year for the purchase of ten annual licenses of the version Kaspersky Security Cloud Family. If you want to save money, I recommend that you take a look at the Mr Key Shop site, which allows you to buy 100% legal and original antivirus licenses unused by companies.
Although Kaspersky offers paid packages with their free 30-day trial versions, you can also download the free software Kaspersky Security Cloud Free. It is a software with basic features that offer the bare minimum to perform a virus scan and generate a free report.
To get the free version, go to the official website and click the buttons Download now ed Download now. After downloading the .exe file, double click it, press the key Continue in the screen that is shown to you and put a check mark in the box you see. Then press the button Accept (three consecutive times) and then on Install and Yes, to start the installation.
Once this is done, you will be shown options to customize the protection of your PC, choose which one to disable or keep active and click on the buttons Apply and then end. In order to use Kaspersky for free, you need to create an account for this service. When the software starts, enter your email in the appropriate box and follow the wizard to activate your account. Read more here.
Panda Dome
Now I want to talk to you about Panda Dome, an antivirus software that stands out for its extremely simple and intuitive interface and for its protection system based on in cloud, therefore on the remote processing of some operations, in order to “lighten” the load on the system.
If you want to consider purchasing a paid version for Panda Dome antivirus, I recommend that you take a look at the price comparison table published on the official website. In this way you will be able to get an idea of which software to choose, depending on what your needs are. Just for example, there is the version Panda Dome Essential purchasable with prices starting from 26,24€ for the first year but also the version Panda Dome Premium, available for purchase with prices starting from 89,24€ for the first year. If you want to save money, you can turn to the Mr Key Shop website, which allows you to purchase unused original antivirus licenses from companies.
I also want to inform you about the availability of Panda Dome Free in its free version. It stands out for being a very light antivirus software that performs many of its functions in the cloud (including analyzing files and updating the database with antivirus definitions), thus avoiding burdening the computer.
To download Panda Dome Free, go to the official website and press the keys Download, Download now and then Scarica free, so as to take the .exe file. Now, double-click on the latter, press the button Yes and then, on the installation screen, click the button Following.
Then click on Accept and Install and uncheck the box for installing additional third-party software. Then press on Following and wait for the installation procedure to complete. Read more here.
Other popular antivirus for Windows
If the list of antivirus for Windows so far indicated has not fully satisfied your needs, I can tell you what are the other popular antivirus noteworthy:
- Avira Antivirus - It is a popular and performing antivirus. It is available in both free and paid versions. Avira Antivirus is able to protect your computer very effectively against all major viruses and malware even if in the free version the features are clearly limited. It is very easy to use and offers the possibility of scanning for viruses in the cloud, thus speeding up and simplifying the process of analyzing the files on your PC. Read more here.
- Avast - Avast is one of the most complete and reliable antiviruses currently. It is available in both free and paid versions: the latter is able to protect the operating system in a complete way to control all the activities that are carried out on the PC. Among its noteworthy features is the ability to optimize system performance by removing obsolete software. Read more here.
- Norton 360 - it is the famous PC protection software available only for a fee, with a free trial version of 14 days and often discounts in the first year of use, based on the edition you purchase of this antivirus. It is packed with features that protect against viruses, malware, spyware and ransomware, as well as having a built-in firewall, password manager, and VPN. For all the details, read my Norton 360 Deluxe review.
In case you want to know more about the free Windows antivirus that you can install on your PC, but also on other operating systems such as macOS or those of mobile devices (Android and iOS / iPadOS), my advice is to carefully read the advice I gave you in this tutorial.
Windows Antivirus
