We have taken the time to evaluate several providers of computer software. We are not compensated for ranking this software on our site. We are using our own evaluations of the software to rank it's effectiveness. Above each download category you will find a description of how it applies to our computer repair service. We hope you find this page useful.
When you purchase a package to repair your computer we will use the existing software to try and resolve your problem. Sometimes installation of another utility may be required. If so we will advise you first and give you the option to remove the utility after completion or our work.
Anti-Virus and Firewall Suites
Anti-Virus and Firewall Suites are essential to protecting your computer. You should never go without a program of this nature. If you currently do not have both of these items please install them. Most "Internet Security" suites come with Anti-Virus and Firewall utilities. If you have a question about what you currently have contact us.
1) Windows Live One Care
This is Microsoft's Anti-Virus and Firewall utility. Since most of the computers made come with a Windows Operating System it only makes sense to have a utility made by the company who designed the operating system. It is very user friendly and does not slow down your computer like some of the other suites listed. It monitors key functions in Windows and keep your computer updated. It also has a nice tune up utility that automatically defragmenting your hard drive and cleans unnecessary files. Windows Live One Care has a 90 day free trial that is fully functional. When the trial expires we recommend you purchase the software from a wholesaler or retailer. However, if you are an advanced computer user then #2-4 may be better than this one. We selected this software mainly because of the difficulty of use with #2-4.
2) Kaspersky Internet Security
When evaluating this software we were amazed by several features you will not find incorporated into any other suite listed here. They have built in several award winning features that do an amazing job at keeping your computer running smoothly. One of the most notable is it updates every hour to detect the most recently found threats. This helps it protect your computer probably the best overall out of all listed. It also can take less time to run a scan because it detects files that were modified rather than re-scanning the entire computer. The complications with the program are when it alerts you of a change in your files. If you are advanced this feature is amazing. But, if you are not you can struggle to know which change is necessary and which is not and it can cause you further problems when installing software. Kaspersky offers a free 30 day trial. After that it may be the most costly of the 5 but the additional features are worth it.
3) Symantec Norton Internet Security
Long live Norton! One of the most trusted programs when protecting your computer. There are several add-on suites and online help with this provider. Some viruses are unable to be removed through a standard scan. Symantec has online help available to help you manually remove them. They have an excellent history of detecting viruses as they try to install and automatically stopping them. We feel this program is very easy to use and stops almost everything from installing. However, it is a resource hog. It will slow down your computer. As a matter of fact you may need something less than 4 years old to run it comfortably. They offer a 15 day free trial.
4) McAfee Internet Security
Another long survivor in the computer protection industry. McAfee is another wonderful program that has unique features to help protect your computer. They have a good history of stopping unwanted intrusions on your computer. It, like Kaspersky, alerts you when a change is made to files on your pc prompting you to allow the change. Another headache for a basic computer user but a wonderful feature for an advanced user. They also have great online support. They offer a 30 day trial.
5) AVG Anti-Virus Free
Read carefully. We put this software on here specifically for someone who cannot afford to purchase any of the above and has exhausted all trials offered. So we recommend you install and uninstall all trials of the above software before you revert to this suite. AVG is the leader of free Anti-Virus software. It does an amazing job at removing viruses from your computer based on the cost. They also have an option to scan your computer on start up so it can better removed viruses before your computer loads the files which then normally may not be able to be removed since they are running. However, most of the above will allow you to run them in safe-mode which would accomplish the same thing. This title is the only trial version that allows you to keep using it.
