The best antivirus software is the software that works best on your system, has the features you want, and is easy to use. Because every system is unique, when shopping for new antivirus software, you should evaluate several products to find the best one for your PC and your experience level. Of course, you only want to use qualified, reputable antivirus products that have been certified by the three major certification bodies: Checkmark, ICSALabs, and VB100, and have performed well in the rigorous testing conducted by AV-Test.org.

There is also the question of whether there is a paid or free antivirus. While paid antivirus generally offers more features that can provide full protection, those who build an a la carte security solution may be better off with one of the free standalone antivirus scanners. For specific recommendations on the best in their respective categories, see the following:

It depends. Some antivirus products, notably McAfee VirusScan, include excellent spyware protection, but many do not. If you are experiencing persistent problems with spyware, you may want to consider adding a dedicated spyware scanner to the mix.

If you are switching to a new antivirus product, you should first uninstall the previous antivirus scanner. After uninstalling, you should restart your PC before installing the new scanner.