there are several free packages that have excellent reviews and most real experts say they are all that is needed. Most packages like Mcafee are bloated and tend to cause more issues than they prevent
the packages that the experts recommend are AVast; Avira; and Microsoft's SME.
below is from a perosn Fred langa who has more than 30 years exepecience in PCs. It is the only newsletter I apy for that is how highly regared he is by the tech World
"To make the selections, I used popularity ratings from several sources, such as the download stats and user ratings from CNET, MajorGeeks, and other sites. (The rankings and numbers in the list below were current at the time of writing.) I also gave extra weight to products frequently mentioned by readers and other authors in the Windows Secrets newsletter as well as tools that looked especially promising (as you'll soon see).
- Microsoft Microsoft Security Essentials (site): Because I've recommended Microsoft's consumer anti-malware application in previous stories, I've made it the baseline for these tests.
Avast Free Antivirus (site): Avast claims its package is the "world's most popular antivirus." CNET also ranks it #1 on its download list.
Avira Free Antivirus (site): It ranked #2 among CNET users, and it scored an impressive 4.7 out of 5 rating on MajorGeeks.
AVG Technologies' AVG Anti-Virus Free (site): The publisher of this app says it's used by "over 100 million people." CNET ranks it at #6 in popularity.
Comodo Antivirus (site): Comodo gets very high users rating on both MajorGeeks and CNET.
ClamWin Free Antivirus (site): Not as well known as the other AV packages, ClamWin is unique; it's a free, open-source software project released under the Free Software Foundation's GNU General Public License.
(site): Because I've recommended Microsoft's consumer anti-malware application in previous stories, I've made it the baseline for these tests.
Avast Free Antivirus (site): Avast claims its package is the "world's most popular antivirus." CNET also ranks it #1 on its download list.
Avira Free Antivirus (site): It ranked #2 among CNET users, and it scored an impressive 4.7 out of 5 rating on MajorGeeks.
AVG Technologies' AVG Anti-Virus Free (site): The publisher of this app says it's used by "over 100 million people." CNET ranks it at #6 in popularity.
Comodo Antivirus (site): Comodo gets very high users rating on both MajorGeeks and CNET.
ClamWin Free Antivirus (site): Not as well known as the other AV packages, ClamWin is unique; it's a free, open-source software project released under the Free Software Foundation's GNU General Public License.
The bottom line: My conclusions — and yours
For me — for now — nothing in these numbers would alter my recommendation — and personal use — of Microsoft Security Essentials. It's free, it's in widespread use, and it has proven itself in the real world. And on most systems, it has little effect on system resources.
That said, no software is ideally suited for every configuration. If one anti-malware tool doesn't work well on your specific setup, then it makes perfect sense to try some other AV app. You have lots of options.
I hope the performance numbers I've reported may help steer you to the tool that offers what you seek — faster boot and shutdown, lower RAM use, and smaller footprint."