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Will Avast or AVG Free Antivirus replace Microsoft Security Essentials on Windows XP?

by GH Staff
Avast Free Antivirus

Since Microsoft have cancelled support for Windows XP and may also be seizing support for Microsoft Security Essentials, it may be time for consumers to start looking for another antivirus system such as Avast or AVG.

To grasp the severity of this, let us go into some detail. Antivirus apps are worthwhile just as long as they are getting support and constant updates. Malware will come in new shapes and sizes constantly, and in order to stay ahead of the game, an antivirus (free or otherwise) needs to receive critical security patches. This is no longer the case with MSE, which on Windows XP is receiving nothing. It might still protect your desktop or notebook today, but if you’re using Windows XP, you should seriously consider moving towards a different antivirus app altogether, and soon.

Luckily, there are some great alternatives. One of the best things about MSE is the fact that it’s free for anyone who has a legit and registered copy of Windows. There are other free antivirus apps out there that don’t require a Windows platform to run and do an equally good job (if not better) at keeping things safe and tidy. Avast is one of these alternatives, and if you’re stuck with Windows XP, you might just want to give it a try.

Avast is completely free to download and use, and while it does come with a paid-for, premium version, the standard free version is more than enough for day-to-day security and tasks. One of the great things about Avast is that it’s not extremely demanding on hardware resources. Many Windows XP users are still completing their tasks on modest configurations. This is why Windows XP remains so popular, and Microsoft Security Essentials was loved by many. Avast is designed much in the same way, and you don’t need top of the line hardware to run it. It does a great job running smoothly and silently in the background.

Avast comes highly recommended. The free antivirus has one of the best scanning and threat-detecting/removing engines in the world, rivaled by few. On-demand scanning, firewalling and browser integration are all included, making Avast a great choice among free antivirus apps. Let’s face it, Windows XP will slowly be dying out and will be taking its rightful place in the Operating System Hall of Fame (next to older legends such as Windows 98), and MSE will be going along with it. It’s time to move on, like it or not, and while the move is forced and might be uncomfortable for many, Avast is actually a step for the better, so don’t worry too much.