Last week, we had talked about the basic maintenance tips, both for the hardware as well as the operating system. This time, we will focus on the operating system - how to keep it clean and secure. And you may not have to necessarily pay for the software, as long as you are satisfied with what the free alternatives offer.

Basic, essential software
Every laptop needs a set of anti-virus and anti-spyware software up and running. More so because laptops tend to be at higher risk, with regards to data loss - accessing multiple wireless connections, plugging in multiple USB drives and sharing files over networks etc. You never know what file contains some malicious content on it, and can steal sensitive data from your hard drive. This data could be anything - banking details, passwords, documents etc.

The malicious content can also slow down the notebook’s performance, hit battery life, make the OS unstable and generally make you want to pull your hair out.

An Anti-virus:
The big question is - should you pay big money for antivirus software? There are two very distinct lines of thought that work here - 1. Why pay when there are good free options available, and 2. Paid antivirus offers better overall protection thanks to the enhanced feature set.

If we step into the shoes of those who support free antivirus software, the logic that we see is - it offers basic protection, and that is all that you need. Yes, that is true. The likes of Avast Home Edition and Microsoft Security Essentials offer active protection.

Those who believe in paying for better antivirus software are true to a certain extent. While they are true that it offers a wider feature set - the likes of a firewall, anti-phishing, ability to scan Outlook mails etc., it may not necessarily be “better”.

What are the options?
Those of you looking for free software can download the Microsoft Security Essentials, Avast Home Edition and AVG Free. These will offer the basic protection against any malware.

If you are a little worried about how the paid antivirus will go, we suggest you download the time bound trial first and see how it responds on your machine. We have seen it happen umpteen times that particular software will slow down the PC considerably. It is better to make sure before paying to buy it.