We have an entry to add on our list of free antivirus software.  I have just created a new Downloads page so that it would be easier to find software that I recommend you to download.  New on our free anti-virus software list is the Microsft Security Essentials.  Yes, its from Microsoft and its free.   It’s basically a revamped Microsoft Live One-Care but has been made very light on resources and based on some reviews, it’s actually quite effective and unobtrosive. 
 
Although Live OneCare has not gained that much popularity and trust from pc users, with MSE Microsoft has taken all the not so useful from OneCare and left all the essentials and a very simple UI which users might really appreciate.  It has virus, malware and spyware protection. The UI has been made really simple to navigate and understand. The UI is separated by multiple tabs,  a green monitor icon tells you that everything is OK with your system, or a red one which obviously tells you something’s wrong, or yellow if your potentially unprotected.  The buttons you need to press to fix issues are hard to miss, so this is very suitable to ordinay home users. 
 
If your looking for a free virus protection software then give Microsoft Security Eseentials  a spin or you can check out my first list of free anti virus software for more options.  Keep on checking our new downloads page for new free stuff which I will sure to update.

Download Microsoft Security Essentials here.

Note:  If you are using a non certified copy of Windows, MSE will know and wont allow you to download the software if you dont pass the verification process.

I’m sure you already heard of the new Operating System Microsoft is releasing right?… Yup! Windows 7 indeed. For those who may not be familiar, Windows 7 is the latest OS that will be released by Microsoft this coming October 22, 2009.  A lot of people have already taken Windows 7 for a spin via the beta and RC versions, which unfortunately is no longer downloadable, but you surely can still find some torrents from the net.

Windows 7 promises to be everything Windows Vista was supposed to be and is touted as being the next Windows XP.   Windows 7 is basically just like Vista but has been extremely optimized, in fact is said to be as stable as Windows XP.   For those people still running XP, Windows 7 is a promising upgrade, even for Vista users.

Now the question before upgrading is whether your computer is compatible with 7.  If you are running Windows Vista right now, there is a good chance that your computer is compatible, but for XP users or others, you may download a compatibility checker from Microsoft here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=1B544E90-7659-4BD9-9E51-2497C146AF15&displaylang=en.

What? Your computers not compatible?  Don’t worry, all you have to do is follow some recommendations that the checker will provide you so that your computer would be able to run Windows 7.   Upgrading your memory or video card would be an easy fix, but if your motherboard does not meet the requirements, then it may be better for you to buy a new computer with Windows 7 preinstalled.

While waiting for the release of Windows 7, it would be a good idea to start backing up your files especially for Windows XP users since Microsoft preferred a full install rather than do an in-place upgrade.  If your running Vista, you may opt to do an upgrade to Windows 7 instead, but it is still preferred that you do a full install to prevent possible problems during the update.  Remember that it is always a best practice to have a backup of your files, whether it be on an external hard drive or on a CD/DVD even if you’re not upgrading or reinstalling your operating system.