.. is the one that can be installed and forgotten about thereafter. For home users, Microsoft Security Essentials is best and this is why..

Of all anti-virus programs that I have tried, it is the least invasive. It can be like this because it works in conjunction with the Windows firewall and doesn’t have to infiltrate every last corner in Windows. When it needs attention, the system tray icon takes on an orange colour. When it needs dire attention, it takes on a red colour.

It doesn’t get any easier. Two elements which require little or no supervision have to be better for people who just power up and expect to get on with important things like sending email, playing solitaire or whatever floats the boat. I have it running on two other computers on the home network and also in XP Mode. It updates behind the scenes and gets a roll-up every Patch Tuesday.

So why do I not use it on my Windows 7 production machine? Well, truth is that I get an NFR from ESET for their Smart Security version 4 which works well and doesn’t slow the system to a crawl. Also, unlike other users on the home network, I am not phased by something complex. If I didn’t get the NFR, I would be using MSE too.

Why only MSE or ESET? I have tried the others. Thanks, but no thanks. I don’t care what reviews say. If I have a bad time with something, its gone, and I don’t care if I lose some unique feature which may have been useful. I may be a long time computer tech, but I want my system to run with the minimum of intervention too. I have better things to do with my time..