Shareware is the online access platform where you can get to try different software for free and then buy the one that best suits you. You do not need to walk to a store, buy boxed software, then get it home, try it on your computer and find that it is incompatible! Imagine the degree of dissatisfaction! Worst, most stores won’t even take it back if the only problem that you have is incompatibility. You are supposed to know that before you buy the software.

Not many people avail of the facilities that shareware offers, but frankly speaking it is one of the best options available for those who require constant upgrades and latest versions of their favorite programs. It has its niche follower base, but the truth is most people are not aware of its many advantages. Why is shareware better than commercial software purchase? Let’s see:

It is cheap. A package of spreadsheet, word processor, and database can cost you anywhere between $15 to maximum $100 in shareware while in commercial shops the whole package will cost you upwards of $200 and the Microsoft Office suite would cost you almost the same.

It can be purchased easily. Once you are at the appropriate shareware site, you can download the version that you need for free and test it easily on your computer. If you decide to buy it just use your credit card and buy it online immediately.

It is latest. The software versions available through shareware are latest. If in the commercial shops you are getting version 3.0, then in shareware you will get version 5.0 already available for testing and download.

It can be tried. You can try shareware software before actually letting go off your moolah! This in my opinion is the best advantage of shareware. No commercial shop will take back your opened box of software for the reason that it is not compatible. There is no knowing either before you try a certain software, whether it is compatible with your operating system or not.

Shareware is available online. Search for the software that your are looking for in Yahoo or Google and the results will take you to one Shareware website or the other. You will also get shareware site links in different online forums on software usability and functioning. Many authors of software and independent programmers provide shareware links in their individual websites as well.

Computer viruses are collectively referred to as malware or malicious ware. The set includes Trojan horses, spyware, adware, boot viruses, program viruses, rootkits and many more. Each varies in the places that it targets and the extent of damage it can cause. The process of removing and recovering from attacks of these viruses also differ. But, one thing is for sure, if you provide your computer with the proper protection, the detection and removal of these menaces would be no sweat. To aid you on this goal, it is important for you to be able to identify the types of antivirus software and how you can maximize its function.

The most common type is the conventional disk scanner antivirus software. It is typically used to scan files, disks, and folders whenever the user wants to perform it. You can set automatic scanning at the date and time that you wish to. This allows detection and elimination of the presence of viruses in unwanted disk, drives, files and folders.

Another type is the memory resident disk scanner. It is placed and allowed to run in the background. This pro-actively helps you to prevent entry of viruses as it scans websites, programs, files that you have recently visited or opened. It acts like a sweeper tracking your recent and current activities and making sure that they are safe and virus-free.

Behavior-based detection disk scanner is the third type of antivirus software. As the name suggests, it detects unusual behaviors and occurrences in your computer. This bars viruses from hiding other viruses and hard drives from being illegally reformatted.

The fourth type would be the start-up scanners. They are automatically run by the computer when it starts to boot. It scans disk boot sectors and critical system files. This type of antivirus software aims to scan and clean off the computer with viruses before the computer boots up.

The last type of anti-virus software is the inoculation disk scanner. This detects the changes and distortions that the viruses do to your computer files, folders, programs and system applications. It constantly checks for unwanted obliteration of any part of your computer.

After knowing such details, it is up to you to choose the proper gadgets that you would need to protect or supplement the protection for your computer. It is hoped that the information you get from this article can help you decide which antivirus firewall software program to use for your computer.