


If you prefer third-party security, check out AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition instead. (It does have a firewall, however.) You could pay McAfee or Symantec for this service, but why bother with their protection racket when Redmond's service does the same thing for free? Microsoft Security Essentials provides solid protection for home PCs, and it's gratis. Like its predecessors, Windows 7 doesn't provide built-in protection against malware such as viruses and spyware. (Click on any of the images for a closer look at that tool.) Microsoft Security Essentials We've compiled a list of ten valuable software tools–many of them free–that can make your Win 7 experience a lot more rewarding.

Windows 7 may be brand new, but that doesn't mean you can't find free or cheap tools to tweak its settings, supplement its features, or smooth an upgrade from XP or Vista.
