On several occasions I have noticed that you express a preference for the free version of AVG as an antivirus program. Some 18 months ago, after I became disenchanted with the problems and complexities of another bloated antivirus product, my computer maintenance person convinced me to have the paid version of AVG installed. I am very satisfied with both its simplicity and its performance. However, given that there is a free version, am I wasting money or are there significant protection benefits to be had with the paid version? The computer is running Windows XP SP3.

AVG Free is a very competent virus scanner but, compared with paid virus scanners, does have limits. In the past I have recommended that people consider AVG when they do not have any other antivirus protection on their computer. However, if you need a product for longer-term virus protection I would recommend that you consider alternative commercial products as these offer greater functionality and protection against virus threats. Additionally, they also often offer more proactive measures to prevent your computer from even coming in contact with potentially dangerous content in the first place. I have not used the paid version of AVG so I cannot pass comment on its effectiveness or features over the free version. However, there is a good comparison on the AVG website of the different versions and their features, available at www.avg.com.au/products/avg-anti-virus-free. However, as a rule of thumb, if you are finding the paid version of AVG to be meeting its purpose well then I would not downgrade to the free version, as you will likely find that you lose some of the key functionality that you like about this product.