Antivirus plays an important role to keep your computer protected from all types of security threats. Nowadays, we depend a lot on computer and Internet to manage banking, exchanging business documents and to keep in touch with our near and dear ones. Therefore, an antivirus is essential to prevent our computer from unauthorized access and other malicious activities. Mere installation of a branded antivirus does not protect your computer completely. Regular antivirus updates are needed in order to protect the computer from real time security threats.

There are various companies available in the market, which produce powerful antivirus programs. Most of these companies offer various types of antivirus software. Each antivirus is designed for different purposes. After selecting the suitable antivirus, you can easily download and install it to your computer. Normally, the first antivirus update is automatically carried out soon after installing the product. After the antivirus installation, your computer is protected from viruses and threats. Since, new viruses and other infections emerge every day, you need to keep your antivirus program up-to-date to have the best protection.

By performing antivirus updates, you can download new patches to fix various issues and download new virus definitions to make your antivirus program stronger against new threats. Many antivirus companies are developing new technologies and releasing new products with additional features and powerful scan engines. Many of these companies provide free upgrades to the latest version if you have an existing valid subscription. To perform antivirus upgrades, sometimes you may have to uninstall the previous version of the antivirus program and then proceed with the installation of the new program. All antivirus programs come with an antivirus un-installer, which makes the un-installation, a simpler process. You can access the 'Add/remove programs' in 'Control Panel', select the anti-virus you are using and click on 'Remove'. Clear on-screen instructions are provided, which you just need to read and proceed accordingly. Before uninstalling the antivirus, make sure that the new or upgraded antivirus is ready to get installed. Welcome time for viruses to your computer begins the moment, you remove the antivirus program.
Different ways to update antivirus software installed on your computer are mentioned here:

•    Automatic Updates: Virus definitions and product updates are automatically downloaded
•    Manual Updates: Downloading virus definition from manufactures website and installing it manually.

Any failure in the regular Antivirus Updates process can make your computer less protected. Your antivirus can fail to detect the latest virus attacks and thereby your computer may become a victim of a new threat. So, keep your antivirus up-to-date and perform antivirus upgrades whenever your antivirus vendor releases the latest antivirus products. If you are experiencing any issues while updating or upgrading the antivirus products, then you can get support from your antivirus vendor or other third party tech support teams.