Updated on: August 23, 2024
Short on time? Here’s how to install an antivirus on Windows/Mac:
- Choose an Antivirus Plan. Pick an antivirus that suits your needs and select a plan that will work for you. Norton has a variety of plans to suit all budgets.
- Download the Antivirus. Once you’ve chosen the antivirus you want, download it to your computer.
- Install the Antivirus. Follow the simple steps to install the antivirus on your system.
- Scan for Malware. You can now scan your system and safely remove any lurking malware.
It’s super easy to install an antivirus on your Windows or Mac computer. The first (and hardest) step is to choose an antivirus plan. Some products will require you to make an account before downloading the app, others after installing it, and a few will never ask you to make one. In any case, you need to begin by downloading the app.
Once that’s done, it’s time to install the antivirus. Click on the file you’ve just downloaded, and the process will start. You’ll have to click through a few prompts before the program can finish installing.
With your antivirus installed, you’re ready to go. Some antiviruses will give you a quick virtual tour to show you how they work. Once that’s done, you’ll be ready to run a scan to check whether your device is infected.
All in all, most antiviruses these days are very easy to install. The tricky bit is picking which one is right for you, but following my tips below should make it easy to find a plan that suits your needs. Read on for a step-by-step guide covering how to install and use an antivirus in 2024.
How to Install an Antivirus on Your Windows PC or Mac
Regardless of whether you use a Mac or a PC, most antiviruses have a very similar installation process. If you already know which antivirus program you want to use, follow the steps below. If you’re not sure, that’s fine; I’ve also written a guide covering how to choose the right antivirus program for your needs.
In this example, I’ll be using Norton for illustrative purposes — but the process is similar if you opt for another antivirus.
Step 1. Choose a Plan and Create an Account
The first step is to pick an antivirus that works for your needs. I’ll get into more detail later, but there are a few things to consider when choosing an antivirus. Obviously you’ll want one that fits your budget, but it’s most important that you pick one that can actually protect you from cybersecurity threats like malware and dangerous websites.
Beyond that, consider which features you need. There are some decent free antiviruses out there (and many more that are awful), but to get the best features, you’ll need a premium plan. VPNs, password managers, and optimization tools are common extra features you’ll want to look out for.
Once you’ve settled on an antivirus plan, you may need to make an account. Norton requires you to do so before downloading the antivirus, but this isn’t the case with every product. It’s super easy to do anyway, because you create your account as you check out. You’ll also have to provide your payment information if you’re getting a premium antivirus. Norton sometimes offers free trials, so if you opt for one, no money will be taken out of your account immediately. Norton also offers a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Once you’ve created your account, provided the necessary information, agreed to the terms and conditions, and clicked Agree and Download, Norton will begin downloading (the process will be more or less the same with all competitors).
Step 2. Download the Antivirus
The download process shouldn’t take very long. Mac users may have to click Allow before the download can begin. Once it’s finished, Norton will start installing automatically, but other antiviruses may require you to click on the .exe file you’ve just downloaded.
Now you’re ready to install your antivirus.
Step 3. Install the Antivirus
Once you’ve downloaded your antivirus, the installation should begin immediately, but you might have to click on the .exe file you’ve just downloaded. Check your Downloads folder or the top-right corner of your browser and you should be able to open it from there. Then click the Install button.
If you use Windows, a dialog box will ask whether you’re okay with the app making changes to your device. If you’ve chosen a reputable antivirus like Norton, go ahead and click Yes.
Your antivirus will then lead you through the rest of the process. You’ll have to click through a few boxes, but this should only take a short time.
I recommend reading each dialog box and doing a ‘custom’ or ‘advanced’ installation if such an option exists. Some antiviruses (especially sketchier free ones) come bundled with software you might not actually want like web toolbars or browsers. If you choose this type of installation, you’ll have the choice to install only what you need.
Once the installation is finished, Mac users may be asked to restart their device. If you see such a notification, follow the instruction immediately.
Whether you have to restart your device or not, the antivirus should open up as soon as the installation is finished. Norton and other programs will, at this point, offer to take you on a “tour” of the app. Even if you’ve used an antivirus before, I recommend taking the tour as each antivirus is laid out differently. The tour will consist of dialog boxes telling you how to access different features. They’ll instruct you to click somewhere and once you do a new box will open with additional information.
There are tons of great antivirus products, so it would be impossible to cover them all here. The process is more or less the same whichever antivirus you choose. Once complete, you can start using your antivirus.
Once Installed, Scan for Viruses!
Once you’ve installed your antivirus, you’ll need to scan for threats. Most security suites offer 4 scan options, each providing a different level of coverage. Some programs will initiate a full scan automatically as soon as the antivirus is installed. In other cases, you’ll have to run one yourself.
Regardless of which type of scan you run, your antivirus will provide a report once it’s finished. Norton provides lots of details about any threats detected and which files were scanned, while others products don’t. In any case, you should see a list of any malware files it detected. These will generally be automatically put into quarantine, and it’s up to you to remove the threats (Norton will let you do this with a single click).
You may want to look closely at the list to make sure that the antivirus hasn’t flagged any programs or files that aren’t actually dangerous. False positives are always a possibility, but with some antiviruses they’re more of a problem. If you have some technical knowledge, you can look up each threat using the antivirus’s report to check whether they actually need to be removed. But most users should just trust their antivirus and remove every threat it detects.
Here are the most common types of scan:
1. Quick Scan
Quick scans usually take a few seconds to a few minutes as they only check the common areas that are most likely to be infected. This allows the scanner to bypass most of your system, vastly decreasing the duration. Naturally, this means that a quick scan can’t detect threats that have made their way into other parts of your computer.
2. Full Scan
Due to the limitations of quick scans, I recommend that you run a full scan after installing your antivirus. It’s the only way to ensure that your device is 100% free of malware. This will check every aspect of your system to ensure there are no viruses lurking in dark corners. Depending on your antivirus and your computer, the duration of a full scan can vary widely. Norton’s scan took about 40 minutes on my PC, but I’ve tested other products that took up to 4 hours to complete.
Given the time commitment and the fact that any scan will hog some of your computer’s resources, I recommend running full scans when you aren’t using your computer or at least aren’t doing anything that requires a lot of resources (browsing the internet should be fine). That said, if you’ve just installed an antivirus because you’re worried you may have malware, you should run a full scan right away.
3. Scheduled Scan
Norton and many other antiviruses will let you schedule full scans in advance. Given that scans can take time and slow down your computer, it’s very helpful to schedule scans at opportune times. As long as your computer is turned on, the scan will automatically execute at the appointed time. I recommend scheduling weekly scans.
4. Custom Scan
Finally, we come to the custom scan. Sometimes called file or folder scans, custom scans allow you to check a specific file or folder for malware. Usually even faster than quick scans, custom scans are useful if you want to check a specific area of your computer, like the Downloads folder.
How to Choose the Right Antivirus Program
Though there are endless factors to consider when choosing a good antivirus program, I’ve narrowed them down to 4 things you should look out for.
Protection
You’ll doubtless want an antivirus that can effectively defend against all known threats, such as viruses, ransomware, network attacks, and dodgy websites that try to steal your personal information. Alongside identifying known infections, it must also be able to spot zero-day threats (malware that has yet to be identified and added to threat databases).
To do all that, an antivirus needs to use behavior-based detection and come with critical features like web protection and real-time protection that can stop threats before they can activate. This is easier said than done; a lot of antiviruses don’t meet this bar.
High-quality security programs will guarantee protection for over 99% of threats. Some do even better, like my favorite option, Norton, which blocks 100% of malware and comes with a variety of great features.
Performance
Your antivirus should operate without you noticing it’s there. It shouldn’t cause any noticeable slowdowns while running in the background and full scans shouldn’t render your device unusable. Given that your antivirus will start up immediately when you boot your device, it’s helpful to have one that doesn’t increase the time it takes your device to turn on by too much.
Furthermore, if you have an older device or use your computer for things like gaming, video editing, or other resource-intensive tasks, you may need a lightweight antivirus app. Cloud-based programs like Bitdefender are a great option if this is the case for your device.
In the same vein, you’ll want an antivirus that works well with your operating system. Some programs create conflicts when interacting with the Windows or Mac ecosystems, so they’re best avoided. You certainly don’t want an antivirus that’s liable to crash and leave you unprotected.
Price
You should choose the most affordable antivirus solution that provides the features and protection you need. Generally speaking, the cheapest options don’t offer the best protection, but that doesn’t mean the best antiviruses aren’t affordable.
There are some free antiviruses that are actually pretty good. Unsurprisingly, these tend to be very limited when it comes to advanced features (most even lack essentials like real-time protection). Many free products are supported by advertisements, so be prepared to deal with pop-ups and upselling. Be extra cautious when considering a free antivirus as many of these come bundled with questionable software or are themselves malware.
The most affordable plans usually cover just a single device, but if you have more than one to cover, you might want to opt for a multi-device plan.
Though there are a ton of antiviruses out there these days, only a few stand out as the best. The top antivirus programs offer top-notch protection and excellent features at reasonable prices.
Extra Features
Many antivirus products will offer other features, such as firewalls, encrypted storage, password managers, ad blockers, VPNs, and more.
The most comprehensive Norton plans even offer identity theft protections and up to $1M in insurance coverage in the event that you become a victim of identity theft (US only). Here’s a list of extra features you’ll see in many antivirus bundles:
- VPNs (encrypts your web traffic for maximum privacy).
- Password managers (help to secure your accounts with strong passwords).
- Optimization tools (remove unneeded files and speed up your device).
- Identity protection (alerts you to breaches and provides assistance in the event of identity theft).
- Parental controls (let you set time limits and content filters).
- Firewalls (secure your network to block hackers).
Your specific needs will dictate whether a particular feature is essential or just convenient. I recommend doing research about the benefits of a given feature to determine whether it’s something you need. If you find something that you think you’ll benefit from, make sure your antivirus includes it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I install an antivirus?
Go to the antivirus provider’s official website and download the program. Once the installer has finished downloading, click on the file and the installation will commence. You’ll have to click through a few boxes from your OS and the antivirus to confirm that you want it installed. All in all, this process should only take a few minutes.
Note that some programs will require you to make an account and provide payment details before you can start the download.
Which antivirus should I install?
It really depends. There are a few factors to consider when choosing an antivirus. Threat detection comes first and foremost (you’ll want one that’s actually effective), but price, extra features, and performance all play a role.
Ultimately, the right choice will vary depending on your circumstances.
How can I install an antivirus on a laptop?
The process of installing an antivirus is the same regardless of whether you use a desktop or laptop computer. The required steps are fortunately pretty simple. Just navigate to the antivirus’s website, create an account if one is required, download the file, and run the installer.