Still not sure whether it's worth upgrading to Vista? We put XP and Vista through the ultimate face-off.

Comprehensive, competent and configurable protection at a good price. This is the best security suite out there

Our former champion loses its crown but remains a strong contender.

A credible contender, but F-Secure Internet Security 2009 is neither the lightest nor the most effective security suite for your PC

A quantum leap in usability over the previous version, although malware protection could still be better

An improvement on last year’s package, but sadly still flawed.

Lighter than ever, but its all-round performance isn’t quite first class.

Breathtakingly lightweight, but detection rates could be better.

A do-it-all package that detects an exceptional range of malware

A new interface and extra web-protection capabilities make AVG our top free antivirus choice

A big improvement from Microsoft, but there’s still some way to go. OneCare can now call itself a serious security contender.

Is it worth paying for the full version of AVG Internet Security?

A highly usable all-round security suite, but ultimately a strong runner-up rather than a new champion.

Fifteen security packages go head to head in our labs test, including Kaspersky, Norton, ZoneAlarm, McAfee, F-Secure and AVG. Find out which will keep you safe and which could let you down.

Stack your system full of software without paying a penny, with our guide to essential downloads