Just be careful all.

Just cuz it doesnt cost money, does not make it free.

Malware installed by "free programs". Outright viruses installed by programs downloaded from the peer to peer network(s) such as limewire and using protocols such as Bittorrent. Even the mp3's you download can infect, video files can infect, even .pdf files can infect. If you have not hardened your PC thru a combination of common sense AND some prophylactic protection (firewall, AV, antimalware) and you get out there and install stuff willy-nilly, then you are putting yourself, your data, your privacy and even your identity at risk.

I deal with that crap every day.

Always install the updates for your operating system. If they do not install, get help, you are at risk if not already infected.

Always make sure the programs you use are updated, especially anything Adobe (flash, shockwave, acrobat reader) as they are huge attack vectors nowadays. Always update Java. Always update your media players (winamp anyone?) again a huge attack vector.

Never use programs downloaded from "peer to peer" networks. period. (Unless you accept the risks associated with taking executables from known hackers.) If you do, then plz scan them with your up-to-date Antivirus and antimalware programs.

If your antivirus won't update and you dont know why, then get help. You are prolly infected.

I do this stuff for a living and 95% of the PC's I see are infected at one level or other. Granted, clients don't bring me computers unless they have a problem, but the problems originate from negligence and ignorance at the user level. By that I mean YOU Ms. Incredimail user, and you Mr. Weatherbug installer, and you Mr. 'I just posted a link via the forum to a search via a "Mywebsearch" link'. (thanks f*cker, your ignorance just infected forum users, you know who you are).

I could honestly write a book about this stuff, this diatribe barely scratches the surface. Just be careful out there folx. Free is rarely free.