Regardless of the antivirus program you use, it will impact your computer's performance.  Some more some less.  Even programs which incur annual subscription fees are not always cost effective when you consider how much they slow down your computer.  For many years we've recommended AVG and for the most part still do. There are a number of excellent antivirus programs that are free and do a terrific job. 

We would also like to let our user's know about the Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE). This is a complete anti-malware package available from Microsoft itself.  So, if you are running windows XP (or newer) and your $50 copy of Norton or McAfee is about to expire, consider uninstalling it and using the MSE software.

What is Malware and how do you keep it off your system?

Many of the systems we find with problems are caused by malware. Malware is sometimes called foistware or spyware. Many of these applications are technically not viruses and often need permission to install so they are not caught by anti-virus programs. For this reason many of them have to disguise themselves as  familiar programs or helpful applications. Sometimes, even programs that are legitimate can cause problems. Many vendors want you to use their tool bar on your web browser. Too many tool bar applications can degrade your computer's performance and hinder your internet activities. 

Another potentially serious threat malware poses come from loader programs. Once installed, these programs can install new malware programs and with out having to request your permission again.

Learning to recognize alerts from legitimate  applications apart from malware applications can save a lot of time, money and trouble. This article will show some examples of malware....