Darn, Slow Computer!! (Part 1)

Does it take forever for your computer to boot up? Do you twiddle your thumbs while a web page loads even though you have DSL or broadband Internet? Several things can cause your computer to slow down, but three of them are quick and very easy to fix without buying new hardware.

So what are these three things? Bloated anti-virus programs, Toolbars and Spyware.

We’ll start with the A/V programs and cover the others in future posts. Did you know most of the anti-virus programs you buy at the store are so bloated with unnecessary junk they can actually slow your computer down more than the viruses they protect you from? It sounds crazy, but it’s true. The problem is, due to wonderful programmers around the world with too much time on their hands, you really can’t afford to be without anti-virus software. It's so bad out there, when I searched for reviews of anti-virus programs the first link was a virus that was caught by my anti-virus software.

So who are the big offenders? Unfortunately the most bloated anti-virus programs are the top sellers because they spend a ton of money on marketing and “coop” agreements with computer makers. Every time I get a call from a friend or family member who is having trouble with a slow computer my first question is “Do you have McAfee or Norton Anti-Virus?” and the answer is most often “Yes”.

Since you really need an anti-virus program, and you already paid for the one you have, what can you do? I’m glad you asked.

There is a fantastic program that protects you from viruses, rootkits, some spyware and more. Best of all, it’s absolutely free for home users. The program is called Avast Anti-Virus. Avast does a great job of protecting your computer while using very little of your computing resources (memory, CPU, etc). PC Magazine has a great review of the software along with reader reviews here http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2282704,00.asp#member_rating
All you have to do is register the software each year and you can keep using it for free. They don’t send you any spam because they make their money from business users. Just go to http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html to download it and install it. If you have another virus program, make sure you uninstall that one after installing Avast so you can get your resources back. I personally use Avast on all of our home computers and I have also purchased it for the Windows SBS 2003 server and all of the client computers in our office.

If you feel like you just have to pay for a home anti-virus program but still want a good one, you can get AVG anti-virus at http://www.grisoft.com/ww.store It's easy on the resources and does a good job. Your computer geek friends would approve of either of these.