Norton Internet Security vs
Various Free Programs
Elaine Bennett wrote with a question many readers have been asking: "Should I pay for another year of Norton Anti-Virus protection or switch to the free AVG service?" My short answer is: Switch to AVG. However, there are a number of things to consider.
I used Norton for years when it was just an anti-virus program, but have always avoided the expanded "Internet Security" version which, in my opinion, often creates more problems than it solves. For $69.99 the larger suite has a firewall along with other tools intended to keep your PC running at maximum performance while supplying protection against viruses, spyware, and identity theft scams. As with similar programs from other vendors, the service needs to be renewed every year.
Well, Windows XP users already have a firewall built into Service Pack 2, and anyone whose PC is connected to a router has a mechanical firewall as well. Check your SP2 firewall status by clicking Start>My Computer>Control Panel>Windows Firewall.
Free anti-virus protection, complete with regular updates, is available from AVG (Anti-Virus from Grisoft). A link to the program can be found on my home page.
As for adware, deleting the "cookies" found under My Computer>Control Panel>Internet Options gets rid of most of them, while various malware threats can be deleted by scanning regularly with Ad-Aware from LavasoftUSA and/or Defender from Microsoft. Both programs are free, with links available on my home page.
Many online services nowadays offer "anti-identity-theft" programs that check all your incoming email and Internet downloads for signs of some kind of scam. Can you imagine how much of your system resources are needed to constantly scan for the thousands of different "Please Click Here to Update Your Account" scams? Just be aware that no legitimate business will tell you via email that "your account needs to be updated to avoid being canceled," nor will eBay tell you "someone wants to buy your item if you will just give us your account information." I, for one, can spot these scams without having a top-heavy "anti-phishing" program (Norton's or anyone else's) slowing down my computer.
Use Your Windows XP Built-in Maintenance Tools
As for maintaining your computer's optimum performance, WinXP has many built-in tools, such as Disk Cleanup, which is accessed by opening My Computer and right-clicking the C-drive icon. Next, click Tools and choose Defrag Now to efficiently realign your hard drive's files and folders. Clicking Check Now will tune up your hard drive (or drives) and fix a variety of glitches that may have accumulated.
Turn Off All the Unneeded Programs in Your MSCONFIG Startup List
Another computer slow-down is the collection of programs that needlessly start running in the background when you turn on your PC. Go to Start>Run, type in msconfig, click OK, and uncheck all the items listed under Startup except for your anti-virus program and/or any others you might want constantly running. (I leave my Yellow Stickies program checked because I use it constantly and I do want it running at all times.)
Finally, ignore all the "Free Scan to Fix Your Registry" and/or "Free Scan to Tune-up Your PC" ads you encounter online. They are NOT free and they are NOT needed. They say you can "scan your computer for free" but don't tell you that you will have to pay to fix the problems they find — and they WILL find problems — whether you actually have any or not! Call me if you have any registry or tune-up questions.
© - Donald Ray Edrington - 2007 - All Rights Reserved
Email & Phone Information on Don Can Be Found Here.
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