Speeding up my Computer

[Gambitt]

Even though JohnnyC. hates it  , I'm still runing Windows Me (Murdered Edition)  on my computer.

One of the advantages of running an older version of Windows, is Almost Nobody is writing new viruses for it.  They're more interested in exlploiting the many holes in XP/Vista.

So, to speed up my surfing (and it's a huge improvement  ) I've moved all the start-up files for my Anti-virus stuff out of the startup system, and into a batch file that I can use on command.

When I'm just visiting my usual sites that I trust (Like 7 days) I can surf much faster, without the lagg of the virus scans.

Then, if I'm going to do a google search (for example) where I don't know the sites, one click on the batch file, and the scanner is back up and running.

I'm not reccomending this for everyone, but for those with a bit of tech-savy, it can really boost your speed.

[Bigjohn]

What's this 'me' stuff? I heard there was something being developed that is "Faster and Better" for computers but I think it is all a ploy to make you spend more money. There's talk that Bill was working on a '95 version but why bother? 3.1 works fine! 
Time to throw another log on the fire.
Bigjohn.

[JohnnyCastaway]

Antivirus is one of the big things that can slow down any system.  The worst culprits that we have found are Norton Antivirus (it digs its hooks into everything and adds -on the average- about 25% overhead to any system).  McAfee is the next worst, CA Etrust follows a close third.  Expensive, bloated and slow as molasses.  We did a huge research project on all available versions of antivirus software to see what had the least impact on system performance.  The winner was a relatively newer company called ESET.  The software is small, fast and has very little impact on system performance.  it also has the best results for catching viruses, as well as spyware and malware. (in fact the three mentioned above don't even see some of the malware that ESET traps).  Cost is in line with the others, better in some cases, about $60 for a 2 year subscription.  2 versions availabe one with the firewall and antispam, and the other as just a antivirus.  As all our clients are coming up for renewal of their subscriptions, we're moving them over to this product. 

http://www.eset.com

Their Smart Security package is highly recommended if you're looking for a new antivirus product.