Since installing Norton a fornight ago, this computer has been running slow.

When starting up it takes twice as long as before to get to my desktop. The tower unit is a bit noisier than before too, from time to time it sounds like somthing is sticking then free-ing off inside it.

So the questions are, Does Norton make your pc run slow, and Is that the hard drive I can here and should it make a noise.

Thanks.....hj

If you're referring to Norton Anti-virus then yes it will slow down your system...

This is due to the fact that it will be checking each file as it is loaded to make sure it's not trying to do anything outside of the ordinary.

Turning if off would make your PC run faster granted... but only up to the moment that it caught something and went into meltdown or started sending a few million spam once someone managed to own it..


You can still check for other stuff being loaded up at startup though and stop them if they're not necessary, and a RAM upgrade may well help if you're running with less than 256mb


As for the noise inside, that doesn't sound good... it could be anything but if it's your hard drive then you'll want to think about a new one sharpish before it fails completely and takes your important data with it...

Hard to diagnose it without actually hearing it with the case sides off and localising what's going on...

you could have lots of spyware on your computer try ad aware and see if that works:)

You could try using a different antivirus, such as NOD32. This uses less system resources, making your system faster, yet still safe from most viruses.

Avg antivirus (free edition). I am using it on a laptop with only 128mb RAM and i do'nt really notice any slowdown.

I use Spybt Search and Destroy, very light on ressources, it checks if anything tries to modify the registry amongst other things.

Adaware is also good for checking for spyware on your computer and detecting that annoying file that generate popups and ads ;)

Just as a thought for all those suggesting different Anti Virus alternatives...

Granted there will be some "bloatware" aspects to some programs but it's worth remembering that it's more often than not the settings that you have opted for or those the AV system uses when it does the checking..

Application of heuristic checking for example will mean your AV is working harder and therefore using more system resources to be sure you aren't running or using a "potential" virus..

So, you can disable some levels of checking but at the penalty of potentially encountering a virus that slips through the cracks... It's a trade off as always...

Just worth considering... Personally for clients who are a little tech shy I insist on Norton as it handles the updates automatically and has the highest level of "oops" protection for the clumsy (tech wise)..

AVG free is good too though.. :)

Originally posted by Martin_s
Just as a thought for all those suggesting different Anti Virus alternatives...

Just worth considering... Personally for clients who are a little tech shy I insist on Norton as it handles the updates automatically and has the highest level of "oops" protection for the clumsy (tech wise)..

AVG free is good too though.. :)

AVG is also self updating - the free version being very easy to set up (almost "idiot proof")!!