Now while some people may say this is all my opinion, you’ll have a hard time finding a computer tech that doesn’t agree Norton and McAfee are lousy antivirus. Example #1, you cannot fully remove either of these programs though the control panel, you must also go online and download a “removal tool”. Wait a second, these programs make your computer very slow and you can’t remove them through the control panel? Isn’t that almost the exact definition of a virus? Oh the irony!

Time to make a decision.
Alright, so turns out you have one of these programs but just paid for a year subscription (or heaven forbid several years), now you have a choice, either put up with it until the subscription is up and then switch, or cut your losses now and ditch these terrible programs for a light weight antivirus that works well. I have had this conversation several times and when the customer says “well I already paid for it, I might as well use it” I counter point it with “what if you paid in advance for a root canal and the dentist later found out you didn’t need one, would you still go ahead with it?” They generally laugh but get the point.

What to do about it.
So you either waited for your subscription to end and came back to this article, or have decided to go ahead and better your computer right away. First step to get rid of these antivirus is to go to the Control Panel, then Add/Remove programs (Windows XP) or Programs and Features (Windows Vista and 7). Once you remove it from there and restart, you will then want to run the removal tool. For your convenience I have posted the links to each below.

Norton Removal Tool – Click Here  (Takes you to website to choose your Norton product)
McAfee Removal Tool – Click Here (Directly downloads the universal McAfee Removal Tool)

Use the removal tool that fits your product and follow the step by step until it completes and restarts. Once that is done you are finally free of them and should notice your system running faster already. Next step is to install a dependable, light wait antivirus so you are protected.

Choosing and installing a new Antivirus.
I always encourage people to do research for themselves but if you want my opinion and quick answer, Kaspersky is the best antivirus on the market now, good alternatives are NOD32 and Viper. Middle of the pack antivirus are Avast, Webroot, Panda and AVG. Although AVG is going down the Norton/McAfee road and requires a removal tool these days as well.

Computer still not as fast as you would like? Don’t worry, I will be releasing Part 3 shortly.

As always if you ever need help with any of the instructions in this write up, or computer/smartphone service for any other reason don’t be afraid to call or text Epic Tech at 701.426.2192 or message us though the contact form.

The first thing I ask in return when I get this question is “Do you have Windows Vista?” Generally the answer is “Yes” in which case I proceed to explain Vista was a terrible product. Occasionally the answer is XP or 7, and then we move on to another reason it may be running slow. But the second most common answer is “I’m not sure, how do you know?” which is the next topic I will cover.

How to check which operating system you have.
1. Click the “Start” or “Windows” button in the very bottom left (in most cases)
2. Right click “My Computer” or “Computer”, then left click “Properties”
3. Toward the top of the window that comes up you should see “Windows Edition” below it will either say Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7, followed then by Home, Professional, Ultimate or a few other types.

Now if you do have Windows Vista don’t panic, there are a few things you can do.

Ways to improve Windows Vista.
1. The best thing to do is upgrade to Windows 7, however a license for window 7 will run you around $100, so if you don’t plan on using the computer much longer it may not be cost effective.
Another issue is that not all Vista machines are able to upgrade to 7 due to drivers not being available, in which case you would need to downgrade to Windows XP. I use the word downgrade loosely as many would consider going to XP from Vista an upgrade

2. If you decide that you must stay with, Vista you can make sure you have the most updated version of it as possible, as they have tried to fix as many of the problems as they could over the several years its been out.
First thing to check is that you have both Service Pack 1 and Service Pack 2 installed. You can find this out the same way you found out which operating system you had, 2 lines below where it said Windows Vista it with either say Service Pack 1, Service Pack 2 or nothing at all.

Your best bet if you don’t have Service Pack 2 loaded is to go to Windows Update and start running all your updates until Service Pack 2 comes up. If you don’t have either Service Pack loaded it will need to install Service Pack 1 before 2 will be available. If you do have Service Pack 2 installed then go to Windows Update anyway and make sure you have all the other non Service Pack updates loaded.

To access Windows Update click the “Windows” button in the bottom left, click “All Programs” and then click “Windows Update”.

If this didn’t help speed up your computer don’t worry. I will be releasing Part 2 tomorrow.

And remember if you ever need help with any of the instructions in this write up, do not be afraid to contact Epic Tech with the contact form or phone number 701.426.2192.