Since you have something of Norton on your computer I would download their Removal Tool. It only been a few days since I removed Norton AntiVirus from my computer using their Removal Tool, I highly recommend it. I had already removed Norton but as a test for you I ran it again. No problem, you just have to restart when it done. Doesn't take long. You do what you think best. 2003 or 2008 will be listed when you get their. Try 2007 Norton Removal Tool

bunky, I personally will never recommend Norton to anyone. It slowed my computer down so bad that right now I'm trying to uninstall it. When I go to Add/Remove it tells me there was an error when I installed it! After all this time!! When you follow the directions they give you you just go in a complete circle. You end up back at Add/Remove and then you can start all over again. Never again wil I buy a Norton. Better listen to your son in law. LOL BT

AVG (from Grisoft) is an excellent free antivirus and they have a more robust pay version available. I prefer it to Avast, but it's good too. Avira AntiVir has a loyal following too. There's a lot of free programs out there and in reality, if you keep them updated and use them properly, they'll all serve you well. McAfee is, well, McAfee. I wouldn't use it on a bet. That's one that I've had so much trouble in the past that I wouldn't use it, but in fairness, I haven't used it in years so they may have changed. Norton still is a fine program but it's not as user friendly as are a lot of others. People with limited computer experience don't understand it and that causes a lot of trouble. Historically, amateurs liked McAfee and pros preferred Norton. I quit using Norton about 7-8 years ago. Been using AVG for 10+ years on various machines. It's standard equipment on all machines I set up and has been for a long, long time. Now let's clear up some myths. Especially this one about Norton taking over your system.... Did you know that's for your BENEFIT?. Many viruses, spyware and malware programs will go in and turn off your anti-malware programs. By having it deep in there like that it helps to prevent that from happening. The ones that chant conflict seldom know of what they speak. For many years I ran 3-4 antivirus programs, just not all at the same time. When I was with the PI firm and handling a lot of sensitive data I couldn't risk infections so I'd run a minimum of 3 AVs on any attachment. Anyone that says only a tech can remove Norton is full of crapola. Period. But it makes for good gossip doesn't it? With McAfee and Norton both, you simply run the removal tool you can download from the manufacturers' web sites and it's pretty much automatic. Far worse is the way AOL embeds itself into a system. Or at least how it used to worm its way in. That program did truly approach a virus-like embedding. And the fool that says you can't get malware from dialup? Spray her in the face with a water bottle and ask if she's been eating paint chips! Totally untrue! An antivirus is only one part of a layered security approach to maintaining a safe computer. You should have a good firewall and I like Comodo. One of the easiest and most effective ones out there. Don't forget to get Windows Updates regularly. Especially if you use the swiss cheese of browsers and mail clients - Internet Explorer and Outlook/Outlook Express. You're begging for trouble by using them but many refuse to secure their systems. Antivirus has been covered. Keep it updated. Anti-malware. Malwarebytes is one brand of antimalware software. I prefer Spybot Search and Destroy and A-squared but I keep Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpyware on my machine for an occasional backup check. Ad-aware used to be my program of choice but I stopped using them a few years ago. Ccleaner is an excellent program for cleaning up your machine and Iobit's Advanced SystemCare is an excellent program for both cleaning and tweaking your system. WinPatrol is an excellent program to guard your system. It'll tell you when things are added to your startup, changes made to your browser and more. Another important thing is use common sense. Don't believe everything you get in an email for one thing. Any important documents should be backed up regularly in a variety of forms. That way if you have one bad backup you won't lose everything. I don't have sympathy for people who keep their entire lives on the computer and then lose it to corruption or theft. Again, common sense. You should do disk checks, clean out temp files and defrag your machine often. All this helps keep a machine performing better. If you use Opera and customize it, you can back up your settings with Operafly. Firefox can be backed up with Mozbackup and FEBE. Any program with a built in backup, should also be backed up regularly if it's of any importance to you.

ruthie, your question is not unlike asking "Who makes the best washing machine", or "What's the best vacuum to buy", etc. Meaning, what you'll hear most often is that people will recommend what they've chosen for themself. Because unless their choice turned out to be a mistake, no one ever admits to making a poor choice. So in that vein, I've used Norton for a long time (perhaps not quite 10 years) and I think it's great. The Norton security system is effective, unobtrusive and comprehensive. I've had no problems with it or with any infection of any kind - but another factor is that I try to be a careful and thoughtful internet user. If you're have any performance or running issue with Norton, try their free tech support. I've used them a few times (I remember once was because of a file corruption matter that can happen with any software) and they were great. They do support by remote connection and you just sit back and watch them work. I've included a link to reviews of most AV products done and periodically updated by Neil Rubenking, a very well respected PC Industry expert of long standing. Here is a link that might be useful: Reviews of Antivirus programs