I just got an email from McAfee noting that my trial run virus program will expire at the end of today (new notebook computer)...any time I attempted to download renewals there were BIG problems..so I just go out and buy the new disc for my desktop every year...Now I'd like some advice about protecting this one...Any experts out there? Thanks in advance!

My advice would be to work through whatever troubles you are having. Once a year updates are only slightly better than no anti-virus software at all. You need to update AV software at least daily.

The big three for AV are McAffe, Norton (Symantic?) and Microsoft. All feature automatic updates, free for the first year and with an annual subscription fee after. I have used all three at one time or the other and all were effective, however, it seems to me McAfee and Norton put a higher load on the computer. I switched to Microsoft's Windows Live One Care at the recommendation of a local computer tech a few months ago and have been very satisfied with it. It is effective and since removing Norton and installing it, my computer starts and runs visibly faster.

It also has the added benefit of being able to do an automatic disk cleanup and defrag on a scheduled basis. I do mine once a month in the wee hours of the morning when I won't be using it.

bring it back and buy a mac.

If McAffee, Norton/Symantec and MS are the "big three", it is the big three of "pop" security software.

Those really in the know prefer (to put it mildly) Kaspersky and NOD32.

Oh, and is the relation to travel b/c it's a _notebook_ computer which you travel with?

s----t-----r--------e------t-----c-----h

I have been using AVG for a few years and like it . . very light on resources and easy to install/use. The have free and subscription versions

http://www.grisoft.com/

If you do decide to stick with McAfee, be sure to uninstall the old version prior to installing the new one. ( ditto if you change brands also )

You also need to be careful if you have a firewall. I have Zone Alarm, and was running Norton at the same time when I found out that the two were not compatible -- I had to uninstall the Norton.

If you have Comcast, McAfee is compatible with Zone Alarm.

Check with your internet service provider, Comcast provides McAfee service free of charge -- simply download it through the Comcast website.