Jeff wrote...

Once it was installed, the SETI@Home program slowed to a snails pace.

I don't remember what happened to my SETI, especially.

Almost a couple of years ago, I was running a nice Dell Dimension XPS T450
450 MHz PIII with Windoze 98se and 384 MB ram.  It was going slower and
slower, until it suddenly got real bad.  Finally un-installed McAfee, and
the whole computer started running like new.  (It's a good feeling, isn't
it?)  Reinstalled, uninstalled, McAfee and proved they were the problem.

At that point, I switched to Grisoft AVG [antivirus], and everything was
fine, once again.  Plus, AVG is free.  (
http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php )

The biggest problem was that no matter how hard I begged or threatened, I
could not get McAfee to cancel my subscription and refund the difference.  I
think I had the 2nd half of a two-year subscription remaining, and they
claimed to only have a "30 day (+/-) refund policy."  No amount of logic
would sway them from refunding in the case where their software had gotten
so bloated halfway through a 2-year subscription that the computer wouldn't
work anymore.

I had a lot of emails going back and forth to them (in India, I presume),
but to no avail.  Who you gonna call?

However, they asked that if I decide not to use their service anymore, would
I please keep them informed about my decision.  Creeps.

I asked them a few times to remove my credit card number from their system,
or else I'd sue their asses off.  Later that year, I got an auto-email that
if I don't speak up, they're going to auto-renew my subscription.  Creeps.

At the moment, I'm getting a free year of antivirus service from Computer
Associates (not to be confused with Network Ass-ociates).  See
http://www.my-etrust.com/microsoft/.  Their user interface is so bad, I have
no plans to subscribe after my free year ends.  But their engine and updates
are supposed to be real good.  Certainly they update faster and more often
than AVG, if that proves anything.  If I try to open a virus attachment in
an email, the computer switches to 640x480 DOS, and asks me, "Do you really
want to open this VIRUS??" or something like that.

Also, Grisoft AVG isn't certified for Win98 (
http://www.icsalabs.com/html/communities/antivirus/notes/tr0604.shtml ), so
it's nice to get away from them for a year.

Lots of computer-security forums to get advice on what to do when my e-Trust
runs out.  Maybe after my free year ends, I'll "pay" for a well-rated
antivirus.

Naaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Best luck,
                  -Neil-