Q: How Many Anti-Virus Programs Should I Have?

A:  Only one.  Anti-virus programs have a few characteristics that make them bad co-workers.  They are very aggressive when they scan your system, and usually have some sort of "resident shield" where they essentially watch EVERY file you touch or open and analyze it in the background to make sure it is not dangerous.  So if TWO programs are trying to analyze every file, they end up fighting with each other.  This can cause performance issues or even "false positives", meaning they detect viruses that aren't really there.

Because I recommend AVG, many people wonder if they should install it along with their current AV program.  If you are happy with the one you've got, or just paid for a subscription and want to get your money's worth, stick with what you've got.  AVG will be there if you get frustrated with your current product or the subscription runs out...just be sure to uninstall your other product first.  If you have a Norton product, use the Norton Removal Tool. If you have a McAfee product, use the McAfee Consumer Products Removal Tool. If you have something else, you might want to check their support website for a removal tool as well.  (One wonders why they have to have a special program to uninstall their software with.  But they do.)

By the way, multiple anti-spyware programs are just fine.

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