One of the age old debates when it comes to anti-virus software comes down to whether Norton or McAfee offers better protection. When it comes down to it, both programs will protect your system from the majority of viruses and threats out there. Are they foolproof? No, not at all, each system has their own quirks and ways of working that take any user time to get used to this.

Norton SystemWorks is a complete security suite that offers a variety of protection on many levels. Its anti-virus program runs in the background while other parts of the set-up help protect your computer from different types of threats. You can run checks to make sure your hard drive is running properly, as well as cleaning up your Internet preferences and registry files.

McAfee offers anti-virus protection along with other security features. Over the last two years, McAfee has increased its overall protection including its firewall support. It also runs in the background to ensure overall protection and make sure your system is protected from the latest threats on the world wide web.

If you use Norton or McAfee, then decide to switch, it is important to note that they do not always work well together. When you uninstall a program, there are files left over hidden in the registry that may interfere with the new installation. If this is the case, you will want to take the time to comb through the registry to makes sure all files and entries related to the old program before installing the new one again. This will generally fix any problems with installation you may have going from one to another.

The important thing to remember about anti-virus protection is that it takes some time to get used to. In order to utilize the program to the best of its ability, you want to tinker with the preferences to get it to work with your system the best way it can. Some programs can be resource intensive, and you can change settings to counteract that. Taking the time to get to know your anti-virus program, no matter which one you use, is key to keeping your system safe, secure and working into the future.