Is your machine slower than it used to be? Does it take an age to boot up or shut down?
Is your internet connection slower than it used to be?
Does your machine shut itself down when you are using it?

These can all be symptoms of viruses or other spyware/malware. When I do my free basic healthcheck on home user PC's I regularly find hundreds of viruses and other malware on the system. Sometimes just removing these is all the repair that is required. Often the user thinks they have a new machine even though I was called to attend to some other problem, just simply because removing these threats has brought the machine a new lease of life. If you dont have (up to date) anti virus and anti spyware software on your machine and additionally a personal firewall then its almost certain that you have some unwanted, potentially malicious software on your computer.

Many home users have come to see their computers as unreliable pieces of equipment when nothing could be further from the truth. Your PC should be of similar reliability to a new car, the problem is your car is not under threat of attack from hackers and viruses from the motorway, but your computer is from the information super-highway. Securing your PC from these threats can dramatically improve its reliability and improve your experience of using it. If you have any kind of internet connection, whether its broadband or dial up and you don't have a full security suite in place, its just a matter of time before you will be taking your PC in for repair or even buying a new one unnecessarily. I am not just saying this because I want the business, I'll get the business from all those that don't take my advice!

Could your PC be a Zombie?

Nearly half the security compromised machines I see are!