Today, we’re going to educate you on the latter approach. Not installing antivirus software has its benefits – including faster performance and more hard drive space – but it can also be problematic if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Without further ado, here’s how to easily keep your computer clean and fast without ever installing antivirus software:

Update software and Windows frequently

Most software will provide a friendly notification when it needs to be updated. To be sure your computer is running with the most recently-updated software, run Windows Update on a regular basis and don’t be afraid to check software companies’ websites for the latest update news. Software updates will often patch up security holes and fix all sorts of miscellaneous errors.

Perform periodic online scans

Just because you don’t have antivirus software installed doesn’t mean that you should completely avoid scanning your system. The company behind antivirus software NOD32 has made a free online scanner available at its website here. Simply run that ESET Online Scanner and it will automatically scan your computer for any viruses or malware. If any viruses or malware are discovered, it will kindly remove them from your system free of charge. What’s not to like?

Control your internet traffic

It’s important to keep track of the internet traffic moving through your computer. The Windows Firewall is a perfectly acceptable way of doing this, as it allows you to easily block or allow programs from accessing the internet in any way, shape or form. But to get enhanced control over the flow of your internet traffic, access your router’s NAT settings.

Prevent websites from automatically running potentially dangerous scripts

Today, most viruses and malware attack computers from online sources – like malicious websites. When users visit a malicious website, the site automatically runs a script that installs a dangerous plugin or initiates a suspicious download.

You’ll want to prevent websites from automatically running any type of scripts by installing a tool like NoScript. NoScript forces programs to ask for confirmation before they run on your computer. This significantly reduces your chances of contracting a virus, and the script blocking works with JavaScript, Java, Flash, and several other major types of plugins.

Download NoScript today for all major internet browseres by clicking here

Be smarter about the files you’re downloading

No matter how good your antivirus software is or how many firewalls you have installed, there’s always one weak link in your chain of PC security. And that weak link is you. If the end user routinely downloads dangerous files and installs too-good-to-be-true software on the PC, it’s only a matter of time before the system crumbles.

Be smart about the files you download and never download something that seems too good to be true. Few people give stuff away for free on the internet, and something is always expected in return.

Just what is the Flame virus? Well, it’s a few thousand lines of code that has the potential to wreak havoc on your computer. Entering your computer at a whopping 20MB in size (most viruses are less than 500KB or so), the Flame virus includes a backdoor, worm, and a Trojan in one single package. That way, even if your antivirus software detects and blocks one aspect of the virus, the other two parts will still continue to do the dirty work.

Once installed on your computer, the prospects are truly frightening – especially if you’re one to worry about your identity being stolen. Flame can monitor every single thing you do on your PC. From checking your email to talking to your friends on Skype, Flame has complete control over everything you do on your computer. It has the power to record audio conversations and can easily monitor each keystroke you make. Once this data is captured, it is sent away to be sold to hackers, marketing companies, or other unsavoury clients.

Put simply, you don’t want a virus like Flame infecting your computer.

Fortunately, the Flame virus is fairly localized to the Middle East region as of now. However, that may only be because the virus is in its infancy. Several computers in North America and other parts of the world have already been infected, and Flame may start to spread at an alarming pace over the next few days.

The importance of choosing the right antivirus program for your PC

Dangerous malware like Flame highlight the importance of choosing the right antivirus software. While there are plenty of free solutions available online, Flame remains undetected by any of them. This is not uncommon for a new virus. In fact, it can take free antivirus software months to catch up to their paid counterparts, leaving your computer horrendously unprotected.

How to protect your PC from the Flame virus

If you’re worried about the devastating consequences of the Flame virus, then you’re not alone. It’s only a matter of time before Flame starts spreading to other parts of the world. And within a few days – or even a few hours – it could have infected your computer. At that point, it can start to record audio and webcam footage, keep track of your web traffic, and perform all sorts of other frightening tasks.

So what’s the best way to protect yourself? As of now, we highly recommend using Comodo Antivirus software. As the most powerful antivirus program on the market today, Comodo has helped millions of PC users around the world stay protected – even against some of the most dangerous forms of malware out there. It’s also extremely easy to use, and has a price point that is well within anybody’s budget.

And, most importantly, Comodo scored the highest out of any PC security software in independent testing. This means it caught more viruses and malware than any other program. When you pair this virus-fighting effectiveness with the fast reliability of constant updates, it’s clear to see why so many people depend on Comodo to keep their systems secure.

For all of these reasons, you need to download Comodo antivirus as soon as possible. It’s simply your computer’s best chance of survival against Flame. With many PC security experts calling Flame the most dangerous virus ever created, you can either buy Comodo today or start preparing to buy a new computer. It’s that serious.

To download Comodo Antivirus, click here.

Invest in a good anti-virus program

Buying a good anti-virus program today could save you hundreds of dollars in the future. Downloading a single corrupt virus could quickly make your computer susceptible to phishing schemes, hacking attacks, and other nasty problems.

As internet scams get more and more clever, you need to protect the inexperienced internet users who access your computer. However, regardless of your level of experience on a PC, buying a good anti-virus program is a good way to prevent one mistake from ruining your entire computer.

When researching anti-virus software, be sure to choose one that doesn’t noticeably slow down your PC. The added tools and plug-ins of some anti-virus programs will take up so much processing power and RAM that it’s almost better to have a virus!

Speeding up your computer with a good anti-virus program is even more cost-effective today. Most programs allow you to install the software across multiple computers. So, if you have five computers in your house, you can effectively divide the initial cost of the program among those five users.

Buy a registry cleaner

While anti-virus programs and defragmenting software get a lot of attention as cheap ways to speed up your PC, it is often just as beneficial to invest in a good registry cleaner.

Usually, they’re cheaper than anti-virus software. In fact, many of them include anti-malware capabilities, which are increasingly making registry cleaners an all in one solution to whatever problems you may be experiencing.

Clean up your case

One of the most overlooked ways of speeding up your PC is to clean up the inside of your computer case. One of the most effective ways of doing this is to bundle all your wires together. Having wires sticking out all over your PC not only looks bad, but it can also restrict air flow, which means that your components become hotter and less efficient as time goes on. Fortunately, special elastics which bind your wires together are cheap and easy to find.

Cut down on the aesthetics. This means sacrificing your fancy screensavers, wallpaper and your cool fonts, and lowering your display resolution. Dolling up means slowing down when it comes to your computer – so opt for the simple yet elegant look.

Give your computer a well-balanced breakfast: reboot every morning, and when you do, restart only Windows – not the whole system. Limit the number of start-up programs, too, so your computer can wake up refreshed – not bogged down by unnecessary programs running in the background.

Become a germaphobe. Clean your computer on a daily basis. Delete temporary and old files, programs, and desktop icons. Download a free registry cleaner, and run a disk defragmenter regularly. These utilities will keep your computer’s stored information organized and to a minimum, making it easy for the PC to access information more quickly.

When “speed up my PC” is top priority, you may want to invest in more RAM – especially if your computer is older. Doubling or tripling your memory can be all that’s needed to speed things up.

Inoculate your computer, NOW! Anti-virus protection is not a myth, it’s a must. Consistently scan your PC for spyware and other malware and viruses, add a hardware firewall and install a firewall software.

Anti-virus protection is a MUST for your computer, so if you don’t have a security program, get one quick! YOu should also obtain a spyware protection program. These “spies” are hip to your every move in cyberspace and secretly gather information on your activities, decreasing your computer’s speed and increasing its susceptibility to infection.

Under “Speed Up My PC” on that To-Do list, add “Clean Up MY PC” – and that means inside and outside of your computer. Always delete unused files and programs, and make sure you never have less than 20% of available disk space by running a disk defragmenter at least once a week. Dust, food particles and dirt can clog the fans on your computer causing it to overheat – and like yourself, PCs that are overheated can lag, or just plain stop working. So make it a habit to tidy up your workspace – and keep snacking while Facebooking to a minimum.

Computers are all about the now – so make sure to regularly update your Windows, browser plug-ins, and drivers. Out-of-date programs weaken your PC’s ability to perform at its maximum efficiency. An older computer is a slower computer, too, especially if it has low memory. A good rule of thumb is to maintain at least 1 gigabyte of memory – if your computer has less, it’s time for an upgrade.

Luckily, most options for speeding up your computer are easy, and free. However, if these suggestions don’t do the trick, it might be time to start browsing for a new computer.