I have a fast computer, plenty of virus and anti-spy software, so why is my computer so slow?

Over the last year performance has dropped badly.virus searches and spyware searches all come up with nothing.My hard drive is 90% Empty so thats not the problem and ive got memory coming out of my ears.Any ideas????

Thanks in advance!

I have a fast computer, plenty of virus and anti-spy software, so why is my computer so slow?norton antivirus

Yep. Two things. First, all that antispyware/antivirus comes at a price... slower performance (particularly when you boot up or log on). The scanning of files, etc. eats performance, both in processor power and disk access. The tighter you make your security, the slower your system will run. Period. It's a bit like playing football. If you play without pads, you risk getting hurt. But if you put on 80 pounds of body armor, you'll never be much of a sprinter, no matter how much horsepower you have.

Second, over time, systems get bogged down with "extras"... TSR's (terminate but stay resident programs), browser "helpers", add on's, etc. Windows starts "services" by default that you may never use. Printer drivers or other hardware include programs to "check for updates"... the list goes on and on. All of these "conveniences" come at a price. Lower performance. Do you really need a HP program running in the background to check for updates every day? Or have Adobe Acrobat search several times daily? Pfft... drop these built-in "conveniences", and you drop tons of baggage.