okay so i have resolved the problem and decided to install
kaspersky internet security 7 instead. everything works fine now
except for the long boot time.
what happens now is that after i enter my password, the welcome
screen is displayed for a while, after a while a black screen
appears and i have to wait for around 1-2 mins before the desktop
is shown. after which the programs and sidebar will slowly
load.
i've searched around on the internet but to no avail, can someone
advise? thanks.