text: well, if your friend doesn't have the right processor and ram, running several programs simultaneously will certainly slow it down. i would recommend to you to at least have an antivirus program just in case. then again, your sharp eye is a great prevention tool. if the file looks fishy, move on. also, if you are using a mac, and your friend is using windows, that would explain the problem. on a more philosophical note, i believe that computers can sometimes take on a personality... but its probably just the hardware being unable to handle the load of all those programs. tell your friend to try to find a reliable all-in-one antivirus/firewall program.