Antivirus/firewall help?

Question

I recently got internet (finally) and I am looking for the best firewall and antivirus/anti-spy protection, preferably a free download if it's good. Here's some I looked at on PC World: avast, avg, a-squared, ad-aware, jetico. I also already had windows defender, yahoo anti-spy, and live onecare safety scanner. Are any of these any good? Also when I bought the laptop years ago it came with mcafee and norton but they are the old (2002) versions. would they be worth keeping? I have heard that Norton slows pcs down, which i don't want, and that you should only have one antivirus program running. is this true and if so, why? I don't do much more online than surf for fun, email, and once in awhile order stuff, so it isn't exactly high profile but I want to be safe. Any help would be appreciated!

Answer 1

Dump the Norton and the McAfee, they will be useless as they are way out of date. I would definitely uninstall both.



Norton can be hard to uninstall completely. If you have a problem, download and run the Norton Removal Tool from the Norton / Symantic website.

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005033108162039



Windows defender, yahoo anti-spy, and live onecare safety scanner are all pretty mediocre performers.



I am guessing that a computer that old has very little RAM. You probably would want to use a "light" firewall.



..........(Use only one firewall).....



A good and free firewall that is extremely easy on using your computer's system resources, then Kerio 2.1.5 is just about the lightest firewall there is. Uses about 4 MB RAM on my machine.



Although it is no longer officially supported by the makers of Kerio, there is a great Kerio 2.1.5 support forum at

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/kerio

to help and guide you if you have any problems.



.....(Use only one anti-virus).....



I like AOL Active Virus Shield. Don't let the name AOL fool you. Active Virus Shield is made by Kaspersky which is one of top-rated anti-virus vendors in the world.



In recent tests, the most popular free anti-virus, AVG, was only able to detect about 82% of a very large sample of viruses. On the other hand, Active Virus Shield was able to detect better than 99% in the same test.

Full test chart is here:

http://www.virus.gr/english/fullxml/default.asp?id=82&mnu=82



Active Virus Shield has excellent virus detection rates and is extremely light on using your computer resources. (6mb ram)



Active Virus Shield detects and removes spyware, also.



And it updates up to 15 times a day with new virus definitions, 7 days a week.



Good stuff, free for everyone from:

http://www.activevirusshield.com/antivirus/freeav/index.adp?



....(Use 2 anti-spyware scanners)....



For your Anti-Adware and Anti-Spyware needs...............(use 2)



Pick and choose, 2 anti-spywares from the list below and alternate scanning with them on a regular basis. New spywares are created literally hourly, so no single anti-spyware can really detect all malware. Have at least 2 on hand and alternate scanning with each every few days or so. All are free. All can remove as well as detect.



Spybot Search and Destroy:

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/spybotsd/index.html



Ewido (now called AVG Anti-spyware) Do not get the AVG Anti-virus, it is crap.

http://www.ewido.net/en/download/



Adaware SE:

http://www.lavasoft.de/software/adaware/



A-Squared:

http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/free/



SUPERAntiSpyware:

http://www.superantispyware.com/



Unfortunately, many "paid for" anti-spyware products are in fact either of limited usefulness or downright scams. When in doubt, look at the list of rogue anti-spyware solutions listed here:

http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm





And to protect your computer from ever getting infected with spyware in the first place............ (use them both)



SpywareBlaster:

http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html



SiteAdvisor:

http://www.siteadvisor.com/



Everything here is 100% free!!!!!!



Great luck!

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

you must be confused seeing so much links in answers you've got..

however you can't continue with Mcafee and norton 2002 any longer as those are so much backdated

you can keep believe on "Mcafee Internet Security Suity 2007" from www.mcafee.com for a free trial of 30days, you can download and install it

yes as you 've said you must keep only one anti-virus and firewall NOT MORE THAN ONE, if you have more than one you are vulnerable to firewall conflict and slowing down of your system and webspeed

so YOU MUST uninstall all your current anti-virus firewall to avoid potential conflict and hazards of pc protection before installing McAfee internet security suite 2007 you will find each and every kind of protection of pc-online in it.

i also heard about slow system speed and webspeed of pc protected with Norton anti-virus,so i've not even bother to try it as i'm satisfied with Mcafee's performance.

Answer 4

Hey, if you're looking for a good package for antivirus and antispyware protection then let me just say, with my configuration I haven't been able to get a virus. I have Norton Internet Security 2006 and Windows defender working for me on my basement computer running on Windows XP. I have Norton Internet Security 2006 on my family room computer running on Windows XP. I have Norton Internet Security 2006 with windows defender on my laptop that I'm using right now, running on Vista. My basement computer is a homemade computer, and about 5 years old. Norton Internet Security (which has Norton Antivirus plus features such as firewall, email scanner, fraud monitoring on the web, and phishing protection) does not slow down the internet speed. It goes just as fast with it than it does without it. Trust me, my basement computer kept getting infected with viruses when I didn't have any protection for it, but then I got my laptop and I put Norton Antivirus on all my computers. It hasn't slowed the speed down or anything. My family room computer has just started slowing down (it's 3 years old) but that's due to the high amounts of games that are put on it and the high volumes of songs on it. My Laptop that I'm using now has Windows Vista and Norton Internet Security, two major applications that have a "history" of slowing computers down. My computer is extremely fast and I do have to say that Norton Internet security has protected me through and through. I haven't had one virus on my laptop since I bought it. Remember, this is just if you are willing to pay for really well put together antivirus/antispyware protection. It costs about $40 for everything so if you want to leave your computer vulnerable then you can pay the $1000+ fee for buying a new one, or you can pay $40 for Norton Internet Security and be completely safe. Plus you also mentioned that you buy things online, the phishing filter and fraud monitoring will tell you if a site is a phony site and redirect you from the site. This will help so your credit card or paypal information doesn't get stolen from you. This could save you hundreds of dollars also!

Answer 5

ad-ware is just for spam avg is for virsuses which can be used together and are very good. Norton is crappy and it does slow your computer down and it will not let you get into some programs. As far as firewall you should try CA (computers assoicates) you can do a search on google and get it free for six months or you can go to Microsfts website and check for some other firewalls which are usally free.

Answer 6

I truly have used virtually each little thing obtainable to provide and the perfect i have come for the time of for my computing device is residing house windows stay One Care. It would not soak as a lot as a lot room, it would not value a lot and it does precisely what it really is suppost to do. it really is small and discreet to so i do not should be consistently reminded of it.

Answer 7

Go to http://www.download.com and download Sygate firewall, its forever free. Then download AVG 7.5 Its also forever free.If you can't find Sygate there , do a yahoo search for it. Good Luck.

Answer 8

I use the free = Avast = 4 Home Edition - Free antivirus software - free virus protection for home PC: - full-featured antivirus package designed for home usage.(FREE) = http://www.avast.com , and really like it as it has always kept me safe from virus, worms, trojans, etc.



Comodo Firewall = http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com



Whenever my cable goes out and I have to switch to dialup backup, I turn off the router, and turn on AnalogX PortBlocker = http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/network/pblock.htm

Router = http://computer.howstuffworks.com/router.htm

uninterruptible power supply (UPS) = http://computer.howstuffworks.com/question28.htm



Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer = http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/tools/mbsa2/default.mspx + http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/912840.mspx



Windows Live OneCare safety scanner is a service designed to help ensure the health of your PC. . Check for and remove viruses, Get rid of junk on your hard disk Improve your PC's performance =

FREE 90 day trial = http://safety.live.com/site/en-US/default.htm



If you want to manually run the tool on your computer, you can download a copy from the Microsoft Download Center or run an online version from microsoft.com. The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool = http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=890830 + download the tool here = http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx





http://www.cyberdefender.com +



SUPERAntiSpyware = http://www.superantispyware.com/index.html + http://www.superantispyware.com +



ttp://www.activevirusshield.com/antivirus/freeav/index.adp





Spybot-S&D = http://www.safer-networking.org = Be sure to use the immunize feature, and as with everything else, keep it updated.



and Ad-aware = http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=506 +



AVG Anti-Spyware Free = http://free.grisoft.com/doc/20/lng/us/tpl/v5 + WinCleaner AntiSpyware 5.4, Free protection against spyware = http://mail.vnunet.com/cgi-bin1/flo/y/e6oO0Hd7VN0ac60DtCf0E8

+

SpywareBlaster/SpywareGuard - Freeware = http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html



AnalogX Script Defender- Freeware = http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/system/sdefend.htm

and

http://www.winpatrol.com = Freeware



http://housecall.trendmicro.com



shut down your pc and then restart it in SAFE MODE if possible = http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2001052409420406?OpenDocument&src=sec_doc_nam

and then run the scan(s) and follow directions for healing any/all infections found, then AFTER the computer is cleaned,

disable system restore = http://vil.nai.com/vil/SystemHelpDocs/DisableSysRestore.htm , then shut down your pc, and then restart your pc, and then re-enable system restore.



http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/files/smitfraudfix.php



+ Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware (Follow the links)= http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

+ MS Windows Defender -- http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx = Windows Defender = http://www.microsoft.com/defender - http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=435BFCE7-DA2B-4A6A-AFA4-F7F14E605A0D&displaylang=en



IE SPYAD = http://www.spywarewarrior.com/uiuc/resource.htm



Also check out (FREEWARE) = http://www.komando.com/downloads/categories.aspx?cat=Security

Eliminate Spyware = http://ralphcaddell.com/pchelp/spyware.htm

http://www.spyware-removal-guideline.com/

http://www.scanwith.com/

To make sure you are not getting a spoofed webpage, Right-click desktop/properties/display properties/appeareance/color scheme/olive green/apply/ok/ok



Siteadvisor.com = http://www.siteadvisor.com +

"Know Who You are Dealing with on the Internet; Verifies that a site is safe before you send personal data. Behind the simple interface, you are protected by 54 automatic verification tests that inform you of the potential risks." = ]http://www.callingid.com/Default.aspx

http://www.webattack.com/get/spysweeper.html



http://www.globalarray.net/user/shotzy/informativelinks.html = A Gathering of Informative Links



Advanced WindowsCare v2 Personal = 100% Freeware • Removing Spyware and Adware • Preventing Security Threats • Privacy Protection • Fixing Registry Errors • Temporary Files Cleanup • Startup Cleanup • Repairing Windows • Speeding up System =

http://www.iobit.com/AdvancedWindowsCarePersonal/index.html







6StarReviews.com reviews the top Adware and Spyware Removal software = http://adware-spyware-removal.6starreviews.com

http://www.arovaxantispyware.com/



Blocking Unwanted Parasites with a Hosts File = http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm



How to Remove Spyware, Adware and Keep your PC Clean = http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=spyware&hl=en + http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=spyware&search=Search

Spy Sweeper-safely detects and removes more traces of spyware including Trojans, adware, keyloggers and system monitoring tools (e.g. Gator, Xupiter, Backorifice and others).= http://www.webattack.com/get/spysweeper.html + http://www.webattack.com/Shareware/security/swantispy.html or = http://www.snapfiles.com/get/spysweeper.html



How to remove a Trojan, Virus, Worm, or other Malware = http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial101.html#remove

http://forums.net-integration.net/index.php?showtopic=3051 = How on earth did I get infected with all that spyware in the first place? = http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/index.php?showtutorial=42

SUPERAntiSpyware = http://www.superantispyware.com/index.html

Defining Malware: FAQ = http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/alerts/info/malware.mspx

http://home.planet.nl/~kleyn080/Spywareinfoen.html

http://metallica.geekstogo.com/BFUinstructions.html

http://www.cexx.org/hphijack.htm

http://spywarewarrior.com/

http://www.spyware-removal-guideline.com/

http://www.spywaredata.com/spyware/malware/client32.exe.php

http://www.getsafeonline.org

http://www.technibble.com/categories/viruses-adware-spyware/

http://www.helpwithwindows.com/techfiles/ie7-surf-safe.html = How to surf more safely with Internet Explorer 7

http://www.virustotal.com

http://www.virusscan.jotti.org

http://www. scanner.virus.org

Also check out (FREEWARE) = http://www.komando.com/downloads/categories.aspx?cat=Security







An important thing to keep in mind, regardless of which anti-virus, anti-malware, anti-spyware and firewall you use -

( http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/default.mspx ) is to keep it UPDATED, just as it is important to make sure you have all windows critical and security updates +

http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us



Note: The way I have mine set is to only notify me that updates are availiable, but to not download them automaticaly. Then I can check to be sure I get just the ones I want. I then click on "custom", and after the updates have been downloaded I look them over to see which ones I want, then disconnect from the net, disable firewall and anti-virus program, and then install the updates, and then re-enable the firewall and anti-virus programs before reconnecting to the net. = http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306525





http://www.dailyrotation.com



Calendar Of Updates= http://www.dozleng.com/updates/index.php?act=calendar



http://forums.spywareinfo.com



http://spywarewarrior.com



http://www.vnunet.com



http://www.windowsecurity.com



http://www.archive.freeola.com/



http://www.flexbeta.net/main/index.php