New Notebook? Make it Secure and Boost Performance for Free!

You might want to take a look at the Spybot website, it discusses some of the more common error messages: http://www.spybot.info/en/faq/index.html

 

I run my own I.T. business, and have to give another nod (pun) towards NOD32 - I became a reseller about 12 months ago after needing a paid-for alternative to decent freebies like AVG. IMO NOD32 is really the best AV out there at the moment.

For my home clients I typically recommend NOD32 (or AVG if they just want a free AV); Spybot 1.4 and SuperAntiSpyware; upgrade their IE to IE7 or get them onto Firefox; and suggest that for home use Windows Firewall is typically adequate if you also have a hardware firewall in place. Lastly I recommend a 'custom HOSTS file' from somewhere like MVPS.

All-in-all pretty tight - but remember in the wrong hands anything can be broken - it ultimately depends on the individual user...!

 

Just want to say "Thank You" to everyone who has helped with all the great info on virus protection and spyware.
I went with what chetkabak recommended with AVG, Adaware and spybot.
All this on my new Dell m1530 (sale price a couple weeks ago). This is my first laptop also.
Downloading was kinda slow using my wireless Linksys WRT150N. Looking why the slow dl but none the less all went well.
Thanks once more to everyone at this thread and this site!!!

 

Simply put, you are going to be protected enough from direct-infection by Windows Firewall (which is turned ON by default on XP SP2 and Vista), while you do your downloads. As 5150 points out, Windows firewall is usually sufficient, if you have any kind of hardware firewall in your router/modem. If you do not, you are still going to be fine, until you get your downloads done.

Don't sweat it! Just dont go browsing pr0n before you're protected

Why did I not mention NOD32? Simple. You have to pay for it. I have never said it was a bad antivirus. It's actually a very good one, and IF you are going to pay for one (for example, if you are a business user and freeware licenses don't apply to you)...pay for NOD32 or AVG Pro.

 

Thanks for the reply ChetKabak. The error just went away on its own. But now I have one more question. I have been reading on various forums regarding security issues. Everyone seems to have a different opinion and I feel lost with the vast amount of options available out there. Can someone please tell me if the following setup is adequate and compatible with each other? Thanks.

Currently I have:
1) Windows XP2
2) Firefox
3) CCleaner
4) AVG 7.5
5) Ad-Aware 2007
6) Spybot- Search & Destory

Planning to install:
1) Online Armor

 

@calvinc, looks like you're good to go.

BTW, make sure you get the latest Spybot: Search & Destory from filehippo.com They usually provide the latest version to date.

The same goes for CCleaner and Ad-Aware.

 

Thanks Mike!

 

Current versions of all programs are available at http://www.download.com

I would suggest downloading from there, and there ONLY. Reason: Too many hoax anti-spyware programs out there. Also, it is the officially sanctioned download location of ALL my recommended programs (Ad-Aware, Spybot, and AVG)...and all can be found on the main page under Most Popular Software. It is guaranteed to be spyware free, and hoax free. It's just easier to get them here, than anywhere...and it is an official manufacturer-recommended download location.

 

My university is offering McAffee to all students FREE for the duration of their course (i.e. 3 years) I'm currently on AVG because of all the good things people have said about it... but the fact that something I would normally have to pay for is being offered for free by the university technicians makes me want it.

Am I better off sticking with AVG free edition or switching to McAffee (obviously the usual issue of cost does not apply here)? I mean, surely something people pay for would be better than something you can download for free, right? Otherwise wouldn't half the anti-virus companies be out of business by now?

 

^ Well McAfee is no-doubts a comprehensive antivirus (and security) suite. Was up there with Norton in its prime. But like Norton, I have seen a notable performance "hit" in the last few years on PCs running McAfee or Norton - so much so that I've steered my clients clear of both in favour of products like AVG Free or NOD32 (best AV on the market at the moment IMO).

So - the choice is yours, but just cos it's free, I wouldn't necessarily go adopting it - if Microsoft gave me a copy of Vista Ultimate free tomorrow, it would sit unopened gathering dust on a shelf - no way would I use it "just because" - it's a steaming turd of an OS and to replace my XP would definitely be a "step down", free or not.

Cheers.

 

I know everyone has their opinions but calling vista a step down from xp is far from the truth. If anything xp is a step down from windows 2000. All thats different is some last minute patches and a new gui. Vista on the other hand introduces many new features. Out of the box I will admit it is crap, but if you can learn to tweak it, you have a much finer os.

 

My Dell came with McAfee, but I use AVG-AV, AVG-AS, Ad-Aware and CCleaner with it just to make sure. I'm actually running scans in all of those as we write, how coincidental is that?

 

These are the items you reccommend? I have a ASUS Lamborghini VX2, which I won thru MSN hotmail. I have only been on it a few times since I got it..there is so much I don't know how to use..lol. But I want to keep it safe. I use AVG on my home computer....and adaware also and spybot search and destrot. But not sure I can use them on the laptop. Any info you can give is much appreciated.

 

ChetKabak,
what are your thoughts on CCleaner?
Or is their another "free" program you like better if so why?
Thanks

 

anyone have any thoughts/comments?

 

Okay, to answer everyone's questions...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA... er, sorry.

Yeah. The only reason McAfee and Norton are not out of business, is because they have contracts with Dell, and other major manufacturers to put copies of their crappy software on all the computers they sell. Most people make the same mistake you do, they assume that you must pay for security software. This is just what the big companies want you to believe.

Let me explain why you can get AVG free.

AVG allows people to use their full AV software for free, provided they are not using it for business or non-profit organization use. These entities are required to purchase licenses for all the computers they install it on. Basically, for just one or two computers in your home, you may use it free. If you have an office with a bunch of computers in it, you may not use it for free. This is their method of advertisement. They have so much faith in the quality of their product, that they expect people to tell their friends, co-workers, family, etc. Eventually, someone who makes decisions for a company or non-profit org will hear about it, and decide to purchase oh... 20 or 30 copies for their office. This is where Grisoft (the company that makes AVG) makes their money.

They do have a comprehensive Firewall/AntiVirus/Anti-spyware product similar to McAfee Security Center or Norton Internet Security. You can purchase it if you like. By the way, their Anti-Spyware software is also free for personal home use. You can use it if you like. I have already given my opinion on it in previous pages of this thread. ("Optional" but not "Essential")

I totally agree. I don't adopt something because it's free. I adopt it because it works. Frankly, McAfee is crap, and I wouldn't use it even if someone DID give it to me for free. It's big, it's slow, it doesn't protect you as well. Norton, Trend Micro, and all those others are not any better. Plus you have to mess with subscriptions, paying for tech support, and glitches in applying subscriptions when you have to reinstall the software. UGH! What a pain! Why bother?

NOD32, as i've said before, is an excellent Antivirus. I suggest it for business users who cannot get the free copy of AVG (as it is not free for business users). However, for your personal computer, why pay for it, when you can get AVG for free? Save your money. Take your honey on a date instead.

This is a bit off topic, but I'll address it. Vista is better in the security realm. It is WORSE in other areas, such as ease of use, and ease of repairing problems. The Jury is still out, but one thing is very clear. The overwhelming majority of people I talk to that switched from XP to Vista...hate Vista, and wish they had XP back. *I* won't be switching any time soon.

You absolutely can use them on your laptop! They should all three be 100% compatible with 2000, XP and Vista. If you have any trouble with them, Private Message me.

CCleaner is not a bad program at all. However, many things it does, you can do manually. I would label it as an "optional", but definitely not an "essential" program. AVG, Ad-Aware, Spybot. Those are what you need. The rest is just icing on the cake.

 

Hi,
I just received my new vostro 1700. It has the McAfee trial antivirus on it, and I don't want it! I haven't actually completed set up yet, or connected to the Internet. I was offered the option to decline set up forever -- which I'm planning to do. However, I want to remove all bloatware from the system, and wondered whether if I take the option to decline, there will be anything left behind. I know you can get a removal tool here:

http://service.mcafee.com/FAQDocument.aspx?id=107083&lc=4105

Or you can:
GO TO c:\program files\mcafee.com\agent\app and remove all files in this folder. Return to "Add and Remove Programs" in the Windows Control Panel, highlight McAfee Security Center and click on remove.
Return to "Add and Remove Programs" in the Windows Control Panel, highlight McAfee Security Center and click on remove.

Is it actually installed on my computer, or is it just there offering me the chance to install it? Do I have to do either of these? Which order would you do them in?

 

My personal belief is that it's not yet installed. However, you should contact your computer's manufacturer (Dell in this case) to find out exactly what needs to be done to completely remove it from your computer. Make it a point to tell them that you do not want McAfee (or any other security program) on the PC, and that you will be adding your own security solution in it's place.

Since you have a Dell, I believe they give free 30-day setup tech support support, so you should be fine to call them and have them take you through it entirely... especially when they often times give you no option to have the system shipped without an antivirus (only refurbished machines have this option, -i think-)

 

Hi all, I have just read all 12 pages of this thread and all I can say is wow. In depth conversation and I find it very rewarding to see such a discussion.

I just want to add my 2 cents to this whole thread and start off by saying that I agree to somewhat of what ChetKabak is saying.

First off I would like to say that coming from an underground security scene I see many things developed to counteract the abilities of all the well known AV companies software, yes including McFly and Norton. These systems will either pull up many false positives (programs apparently malicious when they are not) or they will not correctly identify a threat at all. This is obviously a problem. One thing that is done well by these programs is notify the user that it is working, by showing you various user prompts asking wether to allow or dissallow certain programs to run. Especially their firewalls oh my god. How Great They Are!!.

Secondly I disagree with anyone who says that Vista Firewall is any good, and without you being a whizz with computers it will offer you VERY limited outbound connection filtering. IE trojan, bots, virus's etc etc from calling home. The outbound filtering needs to be specifically setup through the correct computer services and even then the functionality is VERY limited as i say.

IMHO the best thing around at the moment in terms of Heuristic, yes Heuristic detection is Kaspersky Internet Security Suite, A russian brand working in similar belief to ESET NOD32 but has the firewall built in with complex rule sets and very simple user operability. I don't work for Kaspersky or affiliated with them in any way. I have just used them in real time in sandboxes and on live machines and with Virii being created daily to actively avoid AV Systems the Kaspersky and NOD32 heuristic detection will give you by far the best protection AT THE MOMENT.

 

Hi everyone I have the free version of Online Armor. It does not allow users to update automatically. I have to uninstall and reinstall whenever there is a new version available.
1) My question is, is it essential that I need the latest version? Having to uninstall and reinstall all the time is quite inconvenient.

2) Do I really need Online Armor? Or is the firewall that comes with Windows XP effective enough? Thank you.

 

calvinc,

Dump Online Armor. You don't need it. Windows XP firewall provides all the Inbound protection you need, while keeping the outbound wide open and clear of obstacles that will cause problems with programs.

Alienwarez,

To address this: You are correct. Windows Vista and XP firewalls do not filter outbound very well. But here's the real trick. If you don't GET the infection to begin with... or you know how to recognize and remove it yourself... you don't need to worry about this!!! It has been my experience that the more you attempt to filter outbound traffic, the more you will cause problems with programs reaching the internet.

INBOUND is what you must be careful about. THAT is what the firewall is for. The computer user themselves need to know how to identify infections on their computer in the first place.

Yes, but are they free? No.

If you've truly read the previous 12 pages of this thread, then you know that my entire point is to tell people that YOU DONT HAVE TO PAY FOR SOFTWARE! At all. Period. Ever.

Yes, a paid AV can offer a bit better protection... but do the vast majority of computer users out there need it? No, they don't.

Let me explain the security 'life cycle' of the average Joe computer user out there.

1) Computer user does not know about security. They buy whatever comes from their computer.

2) Said security software is inevitably crap. It causes problems and frustrates the user, but they do not know any better, so they just live with it. They also give their hard-earned money away to the makers of said software for their trouble.

3) As always happens with these crappy software suites, the user gets an infection. They do not understand that NO PROTECTION IS 100%. No one ever told them. They believed their paid software will keep them safe, and that they, the user, do not need to do anything to stay safe. This myth is thoroughly destroyed in the user's mind.

4) Someone tells them there is free software out there. They become educated that they DON'T need to pay for software. This excites them.

5) They wonder if the free stuff can be just as good? They are willing to take the chance, because they are frustrated at paying for their crappy software that failed to protect them, and disappointed them. They'll try anything that's free.

6) They get the free software recommended to them. AVG, Ad-Aware, and Spybot. They are instructed and educated in how to use them properly. They don't understand WHY they need to scan once a week, or why they have to pick through the list of infections on their own, and remove stuff. They do what they're told to do, though.

7) Something miraculous happens!!!!!! They start to see infections coming up after they've been to ____ website. They start to draw parallels between what they do online, and the infections they get. Viruses are found and removed with the free software they have. One or two viruses might just slip through, but they find out just how rare this really is!! They learn how to remove them, and how to recognize the symptoms. They are no longer intimidated by their computer, and finally realize just how in-control of their system they are.

8) The computer user is now well educated, and knows how to take care of themselves, or where to go to get help. They are satisfied and happy with their computer, now that they know how to keep themselves safe!




What's the moral of the story?

NO AMOUNT OF PROTECTION CAN SAVE YOU FROM INFECTIONS!

There is no such thing as 100% safe. There is ONLY safe enough.

The first question you should ask yourself about your software is... does it keep me safe enough?

More often than not, the answer is yes.

The second question you should ask yourself is... am I getting a good deal for the protection I get?

If you pay NOTHING, then the answer is definitely yes!

Something will always get through. It's part of the world we live in. The more people accept this fact, and learn how to take care of the problem on their own, the better off the entire internet will be.

My mission, and the whole reason I am posting on this thread, is to help people understand their computers, and their role in keeping them safe and secure. With a little bit of time and effort, people can save a LOT of money out there, using tools that are available for free.

As I've already stated, IF YOU NEED MORE PROTECTION, you can get it. Most people just do not need this level of protection.

 

Yet Another good post ChetKabak and I agree with you 100% in terms of the life cycle of the computer user, but as you know traffic monitored from an outbound position is just as crucial in the real world as the inbound. All Trojans/ Bots (which again is one of the BIGGEST if not the biggest threat today, but i'm not going into it in this thread) these days connect outward and thus needs to be monitored.

I do agree too that AVG is good and free software is good but to get decent software that does give you the higher level of protection you are going to have to lay down some notes, in my mind the £30 you pay for NOD is pittence for the jobs it does and can give the user a greater piece of mind than McFly OR in face snorton.

What are you currently using with your setup dude, I guess an introduction to HijackThis would go down well in this thread too.

Regards

Alienwarez

 

Alienwarez,

I have already addressed all of this previously in my original post on Page 4 of this thread.

Please refer to it before continuing to post here.

You may reach it here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=38092&page=4


You asked what I use for my setup. I practice what I preach, so here it is:

Windows XP Firewall - ON or OFF (OFF during gaming, ON during normal use)
Router Firewall - ON (Ports forwarded for specific games I play)
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition version 7.5
Ad-Aware 2007
Spybot Search & Destroy 1.5
HiJackThis! (Used during deep diagnosis of occasional trouble, NOT for beginners)

Anti-Virus Scans: Daily, 8 am (when im at work)
Anti-Spyware Scans: Saturday mornings, done manually

Frequency of Virus Infection: Very Low (once every 2-3 years)
Frequency of Spyware Infection: Low (once every 2-3 months)

That's it. All 5 of my PCs, and 4 Laptops, run this setup. It works for me, and it works for the HUNDREDS of people I assist every month as my profession.

Thanks.

 

yeah sorry i forgot you already mentioned HiJackThis, my bad. I can't see anything relating to Bots however and I just can't understand you not worrying about outbound connections especially when working on major conglomerate networks. :S

 

Well, for a few reasons.

Most ISPs are starting to enact strict mail policies on their SMTP servers to curb the proliferation of virus emails. Most limit outbound emails to an average of 100-per-hour, and usually will automatically disable sending email from customers that exceed this. The disabling usually resets every 24 hours. Individuals can call their ISP to find out if there are such policies in place.

As far as other types of conglomerate-network infection issues, the simple fact is, there is no way to really stop it. You can educate some people, but you cannot MAKE people use security. The simple truth is that most ISPs have hundreds of infected users every day, and the overall network structure takes this into account already. Most ISPs make sure there is enough bandwidth on hand to handle moderate outbreaks of viruses and other networks.

In addition, as I've stated, the best defense against infections is educating those that use computers, about what to look for. This is something we address in our helpdesk procedures. It is in our best interest to identify people who offend the network, so that we can target education toward these customers directly. When you balance network management and cost effectiveness, it is simply good business and good customer service to help these customers enjoy their internet experience by educating them how to stay safe on it.

The simple fact is most customers start experiencing slow performance, program crashes and other odd behavior. While this seems easy to diagnose to you and me, most Internet users simply do not understand what is happening to them. Most of them end up blaming their internet company for problems they have on their computer.

They could get security software that would block this traffic, but that does not fix the problem with their computer. In fact, it masks the problem, just as cold medicine masks the symptoms of a cold, but does not actually treat the underlying disease. Only the person who is sick, can help themselves with taking proper steps to make getting rid of the infection simpler, shorter, and easier.

I take the approach that the absolute best defense from infections, is vigilance of the persons using the computer. Nothing ultimately reduces overall infections on the internet more than educating people on how not to get the infections in the first place....and how to properly identify infections on their own and quarantine their computer to stop the spread of the infection across the network. This is often much more effective at eradicating viruses, than client-side software that blocks the outbound traffic.

ISPs have extensive experience by now at dealing with infection outbreaks. Their methods have helped drive the current trend of quick eradication of new viruses. Most new virus threats are contained and under control within 48 hours of introduction. This alone is proof that these philosophies on computer security really do work. They speak for themselves.

By all means, if you are running your own large-scale network, such as a corporate network...you need centralized, high-security systems. General home use really just cannot justify the yearly subscription costs of software that could be obtained for free, with more or less insignificant gains in protection.

If you absolutely NEED that outbound protection, i suggest ZoneAlarm Firewall. It provides all the protection you are referring to, and it's basic version is free to the public. I stated this in my post on Page 4. BE AWARE: there are known Winsock and TCP/IP stack corruption issues with ZoneAlarm...and any other outbound connection filtering firewall.

It's all about the cost-to-benefit ratio. Home users just do not benefit enough from paid software, to justify it's cost. Free software is considered 'good enough', and most customers are more than happy to give up the outbound traffic protection, to gain that extra 50 bucks in their pocket.

 

Chet I've read pages 1-10 or 11 and I have to say great information has been discussed in this thread!

Today, I finally uninstalled Norton and am currently running AVG + Spybot + Windows XP firewall setup (I'll probably install Adaware tomorrow). Thank god! I cut down bootup up time from 6+ minutes (I know, sad) to around 2 minutes with only the uninstall of Norton and the removal of some obvious startup items in msconfig.

I'm getting a new laptop soon (it should come next week) and this is what I plan to do.

I'm have the AVG+Spybot+AdAware installers saved on this desktop, I'm going to transfer them to a USB drive. After I boot up the laptop for the first time (and not install Norton) I will plug in my usb drive and run all the installers. I think it should be OK to install them all at once, or should I restart in between each?

Thanks for the awesome thread and great information.

 

It's amazing the marked improvement in system performance just a few tweeks can make, isn't it? I'm glad you had such good luck with this!

First off... KUDOS on good planning before you get your new computer! This can save you a world of headache later on. Trust me.

There's an old technician's attitude: "Failure to plan on your part, does not necessarily constitute an emergency on my part."

This is the stance any tech support firm will take, so planning ahead is just plain awesome of you!

The first thing you should do is check to make sure your computer manufacturer has not already installed an Anti-Virus or security suite on the computer when you buy. Many manufacturers will do this unless you A) specifically ask them not to, or B) specify not to include an Operating System and load it yourself. If they have included one, you should remove it first, and afterward make sure Windows Firewall is turned ON.

If the PC comes pre-loaded with an Operating System, check this website's forums for your make and model of laptop to see if there are any tips on how to get rid of excess software, and to see if there are any essential programs you have to have (such as wireless utilities, etc). You can choose to remove 'bloatware' and unnecessary programs from your computer at that time. Be advised that many times 3rd party manufacturer utilities are necessary to make special buttons and features on your laptop work properly. Take care which ones you get rid of, and always have a copy on hand to reinstall them.

Once the system is as bare as you can make it without losing functionality, THEN install Ad-Aware, Spybot, and AVG. It doesn't matter much if you reboot inbetween the installs or not, but you should reboot afterward. Once restarted, it's usually a good idea to scan with all three. This makes sure none of the pre-loaded software had any spyware in it, and it also tests your security programs to make sure they work properly after install.

 

I use the hardware firewall built into my wireless router. Then for my free security solution on my PC with XP, I use Comodo Firewall Pro with Defense+, AVG Anti-Virus and Spyware Blaster (which is a great program that blocks spyware).

For my laptop, I use Vista's firewall and I have configured the outbound protection so it doesn't allow any program without a rule that I setup. I pay for Kaspersky Anti Virus, which is only £12, which is a very fair price. I also use Windows Defender, which I know isn't the best, but it should pickup the worst of the spyware, most of the common spyware is just 'cookies' anyway, so I clear all my temporary internet files every few weeks.

But one of the best way to prevent these things is not to go to the 'dodgy' websites in the first place and be careful of what you download and install on your PC!

 

Hey Chet,

I realize you haven't been on since April, but here's hoping you'll get to this when you can!

I've been successfully using AVG / SpyBot / ADaware for over a year now, but lately I'm running into some issues.

First off, I can't seem to update ADaware. I try to every time it reminds me about outdated definitions, but it just says failure to connect.

Secondly, with AVG I ran a full system scan the other day. It found two threats which it made no attempt to clean or delete and gave me no option to do. The results indicated 2 infections in the "Partition Table (MBR)" and they were identified as "PSW.Sinowal.C.boot".

Any ideas?

~OldMan

 

i too use the same combo of programs. not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet, but there are newer versions of ad-aware and spybot out. i remember havin a problem updating and scanning, so i checked online and found that ad-aware had a 2008 version and spybot also had a higher available version. hope that helps

 

OldManNoPants,

I apologize for how long it's taken to get back to you on this. Life has been extremely busy as of late.


Firstly, houstoned is right. You likely need to re-download the newest versions of Ad-Aware and AVG. They have recently updated, and some of their updates will not work with the older versions.



Secondly, about your infections.

These are infections in your MBR. MBR stands for Master Boot Record. This is located in Sector 0 of your hard drive. The MBR stores the indexes that guide the computer to where to locate files on the hard drive. This is the first track on the drive, and it is critical to the operation of the computer. This area of the hard drive is protected by your Operating system, and the OS will not allow ANYTHING other than itself to make changes here, though viruses can bypass this sometimes and get in there. If they do, you have very few options because these are the most critical locations on the hard drive.

Your best bet is probably to make the computer re-write the MBR.

There are several ways to do this, and it depends on what version of Windows you have. Before I go any further, I would need to know what version you have, so I can find the best way to go about doing this for you.

Fdisk has a command switch that does this (fdisk /mbr), which works on older versions of windows.

Windows XP has a repair console command (boot from XP disk, Choose Repair Console in setup): fixmbr

I do not know if this command also carries over to Vista, i will have to research it.

I suggest you research these commands BEFORE you attempt them. These commands are usually safe, but they could have serious consequences (your PC wont boot) if they fail to work properly, or if they are misused. Know the risks before you try them.

 

Hey, i just wanted to say thanks to everyone for helping me with Anti-virus and anti-spyware. I am not very good with computers and its nice for people to help and offer free advice, not to mention the free software which works great. I will be getting a new laptop soon and I will have all of the software ready when it arrives

 

This article is still good ?
Has MS changed antivirus yet?

 

LycanNyc,

Nothing has really significantly changed in the security world since this thread was created. The procedures put forth in this thread are still perfectly valid, and I still use them every day when assisting customers.

 

It's been a while since I posted any new information on this thread, but here it is.


There is a new Anti-Spyware program that everyone should add to their list of "Must have" software.

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware (a.k.a. "MBAM" for short)

You can download it from www.download.com
As of this posting, it is #11 on the list, and it's been climbing steadily since it blasted onto the anti-spyware scene.

It's fast, and easy to install and use. Small and lightweight (around 2 MB!, so it won't take very long, even on a dialup connection.

I suggest everyone get this software on their computers. It's impressed me with it's ability to remove tough new spyware threats out there, without even breaking a sweat.

 

This is a good feature

 

Chet,

So you recommend the following free protection programs (for a relative novice like myself):

Ad-Aware
Spybot
Malwarebytes
AVG
Windows Defender (comes with Vista)
Windows Firewall (comes with Vista)

I currently have a XP SP3 on the desktop I use (I have McAfee anti-virus and firewall on this PC) but I plan to get a laptop for X-mas and I wanted to avoid paying for bloated (and apparently ineffectual) commercial anti-virus/firewall/anti-spy ware software such as McAfee.

Also, you recommend Ad-Aware, Spybot, and Malwarebytes be run weekly, right?

Any other software that you believe would prove useful or will this lineup keep an average Joe like myself covered with minimal bloat on my system?

I am a bit concerned about how long the scans take, but I my current PC is a 4 year old P4 and I decided to run the full scans. Should I run a quick scan or full scan on a weekly basis? The full scan is taking 30+ mins per program (about 344000 files to scan) and I hate to spend 3+ hours each week on 3 PCs doing these updates (I forgot to mention I am getting another laptop for my wife at X-mas).

Lastly, I ran Ad-Aware, Spybot, and Malwarebytes in that order and all three ended up finding malicious stuff (I have never really properly cleaned my PC like this so no surprise). It makes me wonder if running other similar programs will continue to find malicious programs, or should I be satisfied that these three programs will catch most items?

 

bump - you around Chet?

 

friendly bump

 

just a tip:

I strongly recomend to install a better firewall software like Comodo (or zonealarm but had problems with x64) and a system optimizer like the advanced system care free, smartdefrag and ccleaner.

They did work for me pretty well in my laptop with x64 bits Vista. Also there are some tweaks around the posts to reduce the startup programs and services not really needed on vista.

All those free software could be found at download.com should increase your performance pretty well along with the prior recommended (avg antivirus, spybot)

 

hi,

i'm a newbie to my Acer 5735...picked it up today and have only taken it out of the box...did not turn on...i understand there is an issue with a trojan virus that comes with the laptop...oh boy!!!


if anyone has the time i certainly would appreciate some step by step things to do before i boot it up...i have a copy of Kaspersky Anti-Virus and maximum spyware protection 2009 that i will pay $5/month for...is this a good idea? what other software will i need?

thanks in advance...i really need my laptop to run smoothly as i use it in some of my work...and although i have used computers for a long time...it takes me soooo long to solve the problems that crop up, so i am trying to avoid some at the onset

 

Hey Soulfulms,

Kaspersky is a good AV, so you should have no problems there. I have not personally worked with the latest version's anti-spyware, so i cannot assess it for you, but the company is solid.

My best advice, though, is to make sure you have at least 1 backup anti-spyware program. One program, from one company, will never be able to protect you from every threat out there. While you should NOT install more than one Anti-Virus, having more than one Anti-Spyware program (from a second vendor) greatly increases your ability to find and remove spyware.

As posted previously, I recommend the following free programs.
www.download.com
Ad-Aware 2008
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
Spybot Search & Destroy

All are free, and very well proven. They should work just fine in combination with your Kaspersky program.

Scan once a week, to make sure you don't pick up anything without knowing it.

Beyond that, avoid downloading every new and shiney thing you can find for your new computer. The more space and power you have on a computer, the more likely you are to fill it up and bog it down again. Remember: Less is more. The less junk you load onto the computer, and keep off of it, the longer your computer will run at top performance and ultimately, you can extend the useful life of your brand new machine.

Enjoy!

 

Great info in this thread. Definitely going to use it on my next system.

 

+1 same here, btw the pictures on the first page don't work anymore

 

Chet,

Do you mean to do a full scan once a week or quick scan?

Thanks

 

WOW!! Stumbled on this thread. Will definitely benefit from this thread as I am in the market for a new notebook. ALready orderd my Sony SR. But since I will be using this notebook for my business, I can go with AVAST right as its free ware and not applicable to business usage, should I go with AVG Pro? What would be your recommended AV program?

For the anti spyware programs you suggested, are all of these s/w allowed on a Notebook meant for business?
Ad-Aware 2008
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
Spybot Search & Destroy

Appreciate the advice on the above.. thanks

 

This thread is old, started on 01-23-2006 which will be 3 years as of tomorrow. So I'm not surprised the first page has broken links/images.

Full scan once a week, for your Anti-Virus. Quick scans once a week or more for your Anti-Spyware. Most Anti-Spyware doesn't do much more when doing a full scan, so there's no real point. If you suspect you have a really deep bug, run the full anti-spyware scan to give you peace of mind.

Either AVAST or AVG Free are fine. If you are running a business, you may benefit more from the full protection of AVG Pro, which includes a very good Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware program with it.

For the most part, they are free for personal use. If you are using just 1 computer, or using it at home some/most of the time, you are probably fine just to use the programs. For the most part, these vendors are more concerned about you using their software in an office environment, where you intend to deploy the programs on multiple workstations without paying for licenses.

If you intend to use any of these for deployment on a fleet of computers, large or small, please purchase full licenses for those copies. That is how these companies make their money, and continue to develop and provide the free versions of their programs to the public.

In my opinion, that alone makes them worthy of business, support, and respect.

 

i was on cnet a bit ago looking at antivirus software, the user rating for AVG 8 was terrible, and everyone was saying that it generally acted like a virus itself. any truth to those complaints?

 

I used AVG 8 Professional up till about 1 month ago. I have recently switched to Avira Free.

AVG 8 in my opinion was very bloated. It felt very sluggish at times. Then again, all I wanted was a virus scanner, no other fluff. Avira fit the bill perfectly.

Another thing worth noting is that AVG 8 took about 45 minutes - 1 hour to scan my entire drive. Avira is able to scan my drive in about 12-15 minutes.