How do I know what Anti-Virus Programs I have?

Primex

Primex

New Member
I just bought a Dell Inspiron 9300 laptop and I wanna safeguard it as much as I possibly can. The problem is, I read one of the stickies and it said not to download more than one virus program and firewall, so I'm not sure what the laptop came with, so I don't wanna get new software that would hurt the old software. So how do I know what I already have? Ok, I know these are a dumb questions, but I'm still trying to figure all of this out little by little. I know everyone needs an anti virus program, but I'm really confused with a lot of stuff. Are Norton and Mcfee the same type of program or are they different types completely. What are firewalls exactly?
 
Lotta questions there...

Assuming you have Win XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2) installed, go to your control panel and Window Security Center. If the Virus Protection block is green, then you have an AV running and you can get the details there. If not, then you will want to load one.

I'm willing to bet you have one running, likely Norton's.

Both McAfee and Norton have antivirus products. They also sell firewalls and other OS utilities.

A firewall is designed to prevent computers from outside (one the internet) from accessing your computer without permission.

There are software firewalls, such as the built-in Windows Firewall (comes with SP2), Zone Alarm (there are free versions online), and Black ICE. There are also hardware firewalls, some switches and routers have them built-in. I built my own hardware firewall appliance using a discarded PII computer. There are several downloadable firewall Operating Systems available for doing this.

The differences between firewalls have ot do with security and flexibility-- if you want absolute control over what comes in and goes out of your computer (or home network), then you'll want a dedicated firewall appliance. If you want some firewall protection without being bothered for permissions a lot, then stick with Windows Firewall. Just bear in mind that, while it's better than nothing, it isn't proof against anyone more knowledgable than a script-kiddie.

If you decide to use a firewall other than the built-in Windows firewall, be sure to turn it off. Some software firewalls will turn it off automatically when installing, but you should doublecheck.
 
Ok, I just looked at the Security and it said that there was a Trend Micro PC-cillin Internet Security Firewall on, along with the Trend Micro PC-cillin virus protection program too. Also it said that the automatic Windows update was on. This is good right? I haven't heard anything on here about PC-cillin, is this a good program or should I use a different one. Is it usual for just one software to be used for Virus protection and a Firewall? Should I have a popup blocker too? What about spyware, what exactly is this and what should I do to stop it? What would be a good program. Again, sorry for all the questions, just pretend I'm a little kid and not some man in his 20's trying to catch up with the rest of society.
 
Spy ware is pretty much as it says, but lets not forget Viruses,Trojans,Malware,Keyloggers etc. All stuff you don't want
Some programs they I use are free:
Spybot search & destroy
Spyblaster
Spywareguard
A Squared
Ewido Anti malware
CWShreeder
Registry fix
AVG free edition
Lavasoft ad-aware se personal
NOD 32
CCleaner(crap cleaner)
I loaded all mine through MajorGeeks forums
Make sure you update regularly with any programs you choose !
 
Ok I don't even know what Malware is. Can more than 1 spyware program be installed and work ok? What are Trojans? What are Keyloggers?
 
keyloggers are stuff that records what you do like type, pages u visit, etc... and sends it to a source.

malware, trojans, virus, etc... are basically all the same thing, if you look them up, they are basically all definitions within themselves, for example..
malware: something that messess up your computer like a trojan. etc..

so you can download a spyware program listed, like spybot.

basically what you have already is good, dont delete or uninstall anything. just add something like spybot search and destroy. you dont really need a pop up blocker unless your browser has already been hijacked. meaning... some programs has already installed itself into your browsers, folders without you knowing it and is causing pop ups.

if not, just install spybot(if that is your choice), and run it, see if it picks up anything. then run your trend micro also.
 
BTW, you might consider using an internet browser other than IE... since it is the most ubiqitous (and bloated) program out there, it is targeted for attacks much more frequently than other browsers such as Firefox and Opera.
 
Primex said:
Ok I don't even know what Malware is. Can more than 1 spyware program be installed and work ok? What are Trojans? What are Keyloggers?
Click to expand...
I would get Ad-Aware, its a very good program and its free (www.download.com). But if you dont mind spenidng $30, get Spysweeper, its a little better, but then again it costs $30.
 
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