installing security to a new PC

D

dee001

New Member
Hi everyone. I just bought a brand new high performance PC with Windows XP, and today I had an ADSL line installed. Before surfing the Internet I would like to install all adequate security software (anti-virus, ant-spyware, firewall).
Can you recommend me some good free & downloadable software? I have been told that there are some good free ones on the net, especially from Microsoft.
Thanks
 
Freewares from Microsoft start with the newer Windows Defender beta 2 for protection and removal of spywares/malwares. http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
For adwares and even browser hijackers another highly rated freeware is Lavasoft's AdAware SE Personal found at http://www.lavasoft.com
A great one for locating and even removing pc viruses is Grisoft's AVG 7.1 Free Edition available at http://free.grisoft.com/doc/2/lng/us/tpl/v5
The following links also offer freeware utlities mixed in with sharewares. Some however don't always prove to be effective where being familiar with several helps to keep your system free of newer types of viruses, malwares, spywares, etc.. http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloads31.html
http://www.grc.com/freepopular.htm
http://www.synergymx.com/foss.asp
http://www.myfreewares.com/category-1149-internet-privacy-free-download.html
 
AVG Free(anti-virus), Adaware and Spybot Search and Destory(spyware), ZoneAlarm(Firewall), Firefox(more secure browser), Hosts Editor(blocks unwanted sites/IPs)

Immunizize(or however it's spelled) your system though Spybot S&D. Grab the adblock extention for Firefox. You also might consider getting a userchrome.css file to help block unwanted sites.

Do a search on google for all this stuff and you should find it quite easilly.
 
Want to be spybot/adbot/virus free? You can run FireFox 1.5 and Thunderbird as your main browser and inbox as the alternative to the spam baked IE and Outlook. Most of the bugs out there are geared for MS not Linix. http://www.mozilla.com/ is the new home for FireFox and TBird.
There is one thing to note about a few spy blasters however. The Spyware Blaster turned out to be no better then many. But one called Spy Spotter turned out to be "something else"! That was removed fast when tried.
 
I've been trying a long list of others as well as having removed Ewido as well as NoAdware, SpywareBlaster, X-clean, you name it trying to get rid of one rather nasty element that plays with your system registry causing "about: blank" empty web pages to suddenly open when you close out the recycle bin, Windows Explorer, or other windows. Most of those PC Doctor and several others give you a long of things that need removal until you click on the fix or remove button. "BUY NOW FOR...." will be the next thing seen. But then if you search long enough you do find alternatives to things that get past your firewall, antivirus, spyware, malware, adware, etc. removers. http://www.faqfarm.com/Q/How_do_you_remove_about_blank_from_your_computer
 
I would agree with The_Other_One except on the anti-virus, I tend to think that Anti-Vir is a little bit better. AVG is still very good, I just think I've gotten better performance out of Anti-Vir... :) And don't forget to turn on the TeaTimer function in SpyBot, it's a realtime protection feature that protects your registry.
 
The AVG free version includes one very useful email scanning feature that alerts you to anything found in any strange mail you receive. In fact when the I-Worm Bagle variants were floating around I intentionally let run to learn just how it hid itself in a variety of system folders and other places. But no one program is going to get "everything".

I finally got rid of one rather persistent "about: blank" nuisance that causes empty explorer windows to pop up right after you close out the recycle bin, MyComputer, Windows Explorer or some other window. You had to rename as well as delete a few registry keys to prevent it from resurfacing. For other malwares and spywares alike you often have to run a separate tool intended for that one thing alone.
 
Yea, i agree i use AVG Free as well, i think it is really good. I also use Zone Alarm for my firewall (try to avoid using windows firewall, its a peice of crap) and i also use Spybot Search and destroy to get rid of any other little nasties. All of these programs are free.
 
Along with a good firewall you should be aware of adware/spyware/malware/virus(and the list goes on) removers available along with AVG, AdAware, Spybot S+D, HiJack This, and Ewido that some prefer. One offering a good number of links to freeware as well as shareware tryouts is at http://application-failed-to.errorfix.info/
 
AVG 7.1 Free edition, Sygate or Zone Alarm Pro, AdAware SE Personal, Spybot S+D, and few others can work pretty good together.
 
jp198780 said:
Ad-Aware, Spybot, Ewido, Spyblaster, AVG Free.
Click to expand...

With Ewido you would need the full version to be effective. But even with all of these running no system is ever 100% invulnerable to the crap that can still find a way onto your pc. You can get hit with stuff that doesn't appear right away until odd things start coming up. The "about: blank" type adbot modifies IE reg values to look like something normal there. :eek:
 
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