Free anti-virus and firewall software

[techno]

should use Microsoft OneCare

[Sophocles]

I use ZoneAlarm security suite and again as uncasMS stated for his choice, it's not free. Most soft-firewalls use the same basic settings, only the quality of the interface (choices) distinguishes them from each other. If I were to use a freeware virus scan over time I would use AVG, but in an emergency I would use the trial version of Sophos, knowing that it only licenses to corporations, it's that effective. for a firewall I'd still use ZoneAlarm because it's good and I'm comfortable with it. For Spyware and adware I use (for WinXP only) Microsoft's Antispyware in conjunction with spybot and adaware.

[Chewy]

what about this site?

http://www.windowsecurity.com/trojanscan/

I've used a-squared in the past.
Seems all the best trojan scanners come from europe.

[paglamon]

I had Zone Alarm.But somehow it prevented my windows update.Read somewhere that this was an issue wth ZA.Uninstalled it & now using Sygate Personal Firewall.No problem.

[NightbladeXX]

Links

I have a compiles list of programs that I personally use, and highly recommend.

This list is an almost complete list of security programs. I am currently running several anti-trojan programs.


Mozilla’s FireFox: An alternate web browser to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer: FireFox is the Free 2006 award winning browser designed to surf the web easier, faster, & more secure. >>>>Click here to Download the Program<<<<<o></o>

ZoneLab’s ZoneAlarm: A firewall program that stops hackers from getting into your PC. >>>>Click here to Download the Program<<<< I highly recommend that you purchase ZoneAlarm Pro!<o></o>

Grisoft’s AVG: Anti-virus program. Please NOTE: that you should only have ONE anti-virus program on your computer as they will have problems working properly, if you are running more than one. If you already have Norton or McAfee on your computer please remove it first before installing AVG. >>>>Click here to Download the Program<<<<<o></o>

Lavasoft’s Adaware SE:Anti-Spyware / Malware removal tool. Please note you can run multiple anti-spyware programs on your system. <ACTIVE> run time protection with purchased version.>>>>Click here to Download the Program<<<<<o></o>

PepiMK Software’s Spybot S&D:Anti-Spyware / Malware removal tool. Please note you can run multiple anti-spyware programs on your system. >>>>Click here to Download the Program<<<<<o></o>

Javacool’s SpywareBlaster:Anti-Spyware / Malware prevention tool. This program doesn’t remove or detect spyware; it works by preventing IE or FireFox from going to known BAD websites. >>>>Click here to Download the Program<<<<<o></o>

Microsoft’s Anti-Spyware (Beta):Anti-Spyware / Malware removal tool. Please note you can run multiple anti-spyware programs on your system. <ACTIVE> run time protection.>>>>Click here to Download the Program<<<<<o></o>

Premium Programs that I run and have paid for:<o></o>

Web Root’s Spy Sweeper 4.5:Anti-Spyware / Malware removal tool. Please note you can run multiple anti-spyware programs on your system. <ACTIVE> run time protection. >>>>Click here to Download the Program<<<<<o></o>

Ewido’s Anti-Malware 3.5: Anti-Spyware / Malware removal tool. Please note you can run multiple anti-spyware programs on your system. <ACTIVE> run time protection. >>>>Click here to Download the Program<<<<<o></o>

<o> </o>

Other must have tools or programs:<o></o>

O&O Defrag V6.5 Professional Edition:Hard disk defragmenter program. You must register name and email. O&O’s older programs you can download for home use for FREE! >>>>Click here to Download the Program<<<<<o></o>

Google Toolbar: By far the best toolbar addition for IE or FireFox. Now with a spell checker for web forms!! >>>>Click here to Download the Program<<<<<o></o>

Google Desktop Search:A better system search tool. >>>>Click here to Download the Program<<<<<o></o>

WinRAR:WinRAR is a powerful archive manager. It can backup your data and reduce size of email attachments, decompress RAR, ZIP and other files downloaded from Internet and create new archives in RAR and ZIP file format. Trial Version Available. http://www.rarlab.com/<o></o>

[anonymez]

that's a lot of spyware software, nightblade, surely you don't use all of them?

doesn't zonealarm also have spyware/anti-virus too? (last time i checked)

[NightbladeXX]

Yup, I use every single one of em,, didn't think I needed too until like December I had a clients laptop at me house for repairs, had a nasty lil malware that disbaled his NIC's (even after reinstalling em) that Spybot would lock up on as soon as it detected it. Tried everything as my client needed it back ASAP. treid loading Spybot upon intail load, nuthin, booted into safemode, nuthin. Scanned from my main comp and server (using the lappie's HD as a external), still nuthin.

Then to find out that lil nasty malware hit my comp, luckily a customer (who swore by spysweeper, gave me a copy for xmas) and another wanted me to test out Ewido (since it has a 15 day trial) and those 2 programs along with ZoneAlarm Pro nailed the malware before it could do anything harmful.

After scanning the lappie's HD with both as Spysweeper founbd it but had problems too knocking it down, but ewido mopped it with no problems. Then I could easily reinstall the NICs drivers, both the ethernet and the wireless drivers along with the Firewire needed to reinstalled, and I removed the windows files by turning off the networking components rebooting and re-enabling them then reinstalled all the drivers.

It seems the nasty lil mally came from one of those smilies sites that runs a IE toolbar thingy and overwrites the windows controller files for the NIC's installed on the system so it has full access to a system, most peeps dont have a prob (or dont think they have a prob) since everything is working fine. but peeps who have spybot or spysweeper once it detects the nasty bugger attempts to quarantine the file disabling the NICs but spybot locks up since XP gets annoyed by this process. -so I have read off of various sites expalining about that mally - sorry I cant remember that mally's name -

After which I run all of those, and I seen one of each of em stop one before another gets it too.

So yes I run ALL of em

While i absolutely love ZoneAlarm Pro's triple defense firewall (sorta reminds me of the Steelers Defense) their spyware tool is a joke IMO and I havent read anything positive of their anti-virus (which aint free either)

nB

[Chewy]

Vigilance and safe hex and the best bang for the buck is the chewy way.

Run lean and mean fast and furious!

[anonymez]

all i have is an excellent firewall (agnitum outpost-- zonealarm is much too bloated imo. on par with software like nero 7 and windvd), spybot and ad-aware. i run adware/spyware checks say every 1 or 2 months. no antivirus. have not had an issue in years of heavy net traffic

[soup]

I try chewy I try.

[Chewy]

Soup, pretty lean, but you need to capture the screen after you hit about 3 forums in 3 minutes. With 2 browser windows open to show real use.
With a gig of ram, windows will keep more loaded so your ram in use will be higher.

[soup]

I actually understood what you said but I am okay for now.I will just keep reading.

[NightbladeXX]

all i have is an excellent firewall (agnitum outpost-- zonealarm is much too bloated imo. on par with software like nero 7 and windvd), spybot and ad-aware. i run adware/spyware checks say every 1 or 2 months. no antivirus. have not had an issue in years of heavy net traffic

Anonymez, I used to be the same way until i lost of 60 gigs of data (Photos, Fam Videos, and MP3s) now I'm a bit paranoid, I guess, but that sucked trying to explain how I lost all that data to me wife.

Soup, you're running fine based off that chart.

Here's mine, and boy I can't wait to build my new system:
In case you're wondering it'll be a AMD Athlon 64 DX2, MSI K8N Diamond Plus, 2 or 4 GBs of Corsiar Memory, and 2 - 7800 GTs or 1 - 7800 GTX / ATI 1900 Vid Card, and a PC Pwor and Cooling 850 PSU

[Chewy]

swap files getting a real thrashing

[NightbladeXX]

Chewy, oh you know it! and the rest of my poor system is too. Its getting really bad when I wanna try to run a game, its almost like the old days of the MS-DOS floopy boot disks used to configure the HI MEM for the game. Just cant wait for this big job I have going to finish and I get paid. Can retire this poor system to DVD Burning duties.