[Wind!crap]

Hello everyone. I just bought a new laptop. the XPS M1730 from Dell. It comes with a "15 months" subscription of mcAfee security center. However, I didn't want to have mcAfee. So I am thinking of removing it and changing my anti-virus to avast! 4.

Now the confusion and worries here...
mcAfee does not only provide anti-virus but also Firewall and other security features. If I completely remove mcAfee, I will lose the firewall and the such, and avast! 4 does not provide replacement for those. Is there anything I can do with this situation? Is Windows Vista built in firewall enough to protect my system? Or would I need a new set of program just for that. What do you think would be the best solution for this problem?

I really don't like mcAfee. My 2 other system uses Norton Anti-virus. The other computer has a subscription upto 2010 (Of which I didn't know, untill today!) but I've been infected using Norton so my trust kind of faded after that.

Any help please? I haven't connected my XPS to Internet yet as I want it to be safe and secure before going online (also tweaking it a bit first).

Regards;

Mark

P.S: Also if someone could recomend me a set of security programs, I would greatly appreciate it. I was thinking of running;
Anti-virus: Avast! 4
Anti-spyware: Spybot Search and Destroy
Additional-occational scan help: Ad-Aware
Registry Maintenance: Registry Mechanic + CCleaner
Defragmentation Help: Raxco's Perfect Disk

Any thoughts please? Thanks~

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Only missing a firewall like you mentioned. Check out Zone Alarm: http://www.zonealarm...ontent/home.jsp. There is a free version that works well.

Another good free one is Comodo: http://www.personalf...all.comodo.com/. It is suppossidly better than Zone Alarm but I havn't had any experience with it due to being satisfyed with what I am already using.


Edit: Here is a full list of programs that we recommend, typically after a malware check.

The following is a list of tools and utilities that I like to suggest to people. This list is full of great tools and utilities to help you understand how you got infected and how to keep from getting infected again.

• Spybot Search & Destroy - Uber powerful tool which can search and annhilate nasties that make it onto your system. Now with an Immunize section that will help prevent future infections.
  
• AdAware - Another very powerful tool which searches and kills nasties that infect your system. AdAware and Spybot Search & Destroy compliment each other very well.
  
• SpywareBlaster - Great prevention tool to keep nasties from installing on your system.
  
• SpywareGuard - Works as a Spyware "Shield" to protect your computer from getting malware in the first place.
  
• IE-SpyAd - puts over 5000 sites in your restricted zone so you'll be protected when you visit innocent-looking sites that aren't actually innocent at all.
  
• CleanUP! - Cleans temporary files from IE and Windows, empties the recycle bin and more. Great tool to help speed up your computer and knock out those nasties that like to reside in the temp folders.
  
• Windows Updates - It is very important to make sure that both Internet Explorer and Windows are kept current with the latest critical security patches from Microsoft. To do this just start Internet Explorer and select Tools > Windows Update, and follow the online instructions from there.
  
• Google Toolbar - Free google toolbar that allows you to use the powerful Google search engine from the bar, but also blocks pop up windows.
  
• Trillian or Miranda-IM - These are Malware free Instant Messenger programs which allow you to connect to multiple IM services in one program! (AOL, Yahoo, ICQ, IRC, MSN)

To find out more information about how you got infected in the first place and some great guidelines to follow to prevent future infections you can read this article by Tony Klein

Edited by Titan8990, 07 November 2007 - 02:12 PM.

[Titan8990]

Only missing a firewall like you mentioned. Check out Zone Alarm: http://www.zonealarm...ontent/home.jsp. There is a free version that works well.

Another good free one is Comodo: http://www.personalf...all.comodo.com/. It is suppossidly better than Zone Alarm but I havn't had any experience with it due to being satisfyed with what I am already using.


Edit: Here is a full list of programs that we recommend, typically after a malware check.

The following is a list of tools and utilities that I like to suggest to people. This list is full of great tools and utilities to help you understand how you got infected and how to keep from getting infected again.

• Spybot Search & Destroy - Uber powerful tool which can search and annhilate nasties that make it onto your system. Now with an Immunize section that will help prevent future infections.
  
• AdAware - Another very powerful tool which searches and kills nasties that infect your system. AdAware and Spybot Search & Destroy compliment each other very well.
  
• SpywareBlaster - Great prevention tool to keep nasties from installing on your system.
  
• SpywareGuard - Works as a Spyware "Shield" to protect your computer from getting malware in the first place.
  
• IE-SpyAd - puts over 5000 sites in your restricted zone so you'll be protected when you visit innocent-looking sites that aren't actually innocent at all.
  
• CleanUP! - Cleans temporary files from IE and Windows, empties the recycle bin and more. Great tool to help speed up your computer and knock out those nasties that like to reside in the temp folders.
  
• Windows Updates - It is very important to make sure that both Internet Explorer and Windows are kept current with the latest critical security patches from Microsoft. To do this just start Internet Explorer and select Tools > Windows Update, and follow the online instructions from there.
  
• Google Toolbar - Free google toolbar that allows you to use the powerful Google search engine from the bar, but also blocks pop up windows.
  
• Trillian or Miranda-IM - These are Malware free Instant Messenger programs which allow you to connect to multiple IM services in one program! (AOL, Yahoo, ICQ, IRC, MSN)

To find out more information about how you got infected in the first place and some great guidelines to follow to prevent future infections you can read this article by Tony Klein

Edited by Titan8990, 07 November 2007 - 02:12 PM.

[Wind!crap]

Hmm, do you recommend getting both SpywareBlaseter AND SpywareGuard? Or just one of those? If so, why?

EDIT: I would also like to know which of these firewall is resource hogs? Comodo or ZoneAlarm. I like softwares that requires less resources but doesn't compliment on its functionality.

Also, I can't seem to find information if these programs works with Vsita x_X!

Edited by Wind!crap, 08 November 2007 - 04:49 AM.

[Titan8990]

SpywareGuard and SpywareBlaster are both produced by the same company and made to work together. Any other time you would not want to run two real time anti-spyware programs at the same time because it could seriously impact your system's performance.

I don't know how much resources Comodo takes but Zone Alarm, on my machine right now, is taking up 5mb or RAM. That is slightly less than the task manager used to check it.

Vista compatability is still an iffy subject...

Edited by Titan8990, 08 November 2007 - 05:14 AM.

[Wind!crap]

Ok, I just checked and did an intense search about these 2 softwares.
ZoneAlarm is Vista compatible right now, while Comodo's new version 3 is still in Beta. Can be downloaded but might still be buggy. The new Beta version is compatible with Vista.


Also, Comodo's requirements for the new version 3:

· 64 MB available RAM
· 32 MB of available free hard disk space.

Hmmm...
I've also read some of the issues for both ZoneAlarm and Comodo about the CPU usage.

Gar, this is confusing!


Another thing that I need advice on.

Which do you preffer?
Spybot Seach and Destroy
Ad-Aware
SpywareGuard
SpywareBlaster
AVG Anti-Spyware

If you use several of these, please say which.

Thank you.

Edited by Wind!crap, 08 November 2007 - 05:59 AM.

[Titan8990]

Ad-aware and Spybot are not real time protection. They can be used together.

Personally, the programs I use are AVG Anti-Virus, Super Anti-spyware, and Zone Alarm as far as real time protection.

Even though Comodo requires 64mb of RAM I find it highly unlikely it will use any amount of RAM close to that.

Edited by Titan8990, 08 November 2007 - 02:49 PM.

[Wind!crap]

Ahh thanks.

Is SpywareGuard and SpywareBlaster real time? I did a search and decided to go Super Anti-spyware insted, before you even mention it.
My next question is:

Should I get all of these:?

SpywareBlaster
SpywareGuard
Super Anti-spyware?

Thanks again, I appreciate it a lot.