[2winb]

i have a question, after looking around on this site i decided to install some of the software mentioned. I have Online Armor, Spybot search and destroy, avast antivirus, and spywareblaster. lately though my computer has been freezing/crashing. I assume it is because all of these are on at the same time.

1) which of these programs should I leave running and which should I turn off?
2) should I disable the windows firewall if I am using Online Armor's firewall?
3) should any of these programs be removed and replaced with a different one?

thanks for any suggestions/advice.

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also i have been crashing alot using second life and firefox at the same time. this used to not happen and i've noticed skybot search and destroy is using a lot of memory. do i need to leave it on or can i turn it off and still be safe?

[2winb]

also i have been crashing alot using second life and firefox at the same time. this used to not happen and i've noticed skybot search and destroy is using a lot of memory. do i need to leave it on or can i turn it off and still be safe?

[Ltangelic]

Hi 2winb,

It is better to keep protection on as spyware today are getting sneakier. If Spybot is taking up too much memory, try alternatives like Webroot Spy Sweeper, SpywareGuard or Windows Defender.

[2winb]

well i switched to comodo firewall, avast antivirus, spyware blaster, and superantivirus. since spyware blaster is running as a spyware blocker i can turn off superantivirus right? is there anything else i can turn off or pause? i'm even crashing when i'm not running anything major, just firefox and skype.

[rshaffer61]

Sounds like more like a lot of background programs running.
maybe a hardware issue could be a problem.
I would suggest starting a new topic in the Xp forum and we can assist you more there.

[mfrizzi]

In my experience, running multiple security programs not only brings diminishing returns, but it is asking for trouble. I have had the best luck running a single antivirus program and trusting it to take care of me. If anything slips by, I use a second strictly for removal, rather than 24/7 monitoring.

[oviedo7]

About the realtime spyware prevention... I like Spywareblaster for their "block list" and "flashkiller". My defender has never warned me about anything nor has it ever found anything, so I don't know how effective it is?

I've tried adding Winpatrol, mainly for it's ability to overview what's running. Threatfire sounds interesting but I'm wondering how it might work with Spywareblaster, Win Defender (which I could easily be tempted to uninstall/deactivate) and Winpatrol. Spywareguard might be another good tool for realtime, since it's "brother" spywareblaster works well and simple.

Would an environment with: Spywareblaster, Win Def, Winpatrol and Threatfire be overkill? After a couple of hours they seem to work okay together without logging the computer too much - but do some of them do the same, thus making any of them surplus to requirements?

[MyComputerIsSick]

how do i unistall avira
i tried using ccleaner
and i get a popup

Edited by MyComputerIsSick, 24 January 2010 - 06:13 PM.

[rshaffer61]

MyComputerIsSick try Download and install Revo Uninstaller

• Double click the Revo Uninstaller icon on your desktop to start the program
• Scroll through the listed programs and Right Click on the program you wish to uninstall
• From the pop out menu choose Uninstall
• Click Yes to the confirmation dialogue
• In the next window select the Advanced mode
• Click Next to start uninstalling the program
• Answer Yes to confirm the uninstall
• When the program has completed the four steps, click Next to allow the program to search for leftovers
• Once complete, click Next, then Finish
• Repeat the above steps for any other programs you wish to remove.

http://www.revouninstaller.com/to

[MyComputerIsSick]

ok i will try. thanxx

[rshaffer61]

If it doesn't work please start a topic in the Applications Forum and pm me a link and I will be happy to continue helping you there.

[acemum]

kbz1960,

AVG is a perfectly good AV. I myself have is installed on a couple of computers in my house, and I have no complants with it. If you prefer the interface and features of AVG over Avast!, then that's a good reason to use it. An AV's effectiveness can be based in part on how well it's used - if you like and use features of AVG, such as the scheduled scans and the Gmail interface, that's a good reason to use it. People who don't keep their programs updated or take advantage of the features they offer are still vulnerable, regardless of which program they're using. I think you can switch back and feel confident about your decision.

Hi there my first post dont know if i am doing this right. Im a mum that doesnt want to be left behind. I have installed avast,superantispyware, malawarebytes and windows firewall. windows defender is also still running. Q1 Should i remove defender programme. Q2 Do i have all the above programmes running at the same time and Q3 How should i use them? P.S Yes i am very green. Thanks

[Fred60]

Those all look great, but if I already have McAfee is there a reason to change? speaking of McAfee, I don't seem to see it mentioned much when AV programs are reviewed. Is there a reason? Are there any +'s or -'s? Exactly how do you rate McAfee any way?

[sari]

If you have McAfee and your subscription is up-to-date, there is no reason to change. Many of us in the security community are not that fond of McAfee, as it seems to be more bloated and less effective than other programs, both free and paid. However, if you're happy with it so far and it doesn't seem to affect your computer performance, then stick with it. If you're looking to change, I'm currently using Microsoft Security Essentials on my netbook, and I'm very happy with it. It's free, it has a simple interface, it does an excellent job at protection and detection, and it's very light on resources.

[massagetherapist]

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