Our top of the line Norton hosed us as well, and allowed a rather nasty group of viruses to get through. After getting our system back up (which, by the way, resulted in my vowing to never set foot in Best Buy or trust the Geek Squad again), at the recommendation of my LOCAL computer geek, we installed ESET MOD32. Haven't had a problem since.
NOD32 is excellent so your local computer "geek" told you right and if your going to purchase antivirus that is what I will always recommend as long as they stay lean and can grasp the concept of unbloated software.
I have moved may users over the years away from Norton junk to FREE AVG antivirus and FREE Zone Alarm Firewall. They are both fairly easy to install and maintain.
I have turned one friend into her families tech support and she has been on a crusade to eliminate Norton from her their computers since I freed her from Norton, and empowered her with the simple skills to maintain hers and set it up on other PCs.
I have also tested AVAST and it runs well.
For removing spyware and adware I recommend Malwarebytes. It has proven useful and worth paying for a license, but you can use it as freeware. Spybot Search and Destroy is also useful.
For a portable Antivirus Application, check out http://www.portablea... and download clamwin AV. It can be run from a USB Drive
Between 1996 and 2008, I used Sophos security products, since they provided support for NetWare, OpenVMS, and Mac, as well as all versions of Windows.
Lately, with my customers' consolidating on the Windows platform, I've been rolling out VIPRE with pretty good success; while relying on the strength of the FreeBSD core of the Mac OS X platform and Apple's (alleged) vigilance.
Bitdefender sold me when they gave up the removal tool for a bug I had for free. I promptly uninstalled Mcafee which had let the bug through and have been happy and virus free ever since. Even the upgrade to Vista was painless.
Sunbelt (free version minus bells & whistles) was used for my work home computer since I liked the "look and feel" of the program.
Agnitum (free version minus bells & whistles) is used on my home laptop since it is the only firewall software my 128MB RAN Pentium II 700MHz circa 1999 laptop can install & run.
I would recomend either, and indeed I have my sister & Mom using Agitum and my Dad was using Sunbelt.
It also wouldn't hurt to download:
TCPview - lets you see (more or less live) all inbound and outbound connections to your computer
ProcessExplorer - lets you see *all* processes running on yourcomputer.
Outpost firewall, AVG and Avast antivirus(one won't cut it), and Lavasoft Adaware and Spybot Search and Destroy(again,one won't cut it) spyware tools. Also use the spyware tool that comes with the Yahoo toolbar. All are very simple to use, and all were free except for the Outpost firewall.
If you have the money and the knowledge, I also recommend a hardware(router) firewall. It's easy to do, but some folks have a hang up with technology that makes it harder than it should be.
When referring to AVG and Avast what do you mean "one won't cut it"? No one should ever run two AV engines at the same time and in many cases you can't.
Also, why do you see a need to install a third party firewall when Windows already has one built in? I am amazed at the number of people who are suggesting installing a thrid party firewall. All you are doing is wasting system resources for a few advanced features that are of no use to the average user and offer no better protection than the Windows Firewall.
My opinion as an IT person is that an AV engine is an AV engine. I don't pay much attention to detection rates based on Virus Bulletin tests or ICSA lab tests. Instead I rate security software on how lean it is and how well it can do its job without causing major system slowdowns.
So if I were to rate security software this way, the two big vendors, Symantec and McAfee would recieve an "F" grade because they are bloated and cause serious system performance problems. However as an AV engine they do their job, they just don't do it efficiently.
The leanest AV engine out there is NOD32 and it also has consistently recieved good marks from Virus Bulliten and ICSA Labs. There are two lean AV engines out there though that are both free and can effectively protect your system and they are Avast Home Edition and Avira Antivir Free Edition. AVG Free Edition used to be a lean engine but since version 8.0 came out it has become bloated and is no longer recommended.
I would also avoid "security suites" and just stick with an AV engine as there is no need for a third party firewall besides the Windows Firewall.
So if I were an average user I would recommend the following as a BASIC security setup:
Keep Automatic Updates turned on in Windows
AV Engine - Avira Antivir Free or Avast Home Edition
Anti-Spyware/Malware engine - Windows Defender
Firewall - Windows Firewall and hardware firewall/router
I wouldn't totally disregard Symantec as there are computer-shy people having good results with their newest AV and/or Suite.
Also, MS Firewall is OK for preventing intrusion but does nothing for a trojan that phones home or goes online to infect other computers. I'd rather know that things are being blocked coming in and OUT. That's good net etiquette and helps alert one to a potential problem on the harddrive.
Your recommendation of a hardware firewall is excellent. My router/modem has this, as does my motherboard (though I'm not using it), and my software firewall plays nice with the hardware firewall (something that isn't guaranteed when you mix more than one firewall). (BTW - it is not recommended to install more than one AntiVirus application since strange things can happen including the dreaded BSOD - Blue Screen Of Death)
The bear of Anti-Virus, Anti-Trojan and Firewall software, whether individually or in combination Suites, is that one's unique computer setup, your hardware and installed software, may create compatability issues. What works for one computer may not work for another. You won't know until after you've installed the programs.
For example, a couple of months ago Zone Alarm updated their engine and a number of people were no longer able to get online. It turned out that MS had a recent update too and that the two udates conflicted badly. No fault of anyone in particular. Both MS and Zone Alarm came out with fixes and the problem was resolved. And this can happen to ANY software. It also is an achilles heel of Security/OS software when automatic updates is turned on. Early adopters of updates are always the first to have problems. It's no one's fault. It is the nature of the beast.
For an excellent examination and comparison of current AntiViral software go to http://www.av-comparatives.org/. The most recent results are August 2008 - skip to page 21 if you want the overall results/ratings. There are a surprise or two.
I am using Zone Alarm Security Suite version 7.x (supposedly version 8 is buggy, so I'll let them fix it before considering it). It does require some user input at the beginning and a little every now and then, specifically granting permission for an application to run (though you can check off for the program to remember your choices). It is not THE best in any one aspect but is performs well overall as a Suite. The worst thing about it is its terminally SLOW scanning, which by default is performed once a week. On my Win XP sp3 computer with 1 Gigabyte of RAM, I am able to easily multitask while Zone Alarm is doing its weekly scan, so I deal with it.
As a test of how well Zone Alarm Security Suite performs, I have scanned my harddrives using internet AV scanning sites like those found at http://temerc.com/onlnscnnrs.htm and my harddrive has been healthy. These scanning sites may require installing an Active X file to work and is not an "infection".
There are several excellent choices for Security, including Suites, and fulfilling your needs with free apps is realistic and safe. Just pick one of the recommended applications and give it a try.
I have not seen the latest version of Symantec in action but from past experience it has been one of my worst nightmares so frankly I don't care if Symantec has improved their products. I don't believe they can go from a bloated nightmare to a lean engine in a few short years so they will never be recommended by me. NOD32, Kaspersky, Avira Antivir Free, and Avast Home Edition are far superior to home Symantec products. The corporate version of Symantec's security software is quite good though.
I do not agree with your argument against the Windows Firewall. Outbound protection is nearly useless. An average Windows user will be annoyed every time they use a program that wants to connect to the internet and they will ignore the firewall warnings. Not only that, if todays trojans cannot open their own socket they will just hijack one that is already open. For example, a user gets infected, they open Internet Explorer and BAM port 80 is hijacked and the trojan then sends it's traffic through. If you close Internet Explorer the trojan will find a new port to hijack that another application or service is using. If it can't find one it will simply wait until you open an application that opens a port. Outbound protection is only somewhat useful if you are already infected and in that case it is too late. Outbound filtering is truly a false sense of security.
Again, I recommend sticking with the Windows Firewall and avoid installing a third party firewall as you will not get any significant protection advantage. In fact one advantage that the Windows Firewall has over third party firewalls is that it protects your system as its booting and many third party firwalls can't claim this type of protection.
By the way since you like outbound protection so much Vista has it enabled by default for services. So if a trojan slips into your system the Windows Firewall will not allow it to send outbound traffic through services as part of service hardening that Vista introduced. No third party firewall can claim to do this. Even if a trojan can't get through open ports used by services it will simply take advantage of various other ports used by any application. The Windows Firewall in both XP and Vista is simply one of the best firewalls out there period!! I am tired of hearing about the lies and myths about the Windows Firewall much like I am tired of hearing about lies and myths from the lib media.
The Windows Firewall in both XP and Vista is simply one of the best firewalls out there period!!
Umm, no. XP firewall is just one of the firewalls out there. Period. It is adequate for most home users. Better ones have already been discussed in this thread. Benchmarks can be seen here, for instance. I choose something better, you do not. (From the benchmarks link, looks like I'll be choosing something different soon.) It's all good.
Vista firewall is an improvement. I know it does inbound and outbound protection. This article, and other's I've read, don't appear to join in your statement. Even Microsoft cares (and not cares) about outbound protection. Configurability is not its strong suit. Performance is arguable. It is good, but "best"?
I am tired of hearing about the lies and myths about the Windows Firewall much like I am tired of hearing about lies and myths from the lib media.
The best response to this I can think of at this moment is a scene from the movie Stripes:
Psycho: The name's Francis Sawyer, but everybody calls me Psycho. Any of you guys call me Francis, and I'll kill you. Leon: Ooooooh. Psycho: You just made the list, buddy. Also, I don't like no one touching my stuff. So just keep your meat-hooks off. If I catch any of you guys in my stuff, I'll kill you. And I don't like nobody touching me. Any of you homos touch me, and I'll kill you. Sergeant Hulka: Lighten up, Francis.
Your goal of being "lean" is an enthusiast's benchmark. Being "lean" to most home users is of less importance than cost and ease of use. A little "bloat" is not going to concern most people as long as any delay on boot, loading an application, scanning the drive or shut down is within their tolerance. And most people like having uniformity to their applications, the reason Security Suites are popular.
I agreed with your AV choices. But I find it odd you discount application benchmark review sites then list them in your post. How else can you speak so authoritatively about applications without utilizing benchmarks? How do you know when something "better" comes along?
In the end, your opinion is as good as mine, and both our opinions result from personal experience and external reviews of the software.
This thread inevitably is about the "best" security apps. You listed arguably the best in current AV software. I just disagree about Windows (XP) Firewall being the best and you went on the warpath. "Lean" is better for us purists, but for most users it isn't a big deal to pare down every service or process - just have the computer working within their tolerance.
You've got a lot of spit and vinegar of youth, which is great, but please tone it down a bit. We're not dealing with who's going to be the next leader of the free world in this thread and this isn't a fanboy site. There are several excellent applications to choose from, even some with a little bloated code.
Those "benchmarks" don't tell you much. They do leak tests and leak tests are the measurement of something I already made an irrefutable argument against, outbound filtering as a false sense of security. The idea that outbound filtering is necessary is a myth in which I have already explained.
Leak tests are also conducted using simulators and they simply cannot match real world conditions or the behavior of real malware itself. Leak tests may have been relevant years ago when malware was not intelligent enough to hijack open ports used by other applications but today it is no longer relevant. Even Steve Gibson, the security expert and founder of GRC.com acknowledges this. That is why he is no longer updating his LeakTest program.
I'm not saying there is anything wrong with installing a third party firewall or using outbound filtering its just not something the average user should do as it is annoying and they will simply ignore the messages and continue on with what they want to do. And that is assuming they are infected with something that isn't smart enough to hijack a port or take advantage of a load of other ways to sneak traffic out.
The PC World article that you point out is exaggerating outbound filtering. You should check out the following:
Bloated software goes far beyond poor performance in a sense that it causes major stabability issues. For example, Norton security products just recently have caused registry corruption after the installation of XP SP3. They dig themselves so far into the OS and load so many processes, drivers, and services it is bound to get ugly. I have seen Norton cause system crashes and numerous errors involved with the notorious ccApp.exe. No user wants this along with their computing experience and no user wants a corrupt registry after installing Windows Updates either. Humorously, Mark Levin commented last night on how a Norton scan crashed his computer. This is why I will keep recommending unbloated security products. I never fully discredited benchmark sites relating to AV engines either. I simply meant that the highest detection rates were not what I mainly judged the software on as most AV engines on the market today are adequate in that department. Does NOD32 have the best detection rates out there today? probably not but it has been very consistent with excellent detection rates all while having virtually no performance or stabability impact on your system.
I am making my argument for the benefit of others on this site. I have no comment relating to your personal remarks about me.
Those "benchmarks" don't tell you much. They do leak tests and leak tests are the measurement of something I already made an irrefutable argument against, outbound filtering as a false sense of security. The idea that outbound filtering is necessary is a myth in which I have already explained.
Leak tests are also conducted using simulators and they simply cannot match real world conditions or the behavior of real malware itself. Leak tests may have been relevant years ago when malware was not intelligent enough to hijack open ports used by other applications but today it is no longer relevant. Even Steve Gibson, the security expert and founder of GRC.com acknowledges this. That is why he is no longer updating his LeakTest program.
Benchmarks give a "snapshot" of functioning and a way to make comparisons. Leak Tests are used to check for weakness in outbound protection. Outbound filtering was important enough for MS to add it to Vista and in their OneCare service. Yes, Vista has implemented SID to prevent hijacking of a service, and that is a good thing. But I was discussing firewalling WinXP, not Vista.
Outbound filtering has been an additional layer of security, not THE only layer of security, which has become less effective for various reasons - Windows operating systems like XP have many weaknesses that are exploitable and Firewall programmers put their efforts into inbound filtering because it is much simpler especially when considering the tech support for questions/problems with hardened outbound filtering. MS itself avoided outbound protection in XP in part because they didn't want to deal with "broken" applications.
You did make statements previously, but you didn't provide much supportive text until this post. You may be knowledgable but you are an unknown entity. I appreciate the links. Now I can better understand how you came to your conclusions and whether that evidence used was valid and strong.
One problem with the argument of Jesper's Blog is his example of user failure to be vigilant in what they click on and grant permission to. This is not a failure of a firewall. It is a human failure to which black hatter's will engineer their malevolent apps to take advantage. As such, inbound firewall protection can also be worthless. Jesper also states that not EVERY virus/trojan will be as rigorous as you state in finding an open port. Until the day that your scenario is true, outbound protection will have a place with WinXP for those looking to maximize security.
Gibson's LeakTest was developed as a general tool to discover malware that hijacked names of trusted apps/services (eg iexplorer.exe). It worked and caused firewall programmers to correct that specific deficiency eventually. He stopped developing the tool because he didn't care to cover all the possibilities of defeating any one specific weakness in each and every specific firewall, and, probably more importantly, firewall developers were not fixing the things he found wrong. Why spend time you can't get back on a project that developers won't respond to and fix.
What I found interesting was Gibson appears to say he no longer uses outbound filtering! See bottom of page 14. Jesper sounds good but I'm not ready believe his every word. I've followed Gibson for years and put a good deal of stock in his observations. I do appreciate that Jesper and Gibson seem concordant on Vista's Firewall's utility and that outbound filtering is less a concern than before.
I'm not saying there is anything wrong with installing a third party firewall or using outbound filtering its just not something the average user should do as it is annoying and they will simply ignore the messages and continue on with what they want to do.
Yes, it all depends on the end user. Security you configure at work may be quite different from what you have at home or setup for a friend or relative. Threads like this always come down to what is the "best", which then needs to be placed in the perspective of whether or not someone will be able to use the app appropriately. For me XP's firewall was weaker in configuability and notification/logging and was not the best performer in inbound filtering. If that's changed in the past year or so, I don't know.
From an IT perspective, low cost, ease of rollout, dependability AND not getting bugged by end users with problems may override selecting the leanest app sometimes. And lean is not always appropriate: Microsoft's Notepad and Wordpad are leaner and easier to use apps that Word, but they would be inadequate or frustrating for certain common secretarial duties in a business environment. So, what is best and in relation to whom?
Your last paragraph about bloat is somewhat misleading. An update of ANY application can break windows or vice versa. Zone Alarm has on occasions also had incompatabilites with Windows XP. While Windows initial response to a recent problem was to blame ZA, MS ended up patching their crappy update. Good move since that particular MS update also created problems with other developer's apps. Moral is there are horror stories for everyone and no system or particular update is guaranteed to be compatible with any other application, even if the third party app is MS Certified.
Bloat can be a miserable thing as you stated, like with Norton's AV app beginning about 10+ years ago. But not all bloat is as destructive as you declare. And Symantec can and does run fine on many machines and people can and are pleased with it. I don't recommend it but I don't tell someone having no major problems with Symantec to rush out and purchase something else. Instead I try to guide them to another app when their subscription is near end.
Lean apps like NOD 32 are not guaranteed to be compatable on every computer. I recommend NOD 32 also but it will on occasion trigger instability with another app. (IIRC, NOD 32 was incompatible with Job Boss or some other proprietary app at my brother's business) But the failure rate is very small and the app is so good that I do recommend it highly.
We agree on AV apps. We disagree on firewalls for WinXP. We also disagree that Suites are not to be recommended. Your initial responses were light on evidenciary links, relying on my acceptance of your words at face value without benefit of interacting with you much previously. In short, you were/are an unknown entity, but I and fellow NB's are getting to know you better. Afterall, it is the NewsBusters way to provide supportive data for a position instead of blind allegiance. Your links and my further research have impacted how I will approach Vista's firewall in the future.
Though I have no need or desire to use Vista at this time, I will recommend Vista's firewall to Vista adopters because it works well enough for the majority of end users. Thank you for provoking me to learn more about Vista and review the current state of AV and firewall applications opinion and fact.
As long as you know what your doing with computers its great, otherwise you might mess something up. I should know I goof regularly on it but I can always fix it. Its virus scanner is wildly good though and it can fix almost error
I have only ever made one prayer to God, a very short one: O Lord, make my enemies ridiculous. And God granted it - Voltaire
Yes, Avast is leaner than AVG, especially since AVG 8.0 came out. AVG is now a bloated waste and I cannot understand what Grisoft doesn't understand about lean, unintrusive protection. Perhaps Grisoft was once owned by conservatives and they have sinced turned liberal and bloated their software just like they would the government? :D
Avira Antivir is even leaner and offers comparable if not better protection than Avast. But as I have stated earlier an AV engine is an AV engine. Avast or Avira, whichever suites you best.
My Colt 1911 is too heavy to carry but it made a good impression on unwelcome visitors to our nieghborhood during Katrina while there was no police presence here.
It is funny how many of my fellow Techies have migrated over to Macbook and Macbook Pro laptops. They just work, come with some fun software for digital photography and Video, have a built in camera for video conferencing, and they make you look like one of the cool kids, not that old dorky guy quantifying his vacation in an Excel Pie Chart.
While there are always outliers, I believe your stereotype of Mac users to be accurate.
My exception is that I would drive a Prius, transportation is transportation, though I don't care to pay the premium to own one. Ecofacists can kiss my gas.
Based on previous usage of Symantec, Panda, Trend Micro and McAfee, I have to give Kaspersky top marks for running lean, guarding my registry, detecting more foul play, possessing a higher quarantine and kill success rate against viruses and trojans.
I haven't installed SP3 yet. I started over the weekend, and it said it wasn't able to backup copy a .DLL. Got me frustrated, so I aborted the installation. ns
On one system I have Avast, the other McAfee. I prefer Avast. Way to much crap with McAfee. Avast is free, I get McAfee free with Comcast Very high Light Speed super-duper (when it is working) cable, so that cost really has no inflence with me. One cool thing with Avast is it has a little ball that revolves when it is working. If the ball doesn't spin, I must find why it quit.
Ok, guys. I have a Gateway something or other, circa 2006. It has intel duo centrino, windows XP, Vista capable (not installed). I use Firefox as my browser, however, we also have IE3 or 4, not sure which. I have McCaffee Firewall Plus installed a running, Norton security scan, and Spyware Doctor. I have an ATT wireless router and btw, the gateway is a laptop. Am I covered, or what am I missing?
"This
liberal would be all about socialize -- uh, uh, would be about
basically taking over and the government running all of your companies."-Maxine Waters 2008
Please list which version of these applications you are using for security.
One thing to discover is whether these apps are being updated or not. Companies will update their software and after a period of time will decide to no longer support it because they have newer, shinier and sometimes better working programs. They also make more money that way.
I am not a FireFox maven, so someone else will need to help you with plugins and settings for it.
Something you can do now is make sure Windows is updated. There is a Service Pack 3 out now, but you might need to go through Gateway for your updates, so the latest updates from MS may not be available via Gateway. This only applies if you are required to do operating system updates only via Gateway.
Regardless of your update pathway, I would not use anything less than Internet Explorer 6.x because of security issues.
And you should Defrag your harddrive on some regular basis, monthly/quarterly/whatever you want, to improve harddrive/program functioning. If your harddrive space is 90% or greater filled then consider deleting some files or uninstalling unused applications. Too little free space makes Windows run sloooower. None of this will prevent viruses, but it can make a difference in your computing fun.
Also the router and/or modem you use may have a built in hardware firewall. I know that current AT&T 2Wire Router/Modems have built in hardware firewalls. For instance, typing "home" or "gateway.2wire.net" (no quotation marks) in your browsers Address window will bring up the 2Wire's configuration page. Typing in your IP Address will work too. From there, you can see all the options available in configuring the firewall, router, encryption, etc. If you have the same hardware as me than I can give specific help, otherwise, call AT&T.
The single best thing you can do to prevent infection is to NOT OPEN any file or link that you are not 100% sure is friendly, even if it comes as an email from a friend. Black Hat hackers relie upon human engineering to deliver their payload - using sex, greed, pity or something cutesy to get you to click. Just don't do it.
Lastly, an excellent way to safeguard people who are prone to infection, and one to dramatically decrease calls for help from tech support, would be to use a something like http://www.sandboxie.com/. These types of apps load a virtual session in which even if you pick up an infection while interneting, as soon as you end your seesion (or shut down windows), any changes made are wiped clean. No infection occurs and your computer is unchanged. The next time you boot up or restart a session, you are starting fresh and new. All of your installed apps remain untouched. Very cool!
Windows XP has System Restore, which helps cut down on tech support, but Sandboxie may preclude the need for System Restore.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I don't use Sandboxie, but I have a friend that should. He's always infecting himself.
Thanks Strat. I am up to date with McCafee and Spyware Doctor. The Norton I don't use. Regarding the router, it is a 2Wire, so I now feel pretty good about that. I don't pay bills online, and I never open links or attachments I don't fully trust.
Thanks for the info. on Sandboxie. I will definitely check that out.
"This
liberal would be all about socialize -- uh, uh, would be about
basically taking over and the government running all of your companies."-Maxine Waters 2008
I have a few firewall programs, but the security that I have for my computer comes in the way that I browse and operate my computer. I generally use the following guidelines:
Don't use a mail client like Outlook or Thunderbird, because especially if you do not understand fully what each every setting means, then it is a major flaw in your system.
Avoid suspicious websites. I don't have a program pre-emptively scan and rate a site for me, I simply judge by how cryptic the URL is. The more cryptic the greater the risk. We live in a time where short URLs are all the craze. http://gs.trk.f4.gad... is a bit long and a bit suspicious looking (I made that URL up).
Avoid Java (not JavaScript) apps. JavaScript I have greater control over. Almost all Java app developers have little security experience and thus develop apps that contain memory leaks or other exploits that dormant trojan horses or other malicious software may take advantage. Likewise, I set the trace level on the Java console in Firefox to be 5 (the max) just so I can see all that is being done (or at least, what the console will let me see).
Always clear my browser data. This includes cookies, cache (different from cookies), history, authenticated sessions-- everything.
And of course, I keep my operating system as up-to-date as possible (yes, even Mac!).
Similarly, I keep all my browsers up-to-date including any add-ons that I have. Updates for software are not merely visual changes or feature additions, most of the updates are behind-the-scenes security fixes that are far too complex to explain to the general public.
I block ads all over the place on any website.
Lastly and probably most importantly, I have long since abandoned the age-old page surfing activity. In other words, I don't just start at some random site and then follow links for hours and hours. This is very dangerous.
Yeah, sure, these are more technical solutions, but I have the knowledge and expertise so it'd be arrogant not to apply it. :)
Newsbusters, please your inquiry is opening the bloggers here to exploitation in attacks from the Obama camp and their proxies.
Currently there are flamers shutting down certain websites to literal denial of service of some very major servers to the favorite of Obama's people in keylogging at Google, monitoring emails at Yahoo and basically running your ISP back to individuals to data mine on them.
These are not the typical hackers, but high asset types who have the backdoors into the OS of Microsoft or Apple and by people posting what type of system protection they have there are exploitations built into that too.
So please suggest what is good, but the same protocol updates that are constantly pinging from your computer are a way into your computer. People do not need to inform the world of Obamania how best to attack or where to look for your information on servers where you are using that company's products.
An excellent, free and low resource app for preventing malicious pages and popups from wasting your bandwidth and time is Bluetack's (B.I.S.S.) Hosts Manager:
This "Black List" application replaces your default Windows Host file, a file that may contain a list of IP Addresses you want your internet browser to ignore. You can easily install, update, add and delete IP addresses manual if desired, and return to your original Host file at will. I currently have 82,239 entries listed!
Easy to install and use. The most difficult thing is when you update the Host file, it asks if you want to "replace" the old file or "append". I "append" the new update to the older Host file. Otherwise it runs in the background at boot. My version requires I manually update by clicking on the desktop icon.
I use AVG for virus protection and Firewall. I do not use the free version. I also use Windows Defender, which I have been using this since it was in beta and I have never had any problem with it at all. I have 6 computers in the house and I run this on all of my computers. Now one computer I have for my four and seven year, they are both boys, and on this PC I run a free web filtering program called K9( http://www1.k9webprotection.com/ ) I have to admin that I have only been using this software for a short time but it seems to do the job well so far.
Also it is always good to have a router at home even if you only have 1 computer, because most routers now days have some built in firewall protection. I use a D-Link DGL-4300 gaming router cause I am a gamer and was a network admin for many years and I liked what this router had to offer for me. Also remember if you buy or have a wireless router to set up the security on the wireless network cause if you don't people will piggy back off your network and use it for free Internet and they could steal data from your network.
I use a linux firewall/router running Coyote linux "router on a disk" from an old AMD K400 PC which shares my internet to the entire house. Individual PC's use NOD 32 anti virus, Spybot's Tea Timer, allong with the standard Windows firewall.
"The best diplomat that I know is a fully loaded phaser bank."
--- Lt. Cdr. Montgomery Scott USS Enterprise
Thank you for your info and input. Especially stratman and welcome to NB, usbeef. I myself use McAfee because I get it at a discount from my ISP. Yes, it is bloated, everyday it updates itself. I am going to look into your suggestions of NOD32 or Kaspersky since the price is right. Usbeef, for some reason I value your advice because I know the young men and women of today were brought up on computers, know them as I knew the games "release", "kick the can", "Huckyitty buck <sp>" and such when I was young - er. Not that I disvalue your advice, stratman ;)
I also use Advanced Windows Care Personal Edition - free - link follows
USBeef's AntiViral recommendations are solid. His Basic Security configuration is decent and the price is right. I don't agree with a couple of his points but that's the nature of computing - there are many ways to do the same thing and some of them work out well.
After all the years I've helped others with computer issues it's nice to let someone else do it for a while, so I'm happy to let USBeef provide the tech support for NB's. :-)
You are right about the many ways to do the same thing. My basic philosophy is "whatever works for you", but I am always open to suggestion concerning items I am not all that familiar with. I dabble in a lot of things, a "Jack of all trades, master of none" type of guy.
...I get CA Internet Security Suite gratis. I have had NO virii, NO nefarious spyware and no problems with the software. I have been using it for at least 5 years at home and in our office. At the office we have a peer-to-peer network and no firewall so each computer has a copy of CA's firewall software, which, I believe, is based on ZoneAlarm's firewall. I'd recommend it to anyone who needs protection at the workstation. It updates automatically and reboots your computer, if you want it to. It will also prompt you, if you prefer. I give it 5 stars....
Comments Policy
I use
September 15, 2008 - 20:56 ET by JackrvZone Alarm and AVG for internet security.
Jack
September 15, 2008 - 21:02 ET by Noel SheppardJack,
Which do you prefer and why? Which is more user-friendly for the less-geeky computer user? ns
I haven't used anything for
September 15, 2008 - 21:17 ET by JackrvI haven't used anything for a firewall other than Zone Alarm so I have nothing for comparison.
I like AVG for an anti-virus program for it's ease of use and the fact it doesn't cause problems with other programs like McAffee and Symantec.
I had Norten's anti-virus. Tried to reinstall and it hosed my system.
Had to do the reformat gig.
Jack Van Nostrand
Our top of the line Norton
September 15, 2008 - 22:18 ET by TheBigBOur top of the line Norton hosed us as well, and allowed a rather nasty group of viruses to get through. After getting our system back up (which, by the way, resulted in my vowing to never set foot in Best Buy or trust the Geek Squad again), at the recommendation of my LOCAL computer geek, we installed ESET MOD32. Haven't had a problem since.
NOD32
September 16, 2008 - 00:20 ET by usbeefNOD32 is excellent so your local computer "geek" told you right and if your going to purchase antivirus that is what I will always recommend as long as they stay lean and can grasp the concept of unbloated software.
"Push back the liberal hordes!!" - Mark Levin
ME TOO
September 15, 2008 - 21:27 ET by billbME TOO
FREE AVG and FREE Zonealarm
September 15, 2008 - 22:21 ET by buzzbeeI have moved may users over the years away from Norton junk to FREE AVG antivirus and FREE Zone Alarm Firewall. They are both fairly easy to install and maintain.
I have turned one friend into her families tech support and she has been on a crusade to eliminate Norton from her their computers since I freed her from Norton, and empowered her with the simple skills to maintain hers and set it up on other PCs.
I have also tested AVAST and it runs well.
For removing spyware and adware I recommend Malwarebytes. It has proven useful and worth paying for a license, but you can use it as freeware. Spybot Search and Destroy is also useful.
For a portable Antivirus Application, check out http://www.portablea... and download clamwin AV. It can be run from a USB Drive
And run Firefox!
Drill here, Drill Now!
I'm more of a fan of
September 15, 2008 - 22:24 ET by Free StinkerI'm more of a fan of Spybot, but Malwarebytes gets the job done, and the price is right. :-)
If it's free, it's for me!
Hardware Firewall and a Linux Box.
September 15, 2008 - 22:30 ET by markbIf you sit behind a properly configured router a software firewall is not necessary.
Linux makes Windows based viruses ineffective, because it can't run them.
For the browser based stuff, I use Firefox, which helps keep me in obscurity. For Financial browser based stuff I use Opera, after closing Firefox.
Separation of duties. Person carries checks to printer, second person runs print job of checks to printer, third person signs checks.
And I make my daughter turn off her XP machine when she is not using it. But just bought her a laptop with Linux, so that should be fixed soon.
What security
September 15, 2008 - 22:36 ET by JudithThe PC Shield, wicked. And live, I said FREE live techs every time you call.
Security
September 16, 2008 - 08:48 ET by LionKingI use AVG Malware which covers viral and spy attacks ... this is not the free stuff.
I also use Spyblaster and Spybot. (Free)
I use Firefox with the Adblock addon. I have never had an issue.
Vipre
September 15, 2008 - 21:03 ET by DanSchwartzBetween 1996 and 2008, I used Sophos security products, since they provided support for NetWare, OpenVMS, and Mac, as well as all versions of Windows.
Lately, with my customers' consolidating on the Windows platform, I've been rolling out VIPRE with pretty good success; while relying on the strength of the FreeBSD core of the Mac OS X platform and Apple's (alleged) vigilance.
Please visit my Home Page at
http://users.snip.ne...
Bitdefender sold me when
September 15, 2008 - 21:11 ET by SnappyBitdefender sold me when they gave up the removal tool for a bug I had for free. I promptly uninstalled Mcafee which had let the bug through and have been happy and virus free ever since. Even the upgrade to Vista was painless.
Internet Security ?
September 15, 2008 - 21:23 ET by Free StinkerI was using Sunbelt Personal Firewall, for a work laptop computer (old employer didn't think computers needed "firewall" software), and I use Agnitum Outpost Firewall for my home laptop computer.
I would recomend either, and indeed I have my sister & Mom using Agitum and my Dad was using Sunbelt.
It also wouldn't hurt to download:
Outpost firewall, AVG and
September 15, 2008 - 21:38 ET by ckc1227Outpost firewall, AVG and Avast antivirus(one won't cut it), and Lavasoft Adaware and Spybot Search and Destroy(again,one won't cut it) spyware tools. Also use the spyware tool that comes with the Yahoo toolbar. All are very simple to use, and all were free except for the Outpost firewall.
If you have the money and the knowledge, I also recommend a hardware(router) firewall. It's easy to do, but some folks have a hang up with technology that makes it harder than it should be.
"One won't cut it"
September 15, 2008 - 22:07 ET by usbeefWhen referring to AVG and Avast what do you mean "one won't cut it"? No one should ever run two AV engines at the same time and in many cases you can't.
Also, why do you see a need to install a third party firewall when Windows already has one built in? I am amazed at the number of people who are suggesting installing a thrid party firewall. All you are doing is wasting system resources for a few advanced features that are of no use to the average user and offer no better protection than the Windows Firewall.
"Push back the liberal hordes!!" - Mark Levin
My Opinion
September 15, 2008 - 21:40 ET by usbeefMy opinion as an IT person is that an AV engine is an AV engine. I don't pay much attention to detection rates based on Virus Bulletin tests or ICSA lab tests. Instead I rate security software on how lean it is and how well it can do its job without causing major system slowdowns.
So if I were to rate security software this way, the two big vendors, Symantec and McAfee would recieve an "F" grade because they are bloated and cause serious system performance problems. However as an AV engine they do their job, they just don't do it efficiently.
The leanest AV engine out there is NOD32 and it also has consistently recieved good marks from Virus Bulliten and ICSA Labs. There are two lean AV engines out there though that are both free and can effectively protect your system and they are Avast Home Edition and Avira Antivir Free Edition. AVG Free Edition used to be a lean engine but since version 8.0 came out it has become bloated and is no longer recommended.
I would also avoid "security suites" and just stick with an AV engine as there is no need for a third party firewall besides the Windows Firewall.
So if I were an average user I would recommend the following as a BASIC security setup:
"Push back the liberal hordes!!" - Mark Levin
USBeef: Some very good
September 15, 2008 - 23:03 ET by stratmanUSBeef:
Some very good advice!
I wouldn't totally disregard Symantec as there are computer-shy people having good results with their newest AV and/or Suite.
Also, MS Firewall is OK for preventing intrusion but does nothing for a trojan that phones home or goes online to infect other computers. I'd rather know that things are being blocked coming in and OUT. That's good net etiquette and helps alert one to a potential problem on the harddrive.
Your recommendation of a hardware firewall is excellent. My router/modem has this, as does my motherboard (though I'm not using it), and my software firewall plays nice with the hardware firewall (something that isn't guaranteed when you mix more than one firewall). (BTW - it is not recommended to install more than one AntiVirus application since strange things can happen including the dreaded BSOD - Blue Screen Of Death)
Whatever Firewall you choose, check out how secure it is a Gibson resource Center's Shield's Up - https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2
The bear of Anti-Virus, Anti-Trojan and Firewall software, whether individually or in combination Suites, is that one's unique computer setup, your hardware and installed software, may create compatability issues. What works for one computer may not work for another. You won't know until after you've installed the programs.
For example, a couple of months ago Zone Alarm updated their engine and a number of people were no longer able to get online. It turned out that MS had a recent update too and that the two udates conflicted badly. No fault of anyone in particular. Both MS and Zone Alarm came out with fixes and the problem was resolved. And this can happen to ANY software. It also is an achilles heel of Security/OS software when automatic updates is turned on. Early adopters of updates are always the first to have problems. It's no one's fault. It is the nature of the beast.
An excellent clearinghouse of FREE Security applications can be found at http://www.techsupportalert.com/pc/security-tools.html. There are some words of advice/description to help you make your choices.
For an excellent examination and comparison of current AntiViral software go to http://www.av-comparatives.org/. The most recent results are August 2008 - skip to page 21 if you want the overall results/ratings. There are a surprise or two.
I am using Zone Alarm Security Suite version 7.x (supposedly version 8 is buggy, so I'll let them fix it before considering it). It does require some user input at the beginning and a little every now and then, specifically granting permission for an application to run (though you can check off for the program to remember your choices). It is not THE best in any one aspect but is performs well overall as a Suite. The worst thing about it is its terminally SLOW scanning, which by default is performed once a week. On my Win XP sp3 computer with 1 Gigabyte of RAM, I am able to easily multitask while Zone Alarm is doing its weekly scan, so I deal with it.
As a test of how well Zone Alarm Security Suite performs, I have scanned my harddrives using internet AV scanning sites like those found at http://temerc.com/onlnscnnrs.htm and my harddrive has been healthy. These scanning sites may require installing an Active X file to work and is not an "infection".
There are several excellent choices for Security, including Suites, and fulfilling your needs with free apps is realistic and safe. Just pick one of the recommended applications and give it a try.
USBEEF, STRATMAN!!!
September 15, 2008 - 23:10 ET by TheSterCAN YOU GUYS...AND EVERYBODY ELSE...HELP START A TRUSTED TECH HELP ADVICE BLOG FOR US (ME) NEWBIE'S??
I'M TRYING TO LEARN FROM THE MASTERS!!!
HELP US (ME) GRASSHOPPERS!!
Ster.
Response
September 15, 2008 - 23:56 ET by usbeefI have not seen the latest version of Symantec in action but from past experience it has been one of my worst nightmares so frankly I don't care if Symantec has improved their products. I don't believe they can go from a bloated nightmare to a lean engine in a few short years so they will never be recommended by me. NOD32, Kaspersky, Avira Antivir Free, and Avast Home Edition are far superior to home Symantec products. The corporate version of Symantec's security software is quite good though.
I do not agree with your argument against the Windows Firewall. Outbound protection is nearly useless. An average Windows user will be annoyed every time they use a program that wants to connect to the internet and they will ignore the firewall warnings. Not only that, if todays trojans cannot open their own socket they will just hijack one that is already open. For example, a user gets infected, they open Internet Explorer and BAM port 80 is hijacked and the trojan then sends it's traffic through. If you close Internet Explorer the trojan will find a new port to hijack that another application or service is using. If it can't find one it will simply wait until you open an application that opens a port. Outbound protection is only somewhat useful if you are already infected and in that case it is too late. Outbound filtering is truly a false sense of security.
Again, I recommend sticking with the Windows Firewall and avoid installing a third party firewall as you will not get any significant protection advantage. In fact one advantage that the Windows Firewall has over third party firewalls is that it protects your system as its booting and many third party firwalls can't claim this type of protection.
"Push back the liberal hordes!!" - Mark Levin
By the way
September 16, 2008 - 02:17 ET by usbeefBy the way since you like outbound protection so much Vista has it enabled by default for services. So if a trojan slips into your system the Windows Firewall will not allow it to send outbound traffic through services as part of service hardening that Vista introduced. No third party firewall can claim to do this. Even if a trojan can't get through open ports used by services it will simply take advantage of various other ports used by any application. The Windows Firewall in both XP and Vista is simply one of the best firewalls out there period!! I am tired of hearing about the lies and myths about the Windows Firewall much like I am tired of hearing about lies and myths from the lib media.
"Push back the liberal hordes!!" - Mark Levin
The Windows Firewall in
September 16, 2008 - 18:11 ET by stratmanUmm, no. XP firewall is just one of the firewalls out there. Period. It is adequate for most home users. Better ones have already been discussed in this thread. Benchmarks can be seen here, for instance. I choose something better, you do not. (From the benchmarks link, looks like I'll be choosing something different soon.) It's all good.
Vista firewall is an improvement. I know it does inbound and outbound protection. This article, and other's I've read, don't appear to join in your statement. Even Microsoft cares (and not cares) about outbound protection. Configurability is not its strong suit. Performance is arguable. It is good, but "best"?
The best response to this I can think of at this moment is a scene from the movie Stripes:
Your goal of being "lean" is an enthusiast's benchmark. Being "lean" to most home users is of less importance than cost and ease of use. A little "bloat" is not going to concern most people as long as any delay on boot, loading an application, scanning the drive or shut down is within their tolerance. And most people like having uniformity to their applications, the reason Security Suites are popular.
I agreed with your AV choices. But I find it odd you discount application benchmark review sites then list them in your post. How else can you speak so authoritatively about applications without utilizing benchmarks? How do you know when something "better" comes along?
In the end, your opinion is as good as mine, and both our opinions result from personal experience and external reviews of the software.
This thread inevitably is about the "best" security apps. You listed arguably the best in current AV software. I just disagree about Windows (XP) Firewall being the best and you went on the warpath. "Lean" is better for us purists, but for most users it isn't a big deal to pare down every service or process - just have the computer working within their tolerance.
You've got a lot of spit and vinegar of youth, which is great, but please tone it down a bit. We're not dealing with who's going to be the next leader of the free world in this thread and this isn't a fanboy site. There are several excellent applications to choose from, even some with a little bloated code.
Response
September 16, 2008 - 23:20 ET by usbeefThose "benchmarks" don't tell you much. They do leak tests and leak tests are the measurement of something I already made an irrefutable argument against, outbound filtering as a false sense of security. The idea that outbound filtering is necessary is a myth in which I have already explained.
Leak tests are also conducted using simulators and they simply cannot match real world conditions or the behavior of real malware itself. Leak tests may have been relevant years ago when malware was not intelligent enough to hijack open ports used by other applications but today it is no longer relevant. Even Steve Gibson, the security expert and founder of GRC.com acknowledges this. That is why he is no longer updating his LeakTest program.
I'm not saying there is anything wrong with installing a third party firewall or using outbound filtering its just not something the average user should do as it is annoying and they will simply ignore the messages and continue on with what they want to do. And that is assuming they are infected with something that isn't smart enough to hijack a port or take advantage of a load of other ways to sneak traffic out.
The PC World article that you point out is exaggerating outbound filtering. You should check out the following:
http://msinfluentials.com/blogs/jesper/archive/2007/07/19/at-least-this-snake-oil-is-free.aspx
http://blogs.technet.com/jesper_johansson/archive/2006/05/01/426921.aspx
Bloated software goes far beyond poor performance in a sense that it causes major stabability issues. For example, Norton security products just recently have caused registry corruption after the installation of XP SP3. They dig themselves so far into the OS and load so many processes, drivers, and services it is bound to get ugly. I have seen Norton cause system crashes and numerous errors involved with the notorious ccApp.exe. No user wants this along with their computing experience and no user wants a corrupt registry after installing Windows Updates either. Humorously, Mark Levin commented last night on how a Norton scan crashed his computer. This is why I will keep recommending unbloated security products. I never fully discredited benchmark sites relating to AV engines either. I simply meant that the highest detection rates were not what I mainly judged the software on as most AV engines on the market today are adequate in that department. Does NOD32 have the best detection rates out there today? probably not but it has been very consistent with excellent detection rates all while having virtually no performance or stabability impact on your system.
I am making my argument for the benefit of others on this site. I have no comment relating to your personal remarks about me.
"Push back the liberal hordes!!" - Mark Levin
Those "benchmarks" don't
September 17, 2008 - 03:42 ET by stratmanBenchmarks give a "snapshot" of functioning and a way to make comparisons. Leak Tests are used to check for weakness in outbound protection. Outbound filtering was important enough for MS to add it to Vista and in their OneCare service. Yes, Vista has implemented SID to prevent hijacking of a service, and that is a good thing. But I was discussing firewalling WinXP, not Vista.
Outbound filtering has been an additional layer of security, not THE only layer of security, which has become less effective for various reasons - Windows operating systems like XP have many weaknesses that are exploitable and Firewall programmers put their efforts into inbound filtering because it is much simpler especially when considering the tech support for questions/problems with hardened outbound filtering. MS itself avoided outbound protection in XP in part because they didn't want to deal with "broken" applications.
You did make statements previously, but you didn't provide much supportive text until this post. You may be knowledgable but you are an unknown entity. I appreciate the links. Now I can better understand how you came to your conclusions and whether that evidence used was valid and strong.
One problem with the argument of Jesper's Blog is his example of user failure to be vigilant in what they click on and grant permission to. This is not a failure of a firewall. It is a human failure to which black hatter's will engineer their malevolent apps to take advantage. As such, inbound firewall protection can also be worthless. Jesper also states that not EVERY virus/trojan will be as rigorous as you state in finding an open port. Until the day that your scenario is true, outbound protection will have a place with WinXP for those looking to maximize security.
Gibson's LeakTest was developed as a general tool to discover malware that hijacked names of trusted apps/services (eg iexplorer.exe). It worked and caused firewall programmers to correct that specific deficiency eventually. He stopped developing the tool because he didn't care to cover all the possibilities of defeating any one specific weakness in each and every specific firewall, and, probably more importantly, firewall developers were not fixing the things he found wrong. Why spend time you can't get back on a project that developers won't respond to and fix.
What I found interesting was Gibson appears to say he no longer uses outbound filtering! See bottom of page 14. Jesper sounds good but I'm not ready believe his every word. I've followed Gibson for years and put a good deal of stock in his observations. I do appreciate that Jesper and Gibson seem concordant on Vista's Firewall's utility and that outbound filtering is less a concern than before.
Yes, it all depends on the end user. Security you configure at work may be quite different from what you have at home or setup for a friend or relative. Threads like this always come down to what is the "best", which then needs to be placed in the perspective of whether or not someone will be able to use the app appropriately. For me XP's firewall was weaker in configuability and notification/logging and was not the best performer in inbound filtering. If that's changed in the past year or so, I don't know.
From an IT perspective, low cost, ease of rollout, dependability AND not getting bugged by end users with problems may override selecting the leanest app sometimes. And lean is not always appropriate: Microsoft's Notepad and Wordpad are leaner and easier to use apps that Word, but they would be inadequate or frustrating for certain common secretarial duties in a business environment. So, what is best and in relation to whom?
Your last paragraph about bloat is somewhat misleading. An update of ANY application can break windows or vice versa. Zone Alarm has on occasions also had incompatabilites with Windows XP. While Windows initial response to a recent problem was to blame ZA, MS ended up patching their crappy update. Good move since that particular MS update also created problems with other developer's apps. Moral is there are horror stories for everyone and no system or particular update is guaranteed to be compatible with any other application, even if the third party app is MS Certified.
Bloat can be a miserable thing as you stated, like with Norton's AV app beginning about 10+ years ago. But not all bloat is as destructive as you declare. And Symantec can and does run fine on many machines and people can and are pleased with it. I don't recommend it but I don't tell someone having no major problems with Symantec to rush out and purchase something else. Instead I try to guide them to another app when their subscription is near end.
Lean apps like NOD 32 are not guaranteed to be compatable on every computer. I recommend NOD 32 also but it will on occasion trigger instability with another app. (IIRC, NOD 32 was incompatible with Job Boss or some other proprietary app at my brother's business) But the failure rate is very small and the app is so good that I do recommend it highly.
We agree on AV apps. We disagree on firewalls for WinXP. We also disagree that Suites are not to be recommended. Your initial responses were light on evidenciary links, relying on my acceptance of your words at face value without benefit of interacting with you much previously. In short, you were/are an unknown entity, but I and fellow NB's are getting to know you better. Afterall, it is the NewsBusters way to provide supportive data for a position instead of blind allegiance. Your links and my further research have impacted how I will approach Vista's firewall in the future.
Though I have no need or desire to use Vista at this time, I will recommend Vista's firewall to Vista adopters because it works well enough for the majority of end users. Thank you for provoking me to learn more about Vista and review the current state of AV and firewall applications opinion and fact.
Microsoft live onecare
September 15, 2008 - 21:49 ET by JWFYea, I am probably evil, not like google who is not evil.
But then I have Microsoft stock and my Microsoft Certified ID number tattoed on my butt.
I have Kaspersky
September 15, 2008 - 22:04 ET by Defector01As long as you know what your doing with computers its great, otherwise you might mess something up. I should know I goof regularly on it but I can always fix it. Its virus scanner is wildly good though and it can fix almost error
I have only ever made one prayer to God, a very short one: O Lord, make my enemies ridiculous. And God granted it - Voltaire
All the free stuff: Avast
September 15, 2008 - 22:14 ET by robrrtAll the free stuff:
Avast (much leaner than AVG)
ZoneAlarm
plus all the antispyware programs
Is Avast leaner than AVG?
September 15, 2008 - 22:25 ET by buzzbeeCare to elaborate? I am going to have to go do some research on this. I have tested both and both work well.
Drill here, Drill Now!
Yes, Avast is leaner than AVG
September 16, 2008 - 00:13 ET by usbeefYes, Avast is leaner than AVG, especially since AVG 8.0 came out. AVG is now a bloated waste and I cannot understand what Grisoft doesn't understand about lean, unintrusive protection. Perhaps Grisoft was once owned by conservatives and they have sinced turned liberal and bloated their software just like they would the government? :D
Avira Antivir is even leaner and offers comparable if not better protection than Avast. But as I have stated earlier an AV engine is an AV engine. Avast or Avira, whichever suites you best.
"Push back the liberal hordes!!" - Mark Levin
Kimber .45 Custom Carry II
September 15, 2008 - 22:14 ET by Dr_Liberty'nuff said.
My Colt 1911 is too heavy to
September 15, 2008 - 22:25 ET by cocodrieMy Colt 1911 is too heavy to carry but it made a good impression on unwelcome visitors to our nieghborhood during Katrina while there was no police presence here.
A GUN IN THE HAND...
September 15, 2008 - 22:32 ET by TheSter...IS BETTER THAN A COP ON THE PHONE.
Ster.
HELP!!!
September 15, 2008 - 22:21 ET by TheSterI WAS CLEANING UP MY MAIN PC HD...DELETING A BUNCH OF GAMES I DON'T PLAY ANY MORE...
NOW I GOT A: FILE MISSING OR CORRUPT:
<Windows root>\system32\hal.dll.
Please re-install a copy of the above file.
I'M ON MY LAPTOP NOW. looking at my main pc dos prompt.
I got my Dell XPS 710 Resource cd here.
WHAT DO I DO SO I DON'T MESS UP MY DATA?!?!
I NEED U GUYS!!!
Ster.....need help now!!!!
10:18pm cst
THANKS!!!
Try this link info onn
September 15, 2008 - 22:25 ET by Free StinkerTry this link info onn fixing your problem
http://pcsupport.abo...
OK...I'LL LOOK...THANX.
September 15, 2008 - 22:30 ET by TheSterCRAP.
I GOT A 9mm RUGER P89 STAINLESS STEEL.
THANKS STINK.
Ster, go buy yourself a real gun.
September 15, 2008 - 23:36 ET by R D HelmSter, go buy yourself a real gun.
:-)
-Dave.
OUCH!!!
September 16, 2008 - 01:24 ET by TheSterJUST SHOT MY FOOT....GOOD THING MY 9mm BULLETS BOUNCED OFF MY FLIP-FLOPS...
FANCY MAN AND HIS GLOCK...oooooohhhh....
...oooooohhhhh.....
Ster.
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
Lt. Tom "Iceman" Kazanski:
I don't like you because you're dangerous.
Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell:
That's right, Ice-Man. I am dangerous.
Buy a Mac!
September 15, 2008 - 22:24 ET by buzzbeeIt is funny how many of my fellow Techies have migrated over to Macbook and Macbook Pro laptops. They just work, come with some fun software for digital photography and Video, have a built in camera for video conferencing, and they make you look like one of the cool kids, not that old dorky guy quantifying his vacation in an Excel Pie Chart.
Drill here, Drill Now!
Yup. Buy a Mac, live the
September 15, 2008 - 22:26 ET by balboaYup. Buy a Mac, live the good life. :-)
Mac
September 15, 2008 - 22:27 ET by magicalangelicusI put Apple in the same bucket of people, brands and ideas as Obama, Al Gore, global warming and Toyata Prius. It's a downright left-wing brand. ;)
Limbaugh uses a Mac
September 15, 2008 - 22:38 ET by buzzbeeIt is an effective tool and just works without as much screwing around. Sometimes you have to get beyond that ideology.
I have to support XP (Vista Upgrade indefinately delayed) all day long, so it is refreshing to go home and use something "Different"
Drill here, Drill Now!
While there are always
September 15, 2008 - 23:29 ET by stratmanWhile there are always outliers, I believe your stereotype of Mac users to be accurate.
My exception is that I would drive a Prius, transportation is transportation, though I don't care to pay the premium to own one. Ecofacists can kiss my gas.
I have no use for your other three listings.
Kaspersky
September 15, 2008 - 22:25 ET by magicalangelicusBased on previous usage of Symantec, Panda, Trend Micro and McAfee, I have to give Kaspersky top marks for running lean, guarding my registry, detecting more foul play, possessing a higher quarantine and kill success rate against viruses and trojans.
Trend
September 15, 2008 - 22:40 ET by buzzbeeWe have to use Trend because the mother ship says so where I work. We have had Clamwin PortableA/V find viruses after Trend said a system was clean.
Drill here, Drill Now!
My System
September 15, 2008 - 22:34 ET by Wildcatter1980WinXP SP3+ with Avast antivirus and Comodo Firewall Pro. I also use SpywareBlaster, Spybot S&D and Adaware.
On my Win2K system I use the old Sygate Firewall instead of Comodo. Comodo for Win2K is awful.
I use Firefox with the NoScript extension to create white and black lists of web sites that I give permission to to execute scripts.
WC
September 15, 2008 - 22:47 ET by Noel SheppardWC,
I haven't installed SP3 yet. I started over the weekend, and it said it wasn't able to backup copy a .DLL. Got me frustrated, so I aborted the installation. ns
Best Internet Security Software
September 15, 2008 - 22:44 ET by ElazarusOver the years I have used Norton, McAfee, Trend Micro, AVG, Avast and more.
I have used Eset NOD32 for the past 1 1/2 years without having it slow down my computer or forcing it to conflict with any other software.
For a firewall I got rid of all of them and use the built in Windows Firewall.
Also, the Firefox browser is a great way to have a Fast Browser while being more secure.
I hope this helps.
My two cents on two
September 15, 2008 - 22:46 ET by jaywlOn one system I have Avast, the other McAfee. I prefer Avast. Way to much crap with McAfee. Avast is free, I get McAfee free with Comcast Very high Light Speed super-duper (when it is working) cable, so that cost really has no inflence with me. One cool thing with Avast is it has a little ball that revolves when it is working. If the ball doesn't spin, I must find why it quit.
Ok, guys. I have a Gateway
September 15, 2008 - 23:23 ET by RESTLESS 1Ok, guys. I have a Gateway something or other, circa 2006. It has intel duo centrino, windows XP, Vista capable (not installed). I use Firefox as my browser, however, we also have IE3 or 4, not sure which. I have McCaffee Firewall Plus installed a running, Norton security scan, and Spyware Doctor. I have an ATT wireless router and btw, the gateway is a laptop. Am I covered, or what am I missing?
"This
liberal would be all about socialize -- uh, uh, would be about
basically taking over and the government running all of your companies."-Maxine Waters 2008
Restless 1: You may or
September 16, 2008 - 00:21 ET by stratmanRestless 1:
You may or may not be good.
Please list which version of these applications you are using for security.
One thing to discover is whether these apps are being updated or not. Companies will update their software and after a period of time will decide to no longer support it because they have newer, shinier and sometimes better working programs. They also make more money that way.
I am not a FireFox maven, so someone else will need to help you with plugins and settings for it.
Something you can do now is make sure Windows is updated. There is a Service Pack 3 out now, but you might need to go through Gateway for your updates, so the latest updates from MS may not be available via Gateway. This only applies if you are required to do operating system updates only via Gateway.
Regardless of your update pathway, I would not use anything less than Internet Explorer 6.x because of security issues.
And you should Defrag your harddrive on some regular basis, monthly/quarterly/whatever you want, to improve harddrive/program functioning. If your harddrive space is 90% or greater filled then consider deleting some files or uninstalling unused applications. Too little free space makes Windows run sloooower. None of this will prevent viruses, but it can make a difference in your computing fun.
Also the router and/or modem you use may have a built in hardware firewall. I know that current AT&T 2Wire Router/Modems have built in hardware firewalls. For instance, typing "home" or "gateway.2wire.net" (no quotation marks) in your browsers Address window will bring up the 2Wire's configuration page. Typing in your IP Address will work too. From there, you can see all the options available in configuring the firewall, router, encryption, etc. If you have the same hardware as me than I can give specific help, otherwise, call AT&T.
The single best thing you can do to prevent infection is to NOT OPEN any file or link that you are not 100% sure is friendly, even if it comes as an email from a friend. Black Hat hackers relie upon human engineering to deliver their payload - using sex, greed, pity or something cutesy to get you to click. Just don't do it.
Lastly, an excellent way to safeguard people who are prone to infection, and one to dramatically decrease calls for help from tech support, would be to use a something like http://www.sandboxie.com/. These types of apps load a virtual session in which even if you pick up an infection while interneting, as soon as you end your seesion (or shut down windows), any changes made are wiped clean. No infection occurs and your computer is unchanged. The next time you boot up or restart a session, you are starting fresh and new. All of your installed apps remain untouched. Very cool!
Windows XP has System Restore, which helps cut down on tech support, but Sandboxie may preclude the need for System Restore.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I don't use Sandboxie, but I have a friend that should. He's always infecting himself.
Thanks Strat. I am up to
September 16, 2008 - 00:34 ET by RESTLESS 1Thanks Strat. I am up to date with McCafee and Spyware Doctor. The Norton I don't use. Regarding the router, it is a 2Wire, so I now feel pretty good about that. I don't pay bills online, and I never open links or attachments I don't fully trust.
Thanks for the info. on Sandboxie. I will definitely check that out.
"This
liberal would be all about socialize -- uh, uh, would be about
basically taking over and the government running all of your companies."-Maxine Waters 2008
I have a few firewall
September 15, 2008 - 23:38 ET by AJI have a few firewall programs, but the security that I have for my computer comes in the way that I browse and operate my computer. I generally use the following guidelines:
Yeah, sure, these are more technical solutions, but I have the knowledge and expertise so it'd be arrogant not to apply it. :)
Why would you open bloggers to hacks?
September 16, 2008 - 00:23 ET by Lame CherryNewsbusters, please your inquiry is opening the bloggers here to exploitation in attacks from the Obama camp and their proxies.
Currently there are flamers shutting down certain websites to literal denial of service of some very major servers to the favorite of Obama's people in keylogging at Google, monitoring emails at Yahoo and basically running your ISP back to individuals to data mine on them.
These are not the typical hackers, but high asset types who have the backdoors into the OS of Microsoft or Apple and by people posting what type of system protection they have there are exploitations built into that too.
So please suggest what is good, but the same protocol updates that are constantly pinging from your computer are a way into your computer. People do not need to inform the world of Obamania how best to attack or where to look for your information on servers where you are using that company's products.
*HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS
An excellent, free and low
September 16, 2008 - 00:49 ET by stratmanAn excellent, free and low resource app for preventing malicious pages and popups from wasting your bandwidth and time is Bluetack's (B.I.S.S.) Hosts Manager:
This "Black List" application replaces your default Windows Host file, a file that may contain a list of IP Addresses you want your internet browser to ignore. You can easily install, update, add and delete IP addresses manual if desired, and return to your original Host file at will. I currently have 82,239 entries listed!
Easy to install and use. The most difficult thing is when you update the Host file, it asks if you want to "replace" the old file or "append". I "append" the new update to the older Host file. Otherwise it runs in the background at boot. My version requires I manually update by clicking on the desktop icon.
What I use
September 16, 2008 - 01:02 ET by silentsoulI use AVG for virus protection and Firewall. I do not use the free version. I also use Windows Defender, which I have been using this since it was in beta and I have never had any problem with it at all. I have 6 computers in the house and I run this on all of my computers. Now one computer I have for my four and seven year, they are both boys, and on this PC I run a free web filtering program called K9( http://www1.k9webprotection.com/ ) I have to admin that I have only been using this software for a short time but it seems to do the job well so far.
Also it is always good to have a router at home even if you only have 1 computer, because most routers now days have some built in firewall protection. I use a D-Link DGL-4300 gaming router cause I am a gamer and was a network admin for many years and I liked what this router had to offer for me. Also remember if you buy or have a wireless router to set up the security on the wireless network cause if you don't people will piggy back off your network and use it for free Internet and they could steal data from your network.
Security
September 16, 2008 - 03:59 ET by ChasmanI use a linux firewall/router running Coyote linux "router on a disk" from an old AMD K400 PC which shares my internet to the entire house. Individual PC's use NOD 32 anti virus, Spybot's Tea Timer, allong with the standard Windows firewall.
"The best diplomat that I know is a fully loaded phaser bank."
--- Lt. Cdr. Montgomery Scott USS Enterprise
To all above posters.....
September 16, 2008 - 05:17 ET by old croThank you for your info and input. Especially stratman and welcome to NB, usbeef. I myself use McAfee because I get it at a discount from my ISP. Yes, it is bloated, everyday it updates itself. I am going to look into your suggestions of NOD32 or Kaspersky since the price is right. Usbeef, for some reason I value your advice because I know the young men and women of today were brought up on computers, know them as I knew the games "release", "kick the can", "Huckyitty buck <sp>" and such when I was young - er. Not that I disvalue your advice, stratman ;)
I also use Advanced Windows Care Personal Edition - free - link follows
http://www.iobit.co/...
And Eusing Free Registery Cleaner
http://www.eusing.co...
I run all of these at least once a week or more depending on how much destruction my kids have inflicted on our computer when I am not watching.
Again, thank you ALL posters for your opinions and links.
No offense taken
September 16, 2008 - 21:39 ET by stratmanNo offense taken OldCro!
USBeef's AntiViral recommendations are solid. His Basic Security configuration is decent and the price is right. I don't agree with a couple of his points but that's the nature of computing - there are many ways to do the same thing and some of them work out well.
After all the years I've helped others with computer issues it's nice to let someone else do it for a while, so I'm happy to let USBeef provide the tech support for NB's. :-)
NB has tech support?
September 17, 2008 - 02:40 ET by old croYou are right about the many ways to do the same thing. My basic philosophy is "whatever works for you", but I am always open to suggestion concerning items I am not all that familiar with. I dabble in a lot of things, a "Jack of all trades, master of none" type of guy.
Thanks for your computereeze input.
As a Cablevision subscriber...
September 16, 2008 - 08:11 ET by Jarhead68...I get CA Internet Security Suite gratis. I have had NO virii, NO nefarious spyware and no problems with the software. I have been using it for at least 5 years at home and in our office. At the office we have a peer-to-peer network and no firewall so each computer has a copy of CA's firewall software, which, I believe, is based on ZoneAlarm's firewall. I'd recommend it to anyone who needs protection at the workstation. It updates automatically and reboots your computer, if you want it to. It will also prompt you, if you prefer. I give it 5 stars....