what virus protection/spyware protection?

[kunar]

anybody have any recommendations for virus/spyware/adware protection and/or registry cleaners? ive got an old system with windows xp that ive been having a little trouble with and i need to try to get things cleaned up. i dont mind spending a little cash, but i would definitely prefer something free as long as it actually works. thanks

 

[rtg143]

I use Microsoft security essentials. Who can protect your system bettwer than the ones who make it. What kind of problems are you having? You could try info from here. http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/expert/northrup_restoreperf.mspx

 

[disciplerocks]

Can't get much better than Norton. I ran free software for a long time, until I got a real nasty virus. Been running Norton ever since and haven't had a problem yet. And I tend to visit some shady sites

 

[kunar]

Can't get much better than Norton. I ran free software for a long time, until I got a real nasty virus. Been running Norton ever since and haven't had a problem yet. And I tend to visit some shady sites

lol maybe thats my problem! haha.

seriously though, here over the past couple days ive had "antivirus action" pop up a couple times, its obviously fake. popping up with alerts that every single exe i try to run is corrupt or infected, wont let me open the task manager etc etc. its been slowing down a little too, and its a slow system to start with. ive thought about buying nortons bundle thing, just havent been into town to look for it. trying to get AVG running again right now...

 

[disciplerocks]

That is one of the most annoying ones. Google it and you can find an easy way to get rid of it.

 

[kunar]

That is one of the most annoying ones. Google it and you can find an easy way to get rid of it.

thats what i did... everything said to download somethign called spyware-doctor. after fighting to get it installed and scan, it told me i had 60 something infections and i had to pay $40 for the product to fix it. f-that. if im gonna buy norton its gonna be tonight or tomorrow. looks like they have a $40 rebate on it right now.

 

[disciplerocks]

Back up everything you can first. Last time I had that one it infected several system files, then after running AV it blocked access to them and in turn wouldn't open windows!

 

[02RangerXLT]

Here's what I'm running...

Avast! Free Antivirus
Ad-Aware
Spybot Search and Destroy
Spyware Blaster

 

[ronclark]

anybody have any recommendations for virus/spyware/adware protection and/or registry cleaners? ive got an old system with windows xp that ive been having a little trouble with and i need to try to get things cleaned up. i dont mind spending a little cash, but i would definitely prefer something free as long as it actually works. thanks

Try Nod32 thy have a online scanner http://www.eset.com/online-scanner and a 30 trial

I love it on older systems there not a resource hog like most of them out there

 

[jhammel85]

I use Adaware for spyware sweeps, Spybot for what adaware misses, Norton (free if you have Comcast, go to their security site on comcast.net) and Ccleaner for regestry.

 

[TwoWhels]

Avast, Malwarebytes for virus
superantispywere, CCleaner ... have used SpyBot search and destroy
Eusing registry cleaner...use CCleaner also
Zone alarm...thinking of using the camando firewall

ALL FREE

 

[97RangerXLT]

Malwarebytes is your friend here...

I use MS security essentials on the desktop, AVG free on the laptop. no issues w/ either.

AJ

 

[dangerranger83]

I got home after work tonight and found my computer waiting for the password to be typed in., left it on for everybody to use. Typed in my password and ThinkPoint popped up. Well after researching, found its location and renamed it from hotpoint.exe to hotpoint1.exe and now it doesnt turn on when I boot my computer. Downside to this computer, Im not the admin and who I got it from, her ex-husband made himself admin to it and she told me what was suppose to be the password and he changed it to something from the looks of it so Im unable to instal any programs to it. Shes going to try to get it from him. But its a free computer and buying a new one soon anyways. I cant even instal the Microsoft free virus program without the admin password, tried password programs with no luck and most need the admin password to instal anyways so Im screwed. Just need it to last me until Christmas when I can afford a new one. And ya its a vista.

Use to use Mcafee until they started charging for it, so we went with what our internet providors gave us, verizon, and it worked fine until the computer overheated due to upgrades being done to it by the stepmom (well computer store) and she/they didnt upgrade the cooling system. Warned her about it and a year later, well its a nice paper weight.

 

[Legend]

The best of breed programs constantly change as new and better ones are created -or- old reliable ones are ruined by creeping elegance and bloat. My current preferences are:

Anti-virus - AVAST! (free) - http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download
Free - not such a resource hog - very effective - excellent range of controls and settings

Anti-spyware - Superantispyware (free) - http://www.superantispyware.com/download.html
Much less of a resource hog than others - effective

Anti-malware - WinPatrol (free) - http://www.winpatrol.com/download.html
Great program - will pretty much prevent changes to your system by rogue programs, websites, etc. Have used it for years. Vista and 7 have sort of an equivalent built in.

Disk Defrag - Auslogics (free) - http://www.auslogics.com/en/software/disk-defrag/download/
The Windows built-in defrag sucks. This one is better and free. Run every couple of weeks or so, depending on how many files are saved, changed, erased, etc.

Junk and Registry cleaner (free) - Ccleaner - http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner
This will clean up junk files and registry errors. Will usually help system performance. should be run monthly or even weekly on a heavily used system.

There seems to be a lot of suspicion about free programs and sometimes justified. But frequently, companies that make first class programs will offer free home versions just to acquaint people with their product and perhaps those people will buy the professional version (usually with more support) for their business.

I have used some of these for years without any problems. Some are newer. Norton anti-virus was the best and bloated up to unusable. McAfee became the choice, then they went crazy with protection and up-selling. AVG had a great product and a free version, but went nuts with up-selling and it became a resource hog. So currently AVAST! is my preference... Tomorrow, who knows.....

 

[capri1979]

Use Microsoft security essentials and malwarebytes, got the recommendations off a forum that seems to set both off all the time. Funny, huh? Otherwise no problems, but i am tired of ad sniffing, have ad block plus enabled and stops some of it.