Just Bought A New Computer

[slippery when wet]

Hello all.

I have just bought a new computer and was just wondering what virus protection programs I should use..... and where I can download these from the internet.

Any links would be appreciated

Thanks a million.....slippery

[FlyingDutchman]

Hello all.

I have just bought a new computer and was just wondering what virus protection programs I should use..... and where I can download these from the internet.

Any links would be appreciated

Thanks a million.....slippery

Avast Anti virus (<-Click)

It's a FRÉÉ instant scanner, so It'll warn you when a virus enters your system. Choose the home edition (look well on the pages) and you've got a gréat free anti-virus program, whitout any annoying add's or something like that.

Do you also have anti-spyware ?

Microsoft Anti-Spyware (<-Click)

It's a FRÉÉ instant anti-spyware program. You are on the download page immediately. It has not any annoying add's or something like that.

Do you also have anti-adware ?

Ad-Aware (<-Click)

It's a FRÉÉ anti-adware program. Look well on the page to download the personal version. It's not instant, but you can start it manually or preset it on a daily basis and on a certain time to start automatically. It also has not any annoying add's or something like that.

Good luck ! FlyingDutchman (Software development)

[Oishi]

If you are looking for freeware you could try AVG antivirus free edition.

http://free.grisoft.com/doc/2/lng/us/tpl/v5

[Firefoxx]

Do yourself a favor and install an alternate web browser like Opera or Firefox. Just using Internet Explorer will expose you to too many virii to count.

[Highwayman]

Another vote for Avast.

Unlike some free antivirus programs it can be set to update automatically.

[Plus]

Avast and AVG seem to be the most popular free software. Try both and see which one you like.

Microsoft anti-spyware - I had a beta version (not ready for the market yet), is it still free?

You should download lots of antispyware programs - just Google them out - choose ONE for you to monitor your system all the time, then scan your computer periodically with ALL of them - they have a tendency to find some stuff missed by eachother.

Oh yes, and I would vote for Opera-Avast combination.

BUT, it's never too easy. Avast doesn't generally work with ZoneAlarm firewall - the most popular free firewall.

Three kinds of software you need - antivirus, antispyware, and firewall.

[raro]

Opera, AntiVir, Secretmaker, AdAware keeps you all out of trouble. Just don't forget to update those on a regular basis (at least weekly, the more often, the better) and they are all for free.

Alternative: Linux. Also for free and the new distributions have a windows-like look and feel and are easy to install.

[lopburi3]

I vote for AVG. And it can auto update and does so just about every day.

When I used Avast it assigned a proxy to email making it appear spam to some Thai ISP's so if you have a problem be warned. Also had other problems setting it up.

The most important anti virus is your own common sense. Make sure your computer is set up to show file extensions. Make sure you check downloads with anti virus before you run them. Don't open unknown attachments. Read fine print on free software and run add aware type programs every few week in case anything gets through - in most cases anything that does make it through will not be serious.

[agsnowdon]

Can I ask why install a firewall if windows allready has its own.

Please tell me?

Oh I vote for AVG and Microsoft Antispyware!

Edited February 1, 2006 by agsnowdon

[Firefoxx]

The windows firewall is good enough. That and an antivirus program are all that I use. With common sense of course.

[Highwayman]

While the built in Windows firewall works fine, a softwall firewall like ZoneAlarm allows you to configure things a bit further, one thing being it will warn you if programs are trying to access the internet. Some will say that is a waste of time as by then any damage has probably been done. It can be interesting to see what programs are trying to call home, some you have to wonder why they need to. A lot of people who have problems with ZoneAlarm seem to be those downloading with kazaa type programs which probably require some tweaking that isn't always obvious.

FWIW l use ZoneAlarm with Avast even though you do get a warning when you install it that there are known problems. I haven't had any problems myself since l first installed it nearly a year ago. A couple of times it questioned some incoming e-mails which were legit but you can fix that in the settings.

[Firefoxx]

Well, the windows firewall does warn you about programs trying to access the 'net. It also asks you whether to block, allow, etc. Zone Alarm was nice when it first came out (and I used it for quite some time), since there was nothing like it. However, it suffers from information overload, alerts you to way too many things (giving rise to the "oh my god I'm being hacked 24/7!" mentality), and has major compatibility problems (of the "I uninstalled Zone Alarm and everything worked again" variety).

But to each his own, yes?

[Highwayman]

Has the Windows firewall always alerted you to programs wanting to access the internet or is it something that was upgraded recently? Can't remember that happening when l used to use it but it has been a while.

Once you have ZoneAlarm running for a couple of days you can usually set it to look after things automatically without it having to notify you of every intrusion otherwise it would drive you crazy. I've got my computer fairly well secured l think so l get hardly any alerts about programs trying to call home nowadays. There were a lot of complaints about the more recent versions but when l did a reformat recently l installed the latest version without any problems.

[Firefoxx]

XP started having alerts with SP2 and the security center thing.

[pinophai]

XP started having alerts with SP2 and the security center thing.

Avast is the best. Better dan Norton etc.

[cnnaing]

Every software is not perfect. But I'm sure that AVG and Microsoft Antispyware is better than others.

[Plus]

If the OP just baought a new computer and is not up to date on the latests software than built in Windows firewall that is ON by default, and either Avast of AVG are more than enough.

What state the Microsoft Antispyware is in now? I think it was meant to be for sale and only pre-market, beta version was free.

[astral]

AVG and it is free.

[francois]

hi'

and let's roll, how many topic like this one?

one software to buy "how to read" !!

we have some stickies on this very subject!

just ake a lokk at the top of the page.

opinion vary, but still you may experience yourself sometime ...

francois