Virus Protection Overkill 16

[A1Pat]

Hello all

I don't know very much about Virus protection and I just downloaded bunch of them into my laptop, just to realize that installation creates more BAD than GOOD. Now, my laptop just stall, frozen, slow...

This is the list of my virus "protection":
-AdSubtract
-McAfee Security
-Microsoft AntiSpyware
-SpamSubtract
-SpySubtract
-SpyCatcher
-GhostSurf
-and a few more Microsoft XP sp2 security updates.

Could someone tell me which "protection" I should get rid of to give my laptop life back, with somewhat protection.

Thanks!!!

 

[cweathe]

The Microsoft updates are always good to go ahead install. I personally run Norton Security, and Spy Subtract on my computer. I have also run Spybot-Search and Destroy which is a good program. You defintely dont need all of the listed. I would suggest having McAfee, and SpySubtract. To me those 2 should be good enough.

 

[A1Pat]

thank cweathe for the input.

 

[NickCat11]

A1Pat,

The programs I put on all the machines I build are as follows. AVG makes a free antivirus program which performs well. For spyware, use AdAware and SpyBot, which are both free. Microsoft Anti-Spyware is also a useful program. All these can be downloaded at

http://www.download.com.

Hope this helps

Nick

 

[A1Pat]

free and effective... thank to NickCat11.

 

[Rick998]

One of the problems is that, to give you real-time protection, all these types of programs have to run at startup, often as a service. This is what causes the slowdown/freeze as each program does its malware-checking.

For example, the MS AntiSpyware product is, IMHO, very good BUT the installation configures itself to run at startup without giving you any choice. When used from startup I've noticed that its real-time protection appears to effect performance.

As a result, I disable it from running automatically at startup and just run it manually when I need/want to. (Alternatively, you could just press CTRL+ALT+DEL and stop the gcaserv.exe process... but this soon becomes tedious).

I've found CodeStuff's freeware 'Starter' program (

http://members.lycos.co.uk/codestuff/products_starter.html)

to be very useful in disabling startup items, either temporarily or permanently. It doesn't even need to be installed... just unzip the download and run it.

Hope this helps...

 

[captaincrunch00]

I have to disagree with the first poster about Windows Updates always being good to install.

Did anyone put on XP Service Pack 2 right when it came out? How many issues did that cause? I finally put it on my work PCs last week and it's been out for how long?

I will say that the security fixes and hotfixes and whatnot are alright to install, but dont just say "Hey, a new service pack" and install it right off the bat. Do some homework on it first. Give it time for other people to work out the kinks before you use it.

I would 100% agree with Nickcat11 though.
AVG, Spybot, and Ad Aware are all you need on a computer to keep it free of virus' and spyware. I've heard very good things about NOD32 for antivirus but have never actually used it.

 

[erikhertzel]

I would also highly recommend a program called Spyware Blaster. This keeps you from getting spyware rather than removing it and it has a small footprint and your PC will not slow down by having it installed.

SpywareBlaster pioneered the effective use of prevention techniques to reduce or greatly eliminate spyware-related problems, as well as problems related to other potentially unwanted software such as dialers, browser hijackers, and adware.

Today's SpywareBlaster is greatly enhanced - protection is still the foremost purpose of the program, but it also provides unique utilities like the exclusive "System Snapshot", and various useful tools. The interface has been upgraded to provide easier access to all of the new options, including Restricted Sites Protection, and Mozilla/Firefox Protection.

http://www.javacoolsoftware.com

is the website to download from.

Also ZoneAlarm is one of the better free software firewalls. I would highly recommend this software as well:

http://www.zonelabs.com

Hope this helps,

Erik

 

[linney]

Removing adware & spyware
faq608-4650

Microsoft (GIANT Antispyware) Beta available
Thread779-979113

Try the free version of "Ewido"

http://www.ewido.net/

HijackThis log file analysis

http://www.hijackthis.de/index.php

 

[A1Pat]

first, I would like to thank all of you for the inputs. Very helpful nonetheless for my future installations, however, I think we might get out of track here.

If I could refocus our attention back to my point again that is: Which protection(s), of all those I installed, should I keep?

It's nice to know there are freewares out there that I can download in the future, but I rather focus on those I (stupid enough) spent money on.

Thanks again!

 

[wolluf]

I would keep AVG (not on your original list I know, but recommended above) as anti-virus and MS Antispyware as anti-spyware. These are both free and give realtime protection. Unlike Rick998, I think realtime protection against spyware is important - even though it does use resources to do this. I'd also always install MS security updates whenever they are released. With the XP firewall in place, this level of protection has kept my machine clean for the last year or so.

I'd also keep other anti-spyware apps, which don't give realtime protection (ie, use no resources till you run them). In my case its spybot, adaware & hijackthis. This is because no one app gets all 'spy/malware' (though a good AV app should stop virtually all viruses).

I would definitely NOT use McAfee or Norton for personal use - they are just complete resource hoggers.

 

[Rick998]

I agree with wolluf's recommendations. I should have made it clearer that I disable MS AntiSpyware's real-time protection because I use another product (which I didn't mention as it's retail, not freeware) but still find MS AntiSpyware to be a useful backup.

 

[captaincrunch00]

If you're going by Wollufs logic (No offense at all, I keep my Grandmothers computer locked down pretty tightly) of using real time protection from spyware and a firewall and being spyware and virus free for the last year, then lets look on the other end of the spectrum.
I havent used a software or hardware firewall since 2000 (actually never). I dont have realtime protection against spyware. The only thing I have running down in my taskbar is AVG antivirus. My computer absolutely flies. With no programs running all of my CPU power is directed toward what I want to do with my computer, not background apps that are more annoying than anything else if you use some intelligence.

I use intelligence. I dont download dumb software that I dont know is legit, if I go to a webpage and it says "You must install XXX party poker installer to view this website!" I dont do it.
Once in a while I'll update run Spybot and Ad Aware to make sure nothing is on my computer and every time I've been clean. I do those scans once every 3 months or so.

I do a full virus scan about the same time, and nothing is ever picked up. Not even when we had that worm outbreak, the blaster worm had no way to get me because I was already patched with the security updates.

Simple intelligence works wonders.


As to your original post of "What do I use that I paid for" I'd honestly try to get a refund on all of those.
Use AVG for your Antivirus, use Ad Aware, Spybot and Microsofts Antispyware for spyware. Keep the realtime protection on for the MS Antispyware, or turn it off. Just be intelligent and you wont have any problems.

That was very longwinded. Sorry about that. I just cant fathom why people think they need so much protection.

 

[porkchopexpress]

Agreed on using your common sence in the internet but even the best can be fooled.

MS anti-spy is pretty good but by far the best mentioned AV product is NOD32 it's light light light and is less intensive than Symantec.

http://www.eset.com/home/home.htm

http://www.eset.com/news/VB100Award34.pdf

 

[porkchopexpress]

Oh and it costs less too, but more than AVG of course

 

[DTSMAN]

All mine are freeware and work great. Of course I launch them all manually when I need to clean.

AVG - for spyware
Adaware SE- or malware and crap of that nature
Ccleaner - for purging tmp folders and cookies
Hijackthis - for those rare occasions of more serious issues such as homepage manipulations.

Running these 3 back to back when an issue comes up seems to handle it just fine.

Bo

Kentucky phone support-
"Mash the Kentrol key and hit scape."

 

[aquias]

Honestly A1PAT, most of the programs you're using I haven't seen, used, or really heard of. You could do a Google search on them and see what other reviews you could find.

I would STRONGLY recommend reading this...

http://sunbeltblog.blogspot.com/2005/08/security-on-cheap.html

It's the president of Sunbelt software (makers of Counterspy) blog. The link references a specific article he wrote called security on the cheap, it gives a very comprehensive and complete list of cheap, free, and reliable applications that you can use to protect your system.

 

[Jasen]

No one's mentioned one of the most important anti-spyware tactics yet... stop using IE, and don't run as administrator.

The setup I use on all the computers in my network:
F-Prot for antivirus (I like the small footprint),
MS ASW & Hijackthis for spyware (not run at startup, on demand only),
Firefox with Adblock extension,
any personal user accounts are not administrators.
In IE I disable ActiveX and set the java security to high. I don't disable it completely, but I make IE hard to find.
My router acts as a full statefull firewall, so I don't use any software firewalls.

I run the antispyware stuff about once a week or so, just to check things out. Haven't actually had any spyware on my computers for months now, even with kids browsing the web with them.
I agree with Spybot and Adaware also being good products. The rest of the anti-spyware products mentioned are crap IMHO. I recomend not using them. I believe some of those products are simply useless money-making gimmicks, and others are actually in cahoots with spyware vendors to "ignore" certain spyware apps. But then I'm paranoid about this stuff.

 

[jim532]

Here's how I protect my PC's
AVG anti-virus
Sygate personel firewall
Spybot
Adaware
Microsoft Anti-Spyware
performance has not been hindered yet.
and when i run into spyware problems that I have hard time with i'll temporarily install Ewido and Webroot Software's SpySweeper. Also run CCleaner once in a while.

 

[porkchopexpress]

What jasen says about using restricted user accounts is excellent advice, i run as that whenever possible and it can prevent alot of problems.

I would however recommend the use of the XP SP2 firewall if you have it and run Active Directory, most of the companies that we're badley hit by worms in the past had perimiter firewalls but this doesn't help when road staff bring their laptops on site. If they had used software firewalls then this wouldn't of happened, i predict this to be a standard config on windows networks in future.

I would still run a software firewall for personal use.