crap cleaner

Hi,

I have used AVG for many years and never a problem.
I also think Windows Firewall is good enough, but if you choose to use
another, do not run them both.

--
All the best,
SG
How to Write a Newsgroup Post:
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Usenet



"walt" wrote in message
...
Thanks to all for all the advice and help.
Yes I am sure that it says it's expired because there is a big red X on
the Norton Icon. When I go and check the subscription it comes back and
says it is not expired and will work again. I think I will look into the
Avast program.
Isn't the Windows Firewall a good enough Firewall? If not, what is
recommended?
"JS" @ wrote in message ...
Are you sure it has expired or it 'Will Expire', Norton usually starts
warning you about 30 days in advance.

JS

"walt" wrote in message
...
I am having "issues" with the Norton. Keeps telling me that my
subscription is "expired" when it isn't. There "tech support (through
email) can't figure it out? What would you recommend to replace it? I
also use adaware, spybot, spywareblaster and Tune Up Utilities. I have
rebates on the Norton so would only be out about 5 bucks.
"SG" wrote in message
...
Hi,

The first crap I'd get rid of is your Norton AntiVirus 2008
Nuf Said

--
All the best,
SG
How to Write a Newsgroup Post:
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Usenet


"walt" wrote in message
news Is this program good and safe to use. WindowsXP Home SP2 Norton
AntiVirus 2008

snip
Conversation in its entirety:
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...dbee82990e53bf



walt wrote:
snip
Isn't the Windows Firewall a good enough Firewall? If not, what is
recommended?

JS wrote:
No Windows firewall is not good enough, see Zone Alarm (free) or
others at: http://www.firewallguide.com/software.htm

I disagree with that answer in this situation.

I have reviewed the entire thread and stating outright that the Windows XP
SP2 Firewall is not good enough I believe is a careless statement based off
nothing. From what has been said in this thread - one cannot make the
conclusion that the Windows XP SP2 Firewall is not sufficient for this
particular user. Statements like that are what likely cause some people to
panic and purchase 'All-in-One' suites like those from Norton/McAfee - that
often do more damage than good (in terms of resource utilization vs.
protection they give) and have so many features - they end up confusing the
user more than helping.

walt,

We would need to know more about your configuration in order to make a valid
suggestion. For example:

- How do you currently connect to the Internet?
- If by 'high-speed Internet' such as Cable Modem, DSL, Satellite - is there
a router (netgear, linksys, d-link or even one provided by the ISP) that
separates you from the Internet and allows you to utilize more than one
computer on said connection (by ethernet cable or wireless?)
- How many users utilize your computer?
- Do you utilize an administrative level account for your daily activities -
or have you created a 'limited user' to use daily - only logging in with
administrative rights when you need to install/remove software/etc?


In my experience - if you do have an Internet router that already provides
NAT (which is some level of protection between yourself and the
Internet) -- then the Windows Firewall is more than sufficient (in some
cases - the Windows Firewall is more than sufficient even without the
router - but the router definitely puts it over the edge.) The Windows
XPSP2 firewall is not a 'true' firewall by some definitions- because it
monitors incoming traffic - not outgoing. So if you infest yourself with
something and it secretly starts communicating with the outside world - you
may not know. However - if you utilize common computing sense - the chances
of you getting infested with anything drop considerably.

If you want to learn a bit about cleaning up and properly maintaining and
securing what you have, I suggest going through this list of tips and doing
so. You'll come out WAY ahead as far as your computer's (and thus your
data, etc) safety and security.

Microsoft has these suggestions for Protecting your computer from the
various things that could happen to you/it:

Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/

Outfitting an XP computer for the Net
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/com...nced/xppc.mspx

Getting started with a new PC
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/moredone/yournewpc.mspx

Although those tips are fantastic, there are many things you should
know above and beyond that. Below I have detailed out many tips
that can not only help you clean-up a problem PC but keep it clean,
secure and running at its best.

I know this text can seem intimidating - it is quite long and a lot
to take in for a novice - however I can assure you that one pass
through this list and you will understand your computer and the
options available to you for protecting your data much better -
and that the next time you go through these steps, the time it
takes will be greatly reduced - since many things can be setup
to automatically protect you.

Let's take the cleanup/securing of your computer step-by-step.
Yes, it will take up some of your time - but consider what you use
your computer for and how much you would dislike it if all of your
stuff on your computer went away because you did not "feel like"
performing some simple maintenance tasks - think of it like taking
out your garbage, collecting and sorting your postal mail, paying
your bills on time, etc.

Now is a great time to point you to one of the easiest ways to find
information on problems you may be having and solutions others have found:

Search using Google!
http://www.google.com/
(How-to: http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/basics.html )


Now, let's go through some maintenance first that should only have to be
done once (for the most part):

Tip (1):
Locate all of the software you have installed on your computer.
(the installation media - CDs, downloaded files, etc)
Collect these CD/DVDs and files together in a central and safe
place along with their CD keys and such. Make backups of these
installation media sets using your favorite copying method (CD/DVD Burner
and application, Disk copier, etc.) You'll be glad to know that if you
have a CD/DVD burner, you may be able to use a free application to make a
duplicate copy of your CDs. One such application is ISORecorder:

ISORecorder page (with general instructions on use):
http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm

More full function applications (free) for CD/DVD burning would be:

CDBurnerXP Pro
http://www.cdburnerxp.se/

DeepBurner Free
http://www.deepburner.com/

ImgBurn (burn ISO images)
http://www.imgburn.com/

Final Burner Free
http://www.protectedsoft.com/descr_fb.php

BWGBurn
http://sourceforge.net/projects/bwgburn

BurnAware FREE Edition
http://www.glorylogic.com/

Another Option would be to search the web with Pricewatch.com or
Dealsites.net and find deals on Products like Ahead Nero and/or Roxio.

Ahead Nero
http://www.nero.com/

Roxio Easy Media Creator
http://www.roxio.com/

Tip (2):
Empty your Temporary Internet Files and shrink the size it stores to a
size between 128MB and 256MB..

- Open ONE copy of Internet Explorer.
- Select TOOLS - Internet Options.
- Under the General tab in the "Temporary Internet Files" section, do the
following:
- Click on "Delete Cookies" (click OK)
- Click on "Settings" and change the "Amount of disk space to use:" to
something between 128MB and 256MB.
- Click OK.
- Click on "Delete Files" and select to "Delete all offline contents"
(the checkbox) and click OK. (If you had a LOT, this could take 2-10
minutes or more.)
- Once it is done, click OK, close Internet Explorer, re-open Internet
Explorer.

Tip (3):
If things are running a bit sluggish and/or you have an older system
(1.8GHz or less and less than 512MB RAM) then you may want to look into
tweaking the performance by turning off some of the 'resource hogging'
Windows XP "prettifications". The fastest method is:

Control Panel -- System -- Advanced tab -- Performance section,
Settings button. Then choose "adjust for best performance" and you
now have a Windows 2000/98 look which turned off most of the annoying
"prettifications" in one swift action. You can play with the last
three checkboxes to get more of an XP look without many of the
other annoyances. You could also grab and install/use one
(or more) of the Microsoft Powertoys - TweakUI in particular:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/d...powertoys.mspx

Another viable (decently inexpensive) option is to increase the amount
of memory (RAM) your computer has. You can get an idea of what you
need by visiting:

Crucial Memory Advisor™ Tool
http://www.crucial.com/

Then either buy direct from there or write down the specs you get and
visit: http://www.pricewatch.com/ and locate the best price on what you
need. 512MB up to 1GB total memory should be more than enough for
the normal home user.

Tip (4):
Understanding what a good password might be is vital to your
personal and system security. You may think you do not need to password
your home computer, as you may have it in a locked area (your home) where
no one else has access to it. Remember, however, you aren't always
"in that locked area" when using your computer online - meaning you likely
have usernames and passwords associated with web sites and the likes that
you would prefer other people do not discover/use. This is why you should
understand and utilize good passwords.

Good passwords are those that meet these general rules
(mileage may vary):

Passwords should contain at least six characters, and the character
string should contain at least three of these four character types:
- uppercase letters
- lowercase letters
- numerals
- nonalphanumeric characters (e.g., *, %, &, !,

Passwords should not contain your name/username.
Passwords should be unique to you and easy to remember.

One method many people are using today is to make up a phrase that
describes a point in their life and then turning that phrase into their
password by using only certain letters out of each word in that phrase.
It's much better than using your birthday month/year or your anniversary
in a pure sense. For example, let's say my phrase is:
'Great Thanksgiving in 2007!'
I could come up with this password from that:
'Gr8Thanksgiving2007!'

The password tip is in the one time section, but I highly
recommend you periodically change your passwords. The suggested time
varies, but I will throw out a 'once in every 3 to 6 months for
every account you have.'

Also - many people complain that they just cannot remember the passwords
for all the sites they have - so they choose one password and use it for
everything. Not a good idea. A much better method would be to use a
Password Management tool - so you only have to remember one password,
but it opens an application that stores your username/passwords for
everything else - plus other valuable information. One that I can
recommend:

KeePass Password Safe
http://keepass.sourceforge.net/

It can even generate passwords for you.


Tip (5):
This tip is also 'questionable' in the one time section; however -
if properly setup - this one can be pretty well ignored for most people
after the initial 'fiddle-with' time.

Why you should use a computer firewall..
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/com.../choosing.mspx

You should, in some way, use a firewall. Hardware (like a nice
Cable Modem/DSL router) or software is up to you. Many use both of
these. The simplest one to use is the hardware one, as most people
don't do anything that they will need to configure their NAT device
for and those who do certainly will not mind fiddling with the equipment
to make things work for them. Next in the line of simplicity would
have to be the built-in Windows Firewall of Windows XP. In SP2 it
is turned on by default. It is not difficult to turn on in any
case, however:

More information on the Internet Connection Firewall (Pre-SP2):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320855

Post-SP2 Windows Firewall Information/guidance:
http://snipurl.com/atal

The trouble with the Windows Firewall is that it only keeps things
out. For most people who maintain their system in other ways, this is
MORE than sufficient. You may feel otherwise. If you want to
know when one of your applications is trying to obtain access to the
outside world so you can stop it, then you will have to install a
third-party application and configure/maintain it. I have compiled a
list with links of some of the better known/free firewalls you can choose
from:

Comodo Free Fireall (Free)
http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/

Jetico Personal Firewall (Free)
http://www.jetico.com/index.htm#/jpfirewall.htm

Outpost Firewall from Agnitum (Free and up)
http://www.agnitum.com/products/outpostfree/

Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall (KPF) (Free and up)
http://www.kerio.com/kpf_download.html

ZoneAlarm (Free and up)
http://www.zonelabs.com/

You should find the right firewall for your situation in that
list and set it up if you feel the Windows XP firewall is
insufficient.

Every firewall WILL require some maintenance. Essentially checking for
patches or upgrades (this goes for hardware and software solutions) is
the extent of this maintenance - you may also have to configure your
firewall to allow some traffic depending on your needs.

** Don't stack the software firewalls! Running more than one software
firewall will not make you safer - it would possibly negate some
protection you gleamed from one or the other firewall you run. It is
fine (and in many ways better) to have the software firewall as well
as a NAT router.


Now that you have some of the more basic things down..
Let's go through some of the steps you should take periodically to
maintain a healthy and stable windows computer. If you have not
done some of these things in the past, they may seem tedious - however,
they will become routine and some can even be scheduled.


Tip (6):
The system restore feature is only a useful feature if you keep it
maintained and use it to your advantage. Remember that the system
restore pretty much tells you in the name what it protects which is
'system' files. Your documents, your pictures, your stuff is NOT
system files - so you should also look into some backup solution.

Whenever you think about it (after doing a once-over on your machine
once a month or so would be optimal) - clear out your System Restore
and create a manual restoration point.

'Why?'

Too many times have I seen the system restore files go corrupt or get
a virus in them, meaning you could not or did not want to restore from
them. By clearing it out periodically you help prevent any corruption
from happening and you make sure you have at least one good "snapshot".
(*This, of course, will erase any previous restore point you have.*)

- Turn off System Restore.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310405
- Reboot the Computer.
- Review the first bullet to turn on System Restore
- Make a Manual Restoration Point.
http://snipurl.com/68nx

Don't want to remove ALL the system restore points? Don't. Simply
utilize "Disk Cleanup" (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312) to
remove all but the last system restore point.

Also - I suggest changing how much space System Restore can utilize.
When it was first released, Windows XP didn't have to deal with hard
disk drives of quite the bulk of today's drives. So, it may be a bit
ambitious in setting the System Restore sizing. I personally suggest
you set it to approximately 1GB, total.

See "Disk Space for System Restore" on how to change this:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...w_03may19.mspx

That covers your system files, but doesn't do anything for the files
that you are REALLY worried about - yours! For that you need to look
into backups. You can either manually copy your important files, folders,
documents, spreadsheets, emails, contacts, pictures, drawings and so on
to an external location (CD/DVD - any disk of some sort, etc) or you can
use the backup tool that comes with Windows XP:

How To Use Backup to Back Up Files and Folders on Your Computer
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308422

Yes - you still need some sort of external media to store the results
on, but you could schedule the backup to occur when you are not around,
then burn the resultant data onto CD or DVD or something when you are
(while you do other things!)

Another option that seems to still be going strong:

Cobian Backup
http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cobianbackup.htm

A lot of people have wondered about how to completely backup their system
so that they would not have to go through the trouble of a reinstall..
I'm going to voice my opinion here and say that it would be worthless to
do for MOST people. Unless you plan on periodically updating the image
backup of your system (remaking it) - then by the time you use it
(something goes wrong) - it will be so outdated as to be more trouble than
performing a full install of the operating system and all applications.

Having said my part against it, you can clone/backup your hard drive
completely using many methods - by far the simplest are using disk cloning
applications:

Symantec/Norton Ghost
http://snipurl.com/13e00

Acronis True Image
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing...cts/trueimage/

BootIt NG
http://terabyteunlimited.com/bootitng.html

Tip (7):
You should sometimes look through the list of applications that are
installed on your computer. The list may surprise you. There are more
than likely things in there you know you never use - so why have them
there? There may even be things you know you did *not* install and
certainly do not use (maybe don't WANT to use.)

This web site should help you get started at looking through this list:

How to Uninstall Programs
http://snipurl.com/8v6b

How to change or remove a program in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307895

A word of warning - Do NOT uninstall anything you think you MIGHT need
in the future unless you have completed Tip (1) and have the installation
media and proper keys for use backed up somewhere safe!

Tip (8):
Patches and Updates!

This one cannot be stressed enough. It is SO simple, yet so neglected
by many people. It is really simple for the critical Microsoft patches!
Microsoft put in an AUTOMATED feature for you to utilize so that you do
NOT have to worry yourself about the patching of the Operating System:

How to configure and use Automatic Updates in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306525

However, not everyone wants to be a slave to automation, and that is
fine. Admittedly, I prefer this method on some of my more critical
systems.

Windows Update
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

Go there and scan your machine for updates. Always get the critical ones
as you see them. Write down the KB###### or Q###### you see when
selecting the updates and if you have trouble over the next few days,
go into your control panel (Add/Remove Programs), insure that the
'Show Updates' checkbox is checked and match up the latest numbers you
downloaded recently (since you started noticing an issue) and uninstall
them. If there was more than one (usually is), uninstall them one by one
with a few hours of use in between, to see if the problem returns.
Yes - the process is not perfect (updating) and can cause trouble like I
mentioned - but as you can see, the solution isn't that bad - and is
MUCH better than the alternatives.

Windows is not the only product you likely have on your PC. The
manufacturers of the other products usually have updates. New versions
of almost everything come out all the time - some are free, some are pay
and some you can only download if you are registered - but it is best
to check. Just go to their web pages and look under their support and
download sections. For example, for Microsoft Office you should visit:

Microsoft Office Updates
http://office.microsoft.com/
(and select 'Downloads' for more - note that Microsoft Update does
handle MS Office products too.)

You also have hardware on your machine that requires drivers to interface
with the operating system. You have a video card that allows you to see on
your screen, a sound card that allows you to hear your PCs sound output and
so on. Visit those manufacturer web sites for the latest downloadable
drivers for your hardware/operating system. Always get the manufacturers'
hardware driver over any Microsoft offers. On the Windows Update site I
mentioned earlier, I suggest NOT getting their hardware drivers - no matter
how tempting.

How do you know what hardware you have in your computer? Break out the
invoice or if it is up and working now - take inventory:

Belarc Advisor
http://belarc.com/free_download.html

Once you know what you have, what next? Go get the latest driver for your
hardware/OS from the manufacturer's web page. For example, let's say you
have an NVidia chipset video card or ATI video card, perhaps a Creative
Labs sound card or C-Media chipset sound card...

NVidia Video Card Drivers
http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp

ATI Video Card Drivers
http://ati.amd.com/support/driver.html

Creative Labs Sound Device
http://us.creative.com/support/downloads/

C-Media Sound Device
http://www.cmedia.com.tw/?q=en/driver

Then install these drivers. Updated drivers are usually more stable and
may provide extra benefits/features that you really wished you had before.

As for Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP, Microsoft has made this
particular patch available in a number of ways. First, there is the
Windows Update web page above. Then there is a direct download site.

Direct Download of Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP
http://snipurl.com/8bqy

Order Windows XP Service Pack 2 on CD
http://snipurl.com/d41v

If all else fails - grab the full download above and try to use that.
In this case - consider yourself a 'IT professional or developer'.

Tip (9):
What about the dreaded word in the computer world, VIRUS?

Well, there are many products to choose from that will help you prevent
infections from these horrid little applications. Many are FREE to the
home user and which you choose is a matter of taste, really. Many people
have emotional attachments or performance issues with one or another
AntiVirus software. Try some out, read reviews and decide for yourself
which you like mo

( Good Comparison Page for AV softwa http://www.av-comparatives.org/ )

AntiVir (Free and up)
http://www.free-av.com/

avast! (Free and up)
http://www.avast.com/

AVG Anti-Virus System (Free and up)
http://free.grisoft.com/

eset NOD32 (~$39.00 and up)
http://www.eset.com/products/

Kaspersky Anti-Virus (~$39.95 and up)
http://www.kaspersky.com/kaspersky_anti-virus

McAfee VirusScan (~$39.99 and up)
http://www.mcafee.com/

Panda Antivirus (~$39.95 and up)
http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeuse...ons/antivirus/
(Free Online Scanner:
http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeuse...ns/activescan/)

Symantec (Norton) AntiVirus (~$39.99 and up)
http://snipurl.com/13e12

Trend Micro (~$44.95 and up)
http://us.trendmicro.com/us/products...are/index.html (Free Online Scanner: http://housecall.trendmicro.com/)Most of them have automatic update capabilities. You will have tolook into the features of the one you choose. Whatever one you finallysettle with - be SURE to keep it updated (I recommend at least daily) andperform a full scan periodically (yes, most protect you actively, but afull scan once a month at 4AM probably won't bother you.)Tip (10):The most rampant infestation at the current time concerns SPYWARE/ADWARE.You need to eliminate it from your machine.There is no one software that cleans and immunizes you againsteverything. Antivirus software - you only needed one. Firewall, youonly needed one. AntiSpyware - you will need several. I have a list andI recommend you use at least the first five.First - make sure you have NOT installed "Rogue AntiSpyware". There arepeople out there who created AntiSpyware products that actually installspyware of their own! You need to avoid these: Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware Products & Web Sites http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_...pyware.htmAlso, you can always visit this site.. http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htmFor more updated information.Install several of these: (Install, Run, Update, Scan with..)(If you already have one or more - uninstall them and download theLATEST version from the page given!) SuperAntiSpyware (Free and up) http://www.superantispyware.com/ Lavasoft Ad-Aware 2007 Free (Free and up) http://www.lavasoft.de/products/ad_aware_free.php (How-to: http://snipurl.com/atdn ) Spybot Search and Destroy (Free!) http://www.safer-networking.net/en/download/ (How-to: http://snipurl.com/atdk ) SpywareBlaster (Free!) http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/sbdownload.html (How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate6 ) CWShredder Stand-Alone (Free!) http://www.trendmicro.com/cwshredder/ Hijack This! (Free!) http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html (Log Analyzer: http://hjt.networktechs.com/ ) Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner (Free!) http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/ (How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate3 ) Ccleaner (Free!) http://www.ccleaner.com/ (I suggest the 'slim' version: http://www.ccleaner.com/download/builds ) Browser Security Tests (Free Tester) http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/ Popup Tester (Free Tester) http://www.popuptest.com/ The Cleaner (~$49.95 and up) http://www.moosoft.com/Sometimes you need to install the application and reboot into SAFE MODE inorder to thoroughly clean your computer. Many applications also have(or are) immunization applications. Spybot Search and Destroy andSpywareBlaster are two that currently do the best job at passivelyprotecting your system from malware. None of these programs (in theseeditions) run in the background unless you TELL them to. The space theytake up and how easy they are to use greatly makes up for any inconvenienceyou may be feeling.Please notice that Windows XP SP2 does help stop popups as well.Another option is to use an alternative Web browser. I suggest'Mozilla Firefox', as it has some great features and is very easy to use: Mozilla Firefox http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/This does not replace the need for the above applications and anoccassional scan of your system - but it does help somewhat.Also - Internet Explorer 7.x is much better with the security than6.x was. If you have not gone to Internet Explorer 7.0 and you are havingtrouble with spyware/adware - consider going now. Cleanup with thetools above *first* however.So your machine is pretty clean and up to date now. If you use the sectionsabove as a guide, it should stay that way! There are still a fewmore things you can do to keep your machine running in top shape.Tip (11):You should periodically check your hard drive(s) for errors and defragmentthem. Only defragment after you have cleaned up your machine ofoutside parasites and never defragment as a solution to a quirkiness inyour system. It may help speed up your system, but it should be cleanbefore you do this. Do these things IN ORDER... How to use Disk Cleanup http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312 How to scan your disks for errors http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265 How to Defragment your hard drives http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314848I would personally perform the above steps at least once every three months.For most people this should be sufficient, but if the difference you noticeafterwards is greater than you think it should be, lessen the time inbetween its schedule.. If the difference you notice is negligible, you canincrease the time.Tip (12):SPAM! JUNK MAIL!This one can get annoying, just like the rest. You get 50 emails in onesitting and 2 of them you wanted. NICE! (Not.) What can you do? Well,although there are services out there to help you, some emailservers/services that actually do lower your spam with features built intotheir servers - I still like the methods that let you be the end-decisionmaker on what is spam and what is not. I have a few products to suggestto you, look at them and see if any of them suite your needs. Again, ifthey don't, Google is free and available for your perusal. SpamBayes (Free!) http://spambayes.sourceforge.net/ Spamihilator (Free!) http://www.spamihilator.com/ MailWasher http://www.mailwasher.net/Another option - utilze some service that already does a FINE JOB oneliminating the spam from your mailbox (plus a number of other benefits.) Google Mail (gmail): http://www.gmail.com/ (Set it up for your email client of choice - using POP: http://mail.google.com/support/bin/a...y?answer=13273 ) Windows Live Hotmail (formerly just "Hotmail"): http://get.live.com/mail/optionsThere are many others. Email from anywhere with a computer, lots ofspace for your emails/attachments, free services and if you change ISPs -your email doesn't change!As I said, those are not your only options, but are reliable ones I haveseen function for hundreds+ people. Feel free to search for your ownsolutions!Tip (13):ADVANCED TIP! Only do this once you are comfortable under the hood of yourcomputer!There are lots of services on your PC that are probably turned on by defaultyou don't use. Why have them on? Check out these web pages to see what allof the services you might find on your computer are and set them accordingto your personal needs. Be CAREFUL what you set to manual, and take heedand write down as you change things! Also, don't expect a large performanceincrease or anything - especially on today's 2+ GHz machines, however - Ilook at each service you set to manual as one less service you have to worryabout someone exploiting. Service Configuration Tips http://www.tweakhound.com/xp/xptweaks/supertweaks6.htm Configuring Services http://smallvoid.com/tweak/winnt/services.html Task List Programs http://www.answersthatwork.com/Taskl...s/tasklist.htm Processes in Windows NT/2000/XP http://www.reger24.de/prozesse/There are also applications that AREN'T services that startup when you startup the computer/logon. One of the better description on how to handle theseI have found he Startups http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.phpIf you follow the advice laid out above (and do some of your own research aswell, so you understand what you are doing) - your computer will stay fairlystable and secure and you will have a more trouble-free system.--Shenan Stanley MS-MVP--How To Ask Questions The Smart Wayhttp://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

I have seen many of your posts (Shenan Stanley) and have followed and passed
on your comments. I respect all that give their opinions and hope to learn
from you all.
I use dial-up ISP do not have anything faster, live in a rural area. Only my
wife and I use the computer. Do not know alot about computers I guess just
enough to get myself in trouble at times (like now) Harry O. has helped with
a lot of things in the past. My wife surfs the net often but I try and keep
the spam blocked as best I can with the before mentioned software I also
have the "Google toolbar" My ISP is very good at filtering out spam from my
email. I use Outlook Express. I will have to read through all your tips
again as it has been a while since last read. I do use Google for my search
engine and home page. If you need anymore information let me know, and again
thanks for all the input from all.
"Shenan Stanley" wrote in message
...
snip
Conversation in its entirety:
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...dbee82990e53bf



walt wrote:
snip
Isn't the Windows Firewall a good enough Firewall? If not, what is
recommended?

JS wrote:
No Windows firewall is not good enough, see Zone Alarm (free) or
others at: http://www.firewallguide.com/software.htm

I disagree with that answer in this situation.

I have reviewed the entire thread and stating outright that the Windows XP
SP2 Firewall is not good enough I believe is a careless statement based
off nothing. From what has been said in this thread - one cannot make the
conclusion that the Windows XP SP2 Firewall is not sufficient for this
particular user. Statements like that are what likely cause some people
to panic and purchase 'All-in-One' suites like those from Norton/McAfee -
that often do more damage than good (in terms of resource utilization vs.
protection they give) and have so many features - they end up confusing
the user more than helping.

walt,

We would need to know more about your configuration in order to make a
valid suggestion. For example:

- How do you currently connect to the Internet?
- If by 'high-speed Internet' such as Cable Modem, DSL, Satellite - is
there a router (netgear, linksys, d-link or even one provided by the ISP)
that separates you from the Internet and allows you to utilize more than
one computer on said connection (by ethernet cable or wireless?)
- How many users utilize your computer?
- Do you utilize an administrative level account for your daily
activities - or have you created a 'limited user' to use daily - only
logging in with administrative rights when you need to install/remove
software/etc?


In my experience - if you do have an Internet router that already provides
NAT (which is some level of protection between yourself and the
Internet) -- then the Windows Firewall is more than sufficient (in some
cases - the Windows Firewall is more than sufficient even without the
router - but the router definitely puts it over the edge.) The Windows
XPSP2 firewall is not a 'true' firewall by some definitions- because it
monitors incoming traffic - not outgoing. So if you infest yourself with
something and it secretly starts communicating with the outside world -
you may not know. However - if you utilize common computing sense - the
chances of you getting infested with anything drop considerably.

If you want to learn a bit about cleaning up and properly maintaining and
securing what you have, I suggest going through this list of tips and
doing so. You'll come out WAY ahead as far as your computer's (and thus
your data, etc) safety and security.

Microsoft has these suggestions for Protecting your computer from the
various things that could happen to you/it:

Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/

Outfitting an XP computer for the Net
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/com...nced/xppc.mspx

Getting started with a new PC
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/moredone/yournewpc.mspx

Although those tips are fantastic, there are many things you should
know above and beyond that. Below I have detailed out many tips
that can not only help you clean-up a problem PC but keep it clean,
secure and running at its best.

I know this text can seem intimidating - it is quite long and a lot
to take in for a novice - however I can assure you that one pass
through this list and you will understand your computer and the
options available to you for protecting your data much better -
and that the next time you go through these steps, the time it
takes will be greatly reduced - since many things can be setup
to automatically protect you.

Let's take the cleanup/securing of your computer step-by-step.
Yes, it will take up some of your time - but consider what you use
your computer for and how much you would dislike it if all of your
stuff on your computer went away because you did not "feel like"
performing some simple maintenance tasks - think of it like taking
out your garbage, collecting and sorting your postal mail, paying
your bills on time, etc.

Now is a great time to point you to one of the easiest ways to find
information on problems you may be having and solutions others have found:

Search using Google!
http://www.google.com/
(How-to: http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/basics.html )


Now, let's go through some maintenance first that should only have to be
done once (for the most part):

Tip (1):
Locate all of the software you have installed on your computer.
(the installation media - CDs, downloaded files, etc)
Collect these CD/DVDs and files together in a central and safe
place along with their CD keys and such. Make backups of these
installation media sets using your favorite copying method (CD/DVD Burner
and application, Disk copier, etc.) You'll be glad to know that if you
have a CD/DVD burner, you may be able to use a free application to make a
duplicate copy of your CDs. One such application is ISORecorder:

ISORecorder page (with general instructions on use):
http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm

More full function applications (free) for CD/DVD burning would be:

CDBurnerXP Pro
http://www.cdburnerxp.se/

DeepBurner Free
http://www.deepburner.com/

ImgBurn (burn ISO images)
http://www.imgburn.com/

Final Burner Free
http://www.protectedsoft.com/descr_fb.php

BWGBurn
http://sourceforge.net/projects/bwgburn

BurnAware FREE Edition
http://www.glorylogic.com/

Another Option would be to search the web with Pricewatch.com or
Dealsites.net and find deals on Products like Ahead Nero and/or Roxio.

Ahead Nero
http://www.nero.com/

Roxio Easy Media Creator
http://www.roxio.com/

Tip (2):
Empty your Temporary Internet Files and shrink the size it stores to a
size between 128MB and 256MB..

- Open ONE copy of Internet Explorer.
- Select TOOLS - Internet Options.
- Under the General tab in the "Temporary Internet Files" section, do the
following:
- Click on "Delete Cookies" (click OK)
- Click on "Settings" and change the "Amount of disk space to use:" to
something between 128MB and 256MB.
- Click OK.
- Click on "Delete Files" and select to "Delete all offline contents"
(the checkbox) and click OK. (If you had a LOT, this could take 2-10
minutes or more.)
- Once it is done, click OK, close Internet Explorer, re-open Internet
Explorer.

Tip (3):
If things are running a bit sluggish and/or you have an older system
(1.8GHz or less and less than 512MB RAM) then you may want to look into
tweaking the performance by turning off some of the 'resource hogging'
Windows XP "prettifications". The fastest method is:

Control Panel -- System -- Advanced tab -- Performance section,
Settings button. Then choose "adjust for best performance" and you
now have a Windows 2000/98 look which turned off most of the annoying
"prettifications" in one swift action. You can play with the last
three checkboxes to get more of an XP look without many of the
other annoyances. You could also grab and install/use one
(or more) of the Microsoft Powertoys - TweakUI in particular:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/d...powertoys.mspx

Another viable (decently inexpensive) option is to increase the amount
of memory (RAM) your computer has. You can get an idea of what you
need by visiting:

Crucial Memory AdvisorT Tool
http://www.crucial.com/

Then either buy direct from there or write down the specs you get and
visit: http://www.pricewatch.com/ and locate the best price on what you
need. 512MB up to 1GB total memory should be more than enough for
the normal home user.

Tip (4):
Understanding what a good password might be is vital to your
personal and system security. You may think you do not need to password
your home computer, as you may have it in a locked area (your home) where
no one else has access to it. Remember, however, you aren't always
"in that locked area" when using your computer online - meaning you likely
have usernames and passwords associated with web sites and the likes that
you would prefer other people do not discover/use. This is why you should
understand and utilize good passwords.

Good passwords are those that meet these general rules
(mileage may vary):

Passwords should contain at least six characters, and the character
string should contain at least three of these four character types:
- uppercase letters
- lowercase letters
- numerals
- nonalphanumeric characters (e.g., *, %, &, !,

Passwords should not contain your name/username.
Passwords should be unique to you and easy to remember.

One method many people are using today is to make up a phrase that
describes a point in their life and then turning that phrase into their
password by using only certain letters out of each word in that phrase.
It's much better than using your birthday month/year or your anniversary
in a pure sense. For example, let's say my phrase is:
'Great Thanksgiving in 2007!'
I could come up with this password from that:
'Gr8Thanksgiving2007!'

The password tip is in the one time section, but I highly
recommend you periodically change your passwords. The suggested time
varies, but I will throw out a 'once in every 3 to 6 months for
every account you have.'

Also - many people complain that they just cannot remember the passwords
for all the sites they have - so they choose one password and use it for
everything. Not a good idea. A much better method would be to use a
Password Management tool - so you only have to remember one password,
but it opens an application that stores your username/passwords for
everything else - plus other valuable information. One that I can
recommend:

KeePass Password Safe
http://keepass.sourceforge.net/

It can even generate passwords for you.


Tip (5):
This tip is also 'questionable' in the one time section; however -
if properly setup - this one can be pretty well ignored for most people
after the initial 'fiddle-with' time.

Why you should use a computer firewall..
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/com.../choosing.mspx

You should, in some way, use a firewall. Hardware (like a nice
Cable Modem/DSL router) or software is up to you. Many use both of
these. The simplest one to use is the hardware one, as most people
don't do anything that they will need to configure their NAT device
for and those who do certainly will not mind fiddling with the equipment
to make things work for them. Next in the line of simplicity would
have to be the built-in Windows Firewall of Windows XP. In SP2 it
is turned on by default. It is not difficult to turn on in any
case, however:

More information on the Internet Connection Firewall (Pre-SP2):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320855

Post-SP2 Windows Firewall Information/guidance:
http://snipurl.com/atal

The trouble with the Windows Firewall is that it only keeps things
out. For most people who maintain their system in other ways, this is
MORE than sufficient. You may feel otherwise. If you want to
know when one of your applications is trying to obtain access to the
outside world so you can stop it, then you will have to install a
third-party application and configure/maintain it. I have compiled a
list with links of some of the better known/free firewalls you can choose
from:

Comodo Free Fireall (Free)
http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/

Jetico Personal Firewall (Free)
http://www.jetico.com/index.htm#/jpfirewall.htm

Outpost Firewall from Agnitum (Free and up)
http://www.agnitum.com/products/outpostfree/

Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall (KPF) (Free and up)
http://www.kerio.com/kpf_download.html

ZoneAlarm (Free and up)
http://www.zonelabs.com/

You should find the right firewall for your situation in that
list and set it up if you feel the Windows XP firewall is
insufficient.

Every firewall WILL require some maintenance. Essentially checking for
patches or upgrades (this goes for hardware and software solutions) is
the extent of this maintenance - you may also have to configure your
firewall to allow some traffic depending on your needs.

** Don't stack the software firewalls! Running more than one software
firewall will not make you safer - it would possibly negate some
protection you gleamed from one or the other firewall you run. It is
fine (and in many ways better) to have the software firewall as well
as a NAT router.


Now that you have some of the more basic things down..
Let's go through some of the steps you should take periodically to
maintain a healthy and stable windows computer. If you have not
done some of these things in the past, they may seem tedious - however,
they will become routine and some can even be scheduled.


Tip (6):
The system restore feature is only a useful feature if you keep it
maintained and use it to your advantage. Remember that the system
restore pretty much tells you in the name what it protects which is
'system' files. Your documents, your pictures, your stuff is NOT
system files - so you should also look into some backup solution.

Whenever you think about it (after doing a once-over on your machine
once a month or so would be optimal) - clear out your System Restore
and create a manual restoration point.

'Why?'

Too many times have I seen the system restore files go corrupt or get
a virus in them, meaning you could not or did not want to restore from
them. By clearing it out periodically you help prevent any corruption
from happening and you make sure you have at least one good "snapshot".
(*This, of course, will erase any previous restore point you have.*)

- Turn off System Restore.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310405
- Reboot the Computer.
- Review the first bullet to turn on System Restore
- Make a Manual Restoration Point.
http://snipurl.com/68nx

Don't want to remove ALL the system restore points? Don't. Simply
utilize "Disk Cleanup" (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312) to
remove all but the last system restore point.

Also - I suggest changing how much space System Restore can utilize.
When it was first released, Windows XP didn't have to deal with hard
disk drives of quite the bulk of today's drives. So, it may be a bit
ambitious in setting the System Restore sizing. I personally suggest
you set it to approximately 1GB, total.

See "Disk Space for System Restore" on how to change this:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...w_03may19.mspx

That covers your system files, but doesn't do anything for the files
that you are REALLY worried about - yours! For that you need to look
into backups. You can either manually copy your important files, folders,
documents, spreadsheets, emails, contacts, pictures, drawings and so on
to an external location (CD/DVD - any disk of some sort, etc) or you can
use the backup tool that comes with Windows XP:

How To Use Backup to Back Up Files and Folders on Your Computer
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308422

Yes - you still need some sort of external media to store the results
on, but you could schedule the backup to occur when you are not around,
then burn the resultant data onto CD or DVD or something when you are
(while you do other things!)

Another option that seems to still be going strong:

Cobian Backup
http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cobianbackup.htm

A lot of people have wondered about how to completely backup their system
so that they would not have to go through the trouble of a reinstall..
I'm going to voice my opinion here and say that it would be worthless to
do for MOST people. Unless you plan on periodically updating the image
backup of your system (remaking it) - then by the time you use it
(something goes wrong) - it will be so outdated as to be more trouble than
performing a full install of the operating system and all applications.

Having said my part against it, you can clone/backup your hard drive
completely using many methods - by far the simplest are using disk cloning
applications:

Symantec/Norton Ghost
http://snipurl.com/13e00

Acronis True Image
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing...cts/trueimage/

BootIt NG
http://terabyteunlimited.com/bootitng.html

Tip (7):
You should sometimes look through the list of applications that are
installed on your computer. The list may surprise you. There are more
than likely things in there you know you never use - so why have them
there? There may even be things you know you did *not* install and
certainly do not use (maybe don't WANT to use.)

This web site should help you get started at looking through this list:

How to Uninstall Programs
http://snipurl.com/8v6b

How to change or remove a program in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307895

A word of warning - Do NOT uninstall anything you think you MIGHT need
in the future unless you have completed Tip (1) and have the installation
media and proper keys for use backed up somewhere safe!

Tip (8):
Patches and Updates!

This one cannot be stressed enough. It is SO simple, yet so neglected
by many people. It is really simple for the critical Microsoft patches!
Microsoft put in an AUTOMATED feature for you to utilize so that you do
NOT have to worry yourself about the patching of the Operating System:

How to configure and use Automatic Updates in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306525

However, not everyone wants to be a slave to automation, and that is
fine. Admittedly, I prefer this method on some of my more critical
systems.

Windows Update
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

Go there and scan your machine for updates. Always get the critical ones
as you see them. Write down the KB###### or Q###### you see when
selecting the updates and if you have trouble over the next few days,
go into your control panel (Add/Remove Programs), insure that the
'Show Updates' checkbox is checked and match up the latest numbers you
downloaded recently (since you started noticing an issue) and uninstall
them. If there was more than one (usually is), uninstall them one by one
with a few hours of use in between, to see if the problem returns.
Yes - the process is not perfect (updating) and can cause trouble like I
mentioned - but as you can see, the solution isn't that bad - and is
MUCH better than the alternatives.

Windows is not the only product you likely have on your PC. The
manufacturers of the other products usually have updates. New versions
of almost everything come out all the time - some are free, some are pay
and some you can only download if you are registered - but it is best
to check. Just go to their web pages and look under their support and
download sections. For example, for Microsoft Office you should visit:

Microsoft Office Updates
http://office.microsoft.com/
(and select 'Downloads' for more - note that Microsoft Update does
handle MS Office products too.)

You also have hardware on your machine that requires drivers to interface
with the operating system. You have a video card that allows you to see
on
your screen, a sound card that allows you to hear your PCs sound output
and
so on. Visit those manufacturer web sites for the latest downloadable
drivers for your hardware/operating system. Always get the manufacturers'
hardware driver over any Microsoft offers. On the Windows Update site I
mentioned earlier, I suggest NOT getting their hardware drivers - no
matter
how tempting.

How do you know what hardware you have in your computer? Break out the
invoice or if it is up and working now - take inventory:

Belarc Advisor
http://belarc.com/free_download.html

Once you know what you have, what next? Go get the latest driver for your
hardware/OS from the manufacturer's web page. For example, let's say you
have an NVidia chipset video card or ATI video card, perhaps a Creative
Labs sound card or C-Media chipset sound card...

NVidia Video Card Drivers
http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp

ATI Video Card Drivers
http://ati.amd.com/support/driver.html

Creative Labs Sound Device
http://us.creative.com/support/downloads/

C-Media Sound Device
http://www.cmedia.com.tw/?q=en/driver

Then install these drivers. Updated drivers are usually more stable and
may provide extra benefits/features that you really wished you had before.

As for Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP, Microsoft has made this
particular patch available in a number of ways. First, there is the
Windows Update web page above. Then there is a direct download site.

Direct Download of Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP
http://snipurl.com/8bqy

Order Windows XP Service Pack 2 on CD
http://snipurl.com/d41v

If all else fails - grab the full download above and try to use that.
In this case - consider yourself a 'IT professional or developer'.

Tip (9):
What about the dreaded word in the computer world, VIRUS?

Well, there are many products to choose from that will help you prevent
infections from these horrid little applications. Many are FREE to the
home user and which you choose is a matter of taste, really. Many people
have emotional attachments or performance issues with one or another
AntiVirus software. Try some out, read reviews and decide for yourself
which you like mo

( Good Comparison Page for AV softwa http://www.av-comparatives.org/ )

AntiVir (Free and up)
http://www.free-av.com/

avast! (Free and up)
http://www.avast.com/

AVG Anti-Virus System (Free and up)
http://free.grisoft.com/

eset NOD32 (~$39.00 and up)
http://www.eset.com/products/

Kaspersky Anti-Virus (~$39.95 and up)
http://www.kaspersky.com/kaspersky_anti-virus

McAfee VirusScan (~$39.99 and up)
http://www.mcafee.com/

Panda Antivirus (~$39.95 and up)
http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeuse...ons/antivirus/
(Free Online Scanner:
http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeuse...ns/activescan/)

Symantec (Norton) AntiVirus (~$39.99 and up)
http://snipurl.com/13e12

Trend Micro (~$44.95 and up)
http://us.trendmicro.com/us/products...are/index.html
(Free Online Scanner: http://housecall.trendmicro.com/)Most of them have
automatic update capabilities. You will have tolook into the features of
the one you choose. Whatever one you finallysettle with - be SURE to keep
it updated (I recommend at least daily) andperform a full scan
periodically (yes, most protect you actively, but afull scan once a month
at 4AM probably won't bother you.)Tip (10):The most rampant infestation at
the current time concerns SPYWARE/ADWARE.You need to eliminate it from
your machine.There is no one software that cleans and immunizes you
againsteverything. Antivirus software - you only needed one. Firewall,
youonly needed one. AntiSpyware - you will need several. I have a list
andI recommend you use at least the first five.First - make sure you have
NOT installed "Rogue AntiSpyware". There arepeople out there who created
AntiSpyware products that actually installspyware of their own! You need
to avoid these: Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware Products & Web Sites
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_...pyware.htmAlso, you can always
visit this site.. http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htmFor more updated
information.Install several of these: (Install, Run, Update, Scan
with..)(If you already have one or more - uninstall them and download
theLATEST version from the page given!) SuperAntiSpyware (Free and up)
http://www.superantispyware.com/ Lavasoft Ad-Aware 2007 Free (Free and up)
http://www.lavasoft.de/products/ad_aware_free.php (How-to:
http://snipurl.com/atdn ) Spybot Search and Destroy (Free!)
http://www.safer-networking.net/en/download/ (How-to:
http://snipurl.com/atdk ) SpywareBlaster (Free!)
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/sbdownload.html (How-to:
http://snipurl.com/ate6 ) CWShredder Stand-Alone (Free!)
http://www.trendmicro.com/cwshredder/ Hijack This! (Free!)
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html (Log Analyzer:
http://hjt.networktechs.com/ ) Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner (Free!)
http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/ (How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate3 )
Ccleaner (Free!) http://www.ccleaner.com/ (I suggest the 'slim' version:
http://www.ccleaner.com/download/builds ) Browser Security Tests (Free
Tester) http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/ Popup Tester (Free
Tester) http://www.popuptest.com/ The Cleaner (~$49.95 and up)
http://www.moosoft.com/Sometimes you need to install the application and
reboot into SAFE MODE inorder to thoroughly clean your computer. Many
applications also have(or are) immunization applications. Spybot Search
and Destroy andSpywareBlaster are two that currently do the best job at
passivelyprotecting your system from malware. None of these programs (in
theseeditions) run in the background unless you TELL them to. The space
theytake up and how easy they are to use greatly makes up for any
inconvenienceyou may be feeling.Please notice that Windows XP SP2 does
help stop popups as well.Another option is to use an alternative Web
browser. I suggest'Mozilla Firefox', as it has some great features and is
very easy to use: Mozilla Firefox http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/This does
not replace the need for the above applications and anoccassional scan of
your system - but it does help somewhat.Also - Internet Explorer 7.x is
much better with the security than6.x was. If you have not gone to
Internet Explorer 7.0 and you are havingtrouble with spyware/adware -
consider going now. Cleanup with thetools above *first* however.So your
machine is pretty clean and up to date now. If you use the sectionsabove
as a guide, it should stay that way! There are still a fewmore things you
can do to keep your machine running in top shape.Tip (11):You should
periodically check your hard drive(s) for errors and defragmentthem. Only
defragment after you have cleaned up your machine ofoutside parasites and
never defragment as a solution to a quirkiness inyour system. It may help
speed up your system, but it should be cleanbefore you do this. Do these
things IN ORDER... How to use Disk Cleanup
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312 How to scan your disks for errors
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265 How to Defragment your hard drives
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314848I would personally perform the above
steps at least once every three months.For most people this should be
sufficient, but if the difference you noticeafterwards is greater than you
think it should be, lessen the time inbetween its schedule.. If the
difference you notice is negligible, you canincrease the time.Tip
(12):SPAM! JUNK MAIL!This one can get annoying, just like the rest. You
get 50 emails in onesitting and 2 of them you wanted. NICE! (Not.) What
can you do? Well,although there are services out there to help you, some
emailservers/services that actually do lower your spam with features built
intotheir servers - I still like the methods that let you be the
end-decisionmaker on what is spam and what is not. I have a few products
to suggestto you, look at them and see if any of them suite your needs.
Again, ifthey don't, Google is free and available for your perusal.
SpamBayes (Free!) http://spambayes.sourceforge.net/ Spamihilator (Free!)
http://www.spamihilator.com/ MailWasher http://www.mailwasher.net/Another
option - utilze some service that already does a FINE JOB oneliminating
the spam from your mailbox (plus a number of other benefits.) Google Mail
(gmail): http://www.gmail.com/ (Set it up for your email client of
choice - using POP:
http://mail.google.com/support/bin/a...y?answer=13273 ) Windows Live
Hotmail (formerly just "Hotmail"): http://get.live.com/mail/optionsThere
are many others. Email from anywhere with a computer, lots ofspace for
your emails/attachments, free services and if you change ISPs -your email
doesn't change!As I said, those are not your only options, but are
reliable ones I haveseen function for hundreds+ people. Feel free to
search for your ownsolutions!Tip (13):ADVANCED TIP! Only do this once you
are comfortable under the hood of yourcomputer!There are lots of services
on your PC that are probably turned on by defaultyou don't use. Why have
them on? Check out these web pages to see what allof the services you
might find on your computer are and set them accordingto your personal
needs. Be CAREFUL what you set to manual, and take heedand write down as
you change things! Also, don't expect a large performanceincrease or
anything - especially on today's 2+ GHz machines, however - Ilook at each
service you set to manual as one less service you have to worryabout
someone exploiting. Service Configuration Tips
http://www.tweakhound.com/xp/xptweaks/supertweaks6.htm Configuring
Services http://smallvoid.com/tweak/winnt/services.html Task List Programs
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Taskl...s/tasklist.htm Processes in
Windows NT/2000/XP http://www.reger24.de/prozesse/There are also
applications that AREN'T services that startup when you startup the
computer/logon. One of the better description on how to handle theseI
have found he Startups
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.phpIf you follow the advice
laid out above (and do some of your own research aswell, so you understand
what you are doing) - your computer will stay fairlystable and secure and
you will have a more trouble-free system.--Shenan Stanley MS-MVP--How
To Ask Questions The Smart
Wayhttp://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Thank you for your help.
"SG" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I have used AVG for many years and never a problem.
I also think Windows Firewall is good enough, but if you choose to use
another, do not run them both.

--
All the best,
SG
How to Write a Newsgroup Post:
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Usenet



"walt" wrote in message
...
Thanks to all for all the advice and help.
Yes I am sure that it says it's expired because there is a big red X on
the Norton Icon. When I go and check the subscription it comes back and
says it is not expired and will work again. I think I will look into the
Avast program.
Isn't the Windows Firewall a good enough Firewall? If not, what is
recommended?
"JS" @ wrote in message ...
Are you sure it has expired or it 'Will Expire', Norton usually starts
warning you about 30 days in advance.

JS

"walt" wrote in message
...
I am having "issues" with the Norton. Keeps telling me that my
subscription is "expired" when it isn't. There "tech support (through
email) can't figure it out? What would you recommend to replace it? I
also use adaware, spybot, spywareblaster and Tune Up Utilities. I have
rebates on the Norton so would only be out about 5 bucks.
"SG" wrote in message
...
Hi,

The first crap I'd get rid of is your Norton AntiVirus 2008
Nuf Said

--
All the best,
SG
How to Write a Newsgroup Post:
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Usenet


"walt" wrote in message
news Is this program good and safe to use. WindowsXP Home SP2 Norton
AntiVirus 2008

I did not recommend "All-in-One" software, just a better firewall. I like to
know what is trying to communicate to the Internet in both directions. No
software (legitimate or otherwise) should have cart blanch ability to send
anything from my PC to who knows where without my permission!

JS

"Shenan Stanley" wrote in message
...
snip
Conversation in its entirety:
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...dbee82990e53bf



walt wrote:
snip
Isn't the Windows Firewall a good enough Firewall? If not, what is
recommended?

JS wrote:
No Windows firewall is not good enough, see Zone Alarm (free) or
others at: http://www.firewallguide.com/software.htm

I disagree with that answer in this situation.

I have reviewed the entire thread and stating outright that the Windows XP
SP2 Firewall is not good enough I believe is a careless statement based
off nothing. From what has been said in this thread - one cannot make the
conclusion that the Windows XP SP2 Firewall is not sufficient for this
particular user. Statements like that are what likely cause some people
to panic and purchase 'All-in-One' suites like those from Norton/McAfee -
that often do more damage than good (in terms of resource utilization vs.
protection they give) and have so many features - they end up confusing
the user more than helping.

walt,

We would need to know more about your configuration in order to make a
valid suggestion. For example:

- How do you currently connect to the Internet?
- If by 'high-speed Internet' such as Cable Modem, DSL, Satellite - is
there a router (netgear, linksys, d-link or even one provided by the ISP)
that separates you from the Internet and allows you to utilize more than
one computer on said connection (by ethernet cable or wireless?)
- How many users utilize your computer?
- Do you utilize an administrative level account for your daily
activities - or have you created a 'limited user' to use daily - only
logging in with administrative rights when you need to install/remove
software/etc?


In my experience - if you do have an Internet router that already provides
NAT (which is some level of protection between yourself and the
Internet) -- then the Windows Firewall is more than sufficient (in some
cases - the Windows Firewall is more than sufficient even without the
router - but the router definitely puts it over the edge.) The Windows
XPSP2 firewall is not a 'true' firewall by some definitions- because it
monitors incoming traffic - not outgoing. So if you infest yourself with
something and it secretly starts communicating with the outside world -
you may not know. However - if you utilize common computing sense - the
chances of you getting infested with anything drop considerably.

If you want to learn a bit about cleaning up and properly maintaining and
securing what you have, I suggest going through this list of tips and
doing so. You'll come out WAY ahead as far as your computer's (and thus
your data, etc) safety and security.

Microsoft has these suggestions for Protecting your computer from the
various things that could happen to you/it:

Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/

Outfitting an XP computer for the Net
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/com...nced/xppc.mspx

Getting started with a new PC
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/moredone/yournewpc.mspx

Although those tips are fantastic, there are many things you should
know above and beyond that. Below I have detailed out many tips
that can not only help you clean-up a problem PC but keep it clean,
secure and running at its best.

I know this text can seem intimidating - it is quite long and a lot
to take in for a novice - however I can assure you that one pass
through this list and you will understand your computer and the
options available to you for protecting your data much better -
and that the next time you go through these steps, the time it
takes will be greatly reduced - since many things can be setup
to automatically protect you.

Let's take the cleanup/securing of your computer step-by-step.
Yes, it will take up some of your time - but consider what you use
your computer for and how much you would dislike it if all of your
stuff on your computer went away because you did not "feel like"
performing some simple maintenance tasks - think of it like taking
out your garbage, collecting and sorting your postal mail, paying
your bills on time, etc.

Now is a great time to point you to one of the easiest ways to find
information on problems you may be having and solutions others have found:

Search using Google!
http://www.google.com/
(How-to: http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/basics.html )


Now, let's go through some maintenance first that should only have to be
done once (for the most part):

Tip (1):
Locate all of the software you have installed on your computer.
(the installation media - CDs, downloaded files, etc)
Collect these CD/DVDs and files together in a central and safe
place along with their CD keys and such. Make backups of these
installation media sets using your favorite copying method (CD/DVD Burner
and application, Disk copier, etc.) You'll be glad to know that if you
have a CD/DVD burner, you may be able to use a free application to make a
duplicate copy of your CDs. One such application is ISORecorder:

ISORecorder page (with general instructions on use):
http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm

More full function applications (free) for CD/DVD burning would be:

CDBurnerXP Pro
http://www.cdburnerxp.se/

DeepBurner Free
http://www.deepburner.com/

ImgBurn (burn ISO images)
http://www.imgburn.com/

Final Burner Free
http://www.protectedsoft.com/descr_fb.php

BWGBurn
http://sourceforge.net/projects/bwgburn

BurnAware FREE Edition
http://www.glorylogic.com/

Another Option would be to search the web with Pricewatch.com or
Dealsites.net and find deals on Products like Ahead Nero and/or Roxio.

Ahead Nero
http://www.nero.com/

Roxio Easy Media Creator
http://www.roxio.com/

Tip (2):
Empty your Temporary Internet Files and shrink the size it stores to a
size between 128MB and 256MB..

- Open ONE copy of Internet Explorer.
- Select TOOLS - Internet Options.
- Under the General tab in the "Temporary Internet Files" section, do the
following:
- Click on "Delete Cookies" (click OK)
- Click on "Settings" and change the "Amount of disk space to use:" to
something between 128MB and 256MB.
- Click OK.
- Click on "Delete Files" and select to "Delete all offline contents"
(the checkbox) and click OK. (If you had a LOT, this could take 2-10
minutes or more.)
- Once it is done, click OK, close Internet Explorer, re-open Internet
Explorer.

Tip (3):
If things are running a bit sluggish and/or you have an older system
(1.8GHz or less and less than 512MB RAM) then you may want to look into
tweaking the performance by turning off some of the 'resource hogging'
Windows XP "prettifications". The fastest method is:

Control Panel -- System -- Advanced tab -- Performance section,
Settings button. Then choose "adjust for best performance" and you
now have a Windows 2000/98 look which turned off most of the annoying
"prettifications" in one swift action. You can play with the last
three checkboxes to get more of an XP look without many of the
other annoyances. You could also grab and install/use one
(or more) of the Microsoft Powertoys - TweakUI in particular:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/d...powertoys.mspx

Another viable (decently inexpensive) option is to increase the amount
of memory (RAM) your computer has. You can get an idea of what you
need by visiting:

Crucial Memory AdvisorT Tool
http://www.crucial.com/

Then either buy direct from there or write down the specs you get and
visit: http://www.pricewatch.com/ and locate the best price on what you
need. 512MB up to 1GB total memory should be more than enough for
the normal home user.

Tip (4):
Understanding what a good password might be is vital to your
personal and system security. You may think you do not need to password
your home computer, as you may have it in a locked area (your home) where
no one else has access to it. Remember, however, you aren't always
"in that locked area" when using your computer online - meaning you likely
have usernames and passwords associated with web sites and the likes that
you would prefer other people do not discover/use. This is why you should
understand and utilize good passwords.

Good passwords are those that meet these general rules
(mileage may vary):

Passwords should contain at least six characters, and the character
string should contain at least three of these four character types:
- uppercase letters
- lowercase letters
- numerals
- nonalphanumeric characters (e.g., *, %, &, !,

Passwords should not contain your name/username.
Passwords should be unique to you and easy to remember.

One method many people are using today is to make up a phrase that
describes a point in their life and then turning that phrase into their
password by using only certain letters out of each word in that phrase.
It's much better than using your birthday month/year or your anniversary
in a pure sense. For example, let's say my phrase is:
'Great Thanksgiving in 2007!'
I could come up with this password from that:
'Gr8Thanksgiving2007!'

The password tip is in the one time section, but I highly
recommend you periodically change your passwords. The suggested time
varies, but I will throw out a 'once in every 3 to 6 months for
every account you have.'

Also - many people complain that they just cannot remember the passwords
for all the sites they have - so they choose one password and use it for
everything. Not a good idea. A much better method would be to use a
Password Management tool - so you only have to remember one password,
but it opens an application that stores your username/passwords for
everything else - plus other valuable information. One that I can
recommend:

KeePass Password Safe
http://keepass.sourceforge.net/

It can even generate passwords for you.


Tip (5):
This tip is also 'questionable' in the one time section; however -
if properly setup - this one can be pretty well ignored for most people
after the initial 'fiddle-with' time.

Why you should use a computer firewall..
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/com.../choosing.mspx

You should, in some way, use a firewall. Hardware (like a nice
Cable Modem/DSL router) or software is up to you. Many use both of
these. The simplest one to use is the hardware one, as most people
don't do anything that they will need to configure their NAT device
for and those who do certainly will not mind fiddling with the equipment
to make things work for them. Next in the line of simplicity would
have to be the built-in Windows Firewall of Windows XP. In SP2 it
is turned on by default. It is not difficult to turn on in any
case, however:

More information on the Internet Connection Firewall (Pre-SP2):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320855

Post-SP2 Windows Firewall Information/guidance:
http://snipurl.com/atal

The trouble with the Windows Firewall is that it only keeps things
out. For most people who maintain their system in other ways, this is
MORE than sufficient. You may feel otherwise. If you want to
know when one of your applications is trying to obtain access to the
outside world so you can stop it, then you will have to install a
third-party application and configure/maintain it. I have compiled a
list with links of some of the better known/free firewalls you can choose
from:

Comodo Free Fireall (Free)
http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/

Jetico Personal Firewall (Free)
http://www.jetico.com/index.htm#/jpfirewall.htm

Outpost Firewall from Agnitum (Free and up)
http://www.agnitum.com/products/outpostfree/

Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall (KPF) (Free and up)
http://www.kerio.com/kpf_download.html

ZoneAlarm (Free and up)
http://www.zonelabs.com/

You should find the right firewall for your situation in that
list and set it up if you feel the Windows XP firewall is
insufficient.

Every firewall WILL require some maintenance. Essentially checking for
patches or upgrades (this goes for hardware and software solutions) is
the extent of this maintenance - you may also have to configure your
firewall to allow some traffic depending on your needs.

** Don't stack the software firewalls! Running more than one software
firewall will not make you safer - it would possibly negate some
protection you gleamed from one or the other firewall you run. It is
fine (and in many ways better) to have the software firewall as well
as a NAT router.


Now that you have some of the more basic things down..
Let's go through some of the steps you should take periodically to
maintain a healthy and stable windows computer. If you have not
done some of these things in the past, they may seem tedious - however,
they will become routine and some can even be scheduled.


Tip (6):
The system restore feature is only a useful feature if you keep it
maintained and use it to your advantage. Remember that the system
restore pretty much tells you in the name what it protects which is
'system' files. Your documents, your pictures, your stuff is NOT
system files - so you should also look into some backup solution.

Whenever you think about it (after doing a once-over on your machine
once a month or so would be optimal) - clear out your System Restore
and create a manual restoration point.

'Why?'

Too many times have I seen the system restore files go corrupt or get
a virus in them, meaning you could not or did not want to restore from
them. By clearing it out periodically you help prevent any corruption
from happening and you make sure you have at least one good "snapshot".
(*This, of course, will erase any previous restore point you have.*)

- Turn off System Restore.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310405
- Reboot the Computer.
- Review the first bullet to turn on System Restore
- Make a Manual Restoration Point.
http://snipurl.com/68nx

Don't want to remove ALL the system restore points? Don't. Simply
utilize "Disk Cleanup" (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312) to
remove all but the last system restore point.

Also - I suggest changing how much space System Restore can utilize.
When it was first released, Windows XP didn't have to deal with hard
disk drives of quite the bulk of today's drives. So, it may be a bit
ambitious in setting the System Restore sizing. I personally suggest
you set it to approximately 1GB, total.

See "Disk Space for System Restore" on how to change this:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...w_03may19.mspx

That covers your system files, but doesn't do anything for the files
that you are REALLY worried about - yours! For that you need to look
into backups. You can either manually copy your important files, folders,
documents, spreadsheets, emails, contacts, pictures, drawings and so on
to an external location (CD/DVD - any disk of some sort, etc) or you can
use the backup tool that comes with Windows XP:

How To Use Backup to Back Up Files and Folders on Your Computer
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308422

Yes - you still need some sort of external media to store the results
on, but you could schedule the backup to occur when you are not around,
then burn the resultant data onto CD or DVD or something when you are
(while you do other things!)

Another option that seems to still be going strong:

Cobian Backup
http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cobianbackup.htm

A lot of people have wondered about how to completely backup their system
so that they would not have to go through the trouble of a reinstall..
I'm going to voice my opinion here and say that it would be worthless to
do for MOST people. Unless you plan on periodically updating the image
backup of your system (remaking it) - then by the time you use it
(something goes wrong) - it will be so outdated as to be more trouble than
performing a full install of the operating system and all applications.

Having said my part against it, you can clone/backup your hard drive
completely using many methods - by far the simplest are using disk cloning
applications:

Symantec/Norton Ghost
http://snipurl.com/13e00

Acronis True Image
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing...cts/trueimage/

BootIt NG
http://terabyteunlimited.com/bootitng.html

Tip (7):
You should sometimes look through the list of applications that are
installed on your computer. The list may surprise you. There are more
than likely things in there you know you never use - so why have them
there? There may even be things you know you did *not* install and
certainly do not use (maybe don't WANT to use.)

This web site should help you get started at looking through this list:

How to Uninstall Programs
http://snipurl.com/8v6b

How to change or remove a program in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307895

A word of warning - Do NOT uninstall anything you think you MIGHT need
in the future unless you have completed Tip (1) and have the installation
media and proper keys for use backed up somewhere safe!

Tip (8):
Patches and Updates!

This one cannot be stressed enough. It is SO simple, yet so neglected
by many people. It is really simple for the critical Microsoft patches!
Microsoft put in an AUTOMATED feature for you to utilize so that you do
NOT have to worry yourself about the patching of the Operating System:

How to configure and use Automatic Updates in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306525

However, not everyone wants to be a slave to automation, and that is
fine. Admittedly, I prefer this method on some of my more critical
systems.

Windows Update
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

Go there and scan your machine for updates. Always get the critical ones
as you see them. Write down the KB###### or Q###### you see when
selecting the updates and if you have trouble over the next few days,
go into your control panel (Add/Remove Programs), insure that the
'Show Updates' checkbox is checked and match up the latest numbers you
downloaded recently (since you started noticing an issue) and uninstall
them. If there was more than one (usually is), uninstall them one by one
with a few hours of use in between, to see if the problem returns.
Yes - the process is not perfect (updating) and can cause trouble like I
mentioned - but as you can see, the solution isn't that bad - and is
MUCH better than the alternatives.

Windows is not the only product you likely have on your PC. The
manufacturers of the other products usually have updates. New versions
of almost everything come out all the time - some are free, some are pay
and some you can only download if you are registered - but it is best
to check. Just go to their web pages and look under their support and
download sections. For example, for Microsoft Office you should visit:

Microsoft Office Updates
http://office.microsoft.com/
(and select 'Downloads' for more - note that Microsoft Update does
handle MS Office products too.)

You also have hardware on your machine that requires drivers to interface
with the operating system. You have a video card that allows you to see
on
your screen, a sound card that allows you to hear your PCs sound output
and
so on. Visit those manufacturer web sites for the latest downloadable
drivers for your hardware/operating system. Always get the manufacturers'
hardware driver over any Microsoft offers. On the Windows Update site I
mentioned earlier, I suggest NOT getting their hardware drivers - no
matter
how tempting.

How do you know what hardware you have in your computer? Break out the
invoice or if it is up and working now - take inventory:

Belarc Advisor
http://belarc.com/free_download.html

Once you know what you have, what next? Go get the latest driver for your
hardware/OS from the manufacturer's web page. For example, let's say you
have an NVidia chipset video card or ATI video card, perhaps a Creative
Labs sound card or C-Media chipset sound card...

NVidia Video Card Drivers
http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp

ATI Video Card Drivers
http://ati.amd.com/support/driver.html

Creative Labs Sound Device
http://us.creative.com/support/downloads/

C-Media Sound Device
http://www.cmedia.com.tw/?q=en/driver

Then install these drivers. Updated drivers are usually more stable and
may provide extra benefits/features that you really wished you had before.

As for Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP, Microsoft has made this
particular patch available in a number of ways. First, there is the
Windows Update web page above. Then there is a direct download site.

Direct Download of Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP
http://snipurl.com/8bqy

Order Windows XP Service Pack 2 on CD
http://snipurl.com/d41v

If all else fails - grab the full download above and try to use that.
In this case - consider yourself a 'IT professional or developer'.

Tip (9):
What about the dreaded word in the computer world, VIRUS?

Well, there are many products to choose from that will help you prevent
infections from these horrid little applications. Many are FREE to the
home user and which you choose is a matter of taste, really. Many people
have emotional attachments or performance issues with one or another
AntiVirus software. Try some out, read reviews and decide for yourself
which you like mo

( Good Comparison Page for AV softwa http://www.av-comparatives.org/ )

AntiVir (Free and up)
http://www.free-av.com/

avast! (Free and up)
http://www.avast.com/

AVG Anti-Virus System (Free and up)
http://free.grisoft.com/

eset NOD32 (~$39.00 and up)
http://www.eset.com/products/

Kaspersky Anti-Virus (~$39.95 and up)
http://www.kaspersky.com/kaspersky_anti-virus

McAfee VirusScan (~$39.99 and up)
http://www.mcafee.com/

Panda Antivirus (~$39.95 and up)
http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeuse...ons/antivirus/
(Free Online Scanner:
http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeuse...ns/activescan/)

Symantec (Norton) AntiVirus (~$39.99 and up)
http://snipurl.com/13e12

Trend Micro (~$44.95 and up)
http://us.trendmicro.com/us/products...are/index.html
(Free Online Scanner: http://housecall.trendmicro.com/)Most of them have
automatic update capabilities. You will have tolook into the features of
the one you choose. Whatever one you finallysettle with - be SURE to keep
it updated (I recommend at least daily) andperform a full scan
periodically (yes, most protect you actively, but afull scan once a month
at 4AM probably won't bother you.)Tip (10):The most rampant infestation at
the current time concerns SPYWARE/ADWARE.You need to eliminate it from
your machine.There is no one software that cleans and immunizes you
againsteverything. Antivirus software - you only needed one. Firewall,
youonly needed one. AntiSpyware - you will need several. I have a list
andI recommend you use at least the first five.First - make sure you have
NOT installed "Rogue AntiSpyware". There arepeople out there who created
AntiSpyware products that actually installspyware of their own! You need
to avoid these: Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware Products & Web Sites
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_...pyware.htmAlso, you can always
visit this site.. http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htmFor more updated
information.Install several of these: (Install, Run, Update, Scan
with..)(If you already have one or more - uninstall them and download
theLATEST version from the page given!) SuperAntiSpyware (Free and up)
http://www.superantispyware.com/ Lavasoft Ad-Aware 2007 Free (Free and up)
http://www.lavasoft.de/products/ad_aware_free.php (How-to:
http://snipurl.com/atdn ) Spybot Search and Destroy (Free!)
http://www.safer-networking.net/en/download/ (How-to:
http://snipurl.com/atdk ) SpywareBlaster (Free!)
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/sbdownload.html (How-to:
http://snipurl.com/ate6 ) CWShredder Stand-Alone (Free!)
http://www.trendmicro.com/cwshredder/ Hijack This! (Free!)
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html (Log Analyzer:
http://hjt.networktechs.com/ ) Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner (Free!)
http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/ (How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate3 )
Ccleaner (Free!) http://www.ccleaner.com/ (I suggest the 'slim' version:
http://www.ccleaner.com/download/builds ) Browser Security Tests (Free
Tester) http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/ Popup Tester (Free
Tester) http://www.popuptest.com/ The Cleaner (~$49.95 and up)
http://www.moosoft.com/Sometimes you need to install the application and
reboot into SAFE MODE inorder to thoroughly clean your computer. Many
applications also have(or are) immunization applications. Spybot Search
and Destroy andSpywareBlaster are two that currently do the best job at
passivelyprotecting your system from malware. None of these programs (in
theseeditions) run in the background unless you TELL them to. The space
theytake up and how easy they are to use greatly makes up for any
inconvenienceyou may be feeling.Please notice that Windows XP SP2 does
help stop popups as well.Another option is to use an alternative Web
browser. I suggest'Mozilla Firefox', as it has some great features and is
very easy to use: Mozilla Firefox http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/This does
not replace the need for the above applications and anoccassional scan of
your system - but it does help somewhat.Also - Internet Explorer 7.x is
much better with the security than6.x was. If you have not gone to
Internet Explorer 7.0 and you are havingtrouble with spyware/adware -
consider going now. Cleanup with thetools above *first* however.So your
machine is pretty clean and up to date now. If you use the sectionsabove
as a guide, it should stay that way! There are still a fewmore things you
can do to keep your machine running in top shape.Tip (11):You should
periodically check your hard drive(s) for errors and defragmentthem. Only
defragment after you have cleaned up your machine ofoutside parasites and
never defragment as a solution to a quirkiness inyour system. It may help
speed up your system, but it should be cleanbefore you do this. Do these
things IN ORDER... How to use Disk Cleanup
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312 How to scan your disks for errors
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265 How to Defragment your hard drives
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314848I would personally perform the above
steps at least once every three months.For most people this should be
sufficient, but if the difference you noticeafterwards is greater than you
think it should be, lessen the time inbetween its schedule.. If the
difference you notice is negligible, you canincrease the time.Tip
(12):SPAM! JUNK MAIL!This one can get annoying, just like the rest. You
get 50 emails in onesitting and 2 of them you wanted. NICE! (Not.) What
can you do? Well,although there are services out there to help you, some
emailservers/services that actually do lower your spam with features built
intotheir servers - I still like the methods that let you be the
end-decisionmaker on what is spam and what is not. I have a few products
to suggestto you, look at them and see if any of them suite your needs.
Again, ifthey don't, Google is free and available for your perusal.
SpamBayes (Free!) http://spambayes.sourceforge.net/ Spamihilator (Free!)
http://www.spamihilator.com/ MailWasher http://www.mailwasher.net/Another
option - utilze some service that already does a FINE JOB oneliminating
the spam from your mailbox (plus a number of other benefits.) Google Mail
(gmail): http://www.gmail.com/ (Set it up for your email client of
choice - using POP:
http://mail.google.com/support/bin/a...y?answer=13273 ) Windows Live
Hotmail (formerly just "Hotmail"): http://get.live.com/mail/optionsThere
are many others. Email from anywhere with a computer, lots ofspace for
your emails/attachments, free services and if you change ISPs -your email
doesn't change!As I said, those are not your only options, but are
reliable ones I haveseen function for hundreds+ people. Feel free to
search for your ownsolutions!Tip (13):ADVANCED TIP! Only do this once you
are comfortable under the hood of yourcomputer!There are lots of services
on your PC that are probably turned on by defaultyou don't use. Why have
them on? Check out these web pages to see what allof the services you
might find on your computer are and set them accordingto your personal
needs. Be CAREFUL what you set to manual, and take heedand write down as
you change things! Also, don't expect a large performanceincrease or
anything - especially on today's 2+ GHz machines, however - Ilook at each
service you set to manual as one less service you have to worryabout
someone exploiting. Service Configuration Tips
http://www.tweakhound.com/xp/xptweaks/supertweaks6.htm Configuring
Services http://smallvoid.com/tweak/winnt/services.html Task List Programs
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Taskl...s/tasklist.htm Processes in
Windows NT/2000/XP http://www.reger24.de/prozesse/There are also
applications that AREN'T services that startup when you startup the
computer/logon. One of the better description on how to handle theseI
have found he Startups
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.phpIf you follow the advice
laid out above (and do some of your own research aswell, so you understand
what you are doing) - your computer will stay fairlystable and secure and
you will have a more trouble-free system.--Shenan Stanley MS-MVP--How
To Ask Questions The Smart
Wayhttp://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

snip
Conversation in its entirety:
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...dbee82990e53bf


walt wrote:
snip
Isn't the Windows Firewall a good enough Firewall? If not, what is
recommended?

JS wrote:
No Windows firewall is not good enough, see Zone Alarm (free) or
others at: http://www.firewallguide.com/software.htm

Shenan wrote:
I disagree with that answer in this situation.

I have reviewed the entire thread and stating outright that the Windows XP
SP2 Firewall is not good enough I believe is a careless statement based
off nothing. From what has been said in this thread - one cannot make the
conclusion that the Windows XP SP2 Firewall is not sufficient for this
particular user. Statements like that are what likely cause some people
to panic and purchase 'All-in-One' suites like those from Norton/McAfee -
that often do more damage than good (in terms of resource utilization vs.
protection they give) and have so many features - they end up confusing
the user more than helping.

walt,

We would need to know more about your configuration in order to make a
valid suggestion. For example:

- How do you currently connect to the Internet?
- If by 'high-speed Internet' such as Cable Modem, DSL, Satellite - is
there a router (netgear, linksys, d-link or even one provided by the ISP)
that separates you from the Internet and allows you to utilize more than
one computer on said connection (by ethernet cable or wireless?)
- How many users utilize your computer?
- Do you utilize an administrative level account for your daily
activities - or have you created a 'limited user' to use daily - only
logging in with administrative rights when you need to install/remove
software/etc?


In my experience - if you do have an Internet router that already provides
NAT (which is some level of protection between yourself and the
Internet) -- then the Windows Firewall is more than sufficient (in some
cases - the Windows Firewall is more than sufficient even without the
router - but the router definitely puts it over the edge.) The Windows
XPSP2 firewall is not a 'true' firewall by some definitions- because it
monitors incoming traffic - not outgoing. So if you infest yourself with
something and it secretly starts communicating with the outside world -
you may not know. However - if you utilize common computing sense - the
chances of you getting infested with anything drop considerably.

If you want to learn a bit about cleaning up and properly maintaining and
securing what you have, I suggest going through this list of tips and
doing so. You'll come out WAY ahead as far as your computer's (and thus
your data, etc) safety and security.
snip list

JS wrote:
I did not recommend "All-in-One" software, just a better firewall.
I like to know what is trying to communicate to the Internet in
both directions. No software (legitimate or otherwise) should have
cart blanch ability to send anything from my PC to who knows where
without my permission!

I did not say you did recommend "All-in-One" software. I stated,
"Statements like that are what likely cause some people to
panic and purchase 'All-in-One' suites..." You may not be recommending it -
but it does cause unnecessary panic in some people and they go to a store
and see these 'packages' that claim to fix all their online problems and
secure their system and they have heard of "Symantec" and/or "McAfee"
because of their ISP or their job, etc - so they assume 'this is what I
need'...

As for what you like - that is fine - I have no problem with that. As for
your reasoning - that is fine as well - although many software packages that
you install (legit or not) will make changes to several different firewalls
allowing themselves through without you ever knowing *if* said firewall is
up and running when the package is installed. ;-)

What you said, however, is that "Windows firewall is not good enough" -
which is a blanket statement that does not cover what the OP may need (in
terms of information to make a proper decision) and definitely gives them
little information on the 'why' of your answer. That is why I wanted to
give the OP an opinion that would allow them to make a decision based on
their needs and situation...

In case you or walt missed the tip on firewalls in my tip list:

Why you should use a computer firewall..
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/com.../choosing.mspx

You should, in some way, use a firewall. Hardware (like a nice
Cable Modem/DSL router) or software is up to you. Many use both of
these. The simplest one to use is the hardware one, as most people
don't do anything that they will need to configure their NAT device
for and those who do certainly will not mind fiddling with the equipment
to make things work for them. Next in the line of simplicity would
have to be the built-in Windows Firewall of Windows XP. In SP2 it
is turned on by default. It is not difficult to turn on in any
case, however:

More information on the Internet Connection Firewall (Pre-SP2):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320855

Post-SP2 Windows Firewall Information/guidance:
http://snipurl.com/atal

The trouble with the Windows Firewall is that it only keeps things
out. For most people who maintain their system in other ways, this is
MORE than sufficient. You may feel otherwise. If you want to
know when one of your applications is trying to obtain access to the
outside world so you can stop it, then you will have to install a
third-party application and configure/maintain it. I have compiled a
list with links of some of the better known/free firewalls you can choose
from:

Comodo Free Fireall (Free)
http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/

Jetico Personal Firewall (Free)
http://www.jetico.com/index.htm#/jpfirewall.htm

Outpost Firewall from Agnitum (Free and up)
http://www.agnitum.com/products/outpostfree/

Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall (KPF) (Free and up)
http://www.kerio.com/kpf_download.html

ZoneAlarm (Free and up)
http://www.zonelabs.com/

You should find the right firewall for your situation in that
list and set it up if you feel the Windows XP firewall is
insufficient.

Every firewall WILL require some maintenance. Essentially checking for
patches or upgrades (this goes for hardware and software solutions) is
the extent of this maintenance - you may also have to configure your
firewall to allow some traffic depending on your needs.

** Don't stack the software firewalls! Running more than one software
firewall will not make you safer - it would possibly negate some
protection you gleamed from one or the other firewall you run. It is
fine (and in many ways better) to have the software firewall as well
as a NAT router.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Reply at the bottom to maintain dialog order...

snip
Conversation in its entirety:
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...dbee82990e53bf



walt wrote:
snip
Isn't the Windows Firewall a good enough Firewall? If not, what is
recommended?

JS wrote:
No Windows firewall is not good enough, see Zone Alarm (free) or
others at: http://www.firewallguide.com/software.htm

Shenan wrote:
I disagree with that answer in this situation.

I have reviewed the entire thread and stating outright that the Windows XP
SP2 Firewall is not good enough I believe is a careless statement based
off nothing. From what has been said in this thread - one cannot make the
conclusion that the Windows XP SP2 Firewall is not sufficient for this
particular user. Statements like that are what likely cause some people
to panic and purchase 'All-in-One' suites like those from Norton/McAfee -
that often do more damage than good (in terms of resource utilization vs.
protection they give) and have so many features - they end up confusing
the user more than helping.

walt,

We would need to know more about your configuration in order to make a
valid suggestion. For example:

- How do you currently connect to the Internet?
- If by 'high-speed Internet' such as Cable Modem, DSL, Satellite - is
there a router (netgear, linksys, d-link or even one provided by the ISP)
that separates you from the Internet and allows you to utilize more than
one computer on said connection (by ethernet cable or wireless?)
- How many users utilize your computer?
- Do you utilize an administrative level account for your daily
activities - or have you created a 'limited user' to use daily - only
logging in with administrative rights when you need to install/remove
software/etc?


In my experience - if you do have an Internet router that already provides
NAT (which is some level of protection between yourself and the
Internet) -- then the Windows Firewall is more than sufficient (in some
cases - the Windows Firewall is more than sufficient even without the
router - but the router definitely puts it over the edge.) The Windows
XPSP2 firewall is not a 'true' firewall by some definitions- because it
monitors incoming traffic - not outgoing. So if you infest yourself with
something and it secretly starts communicating with the outside world -
you may not know. However - if you utilize common computing sense - the
chances of you getting infested with anything drop considerably.

If you want to learn a bit about cleaning up and properly maintaining and
securing what you have, I suggest going through this list of tips and
doing so. You'll come out WAY ahead as far as your computer's (and thus
your data, etc) safety and security.
snip list

walt wrote:
I have seen many of your posts (Shenan Stanley) and have followed
and passed on your comments. I respect all that give their opinions
and hope to learn from you all.

I use dial-up ISP do not have anything faster, live in a rural
area. Only my wife and I use the computer. Do not know alot about
computers I guess just enough to get myself in trouble at times
(like now)

Harry O. has helped with a lot of things in the past. My
wife surfs the net often but I try and keep the spam blocked as
best I can with the before mentioned software I also have the
"Google toolbar" My ISP is very good at filtering out spam from my
email. I use Outlook Express.

I will have to read through all your tips again as it has been a while
since last read. I do use Google for my search engine and home page.
If you need anymore information let me know, and again thanks for
all the input from all.


Given that information - I think you would end up with better overall
computer performance and sufficient firewall protection from just a properly
configured Windows XP SP2 firewall. Having dial-up - there is no one
constantly trying to hack into your system - not even 'bots'. The speed
(lack of? *grin*) of your connection and the liklihood that you are not
connected 24/7 help a lot in your systems security.

You will likely notice a large performance increase just removing the Norton
product and utilizing something that will surely utilize 2-5 times less
memory/processor time to do the same (or better) job at protecting you
against viruses. Combine that with a few antispyware products (you might
consider AVG AntiVirus and AVG AntiSpyware solutions - free, resident
protection and easy on system resources) to fully protect your system but
leave as much speed as you can muster out of it.

Tips 9 and 10 may be where you want to concentrate first out of the list I
gave you earlier. ;-)

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

I have no problems with that, very good post/reply.

My main reason for the initial rejection of Windows built-in firewall is as
you stated (and I should have stated) is that's it is only one way. I'm sure
you are well aware of how many pieces of software want Internet access, even
things you would never suspect or think of, but most people are not and that
is part of my logic behind the original post. Yes most firewalls need to be
trained as to what to allow, ask when needed or block but this also trains
the user also.

JS

"Shenan Stanley" wrote in message
...
snip
Conversation in its entirety:
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...dbee82990e53bf


walt wrote:
snip
Isn't the Windows Firewall a good enough Firewall? If not, what is
recommended?

JS wrote:
No Windows firewall is not good enough, see Zone Alarm (free) or
others at: http://www.firewallguide.com/software.htm

Shenan wrote:
I disagree with that answer in this situation.

I have reviewed the entire thread and stating outright that the Windows
XP SP2 Firewall is not good enough I believe is a careless statement
based off nothing. From what has been said in this thread - one cannot
make the conclusion that the Windows XP SP2 Firewall is not sufficient
for this particular user. Statements like that are what likely cause
some people to panic and purchase 'All-in-One' suites like those from
Norton/McAfee - that often do more damage than good (in terms of resource
utilization vs. protection they give) and have so many features - they
end up confusing the user more than helping.

walt,

We would need to know more about your configuration in order to make a
valid suggestion. For example:

- How do you currently connect to the Internet?
- If by 'high-speed Internet' such as Cable Modem, DSL, Satellite - is
there a router (netgear, linksys, d-link or even one provided by the ISP)
that separates you from the Internet and allows you to utilize more than
one computer on said connection (by ethernet cable or wireless?)
- How many users utilize your computer?
- Do you utilize an administrative level account for your daily
activities - or have you created a 'limited user' to use daily - only
logging in with administrative rights when you need to install/remove
software/etc?


In my experience - if you do have an Internet router that already
provides NAT (which is some level of protection between yourself and the
Internet) -- then the Windows Firewall is more than sufficient (in some
cases - the Windows Firewall is more than sufficient even without the
router - but the router definitely puts it over the edge.) The Windows
XPSP2 firewall is not a 'true' firewall by some definitions- because it
monitors incoming traffic - not outgoing. So if you infest yourself with
something and it secretly starts communicating with the outside world -
you may not know. However - if you utilize common computing sense - the
chances of you getting infested with anything drop considerably.

If you want to learn a bit about cleaning up and properly maintaining and
securing what you have, I suggest going through this list of tips and
doing so. You'll come out WAY ahead as far as your computer's (and thus
your data, etc) safety and security.
snip list

JS wrote:
I did not recommend "All-in-One" software, just a better firewall.
I like to know what is trying to communicate to the Internet in
both directions. No software (legitimate or otherwise) should have
cart blanch ability to send anything from my PC to who knows where
without my permission!

I did not say you did recommend "All-in-One" software. I stated,
"Statements like that are what likely cause some people to
panic and purchase 'All-in-One' suites..." You may not be recommending
it - but it does cause unnecessary panic in some people and they go to a
store and see these 'packages' that claim to fix all their online problems
and secure their system and they have heard of "Symantec" and/or "McAfee"
because of their ISP or their job, etc - so they assume 'this is what I
need'...

As for what you like - that is fine - I have no problem with that. As for
your reasoning - that is fine as well - although many software packages
that you install (legit or not) will make changes to several different
firewalls allowing themselves through without you ever knowing *if* said
firewall is up and running when the package is installed. ;-)

What you said, however, is that "Windows firewall is not good enough" -
which is a blanket statement that does not cover what the OP may need (in
terms of information to make a proper decision) and definitely gives them
little information on the 'why' of your answer. That is why I wanted to
give the OP an opinion that would allow them to make a decision based on
their needs and situation...

In case you or walt missed the tip on firewalls in my tip list:

Why you should use a computer firewall..
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/com.../choosing.mspx

You should, in some way, use a firewall. Hardware (like a nice
Cable Modem/DSL router) or software is up to you. Many use both of
these. The simplest one to use is the hardware one, as most people
don't do anything that they will need to configure their NAT device
for and those who do certainly will not mind fiddling with the equipment
to make things work for them. Next in the line of simplicity would
have to be the built-in Windows Firewall of Windows XP. In SP2 it
is turned on by default. It is not difficult to turn on in any
case, however:

More information on the Internet Connection Firewall (Pre-SP2):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320855

Post-SP2 Windows Firewall Information/guidance:
http://snipurl.com/atal

The trouble with the Windows Firewall is that it only keeps things
out. For most people who maintain their system in other ways, this is
MORE than sufficient. You may feel otherwise. If you want to
know when one of your applications is trying to obtain access to the
outside world so you can stop it, then you will have to install a
third-party application and configure/maintain it. I have compiled a
list with links of some of the better known/free firewalls you can choose
from:

Comodo Free Fireall (Free)
http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/

Jetico Personal Firewall (Free)
http://www.jetico.com/index.htm#/jpfirewall.htm

Outpost Firewall from Agnitum (Free and up)
http://www.agnitum.com/products/outpostfree/

Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall (KPF) (Free and up)
http://www.kerio.com/kpf_download.html

ZoneAlarm (Free and up)
http://www.zonelabs.com/

You should find the right firewall for your situation in that
list and set it up if you feel the Windows XP firewall is
insufficient.

Every firewall WILL require some maintenance. Essentially checking for
patches or upgrades (this goes for hardware and software solutions) is
the extent of this maintenance - you may also have to configure your
firewall to allow some traffic depending on your needs.

** Don't stack the software firewalls! Running more than one software
firewall will not make you safer - it would possibly negate some
protection you gleamed from one or the other firewall you run. It is
fine (and in many ways better) to have the software firewall as well
as a NAT router.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

JS

Why are other software firewalls better?



~~~~


Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


JS wrote:
I did not recommend "All-in-One" software, just a better firewall. I
like to know what is trying to communicate to the Internet in both
directions. No software (legitimate or otherwise) should have cart
blanch ability to send anything from my PC to who knows where without
my permission!
JS

Basically they have two way protection, as stated earlier I like to see
every application that attempts to contact the Internet.
As one example Adobe Reader will attempt to go find updates even if you are
opening a local document. As a safeguard I always perform an image backup of
my PC before applying any updates no matter who they are from, Adobe or Xyz.

JS

"Gerry" wrote in message
...
JS

Why are other software firewalls better?



~~~~


Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


JS wrote:
I did not recommend "All-in-One" software, just a better firewall. I
like to know what is trying to communicate to the Internet in both
directions. No software (legitimate or otherwise) should have cart
blanch ability to send anything from my PC to who knows where without
my permission!
JS

JS

If you need to check outgoing traffic isn't that an indication that your
computer is compromised. If you cannot trust installed programmes you
should not have installed them. Some firewalls do not check the identity
of the sender of outgoing traffic properly and given this state of
affairs malware can piggy back on trusted software to render checking
outgoing software ineffective. Making certain your other protective
measures are fully effective surely negates the need for checking
outgoing trafiic?


--
~~~~


Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


JS wrote:
Basically they have two way protection, as stated earlier I like to
see every application that attempts to contact the Internet.
As one example Adobe Reader will attempt to go find updates even if
you are opening a local document. As a safeguard I always perform an
image backup of my PC before applying any updates no matter who they
are from, Adobe or Xyz.
JS

"Gerry" wrote in message
...
JS

Why are other software firewalls better?



~~~~


Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


JS wrote:
I did not recommend "All-in-One" software, just a better firewall. I
like to know what is trying to communicate to the Internet in both
directions. No software (legitimate or otherwise) should have cart
blanch ability to send anything from my PC to who knows where
without my permission!
JS

It's not that I don't trust installed programs, the updates can sometimes
have bugs and a prior backup can help.
No one piece of software (AV, Firewall, Etc.) is 100% effective.
Zone Alarm is just one of many tools I use and I know it's not perfect.
Comodo received some positive/detailed reviews lately and I might switch at
some point in time.

JS

"Gerry" wrote in message
...
JS

If you need to check outgoing traffic isn't that an indication that your
computer is compromised. If you cannot trust installed programmes you
should not have installed them. Some firewalls do not check the identity
of the sender of outgoing traffic properly and given this state of affairs
malware can piggy back on trusted software to render checking outgoing
software ineffective. Making certain your other protective measures are
fully effective surely negates the need for checking outgoing trafiic?


--
~~~~


Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


JS wrote:
Basically they have two way protection, as stated earlier I like to
see every application that attempts to contact the Internet.
As one example Adobe Reader will attempt to go find updates even if
you are opening a local document. As a safeguard I always perform an
image backup of my PC before applying any updates no matter who they
are from, Adobe or Xyz.
JS

"Gerry" wrote in message
...
JS

Why are other software firewalls better?



~~~~


Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


JS wrote:
I did not recommend "All-in-One" software, just a better firewall. I
like to know what is trying to communicate to the Internet in both
directions. No software (legitimate or otherwise) should have cart
blanch ability to send anything from my PC to who knows where
without my permission!
JS

Comodo do a very good free firewall, said to be better than ZA..

http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/

--
Mike Hall - MVP
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx




"JS" @ wrote in message ...
It's not that I don't trust installed programs, the updates can sometimes
have bugs and a prior backup can help.
No one piece of software (AV, Firewall, Etc.) is 100% effective.
Zone Alarm is just one of many tools I use and I know it's not perfect.
Comodo received some positive/detailed reviews lately and I might switch
at some point in time.

JS

"Gerry" wrote in message
...
JS

If you need to check outgoing traffic isn't that an indication that your
computer is compromised. If you cannot trust installed programmes you
should not have installed them. Some firewalls do not check the identity
of the sender of outgoing traffic properly and given this state of
affairs malware can piggy back on trusted software to render checking
outgoing software ineffective. Making certain your other protective
measures are fully effective surely negates the need for checking
outgoing trafiic?


--
~~~~


Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


JS wrote:
Basically they have two way protection, as stated earlier I like to
see every application that attempts to contact the Internet.
As one example Adobe Reader will attempt to go find updates even if
you are opening a local document. As a safeguard I always perform an
image backup of my PC before applying any updates no matter who they
are from, Adobe or Xyz.
JS

"Gerry" wrote in message
...
JS

Why are other software firewalls better?



~~~~


Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


JS wrote:
I did not recommend "All-in-One" software, just a better firewall. I
like to know what is trying to communicate to the Internet in both
directions. No software (legitimate or otherwise) should have cart
blanch ability to send anything from my PC to who knows where
without my permission!
JS

Use Windows Defender, Hostsman and WinPatrol too..

--
Mike Hall - MVP
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx




"walt" wrote in message
...
Thank you for your help.
"SG" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I have used AVG for many years and never a problem.
I also think Windows Firewall is good enough, but if you choose to use
another, do not run them both.

--
All the best,
SG
How to Write a Newsgroup Post:
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Usenet



"walt" wrote in message
...
Thanks to all for all the advice and help.
Yes I am sure that it says it's expired because there is a big red X on
the Norton Icon. When I go and check the subscription it comes back and
says it is not expired and will work again. I think I will look into the
Avast program.
Isn't the Windows Firewall a good enough Firewall? If not, what is
recommended?
"JS" @ wrote in message ...
Are you sure it has expired or it 'Will Expire', Norton usually starts
warning you about 30 days in advance.

JS

"walt" wrote in message
...
I am having "issues" with the Norton. Keeps telling me that my
subscription is "expired" when it isn't. There "tech support (through
email) can't figure it out? What would you recommend to replace it? I
also use adaware, spybot, spywareblaster and Tune Up Utilities. I have
rebates on the Norton so would only be out about 5 bucks.
"SG" wrote in message
...
Hi,

The first crap I'd get rid of is your Norton AntiVirus 2008
Nuf Said

--
All the best,
SG
How to Write a Newsgroup Post:
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Usenet


"walt" wrote in message
news Is this program good and safe to use. WindowsXP Home SP2 Norton
AntiVirus 2008

"Old Enough" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 26 Nov 2007 10:03:27 -0500, "walt" wrote:

As I understand it, the latter (Spywareblaster) always runs in the
background.
I make it a habit to update the definition files of all three about
once a week, and then run adaware and spybot.

Spywareblaster doesn't always run in the background - you fire it up, grab
the updates, hit Protect All and close it. Love it. (I prefer to scan at
will rather than leaving something munching away at my resources.)

I remember reading negative reviews of the new version of AdAware when it
came out - related to having to leave its service running. Folk were going
back to the previous (SE?) version, though I don't know how long updates
will be issued for that.

I personally also like the AVG AntiSpyware (which you don't have to have
running in the background either -
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/download.../frt/0?prd=asf) and
SUPERAntiSpyware embarrassed at having to use those caps
(http://www.superantispyware.com/supe...freevspro.html)

As others have said, no one product alone will do the job; a mix of three or
so is far more effective. That plus good surfing practice.