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Please recommend some anti-virus software


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Posted

Norton is not working well enough at all. I use WebRoot, but want more

protection. I posted this on another group and forgot to post it here.

Thanks.

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Posted

Info wrote:

<span style="color:blue">

> Norton is not working well enough at all. I use WebRoot, but want more

> protection. I posted this on another group and forgot to post it here.

> Thanks.</span>

 

You forgot to tell us what operating system you're running. If XP or Vista,

I prefer NOD32 for a commercial antivirus and Avast for a free one. I don't

recommend Webroot's SpySweeper at all. On every one of my clients' machines

where it was installed, it slowed their system down tremendously. If you

have Vista, then Windows Defender is built in. If you have XP, then I like

MalwareBytes' Antimalware (MBAM). The free version doesn't run resident,

but that's OK. Just make a scan with it part of your weekly maintenance

routine. You can also use MBAM on Vista.

 

Malke

--

MS-MVP

Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

Posted

I'm a Vista newbie. As I understand it, Vista comes with Windows Defender

installed.

Do we have to remove/disable Windows Defender if we want to use 3rd party

antivirus? Can we run both 3rd party AV and Windows Defender

simultaneously?

 

"Malke" <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote in message

news:uEobde2QJHA.4084@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...<span style="color:blue">

> You forgot to tell us what operating system you're running. If XP or

> Vista,

> I prefer NOD32 for a commercial antivirus and Avast for a free one. I

> don't

> recommend Webroot's SpySweeper at all. On every one of my clients'

> machines

> where it was installed, it slowed their system down tremendously. If you

> have Vista, then Windows Defender is built in. If you have XP, then I like

> MalwareBytes' Antimalware (MBAM). The free version doesn't run resident,

> but that's OK. Just make a scan with it part of your weekly maintenance

> routine. You can also use MBAM on Vista.

>

> Malke

> --

> MS-MVP

> Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

> FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

> </span>

Posted

"John" <a> wrote:

<span style="color:blue">

> I'm a Vista newbie. As I understand it, Vista comes with Windows Defender

> installed.

> Do we have to remove/disable Windows Defender if we want to use 3rd party

> antivirus? Can we run both 3rd party AV and Windows Defender

> simultaneously?</span>

 

Windows Defender is not an antivirus. You need to have a real antivirus

program installed on any Windows machine. There will be no problem with

having Defender and an antivirus installed.

 

Malke

--

MS-MVP

Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

Posted

"Malke" <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote in message

news:uyFQq$2QJHA.4824@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...<span style="color:blue">

>

> Windows Defender is not an antivirus. You need to have a real antivirus

> program installed on any Windows machine. There will be no problem with

> having Defender and an antivirus installed.

></span>

 

Thanks. I told you I was a noob :-)

Posted

"Malke" <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote in message

news:uEobde2QJHA.4084@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...<span style="color:blue">

> Info wrote:

><span style="color:green">

>> Norton is not working well enough at all. I use WebRoot, but want more

>> protection. I posted this on another group and forgot to post it here.

>> Thanks.</span>

>

> You forgot to tell us what operating system you're running. If XP or

> Vista,

> I prefer NOD32 for a commercial antivirus and Avast for a free one. I

> don't

> recommend Webroot's SpySweeper at all. On every one of my clients'

> machines

> where it was installed, it slowed their system down tremendously. If you

> have Vista, then Windows Defender is built in. If you have XP, then I like

> MalwareBytes' Antimalware (MBAM). The free version doesn't run resident,

> but that's OK. Just make a scan with it part of your weekly maintenance

> routine. You can also use MBAM on Vista.

>

> Malke

> --

> MS-MVP

> Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

> FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ</span>

 

Sorry about omitting the OS. Windows XP and it's up-to-date on all the

service packs.

 

I use Outlook 2002 for email and Outlook Express 6.0 as my newsreader. I

use FireFox 3.0.3 and my wife uses IE. I use my Yahoo email accout for

shopping, i.e., those are the only sites on which I enter passwords and so

on. We empty our caches regularly. I get no spam in the Outlook account

because I use it only for friends. No one else has the address. There's

an email account, which I never use, on my OE newsreader account that gets

tons of spam. I delkete everything that comes into that email account.

WebRoot has picked up an occasional malicious attachment.

 

I defrag the disk every two weeks or so and I run CCleaner, SpyBot, Webroot,

and Norton 2006. I update Spybot before I run it each time. WebRoot picks

up 4 viruses every time and I put them in Quarantine each time. Norton

never picks anything up. Norton and Webroot run scheduled weekly scans.

Sometimes, I'll run WebRoot during the day when I'm out.

 

I ran Webroot today and it said it found the same four viruses. They're

listed below and after each I've listed the details that I found out on

WebRoot's web site:

 

Mal/EncPk -CZ -- no threat with this name in our database

Mal/Generic-A --- malicious file for Windows platform

Troj/Agent-IAO --- no threat with this name in our database

Troj/FakeVir-GL --- no threat with this name in our database

 

Occasionally, I get a an error on when using Norton's Live Update. I ran it

twice last night and I got these messages on each update:

"Norton Internet Security security updates has 1 aborted update for the

following reason: LU1845 not updated due to a processing error."

 

"Symantec Internet Intrusion Detection Signatures has 1 aborted update for

the following reason: LU1845 not updated due to a processing error."

 

I do not use a firewall. I think someone said it uses a lot of resources

and slows the computer down. If I can get good enough AV protection and a

firewall slows the system down too much I think I can live without a

firewall.

 

I'm pretty sure I got hacked because six or seven charges showed up on my

credit card that were not mine.

 

Geek Squad was here a few weeks ago and cleaned the whole computer. I got

WebRoot because they recommended it.

 

If I left anything else out, please accept my apologies. I've heard good

things about AVG. Are Adware and Adaware any good?

Posted

Info wrote:

<span style="color:blue">

> Sorry about omitting the OS. Windows XP and it's up-to-date on all the

> service packs.</span>

<span style="color:blue">

> I defrag the disk every two weeks or so and I run CCleaner, SpyBot,

> Webroot,

> and Norton 2006. I update Spybot before I run it each time. WebRoot

> picks

> up 4 viruses every time and I put them in Quarantine each time. Norton

> never picks anything up. Norton and Webroot run scheduled weekly scans.

> Sometimes, I'll run WebRoot during the day when I'm out.

>

> I ran Webroot today and it said it found the same four viruses. They're

> listed below and after each I've listed the details that I found out on

> WebRoot's web site:

>

> Mal/EncPk -CZ -- no threat with this name in our database

> Mal/Generic-A --- malicious file for Windows platform

> Troj/Agent-IAO --- no threat with this name in our database

> Troj/FakeVir-GL --- no threat with this name in our database

>

> Occasionally, I get a an error on when using Norton's Live Update. I ran

> it twice last night and I got these messages on each update:

> "Norton Internet Security security updates has 1 aborted update for the

> following reason: LU1845 not updated due to a processing error."

>

> "Symantec Internet Intrusion Detection Signatures has 1 aborted update for

> the following reason: LU1845 not updated due to a processing error."

>

> I do not use a firewall. I think someone said it uses a lot of resources

> and slows the computer down. If I can get good enough AV protection and a

> firewall slows the system down too much I think I can live without a

> firewall.

>

> I'm pretty sure I got hacked because six or seven charges showed up on my

> credit card that were not mine.

>

> Geek Squad was here a few weeks ago and cleaned the whole computer. I got

> WebRoot because they recommended it.

>

> If I left anything else out, please accept my apologies. I've heard good

> things about AVG. Are Adware and Adaware any good?</span>

 

It sounds as though your computer is infected. You think you've got good

protection, but you don't. You are completely wrong about the firewall

slowing down your system and also about Norton. Norton products are garbage

and on top of that, you've got an obsolete version installed. I don't

recommend either AVG or Ad-aware.

 

My suggestions:

 

1. If your version of Norton AV has "Internet Worm Protection", then you do

have a firewall. If it doesn't, turn on the Windows Firewall immediately.

 

2. Register at one of the following specialty forums and get guided help.

This will determine if you've picked up an SDBot and/or Zlob trojan that is

protected by a rootkit.

 

PLEASE DO NOT POST LOGS IN THE MS NEWSGROUPS.

 

http://aumha.org/downloads/hijackthis.zip

http://aumha.net/ - Click on the HijackThis forum. Read the announcement and

the stickies first .

http://www.atribune.org/forums/index.php?showforum=9

http://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=30

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/forum22.html

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/cleanup

http://www.cybertechhelp.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=25

http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/Malware_Rem...o_Here-f37.html

http://www.malwarebytes.org/forums/index.php?showforum=7

http://gladiator-antivirus.com/forum/index.php?showforum=170

http://spywarewarrior.com/viewforum.php?f=5

http://forums.techguy.org/54-security/

http://forums.tomcoyote.org/

http://www.thespykiller.co.uk/index.php?board=3.0

http://forums.subratam.org/index.php?showforum=7

 

3. Once your computer is known-clean, remove Norton and replace it with

NOD32, Kaspersky, or Avast if you want a free AV ( one of those programs,

not all three!). Use the Windows Firewall. I've already said that I think

SpySweeper slows down your computer but if you want to keep it, that's your

choice. You will find that with Norton gone your computer is much faster

anyway. I would install MBAM and make it part of your maintenance schedule.

Defragging does nothing to protect your computer and usually only needs to

be run once every 6 months or so. You should be deleting Temporary and

Temporary Internet Files regularly, however.

 

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Maintenance

 

Malke

--

MS-MVP

Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

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