[Dark Helmet]

Since dual booting is a reality now I thought it would be a good time to remind Mac users that we need these things.

It is also valid for running VPC as I feel Windows getting slower so i assume spyware is doing its trick.

So question. What is the best freeware/shareware/commertial software to use in Windows XP against Spyware and Virus'?

[angelmb]

Being honest I have no idea about these days, but I can remember Computer Associates (ca.com) offering such stuff for free some time ago.

[mduell]

The best one is "Don't be stupid."

I've used it with much success and no performance hit for years.

[ghporter]

I second mduell on the stupid issue.

For antivirus, it's hard to beat Symantec on Windows. They're solid, they have updates very early, and their stuff "just works." It takes very little setup and configuration to get things going properly. I'd say go with the Symantec Firewall product too, because the one in Windows XP only looks at incoming data and could thus miss a piece of malware calling home.

Spybot Search and Destroy is free, it works well, and it finds most things. But no spyware finding app is perfect; use AdAware on a routine basis to catch what it misses. This is a maybe once a month thing for smart surfers. Adventurous surfers should scan for spyware more like weekly.

One more security tip: use Firefox and NEVER start IE unless you need to. One of the biggest security problems on Windows is IE and ActiveX web components. Firefox just ignores them and that makes you 1000% safer right there. It's a better browser too.

[milhous]

Windows Defender which you can get for free from Microsoft. This will handle all spyware-related issues.

Link at http://www.microsoft.com

[hookem2oo7]

Originally Posted by milhous

Windows Defender which you can get for free from Microsoft. This will handle all spyware-related issues.

Link at http://www.microsoft.com

yes, this is good stuff...i use it on my windows box, and i've used it since the first beta when it was called MS Anti-Spyware...I also use symantec for virii, but i disable filesystem autoprotect because it slows everything down even on a 2.5ghz dual core athlon 64...

[SLam]

For anti-virus, I use AVG. You can also try ClamAV. "Please note that ClamWin Free Antivirus does not include an on-access real-time scanner, that is, you need to manually scan a file in order to detect a virus or spyware." I wouldn't use Symantec. Their anti-virus program has gone downhill for the past few years. Slows down the system, nothing but trouble.

[cms]

Originally Posted by ghporter

I second mduell on the stupid issue.

For antivirus, it's hard to beat Symantec on Windows. They're solid, they have updates very early, and their stuff "just works." It takes very little setup and configuration to get things going properly. I'd say go with the Symantec Firewall product too, because the one in Windows XP only looks at incoming data and could thus miss a piece of malware calling home.

Spybot Search and Destroy is free, it works well, and it finds most things. But no spyware finding app is perfect; use AdAware on a routine basis to catch what it misses. This is a maybe once a month thing for smart surfers. Adventurous surfers should scan for spyware more like weekly.

One more security tip: use Firefox and NEVER start IE unless you need to. One of the biggest security problems on Windows is IE and ActiveX web components. Firefox just ignores them and that makes you 1000% safer right there. It's a better browser too.

I absolutely agree with ghporter on his excellent roundup of the best antivirus and spyware tools on the market. I often source and supply and set up Windoze boxes (and laptops) for clients, and the combination of products ghporter describes is exactly the package I install on each new Windoze system. I'm setting up my MacBook Pro this weekend (when I've time to "play") with Windows XP Pro, and will not be venturing into the big bad world(wide) without this specific set of programs.

[smellycat]

being someone that is just leaving the pc platform now i had to use a combo to really keep my system clean as a lot of windows products miss where others hit.

i ran ad aware, spybot search and destroy, and mcafee anti spyware apps.

make sure you keep it patched but be very aware, even hitting forums here and there youre GOING to get spyware EVERY time you browse the web on a windows machine

[harrisjamieh]

pack.google.com - includes antivirus and anti spyware

[Dark Helmet]

Originally Posted by milhous

Windows Defender which you can get for free from Microsoft. This will handle all spyware-related issues.

Link at http://www.microsoft.com

Thanks guys. I'll have a look. I am smart about installing software in windows but i know you can get spyware just from visiting websites. I saw a study that showed a PC is infected with 20ish different spyware programs 20 min after connecting to the next.

[Ilgaz]

Windows Defender-Ad-Aware-spybot (yes all 3!)+AVG+Zonealarm (if it works fine) for FREE stuff.

If you will use "realtime" functions, be sure you pick only ONE , just like not running 3 antiviruses same time.

For commercial (if you will pay, never ever crack security sw)

Ad Aware Plus+ Kaspersky or F Prot+ An easy but not treating you like a stupid firewall. For example: NOT Norton!