Womat

Symantec also has free scan tools:-

Virus and Spyware
http://www.symantec.com/en/aa/home_h...ndex_virus.jsp

Security check tool:-
http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/d...d=ie&venid=sym

worzel

My anti-spyware program of choice is Ad-Aware

http://www.download.com/3000-2144-10045910.html

- it seems to catch many things that Spybot misses. Spybot also has an annoying habit of claiming the odd thing as spyware when it isn't.

I also downloaded and run weekly Sypwareblaster to prevent them getting through in the first place.

http://www.download.com/SpywareBlast...-10486084.html

This sort of stuff is usually free for personal use - but they are often framed to lead you down the road of going for the top of the range package which comes at a price.

stacey and jordan

Well i have run all sorts through the day. A square, Spybot, Ad ware, House call, Microsoft defender and all the pop ups have gone. But when i run the software again to make sure they are all clear i still get some Adware Black web and Adware win32 found but no pop ups now. Does that mean i still have the virus.....and can i ask what is firewall? I use to have Zone Alarm but when i installed Anti Norton it said i had to uninstall it. Do i need it..................Told you i only knew very basic computer skills.

Thank you for everybody's help.

Stacey xx

Womat

Hi Stacey

If you are running Norton AntiVirus you don't need Zone Alarm. A firewall protects your computer from attackers gaining access to your computer via the internet.

If you are running Windows XP go to your Control Panel, there should be an icon for 'Windows Firewall', double click on the icon and make sure the 'On (recommended) option is checked.

If you need more help post again.

worzel

I would not agree with that. If she had Norton's Internet Security suite of products maybe.

To have a firewall, anti-virus and spyware protection are the holy trinity IMHO. Spam filters are an option but I just change email addresses if they get too bad.

The firewall stops anything unexpected getting in as a first line of defence. But where "welcomed" eg you expect emails then it is down to the other two. They work on different things. Viruses are more serious - they can delete your files or stop your PC working. Spyware (more strictly malware) is generally naughty rather than threatening - can detect keystrokes (so learn your passwords) down to remembering what sites you visit to target spam or even just for anonymous marketing survey purposes. It can also hi-jack your home page which is really annoying.

For Firewalls I would go got Windows own (see Control panel - not the best but easiest) or Zone Alarm - top marks and free but sometimes clashes with Windows products like the IE7.0 upgrade.
For anti-virus svg antivirus is supposed to be the best freebie. This is the one thing I pay for as too important to risk - I have Norton but McAfee etc are options. They can slow your PC but that is because they check emails before you open them etc which is a good thing.
For anti-virus I go for a blocker - Sypwareblocker and a detector - Ad-Aware in case anything gets through. I get a few each week - mostly harmless marketing stuff but you never know when.

And don't forget to run them regularly (weekly?) or they are useless. Better still, schedule them to run automatically.

Womat

I'm concerned if she doesn't have much computer knowledge that if she kept Zone Alarm on and Norton AntiVirus and she doesn't know how to manage and configure them then she could have two anti-virus programs running and run into trouble.

Having more than one anti-virus installed on a machine is okay, but only one real-time monitor should be enabled at a time or else you can end up with conflicts and crashes.

worzel

I hear you but Zone Alarm isn't anti-virus it is a firewall - a completely different animal. Its like putting a locked door between you and the infected person - only people you have given a key to can get in. But If they get through and are a carrier Norton AV is both a vaccine and anti-venom for specific known infections (if that isn't mixing my metaphors).

Womat

Need to find out just what specific packages of ZoneAlarm and Norton Stacey has installed because ZoneAlarm also has anti-virus and spyware suites as well.

worzel

Accepted. But if I would offer long odds that Stacey only has the free download firewall from Zone Alarm that so many people do. Maybe I am wrong to assume that?

worzel

PS This must be the most polite debate I have ever read or been involved in after 3 or 4 years on BE After you, please, I insist...

Womat

No, I think you'd probably be right in assuming that. It's been awhile since I had anything to do with ZoneAlarm (bad experience) and I'd forgotten what the main function of the free download actually was.

stacey and jordan

Hi well what can i say i have run lots of different software's now and it still looks like i have got some kind of virus. My pops ups have gone, but my computer just not acting quite right. So i am going through Malware removal and they are helping me step by step (so it's going to take awhile ).

My ZoneAlarm came with my Internet security with BT. When i uninstalled my BT broadband when leaving the UK the Zone Alarm was just left on. I have just got the Norton Anti-virus basic package now. I do get very confused with all these names and what i need. But i have learnt one thing through my virus, and that's you don't have to pay for anti-virus. Doing a search on here i found there's lots of free good ones out there..

Thank you again

Stacey

iamthecreaturefromuranus

Of the freebies available run BOTH Spybot and Ad-aware... not sure that Spywearblaster actually does anything at all.

Windows Defender is OK as far as it goes.

Get a copy of AVG http://www.download.com/AVG-Anti-Vir...-10320142.html Its free and and just as good as anthing from Norton

iamthecreaturefromuranus

Another good one... http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/download and free.

http://www.filehippo.com/download_avast_antivirus/ Free again

http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/ Don't try this one unless you know what you are doing.