best anti-virus and firewall for windows xp?

[earthyred]

i'm looking for advice on the best and most user friendly anti-virus and firewall (free or not) for windows xp. i just had windows reinstalled and can't get zone alarm to work again, so i'm thinking of switching to something else. any suggestions most appreciated! thanks, susan

[mykil]

NOD32 if you have limited capabilities or slower system. alwyaz scanning in the background and using limited recourses to boot! Comcast offers free Mcaffee if you have comcast. If not you can use any friends user name and ID and have them download everything you need puts and end to all the bugs in the communities that way!


i'm looking for advice on the best and most user friendly anti-virus and firewall (free or not) for windows xp. i just had windows reinstalled and can't get zone alarm to work again, so i'm thinking of switching to something else. any suggestions most appreciated! thanks, susan

[decterlove]

I've been pleased with AVG 8.0 free but I'm not a techie and my firewall has been down for a while also. Planning to get another tower soon so I haven't worried about it too much and all seems well except that I need about 400 more Rams running around my cyber pasture.


i'm looking for advice on the best and most user friendly anti-virus and firewall (free or not) for windows xp. i just had windows reinstalled and can't get zone alarm to work again, so i'm thinking of switching to something else. any suggestions most appreciated! thanks, susan

[emvee]

ZoneAlarm used to be my favorite, but earlier versions (before 6) dont' work at all on XP, and if you have XP sp2 or 3, you'll need an even newer version of ZoneAlarm.

Webroot has a free firewall which is fairly simple to use. You can download from: https://www.webroot.com/En_US/consumer-products-desktopfirewall.html

This does install itself as a 'service', which means it will load when Windows starts and is always running; some people like that.

This is a firewall, not a virus/spyware scanner. There are several good and free virus/spyware scanners, such as Sypbot Search & Destroy, and SuperAntiSpyware (which I prefer).

The above scanners operate by looking for stuff already on your computer; if you want something to do 'real time' protection, Webroot and other vendors do have products, but not free, that inspect what's coming in as it happens.

Personally, I find that a good firewall and using the above scanners keeps things fairly clean. And stay away from IE, use Firefox.

Good luck.

[BizWrangler]

I use AVG 8.0 and XoftSpySE, and RegCure. I have them all set on auto updates, and auto scan daily. Never had a problem until I didn't renew for a couple of weeks, then all H broke loose. Once I got them renewed, (avg was free) then my system went back working like a charm. I've also got XP, and I DO use IE. So far so good. I have them set to auto scan so I don't even have to think about it - and that happens every single day.




ZoneAlarm used to be my favorite, but earlier versions (before 6) dont' work at all on XP, and if you have XP sp2 or 3, you'll need an even newer version of ZoneAlarm.

Webroot has a free firewall which is fairly simple to use. You can download from: https://www.webroot.com/En_US/consumer-products-desktopfirewall.html

This does install itself as a 'service', which means it will load when Windows starts and is always running; some people like that.

This is a firewall, not a virus/spyware scanner. There are several good and free virus/spyware scanners, such as Sypbot Search & Destroy, and SuperAntiSpyware (which I prefer).

The above scanners operate by looking for stuff already on your computer; if you want something to do 'real time' protection, Webroot and other vendors do have products, but not free, that inspect what's coming in as it happens.

Personally, I find that a good firewall and using the above scanners keeps things fairly clean. And stay away from IE, use Firefox.

Good luck.

[Toxic Reverend]

Take a class at the SRJC if you want more information
that what I am posting.

The SRJC has been 1st in the country for computers.
The advice that I got there is that you need a layered
system. You can use free ones, but need to know
which are compatible and will not screw each other up
with a microsoft windows system.


These links should still work. If not Google the name with
the words, "free diwnload" and it should come right up
on top of the search.

> Gizzmoe wrote:>
>
> AVG virus scan
>
https://free.grisoft.com/<wbr>freeweb.php/doc/1/ (https://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/1/)
>
Sygate firewall
https://www.download.com/Sygate-Personal-Firewall/3000-2092_4-10144440.html
>
>
> Spybot https://www.safer-networking.<wbr>org/en/download/ (https://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/)
>
> Lavasoft Adaware https://www.lavasoft.de/<wbr>support/download/ (https://www.lavasoft.de/support/download/)

Of course use a good browser like firefox. Though many
Open Source people like
"Ice Cat"
GNUzilla and IceCat (https://www.gnu.org/software/gnuzilla/)<cite> > www.gnu.org/software/gnuzilla/</cite>



_____


Please note that you could use an alternative operating
system. There are a few free "Open Source Systems"
that you can "surf live" with. The computer thinks
the CD disk is the hard drive. Everything is in RAM
memory and goes away when you turn the machine off.
I like to use them because I am tired of repairing hard
drives (I have a stack of them). Some of these free
Open Source Operating Systems can also be installed
into the hard drive.

It gets complicated, but you could set up a dual boot
system of XP or the Open Source System on a partitioned
hard drive and use one or the other. And or surf live with
the hard drive connected (or not). BUt do not use an
Open Source System with a DOS based program, such
as windows 98. They use the FAT Table in different ways
and could leave damaged sectors on the hard drive if an
OPen Source program writes to a DOS based hard drive.
If you do not know what you are doing with that, disconnect
the hard drive after you download an Open Source system
and have burned it to disk.

I like to surf live on Knoppix, while I use Mepis on a hard
drive (so I can save files).

Why jerk around with all of that security when you can
surf live and not worry ?

Surf Live CD's (you can disconnect your hard drive
and surf the net with these CD's : no other operating
system such as windows xp is needed, Open Source
Linux based CD's:)>

You can also install to a hard drive as an operating system,



https://www.knoppix.org/


Where to Download MEPIS | MEPIS (https://www.mepis.org/mirrors)

Get the latest version of MEPIS on CD, DVD, or by download directly from MEPIS, click here. If you use a free version of MEPIS, please consider making a ...
www. mepis.org/mirrors - 15k


MEPIS | discover the possibilities... (https://www.mepis.org/)

Information about this desktop-oriented live-CD, and an online store.
www.mepis (https://www.%3Cb%3Emepis%3C/b%3E).org/


Ubuntu Home Page | Ubuntu (https://www.ubuntu.com/)

Ubuntu is a free, Debian derived Linux-based operating system, available with both community and professional support, that adds regular releases (every 6 ...
www.ubuntu (https://www.%3Cb%3Eubuntu%3C/b%3E).com/ -


Download Ubuntu | Ubuntu (https://ubuntu.com/download)

The fastest way for most people to get Ubuntu is by downloading the CD Installer. The CD Installer is nearly 700MB. If you don't have a fast internet ...
ubuntu.com/download - 44k


When "Surfing Live", it is very useful to have a pre-configured
browser on a memory stick. Activists unveil stealth browser

https://www.news.com/Activists-<wbr>unveil-stealth-browser/2100-<wbr>1032_3-6118547.html (https://www.news.com/Activists-unveil-stealth-browser/2100-1032_3-6118547.html)



Google is releasing a new browser to rival explorer .....
right about now ....
"Ice Cat" rules. You can get firefox for windows, Mac
and or an Open Source "Linux" System, for free.
<cite>www.Mozilla.com/Firefox</cite>

TR


i'm looking for advice on the best and most user friendly anti-virus and firewall (free or not) for windows xp. i just had windows reinstalled and can't get zone alarm to work again, so i'm thinking of switching to something else. any suggestions most appreciated! thanks, susan

[CSummer]

I've been using Avast antivirus - avast.com - for some time and it works well for me - and it's free for home use. I also use the firewall that's built in to Win-XP. Haven't had any significant problems so I guess it works. To check and see if it's on, go to Control Panel, then Security Center.


i'm looking for advice on the best and most user friendly anti-virus and firewall (free or not) for windows xp. i just had windows reinstalled and can't get zone alarm to work again, so i'm thinking of switching to something else. any suggestions most appreciated! thanks, susan