The Best Security/Cleaners For XP Service Pack 2

[Non Stop]

Here's the list, its what I use, most of its free, feel free to comment, I recommend also you should update your PC generally with Windows Update (http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com) and have Service Pack 2 installed - far better:

The set of tools that I use:

Antivirus:

eTrust EZ Antivirus

Powerful antivirus that uses very little ram, but is still highly efficient.

http://www.my-etrust.com/microsoft/

Firewall:

Outpost Free

Sorts out many things automatically for you, and is much more configurative than other firewalls.

http://www.agnitum.com/products/outpostfree/index.php

On-Demand Anti-Spyware:

Spybot - Search & Destroy

Gets rid of the most simple (but most harmful in some cases) of spywrae. Be careful what you delete though, it does list things that aren't considered to be spyware, such as toolbars e.c.t.

http://www.spybot.info

Ad-Aware SE Personal

Very good, sometimes lists things other things don't, simple inter-face.

http://www.lavasoft.com/support/download

CWShredder

Concentrates on deleteing the wide variety of CWS (Cool Web Search) spyware, very small application.

http://www.trendmicro.com/cwshredder/

Ewido

Picks up many things that spyware programs can't, as well as some viruses.

http://www.ewido.com

Microsoft AntiSpyware

Microsoft's Official AntiSpyware, very powerful and a must have.

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/s...re/default.mspx

Spyware Blaster

Stop spyware and adware from being downloaded in the first place. Just be sure to keep it up dated and to always click block all know issues after updating.

http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

Registry Cleaners/Tuners:

Registry First Aid

Very [powerful but extremely safe to use unlike other registry cleaners, thisfind sonly things worth deleting and won't screw up your system - it will just make it better!

http://www.rosecitysoftware.com/reg1aid/

RegSeeker

A powerful registry searching program, doen't clean things as such, but good for tech's.

http://www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm

RegCompact.NET

"This program will help you increase the speed of your WindowsXP system by optimizing the system's registry hives. These hives are files on your system that Windows stores program settings and other system information in. They are crucial to the operation of your computer's operating system and the speed at which they can be accessed will effect system and program performance."

http://www.experimentalscene.com/?type=1&id=regcompact

Disk Cleaners:

CCleaner

Perfect in every way shape and form, also cleans up the registry.

http://www.ccleaner.com

As you can see, this isn't the full list of freebies, its stuff that I have come down to after a looooonnnnng period of time, for general FREE progams that I use look here:

https://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=412579

Anyway, have a look, and also feel free to ask me for addititional advice. :yes:

The_Best_Security_and_Cleaners_For_XP_Service_Pack_2.txt

Edited December 26, 2005 by Non Stop

[todd]

What exactly does Disk Cleanup compress? I never allow it to compress old files because I don't know *exactly* what it does. That's just how I work :p

[ibmfans]

microsoft antispyware

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...&DisplayLang=en

[Non Stop]

What exactly does Disk Cleanup compress? I never allow it to compress old files because I don't know *exactly* what it does.

Just compress's built in files in your PC that you don't (or more likely can't) view. It won't cause any damage to your PC at all, I promise, only make it better.

microsoft antispyware

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...&DisplayLang=en

As I said above; MSAS is exluded for the moment due to their dealings with spyware companys.

Edited November 23, 2005 by Non Stop

[Skiver Veteran]

great list thier...im never to sure on what AV and firewalls to use...ive been through a fair few maybe give some of the other stuff a try too :D

[NightmarE D]

Dustbuster

I'm surprised more people haven't heard of this. It scans and deletes all the useless files installed by XP and SP2. Easily delete 400mb's to 600mb's of useless crap from a fresh install of XP. I use this everytime I have to fix someones computer. Works very fast.

Link I'm posting is on the Major Geeks website because the authors site is being re-designed right now I believe.

Dustbuster 2.8.2 Build 400

and

NOD32 Antivirus by Eset

[RudyJ]

There's more to CCleaner than just disk cleaning, it has a registry and file integrity cleaner/fixer as well which never caused me any problems. It does even a better job than TweakNow RegCleaner Pro which I also use every once in a while.

The last one caused me big problems when I tried to use the registry defragmenter (what a POS!).

As for anti virus: Avast! (despite the quite frequent false positives)

Realtime anti spy/adware: SpywareBlaster.

I also use FireFox so I dont get any bad stuff really, every weekend I run an Ad-Aware and Spybot S&E scan just to be sure but all I get is a cookie every now and then.

Firewall: my trusted d-link router :D

[llbbl]

The best Antivirus on the market is NOD32. The free ones like Avast and AVG do not compare. Pay the $$ and be assured that your getting the best. Norton AV is big, bloated and doesnt' find everything that NOD32 does.

http://www.eset.com/home/home.htm

Software firewall sucks because it takes up resources. Get a router. That combined with windows firewall (usually not necessary if behind a router and in a small/home network of computers ) should be sufficient.

Don't use microsoft antispyware it suxors.

You can delete all those links to Spybot, Adaware, CWShredder and just put a link to Hitman Pro which will run all those programs automatically for you. It is much easier than installing them separate and having to hassle with them.

http://www.hitmanpro.nl/

[jd957]

You can delete all those links to Spybot, Adaware, CWShredder and just put a link to Hitman Pro which will run all those programs automatically for you. It is much easier than installing them separate and having to hassle with them.

http://www.hitmanpro.nl/

586843422[/snapback]

is there an english translation for this site? would like to understand more about it.

[OxideNOS]

The best Package is Tune-Up Utilities, Zone-Alarm, and NOD32. Stick with it. No comments.. look at all the threads.

[temple_treefrog]

SpywareBlaster (Freeware and Free Updates)

Prevents the installation of spyware and other potentially unwanted software. A must for persons' who have Microsoft Internet Explorer as their default browser.

[+theblazingangel MVC]

Software firewall sucks because it takes up resources. Get a router. That combined with windows firewall (usually not necessary if behind a router and in a small/home network of computers ) should be sufficient.

can i just point out that home hardware firewalls (inc. routers) should not be used as a replacement for a software firewall. corporate built ones with fully fledged ACL's (access control lists) might be a different matter, im not sure.

hardware firewalls can be extremely good at filtering and blocking unwanted network traffic. however, you cant control what software on your computer can establish network connections.

this means, if you get infected with a trojan, there is nothing to stop it phoning home and establishing a connection to the cracker who created it, providing direct access right through your hardware firewall into your computer.

heres an analogy:

think of your computer as a night club. a hardware firewall is like a brick wall, physically stopping you getting in via any way other than the door, but if you use the door (the correct entry method, or acceptable network traffic) theres nothing stopping you.

however, you could add a bouncer (software firewall). he will check your name on a list and see if your allowed through !!!

note, there actually slightly stronger than they sound - most use SPI technology which means only network traffic thats part of a connection established by your computer is allowed through 'the door'. however that doesnt help at all against that trojan - the trojan is establishing the connection from within your computer, so its allowed through! a software firewall would block the trojan unless its on its allow list.

[john johnson]

tuneup utitlites 2006 can also be used as a disk cleaner as well as its other functions

[gnuman]

I would suggest getting rid of EZ Antivirus and change to Panda Antivirus Titanium 2006 + Antispyware its a great product that detects and removes a lot of viruses better than Norton and McAfee.

EZ I think rebadges some product iirc....

[Non Stop]

These area all solid products for sure. They do everything that is needed and more. I didn't create this thread for an argument, but just to let you know what is the best that I have come down to, and what is needed.

EDIT:

Added MSAS to the list, the new version of MSAS is better than before, and considering many Anti-Spyware companys work with Spyware companys, then I do not think it should be excluded. Still kept as On-Demand Scanner though, Arovax does so much more.

Edited November 23, 2005 by Non Stop

[todd]

Just compress's built in files in your PC that you don't (or more likely can't) view. It won't cause any damage to your PC at all, I promise, only make it better.

586843032[/snapback]

Which files? I don't doubt that it won't cause damage, but I want (actually, it's almost a need) to know how it determines which files it compresses. I want to know exactly what happens on my computer :p

[Slimy]

Dustbuster

I'm surprised more people haven't heard of this. It scans and deletes all the useless files installed by XP and SP2. Easily delete 400mb's to 600mb's of useless crap from a fresh install of XP. I use this everytime I have to fix someones computer. Works very fast.

Dustbuster is horrible. It does not tell you what it is deleting, it only deletes a lot on the first run and it deletes files that windows actually NEEDS if you ever want to install a feature you don't already have. I don't recommend this at all, horrible program. If you really want to cut down what you install with xp, try nlite.

[Slimy]

can i just point out that home hardware firewalls (inc. routers) should not be used as a replacement for a software firewall. corporate built ones with fully fledged ACL's (access control lists) might be a different matter, im not sure.

hardware firewalls can be extremely good at filtering and blocking unwanted network traffic. however, you cant control what software on your computer can establish network connections.

this means, if you get infected with a trojan, there is nothing to stop it phoning home and establishing a connection to the cracker who created it, providing direct access right through your hardware firewall into your computer.

heres an analogy:

think of your computer as a night club. a hardware firewall is like a brick wall, physically stopping you getting in via any way other than the door, but if you use the door (the correct entry method, or acceptable network traffic) theres nothing stopping you.

however, you could add a bouncer (software firewall). he will check your name on a list and see if your allowed through !!!

note, there actually slightly stronger than they sound - most use SPI technology which means only network traffic thats part of a connection established by your computer is allowed through 'the door'. however that doesnt help at all against that trojan - the trojan is establishing the connection from within your computer, so its allowed through! a software firewall would block the trojan unless its on its allow list.

586843851[/snapback]

A proper av + winpatrol can stop a trojan from coming in, no problem. Software firewalls are really overrated if you have a router.

[+theblazingangel MVC]

^ software firewalls are not over rated. you need control over outbound connections, and its by far the best way to go.

fully up-to-date anti-malware software may prevent most malicious software infecting your system and establishing a connection, but it can only protect against known threats and then only those for which there are detection and removal definitions.

if you were infected with a new form of malware, or ran software that unknowingly was programmed or modified to create a malicious connection, your hardware firewall and anti-malware software will just sit there and do nothing.

a software firewall would imediately intercept and block the connection.

a hardware firewall and anti-malware software are in no way an alternative to a software firewall.

[Non Stop]

Indded, though a combination of both is the way to go. But I don't have one (yet).

[Slimy]

^ software firewalls are not over rated. you need control over outbound connections, and its by far the best way to go.

fully up-to-date anti-malware software may prevent most malicious software infecting your system and establishing a connection, but it can only protect against known threats and then only those for which there are detection and removal definitions.

if you were infected with a new form of malware, or ran software that unknowingly was programmed or modified to create a malicious connection, your hardware firewall and anti-malware software will just sit there and do nothing.

a software firewall would imediately intercept and block the connection.

a hardware firewall and anti-malware software are in no way an alternative to a software firewall.

586846157[/snapback]

You obviously don't know how winpatrol works then. It detects any unwanted changes that almost every single virus/trojan/malware etc. does to your computer and STOPS it from making the change, prompting the user if the user wants to allow the change. It does not tell you the virus name or whatever, just the file name. It does not work from definitions...

Therefore you don't even get the threat in the first place and the firewall is not needed to stop the connections. >firewalls are overrated.

[+theblazingangel MVC]

^ well no i actually dont know what winpatrol does, ive never looked at it. if it can do what you say then that reduces the need for a software firewall a little, but not totally. you say it stops changes being made to the system which is all well and good, but its still not going to stop outward bound connections...

[Non Stop]

I think a combination of both as everyone says does the trick.

[Non Stop]

I think a combination of both as everyone says does the trick.

[Slimy]

^ well no i actually dont know what winpatrol does, ive never looked at it. if it can do what you say then that reduces the need for a software firewall a little, but not totally. you say it stops changes being made to the system which is all well and good, but its still not going to stop outward bound connections...

586850241[/snapback]

but you won't get the thing that does outward bound connections in the first place...