New Computer setup

[Kay]

Hi,

I'm in the process of transferring programs and files to my new computer. I bought an off the shelf Dell with Vista Home Premium, SP 1, Intel Core2 Quad CPU Q6600, 2.4 GHz, 500 GB HD, 4GB RAM, 32 bit, DVD-R/W.

I have some questions re: security software. I have been using McAfee (free from ISP), Spy Sweeper, MBAM - all real time; and run SpyBot S & D, CCleaner or ATF-Cleaner, and free SUPERAntiSpyware at least weekly or more often. Any suggestions for different software? I am also connected to a Linksys router.

Space will probably never be an issue. My old computer has a 40GB HD with 79% free. I only run about 6 +/- programs on a regular basis - no gaming. This is a P4, 2.4GHz with Win 2000 Pro and is slowly dying - I can't turn it off, the fan never slows down; and when the computer goes into sleep mode, I can't wake it up except using the reset button. There are always warnings or errors in the event viewer that I'm tired of trying to fix.. After I get everything transferred, I'm going to try a program that was recommended by our IS at work called "Boot and Nuke" to wipe the HD so I can get rid of this thing.

Thanks, Kay

[Jersey Mike]

Hi,

I'm in the process of transferring programs and files to my new computer. I bought an off the shelf Dell with Vista Home Premium, SP 1, Intel Core2 Quad CPU Q6600, 2.4 GHz, 500 GB HD, 4GB RAM, 32 bit, DVD-R/W.

I have some questions re: security software. I have been using McAfee (free from ISP), Spy Sweeper, MBAM - all real time; and run SpyBot S & D, CCleaner or ATF-Cleaner, and free SUPERAntiSpyware at least weekly or more often. Any suggestions for different software? I am also connected to a Linksys router.

Space will probably never be an issue. My old computer has a 40GB HD with 79% free. I only run about 6 +/- programs on a regular basis - no gaming. This is a P4, 2.4GHz with Win 2000 Pro and is slowly dying - I can't turn it off, the fan never slows down; and when the computer goes into sleep mode, I can't wake it up except using the reset button. There are always warnings or errors in the event viewer that I'm tired of trying to fix.. After I get everything transferred, I'm going to try a program that was recommended by our IS at work called "Boot and Nuke" to wipe the HD so I can get rid of this thing.

Thanks, Kay

Kay,

I'm going to jump on this one since no one else has answered as of yet. It sounds like you are pretty well covered as far as anti-malware is concerned. That means you are ok for viruses, trojans, and malware in general. One thing I would look for is a software firewall for your new PC. There are several very good ones available for just the cost of a download. Kerio, and Comodo are two that come to mind. I've chosen Comodo because the version of Kerio I have seems to want to act like a real hardware FW. It wants 2 NIC's and wants to be setup to know which is the internet side and which is the internal network (safe) side. I will probably impliment that some day especially since this incoming garbage is getting more and more sufisticated. Kerio Personal Firewall was a very good product and I used it for about 5 years with great success. I believe it is still around, and if so, it would be another very good choice.

McAfee is a decent product and I use it on a couple machines that my kids use. It doesn't do much for letting the malware in but is able to detect it's presence most of the time. Malwarebytes is incredible. It knows just where to look for those stubborn programs that you just can't seem to get rid of. BTW, I am just a member of this forum and do not work for Malwarebytes. It really is a good program to have on board. I run a scan on about 15 machines daily. The time that the machine is down is well worth the garbage that MBAM finds.

I don't know anything about either of the virus programs that you mentioned. I would get demo versions from each of the major vendors and see which ones find the most problems. I have Trend on most of my machines because I was working for one specific client and that is what they required. I have had times when Trend would find malware just during the course of normal business, and would popup a message box telling what it found and did I want to quarentine it. Before that I used Symantec's Anti-virus, which is also a good product, but I found that with AV software, you are safer to use more than one brand. McAfee might pickup something that Trend misses and Symantec might pickup something that McAfee and Trend both miss. In order to keep your machine running clean, you should have anti-virus, anti-malware, a personal firewall that can be configured for either inbound or outbound or both (which Windows FW doesn't do). I don't know why, but MS scrimpt on the FW they decided to bundle with. If I'm not mistaken (experts, correct me if I am wrong) you can set up rules (simple ones) on inbound traffic but there is no facility to alter outbound traffic. So, if you have spyware or download an evil program by accident, it could send the entire contents of your hard drive to it's host computer and Windows FW would totally allow it. I'm sorry but I nodded off in the middle of this email, so if anything is unclear, post a question back to the same topic and either I or one of the more experienced monitors of this forum will try to straighten out what ever I messed up.

The bottom line is that I think you need a personal firewall and more than one anti-virus program. Also, no matter what you are using, remember to update before starting a scan, unless the infection is so bad that you wouldn't trust that update. There are so many factors involved in keeping a computer clean, it is impossible to give you exact, specific answers based on the information that you have provided. Although I do believe that you made a concerted effort to supply as much info as you have available.

Thanks,

Mike

Disclaimer:

I am not affiliated in any way (other than being a co-member) with Malwarebytes. I do have many years of computer experience in general, and have been interested in malware and how it works, ever since I realized that I didn't know enough to acurately guide someone through the steps of total PC cleanup. I have used Malwarebytes and found it to be very helpful. It is a nit-picky program and tends to find things that others have skipped over. My first 2 programs to run would be Spybot Search & Destroy and then Malwarebytes. between both of them, you will probably find out more about your computer than you really wanted to know. If you really want to get a great overview of infestation and repair, take a look at this post by JeanInMontana. It might help to let you see the big picture: http://www.malwarebytes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=2936.

[PROROOTECT]

Hi , Kay ,

Problem of your PC : DUSTY FAN ! Cleaning with brush and vac ...

[JeanInMontana]

Hi Kay, McAfee is a resource hog and SpySweeper has taken a rather dark path, from their once great program.

I use Avira free and it's just a great AnitVirus program. Low on resources and always on the cutting edge of definitions.

Preform Windows Updates monthly on the second Tuesday or use automatic updates, and use your scanners weekly at the least. Always update before you scan.

Keep other software known for vulnerabilities updated also. Use the Secunia Inspector free scan to identify risks in outdated versions.

SpywareBlaster from Javacool Software

WinPatrol by BillPStudios

SiteHound by FireTrust

RogueRemover

hpHosts

The windows firewall is not sufficient to protect. It doesn't monitor outgoing traffic and this is a must. I use and recommend Online Armor Free

Also the full protection of MBAM is offered at a very low price

[Kay]

"I'm going to jump on this one since no one else has answered as of yet. It sounds like you are pretty well covered as far as anti-malware is concerned. That means you are ok for viruses, trojans, and malware in general. One thing I would look for is a software firewall for your new PC. There are several very good ones available for just the cost of a download. Kerio, and Comodo are two that come to mind. "

Thanks Mike,

Good information. McAfee has a firewall and I had already noticed that the M$ firewall was not well spoken of. I also run TrendMicro and Ewido and Kaspersky online in between the programs I have installed. Since I'm still moving stuff between the old and new computers the old fashioned way with flash drives and CDs, I'll take a look at your recommendations when I get done. I'm see that I had some bloat that I don't need on the new computer; plus there are some things that came installed on the Vista computer that I will need to dump.

Thanks again, Kay

[Kay]

Hi Kay, McAfee is a resource hog and SpySweeper has taken a rather dark path, from their once great program.

I use Avira free and it's just a great AnitVirus program. Low on resources and always on the cutting edge of definitions.

Preform Windows Updates monthly on the second Tuesday or use automatic updates, and use your scanners weekly at the least. Always update before you scan.

Keep other software known for vulnerabilities updated also. Use the Secunia Inspector free scan to identify risks in outdated versions.

SpywareBlaster from Javacool Software

WinPatrol by BillPStudios

SiteHound by FireTrust

RogueRemover

hpHosts

The windows firewall is not sufficient to protect. It doesn't monitor outgoing traffic and this is a must. I use and recommend Online Armor Free

Also the full protection of MBAM is offered at a very low price

Thanks Jean,

I had read before that you called McAfee a resource hog. After I finish moving all of my files, I'll look into making some changes. Since I have McAfee free from my ISP, I'm starting out with it until I get everything sorted out. I have paid for MBAM and like how it performs. MBAM had a few issues with my old computer in that the Heuristics were being scanned off and on and declared an infection; but I don't anticipate that will be a problem now. I think I had a number of glitches in the Win 2000 Pro OS on the old computer. I've already run Secunia and updated Adobe and Java. It's going to take some time getting used to the new warnings that I am getting now every time I install something new....

Thanks again, Kay

[Kay]

Hi , Kay ,

Problem of your PC : DUSTY FAN ! Cleaning with brush and vac ...

Since I'm going to nuke the HD when I'm done moving files, I won't check out the fan. Wish I had know sooner, though.

t\Thanks, Kay

[JeanInMontana]

Kay everything I list is free. Also I wouldn't throw your old PC away. It's a horrid thing to dump on the environment and still has many uses. It's really simple to clean the fan and if that is all that's wrong, use the PC for a printer server, or to back up files to, donate it to a worthy cause, some poor family or a battered woman's shelter, Big Brothers or Sisters, it's got lots of uses left.

[PROROOTECT]

Hi everybody , I agree with Jean , 100 % !!! Thanks .

Kay : your CPU is NOT heating ... HOTLY thanks , PROROOTECT

[Kay]

Kay everything I list is free. Also I wouldn't throw your old PC away. It's a horrid thing to dump on the environment and still has many uses. It's really simple to clean the fan and if that is all that's wrong, use the PC for a printer server, or to back up files to, donate it to a worthy cause, some poor family or a battered woman's shelter, Big Brothers or Sisters, it's got lots of uses left.

Hi Jean,

I wasn't going to dump the computer. There are several places in town that refurbish or use parts as needed. But I do need to clear personal info from HD. I keep my checkbook and orther financial data on it plus info regarding some businesses that we are no involved in.

Kay