Which are you running?

[Skittles]

What programs do you have and run on your systems? To keep things clean.

When I had my pc at home I had.

AVG
Spybot S & D
Ad-Aware
Spyware Blaster
SpyGuard (or is it spyware guard? lol)
CCleaner  (have also used Cleanup on other pc's...can't decide which one I prefer)

I think that is it.  I feel like I am missing something but can't think of it right now.

How bout you.

[GR@PH;<'S]

skittlespc,
I sure that it is your firewall that is adrift either that or you just that you will be safe

GR@PH;<'S   :breakkie:

[Skittles]

Must be the latter...cuz I never had a firewall!  ROFL!!!  hehehehe

I don't know enough about firewalls or how to use them properly or anything!  lol  So I never had one.

I am sure I will have one when I build my new pc when I get to Sweden, tho.

So start handing out the recommendations....hehehe

[Die Hard]

I use :
AVG7  Pro
Ewido Plus
EmpTemp2
CounterSpy
CookieWall
TrackEraser Pro
HiJack This
Microsoft Firewall (My ZoneAlarm Pro license have expired and I´m not sure I will renew it. Because every time there is an update, one bites the fingernails , wondering: "Is the system going to work again"
Google Popup stopper

+ at least a dozen monitoring tools  I run after having deliberately infected myself

Die Hard :)

[Skittles]

wow...alot of those I have not heard of before.  lol  Or at least not heard of anyone saying they have used them.  lol

I did forget hijackthis.  I have that as well.

DieHard, it looked like you have more then one firewall program??

[Die Hard]

DieHard, it looked like you have more then one firewall program??

No, I currently only "rely" on MS` own firewall. I monitor my system once a day with HJT .The log I know by heart and I immediately see a strange entry :)
Besides, I´m not that concerned if I get infected. And it could be a *bad* fish. A metaphor could be ;it´s like catching a big fish, without being fishing .

Die Hard :)

[GR@PH;<'S]

skittlespc,
I strongly recommend that you use a firewall give ZoneAlarm  (Free to use) ago you will soon come to love it

GR@PH;<'S   :breakkie:

[Skittles]

No, I currently only "rely" on MS` own firewall. I monitor my system once a day with HJT .The log I know by heart and I immediately see a strange entry :)
Besides, I´m not that concerned if I get infected. And it could be a *bad* fish. A metaphor could be ;it´s like catching a big fish, without being fishing .

Die Hard :)

Okay then what are those programs for?  lol

[Jason]

Hi skittlepc! :D

Personally I find the need of a well working Personal Firewall as important as the use of an antivirusprogram.

I use a paid product packet solution, but on the internet there are generally as many ideas over what's the best product solution as the participants in a discussion.
The LzD Forum is a great exception of such drivel, and I'm pretty sure it's because of the high standard of knowledge on security issues.

Here are a few examples of Personal Firewalls, in alphabetical order, that are freeware products and recommended by a large number of people with some knowledge when it comes to security issues. And of course you should only use one softwarebased Personal Firewall. :)

Kerio Personal Firewall
Sygate Personal Firewall
ZoneAlarm Personal Firewall

Some sad news are that the development of Kerio Personal Firewall will be discontinued as of December 31, 2005, but I still recommend it as a great Firewall.
Info: http://www.landzdown.com/index.php/topic,1586.msg7835.html#msg7835

If you're using Windows XP with SP1 or SP2, the built-in so called firewall doesn't provide you with a sufficient security solution when it comes to the outgoing communication from your computer.
This aint no bash on Die Hard, cause he's an expert that loves to live on the edge of danger, i.e. he's interested to see what happens in different situations. :mrgreen:

I strongly recommend you to use a solution with a softwarebased Personal Firewall.

Jason ;)

[Skittles]

The only thing that I am wondering about with firewall is if it restricts things like messangers.

I have come across ppl who have mentioned that they cannot get their messangers to work because of their firewall.

[Jason]

The only thing that I am wondering about with firewall is if it restricts things like messangers.

I have come across ppl who have mentioned that they cannot get their messangers to work because of their firewall.

A Firewall doesn't restrict a program if the owner/user has decided that a specific action shouldn't be restricted.
If there are any problems with a specific program and a firewall, it's almost always due to the users bad configuration or otherwise the use of a bad program.

A good Firewall should be easy to handle even for a beginner when creating rules.
In short, you allow or disallow programs to interact over the Internet when the firewall asks what to do with specific requests from a program for the first time.

Totro also has posted some general advices here and from there you can also reach a link to Mitch (Phantom Phixer) great webpage for further information.

And yes... I've also helped people when they've got trouble with for instance MS Messenger and their firewall, and the problems has been due to Messenger every time.
For me, that's no good reason to forget all thoughts about a firewall, but rather a reason to perhaps consider a change to another of all the available chat program (Miranda, Trillian etc.).

Jason ;)

[EASTER]

AVG7  FREE AS BIRD VERSION! UPDATES EVERYDAY! :D

EmpTemp2 THANKS DIE HARD!

KERIO 2.15 PUTS ALL OTHERS TO SHAME, LOCKS XP PRO TIGHT!

REGPROT OLD AS THE HILLS AND STILL QUICK ON THE DRAW! NOTHING SNEAKS PAST INTO THE REGISTRY, NOTHING!

HIJACKTHIS USED OCCASIONALLY TO TIDY UP MY START UPS.

A2 SQUARED! SPYWARE DETECTOR, AND A PRETTY GOOD ONE AT THAT!

BAZOOKA! FOUND ITEMS NONE OTHERS COULD DETECT

AD-AWARE SE PERSONAL GREAT TRACKING COOKIE CATCHER

GOOGLE POP UP BLOCKER BEST POP UP STOPPER I EVER HAD.

[Die Hard]

AD-AWARE SE PERSONAL GREAT TRACKING COOKIE CATCHER

LOL !!! :thumbsup:

Die Hard :)

[winchester73]

AD-AWARE SE PERSONAL GREAT TRACKING COOKIE CATCHER

:secret:

[Skittles]

GOOGLE POP UP BLOCKER[/b] BEST POP UP STOPPER I EVER HAD.

My favorite pop up blocker is Panicware.  OR just running Mozilla.  hehehe