[StormJumper]

This thread is for the general discussion of antivirus, spyware and malware software, please feel free to discuss any issues you nay have related to these threats and the programs and their settings you use for protection.

SJ

[bigmike7]

Yo-

Thank you sir!!!

[StormJumper]

Originally Posted by yojimbo197

I used to use Zone Alarm Firewall. But after the Nth time they rolled out an update that screwed up my computer and blocked internet access because they didn't do enough testing, I switched to Comodo Firewall.

I've used Comodo Firewall for at least 4-5 years now. It took a little bit of getting used to, but it is pretty easy to figure things out. I need to try out the Sandbox feature.

Hi yojimbo197

I have been using ZAESS 'Zone Alarm Extreme Security Suite' for years and have had no issues at all, although I was thinking of drooping it a while back not because it is no good but rather because they removed the option to 'Stop all Internet access' which I always use during projects I run, however they re-added it in the latest update to the software.

BTW... What ZA product was you using ? and was it the free version ? also was you using default settings or did you make changes ?

SJ

[Ice cold]

My personal preference at home for AV protection is "Eset Smart Security" on my Win 7 machine.
Their is then an in-line firewall PC running "Untangle" which uses Clam AV and the Anti-spyware is a compilation of several open source projects.

Haven't seen any spyware get through untangle yet, and it blocks 99% of pop-ups.

[StormJumper]

Hi Ice cold

Sorry for the delay in replying I was busy feeding the face

Yeah Eset Smart Security is good too from what I read a while back when I was thinking of switching, one of the features I like is the 'Parental Controls shield' which is a must have for those who have kids, course it also works good for adults who use your computer because some of them are just not security minded at all and needs to be monitored

SJ

[yojimbo197]

This was back around 2004-2008. I used the free and the paid versions of Zone Alarm Firewall. I used the default settings, which included automatic updates. About every 3-6 months one of the updates would bung up my computer, so I'd have to use system restore. Then I'd do the inevitable search on Zone Alarm and find out that everyone else was having the same problems with the update. It left such a bad taste after a while that I decided to try Comodo and haven't looked back since then.

Originally Posted by StormJumper

Hi yojimbo197

I have been using ZAESS 'Zone Alarm Extreme Security Suite' for years and have had no issues at all, although I was thinking of drooping it a while back not because it is no good but rather because they removed the option to 'Stop all Internet access' which I always use during projects I run, however they re-added it in the latest update to the software.

BTW... What ZA product was you using ? and was it the free version ? also was you using default settings or did you make changes ?

SJ

[StormJumper]

Originally Posted by yojimbo197

This was back around 2004-2008. I used the free and the paid versions of Zone Alarm Firewall. I used the default settings, which included automatic updates. About every 3-6 months one of the updates would bung up my computer, so I'd have to use system restore. Then I'd do the inevitable search on Zone Alarm and find out that everyone else was having the same problems with the update. It left such a bad taste after a while that I decided to try Comodo and haven't looked back since then.

I hear you on the inevitable search although I have never had to go through that due to no issues, however I do scan the ZA forum from time to time and find that a lot of the times the issues are caused by system configuration which causes conflicts between ZASS and the system, especially if using ZASS + the Windows built-in firewall and another anti-virus program all at the same time.

SJ

[yojimbo197]

Originally Posted by StormJumper

I hear you on the inevitable search although I have never had to go through that due to no issues, however I do scan the ZA forum from time to time and find that a lot of the times the issues are caused by system configuration which causes conflicts between ZASS and the system, especially if using ZASS + the Windows built-in firewall and another anti-virus program all at the same time.

SJ

I was running XP so no other firewall. I used at least two different anti-virus programs so I don't think it was that either.

[StormJumper]

Originally Posted by yojimbo197

I was running XP so no other firewall. I used at least two different anti-virus programs so I don't think it was that either.

ZA as with most anti-virus programs will warns you that running more then one AV software can cause issues, this is mainly due to the conflicts they can have between each others scanning engines and also how they handle the data.

Anyway you now have a program that you are comfortable with and it is working great for your needs and that is all that matter now.

SJ

[cholla]

@ yojimbo197 , I down loaded & tried to use Comodo Cleaning Essentials as a portable from Safe mode . The reboot it requires stops it when I force Windows to boot into Safe mode with CCE scheduled. Have you done this or do you know if it's possible ?

[yojimbo197]

I usually run it in normal mode and reboot in normal mode. I have run it in safe mode I think, but I don't remember trying to reboot it in safe mode.

[cholla]

CCE didn't give me a choice about the reboot . It said it would reboot automatically in 30 seconds or I could select reboot sooner.
What I did was keep hitting F8 during the reboot. This forced the reboot back into Safe mode but CCE didn't ever start. So I rebooted again into normal mode & it started . So I don't think it will run in safe mode.
It is my first time using CCE so I thought I would ask someone with experence in using it.
I like safe mode scans because some files are not in use & easier for a scanner to open .
I will be testing this with the Emsisoft Emergency Kit as a portable on a USB flash drive in safe mode to see how it does.
http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/eek/

[yojimbo197]

CCE will work just fine working off a flash drive. I de-nastified a friends computer a couple of months ago using CCE on a flash drive.

[coolcolors]

Originally Posted by yojimbo197

However if you look at CNET's download.com, AVG is usually in the top 10 if not top 5 downloads[Actually, its currently #2 in the Top Downloads after Avast! #1 of Downloaded Anti-virus programs on download.com]. And many of my friends still use it. So I feel justified in saying that its popular. If you have a problem with that, then you need to get a life.

That's about reliable as watching paint dry. CNET been known to be bias as well and if you pay them guess what your program get more press time. And your friends use it that about tasteless as it get huh - for you that provides no sound basis to prove otherwise. That easy to figure out as well. Get a life maybe you need to get a clue...if you want to go that path let's go....

[cholla]

That is how I used it. It works ok in normal mode just not in safe mode.
It can even be started in safe mode but you have to let it reboot into normal mode or it doesn't start again.

[yojimbo197]

Originally Posted by coolcolors

That's about reliable as watching paint dry. CNET been known to be bias as well and if you pay them guess what your program get more press time. And your friends use it that about tasteless as it get huh - for you that provides no sound basis to prove otherwise. That easy to figure out as well. Get a life maybe you need to get a clue...if you want to go that path let's go....

http://us.generation-nt.com/antiviru...s-2965831.html
http://www.winmatrix.com/forums/inde...-2012-vs-2011/
http://kensek.blogspot.com/2012/05/b...-magazine.html
If you have any hard evidence to refute this, you are welcome to cite it. Otherwise, I stand by my original statement.

[H3rB3i]

Originally Posted by coolcolors

When you go into control panel you can go to your local security policy and then to software restriction policies and then to additional rules and from there you can do a "new path rule" and then browse and find avnotify.exe and apply it and the pop will stop you will still get those task bar pop up but not the big in your face ad from avira. As for the host edit I use two various sites that gives help on hosts edits. Those small pops annoys me but I can live with that as long as I don't get the large screen ad from avira to get preminum.

aka

127.0.0.1 xxx.xxxx.xxx

That's effectively blocks the site from loading or giving you any popups.

thanks a lot for the information

[yojimbo197]

Originally Posted by coolcolors

That's about reliable as watching paint dry. CNET been known to be bias as well and if you pay them guess what your program get more press time. And your friends use it that about tasteless as it get huh - for you that provides no sound basis to prove otherwise. That easy to figure out as well. Get a life maybe you need to get a clue...if you want to go that path let's go....

http://reports.informationweek.com/a...i-malware.html

Page 5, Table 2

[Kenshin]

Originally Posted by yojimbo197

http://reports.informationweek.com/a...i-malware.html

Page 5, Table 2

Registration required?

[yojimbo197]

Originally Posted by Kenshin

Registration required?

http://www.sophos.com/medialibrary/P...re_3931043.pdf

[bigmike7]

Yo-

I've been experimenting with antivirus software since my Bitdefender Internet Suite 2012 bogged down my computer to a crawl. My ISP - Comcast - offers Norton for free and I am trying that on my wife's computer.

On my own two computers - I have tried Avira Free (way too many popup ads); Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 free trial (blocked me out of many frequently visited sites and news feeds) and finally Kaspersky Antivirus 2012 free trial which has been working fine for over two weeks - so I bought the one year/three user version for a whole $12.25 from Amazon.com to put on my two computers and lappy. I think a top rated antivirus program for $4.08333 per computer 24/7/365 is a GREAT bargain-eh!!

The one thing I have learned - is to TURN OFF Malwarebytes, M$ Essentials and SuperAntiSpyware. The Kaspersky Antivirus 2012 runs just fine by itself-eh!!

[StormJumper]

Originally Posted by bigmike7

TURN OFF Malwarebytes, M$ Essentials and SuperAntiSpyware. The Kaspersky Antivirus 2012 runs just fine by itself-eh!!

Hey Mike

I agree with you on that

I have found that you shouldn't have all those active at once because of the conflicts it can cause between the programs which can screw up your system, although its OK to have several of them installed on your system it is best to have one set as your default and just turn on one of the others from time to time so they can update and scan the system and once it does its job turn it off and rely on your default protection software.

I have only two programs installed on my system that provides anti-virus protecting 'Zone Alarm Extreme Security' and 'Advanced System Optimizer'

'Zone Alarm Extreme Security Suite' which is my default firewall and anti-virus/spyware program which scans for virus/spyware and other threats, and the 'Advanced System Optimizer' I mainly use that for keeping my system running at top performance although it has quite a few utilities like system protector and privacy protection, it is disabled most of the time but is activated on a monthly basis to do a system wide scan and cleanup which also does a optimization of the system including the registry.

SJ

[coolcolors]

Originally Posted by H3rB3i

thanks a lot for the information

Here something related to what I used....

http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-the-Po...-Avira-Antivir

As for the host I used these two sites to edit the hosts blocking file...

http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.htm

http://someonewhocares.org/hosts/

[_chef_]

Threatfire for prevention and calmAV for the rest of the wicked crappors.

[ChristineBCW]

Yojimbo, are you still using the Comodo stuff? There's the free AV & Firewall, and I haven't tried this in a couple of years - I went from ZoneAlarm into Comodo and the "comfort level" was too different for me to use it more than a few days.

Which isn't great patience on my part, I know... but something has changed.

Comodo now offers a browser "Chromium based" and with some promised (threatened?!!) links into their AV-Firewall. THAT sounds interesting, so I want to test this combo out.

Have you - or anyone else - tried out this combination? If ever there was an 'exploit' that good users could benefit from, it would be a browser intimately connected to an AV, Firewall and some kind of wonderful HOSTS file concept.