[WhereDoIBegin]

Lots of people will suggest no need to use paid for packages, however, as I'm not experienced with computers I'd rather have one package that updates and does everything without me having to ask / think.

Can I ask experienced members, which of the paid for versions offers the best protection at the best price, at the moment I'm using Norton, but it's expensive to renew.

I've looked at Kaspersky, but that seems just as expensive, avast is even more expensive, maybe if anyone had a code I could use that wil bring the price down I'd be very grateful, the important aspect is tho is knowing which one to choose.

[Elvandil]

What do you mean by "everything"? There are some packages that do a lot of things that should never be done, like clean the registry, or try to update drivers, or "optimize" the system (largely by just deleting things). Those are best left out altogether.

[WhereDoIBegin]

I mean like what I have now which is Norton where it updates regularly, and detects any threats, etc., etc.,

[flavallee]

It doesn't matter which security suite you install and use. It's not going to start and update and scan and remove problems automatically. It's going to require user input in one way or another.

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[antimoth]

I recently cleaned up my son's PC. He was doing way stupid stuff over the net, going to dodgy websites, and doing P2P downloads. It was taking 10 minutes to boot. Anyway, ran four different programs, taking out like over 500, 44, 12, and 6 infected files. Yes, the vast majority was just spyware, but there were like a dozen bad guys in there. Can't believe he did online banking with it and now we know how his ebay and paypal accounts were used by others. Finally erased the drive and did a clean XP install just to be sure. He had a good AV suite on the PC. Didn't help him because he let the stuff in with his downloads/installs. So your use of the PC may just override anything your software does.

If you are happy with Norton, which I hear has gotten lighter and faster, might as well pay the $4/month and keep it. Just as importantly, keep your windows updated to the latest revisions, and also your web browser, JAVA, flash, and all those support programs like Winamp, Media player, etc. Delete w/o looking at all those cute "lookatthis" stuff in emails from your friends.

I use Kaspersky on one PC and think it might be a little better than Norton, but installing anything new is a pain in the neck. I ran Mcafee as part of the above cleaning process and couldn't get rid of it later. Part of my decision to scrub the drive and start over.

[flavallee]

Even though there may be 15 - 20 hours of work to do afterwards to get everything reinstalled and up-to-date, a hard drive format and fresh install of XP may be the best option at times.

No matter which security programs you use(free or paid), careless and dangerous browsing and download habits will get you in trouble every time.

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[WhereDoIBegin]

Originally Posted by flavallee

It doesn't matter which security suite you install and use. It's not going to start and update and scan and remove problems automatically. It's going to require user input in one way or another.

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Thanks for your reply, I may have confused some of you I just want a package that does automatic updates and includes a firewall etc etc problem is with so many choices I don't know which package offers the best protection or which sites to download from as there seems to be some very good prices around, I'm concerned in case I go onto a site that's not legit. some of the main sites are quite pricy.

I know I have to do my own scans and some user input, which I don't have an issue with.

[WhereDoIBegin]

Originally Posted by flavallee

No matter which security programs you use(free or paid), careless and dangerous browsing and download habits will get you in trouble every time.

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I only use my computer for browsing and downloads re the computer if I can, I try to steer clear of dangerous browsing and illegal downloads.


Much obliged to you for your advice and tips.

[Byteman]

The security suites I install do update automatically, they do come by default with a scan time set, and have other things all set to run, if during the installation you click or put checks or dots in the right places so those things will take place.

There is more "manual labor" with some but not a lot.... set up the time you want a pre-scheduled scan to take place, if you wish> however I find it better to scan when I have time.

NOTE: If you set it to run when you want it to, you may find other users don't want this and will shut the scan off on you, etc. I advise making the scan time correspond with time you are present, and can monitor the process. It's much better than letting the suite run things and scanning at 3:00 AM, getting up and finding it did not complete, or ran into a problem of some sort, or due to a mistake in the current Updates deleted an important file by mistake...this does happen and we are seeing more and more false detections these days because there is so much new and different malware and methods of detection have had to change.

There is a box or setting to allow you to not have a scheduled scan at 3:00AM, for those of us who are sane and do not have to leave the computer on all night.... (Your computer has to be on to do the scan!)

And> if you missed a pre-scheduled scan it will want to run the next time you start up...so you are no farther ahead.


There are settings to not have at-boot scan of the memory> this is an option but not for everyone. If it is not intrusive and you can live with it, use this feature. (Not a full scan of all files, you don't need to do a full scan at startup!)


There is a setting to have the program seek Updates when the Internet connection is enabled. (or not to Update then, or do them manually). I have seen some that let you adjust the amount of time that passes from startup time to Update time....

There are settings to tell the program the first action it is to take, in case it finds malware. The best is Quarantine, never have it Delete and Clean though it is a brave attempt, sometimes will not work. Most suites have a 3-setting list of actions to to take.

Basically, you need to become familiar with turning off the real time protection of a suite, since you will have to at some point. You need to practice turning it back ON as well and looking at what takes place.

We are lucky to have flexibility in using software- but I don't have much use for any that does things "all by itself".

[WhereDoIBegin]

Originally Posted by Byteman

The security suites I install do update automatically, they do come by default with a scan time set, and have other things all set to run

That's what I want, any suggestions which security suite to choose?

[Byteman]

All of these more likely than not (I have not used each and every one) will be flexible with how often, when, what, and the actions taken for the different types of scans you can do , etc as well as most will let you pick what to install. And, have varying strength. Some may have Parental Control utilities included......or, SpamBlockers, PopUp blockers, and more. Take a look at the website for each that you want to consider

And, there are different types of the suites themselves...for Corporations, small businesses, and so on.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2351871,00.asp


http://internet-security-suite-revie...enreviews.com/

_ _ _ _ _

http://malwareresearchgroup.com/?page_id=2 << Go to this link, scroll down to where you see the words:

The full antimalware / internet security applications were: for a good list of the most often used or most common ones


They have done some testing, also as you can see there.

_ _ _ _


To compare the costs of: http://www.pcmag.com/category2/0,2806,4829,00.asp



And, there you can see how they classify antimalware/antivirus/antispyware programs...it is getting complicated I know....

[WhereDoIBegin]

I looked at those links, gee, they all confused me, see, I'm a novice with computers which is why I'm prepared to pay for protection, but I looked at McAfee / Panda / AVG / Kaspersky / Avast / Norton / gee, the list goes on, no wonder I'm confused hehehe, think I'm better of just sticking a pin in and pick the one it lands on

[Byteman]

Any of the firewalls is going to take some input from you.... they come usually in a learning mode where you have to answer to alerts, to "teach" the program the way you want it to act.


Here is an example:

CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: CNET Staff

This powerful personal firewall from the makers of Ad-Aware offers effective protection, ease of use, and a solid feature set. Based on Agnitum Outpost Firewall s engine, the program boasts a well-designed interface that prominently displays an event log of all activities. The application s left panel contains sections for network activity, open ports, and allowed or blocked processes. Lavasoft Personal Firewall quickly scans your PC to add policies for all found applications and easily adapts to newly installed software. Like any good firewall, this one displays a system-tray icon and notifies you whenever an unapproved process attempts to run. When you first start using the app, you ll need to approve or block programs on your computer, either on a one-time or recurring basis. Configuring global and specific firewall policies is simple enough for novices, while the detailed logs will help advanced users track down network and PC problems. In our tests, Lavasoft Persoanl Firewall demonstrated solid protection against threats, expected from a company best known for its spyware protection. The main downside we see is the short 10-day trial period, which may prevent some users from trying the program, particularly given the amount of quality, free firewalls on the market. Nevertheless, anyone in the market for a reliable personal firewall will find Lavasoft s addition to the category a very positive

Once you get those basics done, it's pretty easy- if you add new software that adds new processes, you will get the pop up questions about Allow/Deny if the app needs access to the Internet. The decision could come to you or another user, so you should make children not able to install software (Limited User) and they won't be bothered with alerts. They MAY get them from using the Intenet though....so you must be available to respond for them.

It's not going to be a one-time thing running a firewall..... stuff happens. You will notice a log full of what seem to be intrusion alerts and they are.....but they usually are from the net scanners that are always sniffing around the Internet and not malicious, though there can certainly be malicious intrusions....

I had a friend who asked me to install Comodo free version firewall and they love it, once they got the idea it was easy....the program has a learning mode and after a week or so we took it out of that mode and use just the basic level and they are fine. It is available still for free but also comes with an antivirus BUT> if you are using and are happy with any other antivirus program, you can still use Comodo Firewall all by itself, the antivirus and firewall do not have to both be installed you can choose to NOT install Comodo Antivirus

http://personalfirewall.comodo.com/f...d.html?aid=350


I can't say if Comodo has changed as far as the firewall goes, and I don't use a firewall here so cannot help you with that program very much. They have a user forum: http://forums.comodo.com/link-to-fre...roducts-b26.0/ which is for just the free versions of their software- you should definitely bookmark that link!

That's the general idea, find one try it, find the user forum, join it, look around or ask questions where they are very up on the latest with any one product....