Some Software I Swear By

[Peterlock]

Hi Folks,

Here is some software that I wouldn't want to live without.

Zonelabs Zone Alarm Pro - This firewall beat Norton, McAfee and Black Ice hands down. It's the editors choice on both cnet and zdnet. After the reading the reviews I downloaded the free trial version which gives you full use for 30 days - within a week I bought it.. very easy to use and no configuration really necessary - the download is a steal at 39.99 you can DL the trial from cnet, zdnet or www.zonelabs.com

Spy Sweeper - I love webroot's software you can try all of thir software for free and this does an excellent job at detecting critical items and traces. The interface is nice and clean and it couldnt be easier to use. It's 29.95 with a 30 day trial full version free trial that also lets you update definations. www.webroot.com

Window Washer - Another excellent product by webroot it gets rid of everything! you can set for "bleach" which really gets in there and removes every trace of online activity that can be traced through Browser, cache, cookies and history. Free trial at www.webroot.com

SpyBot - Freeware and IMHO a must have - it's wise to have more than one spyware program and this is an excellent addition to one you might already have. You can DL it from cnet & zdnet

Irfanview: Freeware and it's a GREAT image viewer - one of the most popular in the world. Lets you convert images, optimize images and so much more. very easy to use. You can DL it from cnet, zdnet or Infranviews site

Jasc Paint shop pro: My favorite photo manipulation software ever. I used Adobe for years and this is just as rich with options and tools as Adobe Photo Shop cs and it's $500 less! It's about $100 on a DL and $129 boxed. If you're into digital photography you'll love this program. Plus live support is fast, friendly and free. www.jasc.com

Adware SE Plus : An excellent program for removing adware that a lot of spyware programs don't catch. It also alerts you when something tries to sneak in. It's made by LavaSoft and a free trial is available. You can DL from cnet or right from their site at www.lavasoft.com it sells for $26 bucks - cnet gave it 5 stars and it's worth every penny.

Peter

[MotherOfGizmo]

Thanks for sharing! I'm hopefully going to be ordering a new system w/i the next 2 weeks and really want to be sure to be protected this time. My last one bit the dust because of a virus and I sure don't want to go through that again! :nono

[Peterlock]

Hi Karen :wave

I know how it feels - my last computer died this past July so I spent a long time researching every machine I could. Having been through two Gateways I decided to go with Dell.

Isn't getting a new computer fun!...what brands are you looking at?

One thing which you probably already know, get that anti virus, spy and adware detection software, and a good firewall up and running!

Peter

[Perry]

Good summary post, Peter.

Spybot saved my butt today. I got the IEPlugin trojan and this program detected it. Did not totally remove it, though. It had tentacles all over my Registry. I found a site that had every key and entry to remove from the Registry and the files to totally remove from my hard drive.

To those not aware, IEPlugin pops little windows (advertisements) on your screen whenever you surf a page. The ads are geared toward keywords it finds on the web page. I was getting all kinds of dieting advice pop ups whenever I came here!

[Peterlock]

Perry,

I love spybot, last night I ran spy sweeper and ad-ware se, both have updated definitions. Then I ran spybot which I haven't updated in a week and it found 16 threats... great little program I almost feel guilty it's free.

Glad you got to that nasty trojan in time!

BTW, have you checked out Systweaks advanced system optimizer? cnet rated it a 5 and I DL'd the 30 day full version evaluation a few days ago it's loaded with great features for the home computer ..memory and registry optimizers, registry defrag, back up and restore...heck it even has a daily planner and about 30 tools to clean your system and tweak for better performance. Nice intuitive interface too

I think they make a version for business networks too...but the home version is really terrific.

https://www.systweak.com

Peter

[sexywannabe]

I love zone alarm pro. I've had it for about two years along with norton antivirus and my computer has been running great ever since. For spyware I use spybot and the new microsoft antispyware tool. I really like it also, it lets you know when something has changed or is trying to download spware to your computer.

[mrslee44]

Ok Peter, you are a man after my very own heart.

I use most of the software you listed.

Matter of fact just used Spy Sweeper from Webroot to remove that nasty *** begin2search IE adware that installs and downloads unbeknowst. Love the way it allows restoration of IE settings. What a life saver, run that instead of reloading the O/S.

I used infraview for years, when it was still a 16 bit application. Best slideshow software I've ever seen, and free too.

If you are wanting a new computer, you should build one yourself. It saves a bundle of money, and you can buy what you want. I've built my last 2 and both of my sons, with upgrades.

I prefer an ASUS board with a Celeron CPU. I've turned numerous people on to that config and everyone of them has loved it.

Look forward to more tech chats with you.

robin