More than 1 firewall and anti virus

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this question but could some one please clear this up for me?

I'm having conflicting reports. Can you run more than one anti Virus software program at the same time?

Also is there a problem with running 2 firewalls? AS in the default XP one and a second party software based one?

Thanks

 

You can run 2 AV programs on your computer but one has to be installed as your Primary scanner - the running Guard/Monitor in your system tray- and one installed as your backup scanner- where its Monitor is not installed.

You are not advised to run the on-access scanner of 2 AV programs together as they have a high chance of causing conflicts on your system.

Therefore, install one AV fully, disable its running monitor, then do a custom install of the second AV, not selecting the on access monitor here.

However, some AV programs do not like other ones installed on the same computer even as a backup scanner so you may have to trial the combination you are interested in. Therefore it may be better in selecting a specific Antitrojan program or an on-line AV scanner to supplement your main AV.

As with AV programs you are again advised not to run 2 Firewalls at the same time, particularly as there may be driver conflicts between the two. But I know that some people do run the present XP firewall and their main program without any apparent effects. Personally I would run only Firewall.

 

The XP firewall does well with other firewalls, but configuring two firewalls, expecially when the xp firewall is not very flexible is a royal pain. So just run one software firewall, or get a hardware router for your broadband connection, then use a software firewall to control your applications.

 

Thanks!

 

I agree with BlitzenZeus on this one -- and I would expressly recommend you consider his second option.

A reputable NAT router, compatible with your internet connection (e.g., dial-up, DSL/Cable), and appropriately configured, is probably a better use of money that a second software firewall under any circumstances and has far fewer (like almost nonexistent) possibilities of conflicting with software-based firewalls installed on each of your PCs.

 

Hello,

By a hardware router, do you mean something like the Linksys 4-port router that I have is providing protection? Everytime I've installed a software firewall (Zone Alarm Pro, Outpost, XP's firewall), I've either been unable to print from the printer attached to the other home computer, or the systems have slowed to a crawl. Maybe, it's from Win 32: Trojan.gen and Win 32:Trojano-090 viruses that Avast has found on my both computers, but the symptoms started when I installed the firewalls. Also, Zone Alarm Pro Trial version on one computer protects email, but on the other, I can't access my email. All of them ask me to make permission decisions I have no idea how to make. Neither the firewalls or anti-virus software seem to do well keeping out download gremlins, even though I have Spybot's Immunize on as well.

It's enough to give a nontechnical user a headache.

Question 1: Please let me know if I should concentrate on a good anti-virus program (is Avast good? Would Trend Micro's PC-Cillan be better?) for both computers and various anti-Trojan, anti-spyware programs. (I currently have Spybot and Spyware Blaster and used to have Ad Aware, but it didn't seem to find much even with updates.) I need software that can make technical decisions automatically without destroying the XP Home OS.

Question 2: Whenever we switch from one user account to another using logoff rather than switch user or shut down computer, the screen goes black. Then we have to pull the plug to get the computer to restart and restart again to get the settings clear. Do you have any idea what's wrong? Have I deleted a needed system file in trying to delete virus-infected files?

All the best,
Mary