New Computer Setup

Re: Can anybody help?

Hi guys,

Been a while, but you (as well as the folks over at Cexx.org) have been so incredibly helpful in the past, thereby enabling me to help a few friends too, and thought I'd ask the following:

New computer setup - recommended utilities:

Had major computer crash, and ended up reformatting all, starting blank, so to speak. Win2K pro (yeah yeah - there is a linux being installed soon )

My ISP supplied Norton Internet Security, and am also using a router.

Before going overboard downloading stuff, which utilities do you recommend?

"Ad-aware" is a given, "hijack this" too. What else?

Thanks for any suggestions!
Lars

PS - love the new forum!

 

Hmm there aer as many answers as programs,
generally spoken layered protection is the best, but part depends on the kind of user, if the system is low in resources, etc.
I would most certainly look through the forums here and read some stuff and recommendations,
i for me am fond of the diamondCs tools, ProcessGuard to protect the processes, Port Explorer to watch the traffic and ports and TDS for the trojan part, eventually WormGuard with that and you have a fine start; now beside that a very good AV like NOD32 and/or a second opinion beside that (av/at like KAV, or whatever is your favorite)
You have a router so firewall included or do you want one more with that, so there are several mentioned in this forum to look at, Look'n'Stop for instance. etc etc
Besides Ad-aware SpyBotS&D of course and the JavaCool tools to protect your browser.
This in general.

 

Hi Heylars,

Have a look here:
www.tom-cat.com/security.html

Gerard

 

HI Heylars....

Check my sig for products I use.

Some free, some pay for.

Certainly I would have:

Essentials:

# 1: Firewall [plenty free ones available]
# 2: Install ALL CRITICAL UPDATES FROM MS. [Free ]
# 3: AV and AT [Probably get very reputable ones here. PAID. I personally use KAV for AV and TDS3 for AT]
# 4: Adware/Spybot/SpywareGuard/SpywareBlaster/ and some form of Registry Script protection [ALL Free]

Options:
ProcessGuard, WormGuard, PortExplorer [Paid].

That covers *my* opinion.

HTH, TAS

 

Thanks!! That tom-cat link is pretty darn cool, Gerard, also in terms of just laying it all out there in plain lingo

Yeah, Javacool tools are a must.

Have used AVG antivirus as well as Zone Alarm, both free and paid version, and they performed very well. (Also used P-Cillin and F-Prot in the past.) Looking at www.wilders.org - see there are a host of new (to me) stuff out there too.

However, since Norton I. S. with AV (full package) comes free with my ISP, any reason *not* to use that?

TAS:
# 2: Install ALL CRITICAL UPDATES FROM MS. [Free ]
Yeah - did that after formatting, reinstall - and whoops - got "Explorer.exe - error" all over the place. "Apparently" MS doesn't always update in the right sequence, or something - and after 10 hours of trying to fix it, ended up with "the final solution suggested" - uninstall, reinstall, the whole durned thing

Jooske, the DiamondCs stuff looks interesting, guess wil read and learn a bit more around here!

Am a longtime big fan of Steve Gibson ( www.grc.com ) - would you suggest I install stuff like DCOMbulator, UnPlug n pray etc.?

Got Firefox 09 installed as well as Opera 7.5. With java. Think will make firefox "default." Why is it safer ? - well, guess the answer is found around here

Will get SpyBotS&D again. Had some conflicts with it on a friend's machine, XP home with Norman AV - but I do like the program, it seemed to occasionally catch a few things ad-aware didn't.

Either way, thanks again - have said it before, all you folks really rock!

(And as a big huge fan of WebCrossing, vBulletin impresses the heck out of me!)

 

bahhhhhh take it from a real newbie this is how you want to do it

worms and trojans

Worm Guard 1 minute to learn just turn on the protection switch one time and your pc protected for life

Boclean 4 minutes to learn basicly like worm gurads learning curve but you have a few extras options

spyware killers keylogers ect
Adaware free verstion 20 minites to learn
spybot serch and destroy 5 minutes to learn

Fire wall
Zone alarm pro 1 to 2 hours to learn plus asking qustions at the firewall forume

Antiviruse
Norton system works 2004 3 days to learn all goodys

1 hard core application trojans spyware and keylogers 1 to 2 days to learn
Tds
to use tds the right way the first time and the easyest way
go to the top threads in tds forum here and read the easyer then you might think thread or somethig like that

your pc is now protected done deal

that set up should get you by inless you start hanging out with playful hackers then you might want a difrent set up lol

but if all you do is surf dowenload chat read e-mail play games ect then this the best set up for you