How to use HIPS properly?

Try Online Armor it shouldn't be too noisy because usually when you first install it, it asks if you want to trust all apps in your PC so basically it won't annoy you . . . Until you install a new app and depending on what program it is it may ask you a couple times.

 

Yes, that's the best thing to do. Assume you 're clean and start from there. In Comodo i leave it on "clean PC" mode, i find it less annoying.

 

Because it's an unauthorized executable, the HIPS will alert to it's attempts to launch. A HIPS does not have to be configured with all of its protections fully configured. There's no need to alert on things like:

Access data of other processes
Control other processes and threads
Send mesaage to other processes
Load kernel drivers

...to name but a few. This is complete overkill, and it's the main reason why so many are driven away from HIPS after a short time using them, because they are answering so many unnecessary alerts.