If running only 2 security programs real-time, which combination would you choose?

The truth is there are lots of great solutions available, especially if you use Windows 7/Vista. Which provides you with a good firewall, especially combined with using a router.
However in my eyes only people with a very risky web behavior need two security applications running in realtime.

A great free combination, for 32-bit, is BufferZone Pro (which I like more than all other sandbox-based products) together with Microsoft Security Essentials (setting it to Scan incoming files only). If they play together nicely, ofcourse.

I have never looked at WinPatrol as a security product, I find it more an system information product. I have never used it, since it means I would have another running process more (I only want one security product running in realtime) and all the system information tools are already included in Windows or other applications.

 

Which on-demand system information tools would be good to use in this way?

 

Firstly, there are loads of Windows built-in tools (Windows Management Console, msconfig). Secondly, you have the awesome Microsoft SysInternals suite.
Also, I do use CCleaner for autostart entries, and I have ESET SysInspector snapshots available.

Furthermore, if you know which (trusted) applications you have got on your pc, you probably also know what ActiveX or autostart entries they have created. Why would you bother having an additional process running, doing basically nothing?

In the past this was an useful tool, but nowadays I don't see the point of using it.

 

ESET SysInspector is pretty great. It seems to be exactly what I was looking for in another thread a while back, an easy to understand 64bit information tool. I will look into the other methods you suggested for keeping track of what's going on behind the scenes.