Best Security Freeware - virus, spyware, spam removal, etc.

Forums: Computers, Spam, Spyware, Freeware, Virus
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Recently, several family members asked me to fix problems on their PCs with spyware, viruses, etc., so I ended up compiling a CD for them all with a bunch of good resources. I figured I'd list the free tools I included here so others who might need this stuff can get some good leads. Hope it helps someone. Smile

If you want to recommend additional programs on this thread, please try to keep it to only the very best in security-related freeware. Okaywellheregoes...

Antivirus Software

Desktop Clients
AVG Anti-Virus Free
Alwil avast! Home Edition
Avira AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic
Comodo Antivirus
Free for one year: CA Anti-Virus (Note: From CA's homepage you'll only get a 30-day trial. Use this link to get a one-year trial.)

Online-Only Virus Scanners
Trend Micro HouseCall
Kaspersky Free Virus Scan
Microsoft Windows Live OneCare Safety Scanner
Symantec Virus Detection
McAfee FreeScan
Panda ActiveScan
BitDefender Online Scanner

Targeted Virus Removal Tools
McAfee AVERT Stinger
Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool
Alwil avast! Virus Cleaner
Symantec Removal Tools - These remove individual viruses.

Spyware/Adware Removal Tools

Microsoft Windows Defender
Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE Personal
Spybot Search & Destroy
Bazooka Adware & Spyware Scanner - Lightning fast scans (gives manual removal instructions).

Crapware Diagnosis and Startup Managers
Merijn HijackThis - Highly recommended, but be careful what you do in this program.
Nirsoft StartupRun - Standalone program which lets you view and disable startup apps. Similar to the Windows msconfig app, but offers more information.

Firewalls

Comodo Free Firewall
Check Point ZoneAlarm
Enable Windows XP's built-in firewall: Microsoft: Understanding Windows Firewall

Spam Filters

POPFile - Learns from your personal classifications and becomes more hands-off the longer you use it.
SpamBayes
Update for Outlook 2003 Junk E-mail Filter - Updates the Outlook 2003 junk email definitions (just install the latest update from the list, or get it via the Microsoft Update site).

Misc. Tools

Web Browsers
Microsoft Windows Internet Explorer 7
Mozilla Firefox
Opera

Common Dependencies
Sun Java
Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 SP6 Run-times - Some programs (e.g., HijackThis) require these files
Microsoft Windows Media Player

Windows service pack full downloads (for network installation, etc.)
Note: For much more compact downloads, use the Microsoft Update site to install service packs.
Windows XP Service Pack 2
Windows 2000 Service Pack 4

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Edit (2007-01-19): Updated broken links and removed some apps which are no longer as relevant. Not a full overhaul.

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I edited the post above to add some recommendations & that sort'a thing. If anyone who's been using some of these programs wants to comment based on their experience, please do so. Or if you have other programs to recommend, by all means...

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SpywareBlaster and SpywareGuard are by JavaCool and both are free programs. SpywareBlaster will prevent spyware from being installed and consumes no system resources. SpywareGuard offers realtime protection from spyware installation attempts.

More info and download is available at:
SpywareBlaster: http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
SpywareGuard: http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareguard.html

IE/Spyad places over 4000 websites and domains in the IE Restricted list which will severely impair attempts to infect your system. It is free.

More info and download is available at:
IE/Spyad: http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~ehowes/resource.htm
Cool

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You guys are great! Thanks

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what do you guys have for Registry problems?

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Monger,

Further, you could easily set up a whole website to cover the listing you posted above.

Nice work!
Cool

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Well there's always the new Able2Know.com Toolbar for popup blocking .. ;-)

http://toolbar.able2know.com/

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Thanks for the links & the info!

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Great thread Monger - can you tell me what the crapware stable does, and how you work 'em??????

I am keen to recover some memory....

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Hey Deb....
I should probly update my list above...some stuff should be taken off or updated, & there are some new programs that could be listed. I'll add basic descriptions when I do that, prolly tonight....lemme know which ones you wanna know specifically about once that's done...

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These, Monger:

"Crapware Diagnosis and Startup Managers - freeware
? Merijn HijackThis - Highly recommended! - Note: When posting HijackThis logs on Able2Know please see here... HijackThis logs > Read these instructions before posting
? Definitive Solutions BHODemon
? Nirsoft StartupRun
? Mlin StartupMonitor"

Not necessarily the particular programs you mention - but the concept - and the how - if that is easy to tell.....

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I just updated the original list ... a couple new programs, some stuff updated, & a bunch of really short descriptions added.

...The ones you listed, Dlowan, well, they all have their own twists but more or less what they do is look at how certain things are configured & what programs run every time the computer starts, & they allow you to manually change, disable or remove stuff you don't want (e.g. spyware) more easily than you'd otherwise be able to.

For specific descriptions see the updated original post in this thread.

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Thankee oh Monger of Wonder...

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Good work, Monger.

A word of advice ... read and understand the documentation for the stuff before you use it ... be sure its fully updated and properly configured. If you aren't sure, just ask. And as for HighJackThis ... if you don't know what you're doing, don't have it "Fix" anything before posting a new HJT Log thread here for analysis ... its no toy, and using its "Fix" function inappropriately can leave you with a machine that needs Windows reinstalled.

Oh, and while CWShredder is no longer being updated, it will correct lots of yuckware that's out there; its still a valuable tool.

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Can CW shredder be left to do its thing - or must one know exactly what is being done???

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Shredder is safe to run ... go ahead and click "Fix" when you run it ... it won't screw anything up and might do some good. Just don't play with HJT without guidance,

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Okie dokie - paws off!

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CWS update,
Version2.0 now owned and maintained by intermute
See here

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Incidentally, Monger, I now rate AdAware over SpyBot (and comfortably) after a long time rating the reverse.

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Craven de Kere wrote:

Incidentally, Monger, I now rate AdAware over SpyBot (and comfortably) after a long time rating the reverse.

Seems to me the latest build of AdAware does a much better job than did its predecessors when it comes to detecting and removing stuff. I dunno if AdAware and Spybot really are directly comparable, though. AdAware is a post-fact detection-and-removal tool, Spybot offers active blocking as well as scan-and-removal functions.

While either one alone is better than nothing I think the two together offer greater security than either alone.

BTW, Craven, in your Spybot setup, do you use the "Tea Timer" and "Immunize" functions? "Immunize" seems to work pretty well, but some folks have had problems with "Tea Timer" - I'd be interested to know what your thoughts were. Also, have you given AdAware's "AdWatch" for-fee add-on a try? That one I have mixed feelings about.

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