Absurd Minds

Tell me so I can get it.... I have Nada right now I think.... firewall and scan... I do not like spyware... help the sachhh

u can get 1 from piratebay.org thats where i got mind its bitdefender total security 2010 or avast

yeah I use avast, spybot search and destroy, and then you can always use zone alarm.

I use Avast (a normal virus scanner), Spybot Search and Destroy (it detects when .dll files get changed, and also has a spyware search function), Zone Alarm (quite possibly the BEST firewall out there, though some people experience a bug that makes it so they can't access internet sites), and Ad-Aware (searches for adware - a little different from Spybot, so it never hurts to have both).

All of these programs are free, and all of them are just as good as (if not better than) anything you can buy.

Would one need all of those programs?

EAch one does something different.

Avast will detect viruses and trojans that you may have downloaded.

Spybot will detect spyware that you may have downloaded. Spyware is not the same as a virus. Spyware collects data about you that you have stored on your computer. An example of a piece of spyware is a keylogger, which records what keys you press and can thus get passwords from you.

Ad-aware will detect adware. This is different from spyware, and is generally stuff that will hog your computer's resources. It will do stuff like cause a bunch of popups every time you open your browser.

Zone Alarm attempts to keep hackers or programs from accessing your computer through the internet. It will tell you of any unauthorized attempt to send data from your computer to the internet or receive data from the internet to your computer.


So, yes, I would recommend that you have all four programs. They are all small, none use very many resources, and they all really, really help you protect your computer from basically every type of attack possible.

Welp... time for me to d/load all of the above

For the best protection in Windows XP, I have found that ZoneAlarm Security Suite does an excellent job at keeping a vacuum seal on your computer system. Only thing I can think of that is a con is that if you put the security measures on maximum, it'll be VEEEEEEEERY picky about what you run and everything you run in your computer. Like Anubis stated, the firewall is one of the BEST. I have a copy of ZoneAlarm security suite that can last over a hundred (100) years. Literally, the expiration date will last you even in the afterlife. Only problem with my copy is that it's strictly intended for Windows XP 32-bit. But with the security suite, you get all the types of programs that were listed in one entire package.

I got the blue screen today. I am nervous....

BSODs can happen for a number of reasons. It can range from a simple thing like a stick of memory not seated the right way to something complex like drivers conflicting with updates to outrageous situations like extreme overclocking to dumbass situations like a virus. Usually when you see a BSOD, it tells you the reason why it happened and IF you manage to read why it happened, then google the error and I'm very sure there will be many solutions for you on the Internet. I remember back when I created .iso files for all my games, I needed virtual drives installed. Someone (no names will be stated...just know that he was bald) told me to download something called MagicISO (I think it was that program) to get my .iso files running (with an .iso file, you have an image of your DVD/CD on the hard drive so that way you don't have to load it via disc, which makes loading faster.) Well, MagicISO gave me a good share of BSODs (and it took me a while to figure out it was that program) as well as a couple bald spots on my head. The point I'm trying to make here is that a BSOD is a very general fault that happens in Windows when something goes awry. And when I say general, I mean VERY general. Getting rid of BSODs can be easy and at times, they can be time-consuming. Let's hope you don't have the time-consuming type.

I used to get BSODs all the time if I alt-tabbed between counter strike and windows too much. It was just too much for my video card to handle switching from OpenGL to DirectX or something. Basically, like DimSumGuy says, it can have lots of different causes, a lot of which are realtively harmless, so it's not something to get too nervous about right away. It's just something to keep an eye out for and try to figure out if there is a pattern to when they are occuring and whatnot.

I hate having PC issues...

The most effective way (and pretty much a last resort) to fix all your computer problems would be to disassemble your PC entirely and re-seat everything correctly. Once you've gotten all the hardware installed and seated properly, I'd do a fresh install of the OS to get rid of any pests. Once you've re-installed the OS, start installing all the programs that you are going to be using or will use the most. After installing everything, make a backup image of your entire system using a special program that creates images of your entire system (one of the most popular programs is called Acronis.) This way, when you run into a problem later in the future, just re-install the image you created and you're good to go (saves plenty of time.)

Whoa, I didn't know about programs like Acronis. That's pretty cool.

The pastor at my church is a computer nerd also and told me about Acronis and its purpose. If you're wanting to create an image of your entire computer system, it's better to have a backup hdd (500gb to 1tb) to save the image. Windows has a built in program that does the same but not as effective and user-friendly as Acronis. Norton makes similar programs but let's face it, I don't trust anything with the "Norton" name on it.

that's funny cause we are supposed to push norton 360 at work lol. gotta love Staples. I am gonna check that out azn...me and anubis are wanting to get a 1 TB external for both of us to back up to.

I have it installed on my PC right now but I didn't create an image yet (I want to wait until I have to do a clean install again) and second reason; because I'm lazy. I will tell you that the user interface is very easy to navigate through.

I am Anti Nortons

Norton is literally the biggest pile of code compiled crap to exist (as a security software POV.) I've used Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky, and ZoneAlarm and I've come to the conclusion that if you're buying Norton, then I'm assuming you only have the most basic knowledge about a computer (i.e. surf the web, watch movies, play Solitaire, look at porn.) McAfee did a good job at keeping crap off my computer but didn't have a firewall built onto it. My ZoneAlarm subscription has yet to end (I think I still have like 50,000 days left) and I have it installed on my parents' shop's computer and my laptop. It is by far the best Internet security suite I've seen and dealt with. Only reason why I installed Kaspersky is because my ZoneAlarm is only for Windows XP 32-bit and my main desktop uses Windows 7 Professional 64-bit (very nice OS I must add.) So Sachi, send me a PM via Steam and I'll try to help work something out for you.

I've got the zonealarm firewall on my windows 7 ultimate 64 bit. That's just the firewall though - I don't know how the rest of the program works.