Topic: I've got 'brand new' old computer...

[goodlife]

I feel like I'm singing combain harvester song.. ;D
Anyway..I finally had last straw with my old puter being so b...y slow and difficult with me.
After doing the usual..virus stuff, deleting and clearing etc. and nothing improved anymore I resulted to drastic actions that I've been brewing up in my mind for a long while now.
....I RETURNED MY COMPUTER TO FACTORY SETTINGS..STARTING IT ALL FROM SCRATCH AGAIN :o :o
Ohh that was scary thing to do. So now I've go super fast old puter that I'm slowly returning back to action and this time I'm carefully thinking my options before downloading all these 'necessary' programs that it tells me I will need..pff..lot of is just pure advertizing..! I bet 2/3 of the stuff I use to have loaded I never used ::)
So now I'm wondering about virus protection.. ::) I've got rid of Norton..although manufacture still had it pre-installed on in a new machine's start-up >:( What would you recommend...?
Would the virus protection within windows be enough? Virgin seems to mention something on their site for free too..?
 I've decided to keep my email web based now and not use Outlook at all...I'm not downloading music/videos etc..just purely browsing sites and odd seed shopping.. ;)
My aim is to keep puter running with minimum cost for now..if the old 'girl' will keep me going for few more monts without needing spending money for any programs..that will do nicely..and once my pocket money is together I'll get brand new machine and start everything properly again..but until then I look temperary low cost, low trouble measures..aren't we all ::) I'm not really sure about this virus protection business..I've always paid blind the top money for peace of mind..but now I'm wondering if I've really over done all these years.. :-\

[picman]

Good idea to start again, it is easy to keep adding programs , not realizing that even when they not being used they slow the whole machine, this is mainly due to memory size , theses days 2Gig seems the norm. (can u add any to your PC , you can do this at any time ) re, virus I run AVG and Adaware. but not on auto update , I do it manually every couple of days , also I manually virus scan when puter not needed. ( avg has powerdown after scan option )

[Nigel B]

There is really no need to pay for anti-virus/malware/adware programs nowadays.

I use, and have done so for years without problems:

Avast anit-virus free home edition

Ad-Aware Free

Alnd have added more recently:
Malwarebytes anti-malware

Between them, they pretty much take care of whatever the net throws at them.

[BarriedaleNick]

Personally I would never use Norton due to the heavy footprint.  Most people dont need all the bells and whistles it provides.
AVG is decent but I stopped using it due to false positives.
Avast is also good and my current preference.
I hate to say it but Microsoft Security Essentials is d**n fine these days and ideal for an install and forget program.
Avira is good by all accounts...

I would always always always use auto updates with AV software.  I got caught at work by an unknown varient on a virus which wasnt detected.  Reported it to Sophos and all my machines (and everyone else using Sophos) were updated and protected within hours.  I auto update at work continuously - updates are pushed at us as soon as they are released and distributed to all machines within mins...

It is amazing how much quicker a freshly installed PC feels though init..  I generally redo mine at wor every few years..

[goodlife]

The size of the memory haven't been problem..well it's been for me but not for my puter ;) ;D Before I re-started I still had 87% of the memory free anyway ::)..my uses are simple sort ;)
But I do admit that the machine has had its better days..I's been for repaired ones before and I did 'little' modification to the tower just other day myself :-X..switch broke so I just took off the whole thing rather than bothering chasing a new one for the old girl..I just poke my finger in and press the little switch without fancy plastic cap on..it is safe..trust me ;D ..and gave it a good old clean too while I had  the cover in pieces ;)
Hmm..So Avast is having quite few votes from you lot.. :-\...and my 'lazy bones' are liking the opinion that MS is getting praise..but would that on it's own be enough? ..or would running those 2 just slow things down again.. ::)

[BarriedaleNick]

Goodlife - dont run 2 AV progs at once.  I know its sounds wrong but in this case more is less.
I would pick AVG or Avast as stand alone AV progs but supplement with malwarebytes or adaware for spyware.
MS Security Essentails claims to do the lot..

[goodlife]

Ahh....OK..loud and clear.. ;D
If only other instructions would be 'spelled' so simply..my hair would have much easier life when not been pulled out in fustration. Its funny how such a thing as computers can get me in such a rage..and I can sit through traffic jams etc. without raising a eye brow...
Ohh..these b...y puter things get my 'knickers in twist' when they are not running smoothly..nothing worst >:(

[mickstani]

Have installed MS Security Essentails antivirus and antispyware on several PCs and had no problems with any of them. Does not seem to hog resources as much as others either.
Give it a try - its a free download from microsoft.

[greenfists]

I use comodo as my firewall.
http://personalfirewall.comodo.com/free-download.html
I use Avira as anti virus (the free one that is).
http://www.avira.com/en/avira-free-antivirus
I have tried lots of others but these seem to work OK and I have had no issues with either of them.
MS security essentials is good but I have heard that its virus tables are sometimes not as good as it could be. I don't know if that's true of course, there's always the anti Bill Gates thing to get over.

[chriscross1966]

If all you need it for is to run a browser then stick Linux on it and use Firefox.... mandrive is the one I use, you get a live disk, boot the PC from it, if it all looks OK then you haev an icon on the desktop to install from there onto the hard-drive.... Make sure it installs Firefox as a broser adn then you're done....

chrisc

[goodlife]

 ;D ;D Isn't it life wonderful.... ;D ::)
All the rage has gone and sun is shining ;D..and puter is running like well oiled classic car..little bit noisy at times but smooth going.. ;)
I spent all sunday putting old 'girl' back into shape.. I downloaded hundreds of updates for the XP  ::) and decided to go for the MS essentials options. So now the time will tell but at least I've got properly running old computer again. And if 'she' keeps me going like 'she' is now, I'm not in hurry to give her away ;D
As I been 'foraging' around folders so much..I keep finding Norton here and there and everywhere..even I used so called 'proper' program removal method.. ::) It's like bad disease..can't get b...y rid of it >:(...and old AOL..another one of those... >:( Does that still exist?..haven't heard about AOL for years..one time they were pushing their Cd's trough every magazine and standsfull of them in every shop.. ::) I used to take them by the handful to the lottie to scare birds away ;D

[greenfists]

Forgot to say about Linux. I use Ubuntu for everything. Its intricately more secure and free. Try it on a live disc.

[Larkshall]

Forgot to say about Linux. I use Ubuntu for everything. Its intricately more secure and free. Try it on a live disc.

I second that, I've been using Ubuntu (now on 2010 LTS version, supported for 3years) since 2006. It just works, no virus's, no slowing down and does it's own housework. You don't have to defrag, remove temp files or cookies. It does it all for you.

[goodlife]

 

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It does it all for you.Ohh...I could do one of those...after spending so much time outside, housework is getting bit behind..fab!..so no more washing pots..does it hoover too?.. ;) ;D I would like it to leave my cookies alone though :o..must have something to go with the cup of tea.. ;D

[goodlife]

Old 'girl' gave up this morning..so I've been and bought new one now...
I CANNOT BELIEVE what a difference there is to the old one...I'm typing now like I'm on speed :o And the pages just flick by...well..hopefully I have some less hair damaging years ahead now.