Best XP Virus Protection??

[prof]

Hi,
I'm advising a friend on the best virus/malware/spyware protection for XP.
I've heard good results from people using a combination of Norton Anti-Virus
and AdAware but is there anything better??

TIA,
Prof

[Racer X]

OS X.

[JEBB]

Antivirus: AVG free
Firewall: ZoneAlarm free
Spyware: AdAware and Spybot

All 4 are free and generally rated very good.

Tell him to get a Mac with Parallels and XP and never use the XP to access the Internet.

[tortoise]

Norton Internet Security and WebRoot SpySweeper cover most of the common threats. I have several hundred clients that stay clean using that combination and practicing safe computer practices. Nothing will protect against stupid, such as porn sites, free downloading of search enhancers, screen savers, etc. You can send them to this site for a good overview of what the dangers of the internet are today. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyware

[Spiff]

Norton and McAfee are some of the best antivirus softwares out there.

As for spyware, I think Microsoft makes a product that's free - Windows Defender (a Windows geek told me of this last night). It once was an independent company that was subsequently bought out by MS, but the program is still available for free. Supposedly good for spyware.

[guitarist]

Leave the computer and the Operating System discs in their original box, unipened, sealed with the original packing tape. Add extra packing tape if needed. As long as it stays in the box, is never taken out and plugged into an electrical outlet or an ethernet or modem port, and the OS discs remain unopened and uninstalled, it's believed that the user will benefit from increased security and saftey, though it's not guaranteed.

[chas_m]

[quote Spiff]Norton and McAfee are some of the best antivirus softwares out there.

As for spyware, I think Microsoft makes a product that's free - Windows Defender (a Windows geek told me of this last night). It once was an independent company that was subsequently bought out by MS, but the program is still available for free. Supposedly good for spyware.
"We are the cause of the problem, therefore you should pay us (it isn't free) to help you fix the problem we caused."

Only the Windows zombies would EVER buy a line like that.

[onthedownlow]

Here come the comedians...

McAfee is more ideal - but if he can get his hands on a corporate/enterprise version of Symantec/Norton or McAfee, then that is the best - much leaner apps and not-resource hogs like the consumer versions.

Have him download the free, Windows Defender (Beta 2) - before Microsoft bought out the company ("Giant")...it was the best anti-spyware program available, and is still the same $50-$60 program that sold to many in-stores and online.

That combined with a good antivirus is good protection.

[Grateful11]

My sons swear by AVG.

[Sam3]

AVG works well, I've been running it on the wife's computer and have recommended it to my brother-in-law. We haven't seen a virus in , oh, the two to three years we've been using it.

The best part? AVG is free, though they also have a paid version.

At work we use Symantec Anti-Virus Corporate Edition. That works quite well. I am NOT a fan of McAffee after it hosed my wifes Sony PC. NAV seems bloated and doesn't seem to do as good a job as SAV Corporate.

I've used a combination for Ad-Aware and Spybot Search and Destroy for anti-malware/spyware protection. I've tried Defender, it seems to do OK, thought none of the above three get everything. I'd also strongly recommend Webroot's Spysweeper. It's about $30. That has saved a couple of machines at work when the combination of Ad-Aware, Spybot S&D and Defender didn't clean a few machines.