Free Stuff to protect your computer
First off if you connect to the internet via a Broadband connection, example: DSL, or Cable. Then you need a firewall. Most firewalls only block incoming attacks against your computer. Windows XP comes with its own firewall. So why not use that one. Here is why. It only blocks incoming traffic and not outgoing.
Most people do not realize that you can download programs that try to contact other programs on the internet and give them your personal information. Without a Firewall that monitors and blocks outgoing transmissions from your computer as well as incoming, this could happen. Don't be surprised if your bank account gets emptied because your information was sent out without your permission or knowledge. These programs can sneak into your computer via emails or if you download something like a freeware program. Not quite so free if it sends out your personal information.
Any way you need to get a program like Zone Alarm by Zone Labs. They have a free version that works just great. It will not allow any program to access the internet without checking with you first. Zone labs has a free version and a pro version. They also offer anti-virus and some other stuff. I only use the FREE FIREWALL. There are other free firewalls out there that do the same thing (Like Tiny Firewall,, at least I think it is free and does a good job). A little note here. Zonelabs will want you to use their Suite package which contains several programs including a firewall, antivirus and some more stuff. I do not like to give any one program too much control on my computer. So I only use the firewall.
When I got my new computer with Windows 7 and a dual core processor. Zone Alarm would not work. I think they might have fixed it since then but I am not sure because I started using a program call PC Tools Firewall Plus . It works great and of course it is free.
Here is a link to get
or if you prefer
Ok everybody knows about Viruses. they get into your system and mess it up really bad. Malicious people write these programs to be jerks and then spread them around. You can get them thru email, visiting web pages or even downloading off of the internet. There are plenty of anti virus software available and most are pretty good. Stay away from Norton thou (my opinion). It is a system hog and tries to control your computer. It has a tendency to control a lot of your system and slows it down and don't try and have 2 or more anti viruses on your computer. They fall into conflict with each other and really gum things up.
Lets just get to the anti virus that I like to use. I like to
use Avira Antivirus it is free. It works great and did I mention that it is
free.
I started using another Anti Virus and it is called Microsoft
Security Essentials. At this point I have quit using the Avira anti virus.
However it is still good. I just prefer this one for my needs. It not only does
anti virus but it also does anti Malware and anti Spyware. It is made by
Microsoft especially for the Windows platform. So if you use a Mac then this is
not for you. So I use this for both my anti virus and anti spyware and it works
great. Also it does both and does not tend to slow your system down like a lot
of the multi function anti virus anti spyware programs out there do. Did I
mention that this one is also free.
Spyware is a program that gets into your computer and tries to send your personal information to someone on the internet. A good firewall will often stop it from accessing the internet but will not get rid of it. Sometimes it is used to tailor spam to be sent to you and sometimes it is used to hijack your browser and send you to web sites that they hope to sell you stuff from. In the more rare cases it could be an attempt to get your personal information for identity theft. Spyware isn't primarily used to trash your computer like viruses do. But they often take over and make your computer difficult to operate. Just like the anti viruses and firewalls. There are a lot of ones to pick from. I prefer to use Ad-Aware by Lavasoft. There is another one out there with almost the same spelling of the name and they will try and get you to use theirs which turns out not to be free. No matter how they explain it. It still ends up with a fee. Be careful to only get the one by lavaSoft.
Here is an interesting tidbit. There is a anti Spyware company that actually sends out the Spyware and tries to get you to pay for their anti Spyware to get rid of it. Them Doggs!!!!! Reminds me of the criminals who want the store owner to pay them for protection against criminals, AKA themselves.
I will sometimes use one called Spybot-Search and Destroy. And just like adaware. There is another one out there with almost the same name hoping that you will purchase from them by mistake.
Get Adaware here
Did I mention that it is free. Or get Spybot Search and Destroy
Also free!
Sometimes when you are on your computer. It just seems to slow down. So here is what I do. I use a program called Crap Cleaner. It basically just cleans up your computer of useless stuff like it cleans out your cache. And it cleans out your temporary internet files and stuff like that. You might have to set the cookies on it to accept the ones from the Bank and some web based email programs. Otherwise you will have to put all of the information in when signing on.
Basically I just run it when things slow down and it usually makes my computer pick up speed.
Download Free Crap Cleaner
I love this program!