Free Anti-Spyware and Windows Defender

If you have an AV Security suite, it has its own Firewall.

**Windows Defender:**

If you have AVG, McAfee, Norton, Microsoft Security Essentials, etc installed, they will either have a conflict with Windows Defender, or disable it.

Microsoft Security Essentials has its own built-in version of Defender and should automatically disables Vista's version of Windows Defender.

If it doesn't:

[http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/Turn-Windows-Defender-on-or-off](http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/Turn-Windows-Defender-on-or-off)

Turn Windows Defender on or off information at the above Microsoft link.

Hope the above explains common compatibility problems with Windows Defender and other Security Programs.

Anti-Malware Program:

http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

Malwarebytes is as the name says, a Malware Remover!

Download the Free Version from the link above.

Download, install, update and scan once a fortnight.

Cheers.

Mick Murphy - Microsoft Partner

On Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:48:48 +0000, Niick II uk wrote:

Is there any Anti-Spyware programs that are really good but totally free as well.

Yes, there are two excellent choices:

MalwareBytes AntiMalware and SuperAntiSpyware

I recommend using them both.

Ken Blake

Hi,

The firewall is probably blocked by whatever security suite you are using. Same for Windows

Defender being blocked.

You should not have two major antivirus/security products on the computer much less running

at the same time as they will leave remnants which can cause strange issues. Uninstall any

of those unused and then use their maker's removal tools and/or special instructions to be sure

remnants are not left behind.

List of anti-malware program cleanup/uninstall tools

http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/msestart/thread/407bf6da-c05d-4546-8788-0aa4c25a1f91/

============================================================

Here is what I use and recommend :

Avast and Prevx have proven extremely reliable and compatible with everything I have

thrown at them. Microsoft Security Essentials and Prevx have also proven to be very

reliable and compatible. Use MSE and Prevx or Avast and Prevx however not all 3.

Avast Home Free - stop any shields you do not need except leave Standard, Web, and

Network running.

Prevx - Home - Free

Windows Firewall

Windows Defender (not needed if using MSE)

IE - Protected Mode

IE 8 - SmartScreen Filter ON  (IE 7 Phishing Filter)

I also have IE to always start with InPrivate Filter active if IE 8.

(You occasionally have to turn it temporarily off with the little Icon on LEFT of the + bottom

right of IE)

Two versions of Avast are available 5.x and 4.8x

Avast 5.x - Home - Free - Stop the Shields you do not use (except File, Web, Network, &

Behavior) - double click the Orange Icon in Notification Area - Real Time Shields - click the

Shield you want to stop - STOP. To stop the Orange Icon from showing an error indicator -

click the Orange Icon - Upper Right - Settings - click Status Bar - uncheck the Shields you

disabled - click OK

http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download

Avast 4.8x - Home - Free - stop any shields you do not need except leave Standard, Web,

and Network running. (Double Click Blue icon - details next to OK. - upper left Shields -

Terminate those you do not use.)

http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download#tab4

Or use Microsoft Security Essentials - Free

http://www.microsoft.com/Security\_Essentials/

Prevx works well along side Avast or MSE

Prevx - Home - Free small, fast, exceptional CLOUD protection, works with other security

programs. This is a scanner only, VERY EFFECTIVE, if it finds something come back here

or use Google to see how to remove. 

http://www.prevx.com/   <-- information

http://info.prevx.com/downloadcsi.asp  <-- download

PCmag - Prevx - Editor'a Choice

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2346862,00.asp

Also get Malwarebytes - free - use as scanner only. If you ever suspect malware, and that

would be unsual with Avast and Prevx running except for an occasional low level cookie

(no big deal), UPDATE it and then run it as a scanner. I have many scanners and they

never find anything of note since I started using this setup.

http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Hope this helps.

Rob Brown - MS MVP - Windows Desktop Experience : Bicycle - Mark Twain said it right.