I am concerned with ad & spy & malware on my WinXP home PC. Will Avast 4 Pro edition be a solution for any of this?
Is there any danger in running another removal programme while Avast! is installed?
no problem…you can use ad-aware or spybot s&d…and spyware blaster
I also noticed that avast! can catch alot of spyware too by default (like viruses). These spyware files are usualy tagged as Win32.Trojan-gen.
Pretty cool isn’t it 
The sript blocker will stop certain scripts from harming you computer. However there is no software that can stop/remove all spy-/add-/malware. To make your system as safe as possible you need to have/do a few things.
- keep your os up to date http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
- Use good anti-virus software - Avast
and have on access protection on - keep Avast up-to-date ofcourse
- Use a firewall. Preferably a router with build in one. But if you can’t afford that, you can use the free edition of ZoneAlarm www.zonelabs.com
- There are progs especially designed to detect/remove spy-/addware like cwshredder, hijackthis, ad-aware, spybot s&d and TheCleaner.
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html
http://www.lavasoftusa.com
http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download
http://www.moosoft.com
All, except for TheCleaner are freeware.
6)Getting infected or not has also to do with the way you use a computer. Setting up the system correctly will make it more secure and less vulnerable to infections. It is therefor needed to read the manual of progs/operating system to learn what is possible and how to set them up correctly. Espescially when multiple user are using the same computer. If you have windows XP/2k look at the next link for many things you can change to make the system more secure. http://www.markusjansson.net/exp.html
I hope this information will help you to keep the system clean and let you enjoy the use of it.
yes…please do visit rejzor’s website for spyware tools & more ;D
jem_pei,
I have been using these software below for a very long time on my Window XP Pro, these software below are very good protecting your PC from ad, spy & malware if you keep everything up to date all the time.
While you are using your Avast 4 Pro Anti-Virus software it very important to update your MS Window Update and get all the Critical Updates and Service Packs, I mean all of it 100%. Make sure your Window XP does an Automatic Critical Updates and Service Packs update all the time so you don’t miss out.
Here are my list of software protecting PC while I have Avast Anti-Virus too:
- SpywareGuard v2.2
- SpywareBlaster v3.1
- MRU-Blaster v1.5
- Spybot - Search & Destroy v1.2
- Ad-aware Pro v6.181
- Spy Sweeper v2.6.1
- ZoneAlarm Free or Pro v4.5.594.000
I have never had 1 single virus, trojans, ad, spy & malware on my HD for 4 years straight.
You know what would be great?
A script that runs all these software, one after another, updates them, scans, deletes, defrags harddisks and shuts down the pc. ;D
Great ;D
But won’t it be a bloatware-all-in-one-systemworks_like-application? 
SpeedyPC, if you use these applications:
- SpywareGuard v2.2
- SpywareBlaster v3.1
- Spybot - Search & Destroy v1.2
- Ad-aware Pro v6.181
Can Spy Sweeper v2.6.1 caught anything after the first ones clean the system?
Will it detect anything ‘new’ in the computer?
Thanks…
Technical,
Spy Sweeper v2.6.1 is another great software IF Ad-aware Pro and Spybot - Search & Destroy didn’t find anything.
I had Spy Sweeper for 3 months and didn’t find anything after I run Ad-aware Pro, there is no point having another software if Ad-aware Pro is doing it job finding as long as you keep it up to date all the time than you are okay.
I don’t see why not have another software just in case if Ad-aware Pro and Spybot - Search & Destroy are not up to date on the Patch file, have to many protection software can take up a lot of system menory.
If you believe your protection software is doing it job well then their is no point having another one.