Windows Defender and Windows Firewall

I am currently using McAfee Security Suite, Webroot Spysweeper for MSN and
Super Antispyware Free edition. Should I have Windows Defender and Windows
Firewall turned on or off?
--
Thank you for your help.
Pepper

Depends, if the alternative programs you have installed suggest you disable
Windows Defender then I would go about doing so since there might be
conflicts betwee the two. As for disabling the Windows Firewall, I don't see
any reason to do so unless McAfee also includes a Firewall and usually they
don't.
--
Andre
Blog: http://adacosta.spaces.live.com
My Vista Quickstart Guide:
http://adacosta.spaces.live.com/blog...3DB!9709.entry
"Pepper" <> wrote in message
news:030BF91E-688A-4130-B99F-...
>I am currently using McAfee Security Suite, Webroot Spysweeper for MSN and
> Super Antispyware Free edition. Should I have Windows Defender and
> Windows
> Firewall turned on or off?
> --
> Thank you for your help.
> Pepper

The great thing about Windows Defender is that it is free and it auto
updates, unlike many of the other free anti-spyware solutions. It also runs
seamlessly in the background.

The advantage of the above is that their is no onus on the user to remember
to update and run anything. Even if Windows Defender does not catch
everything, it will get more than a program which has neither been updated
and/or run for a while.

McAfee Security Suite would be really good if it wasn't so invasive, but it
is and it slows any system down. Symantec products are similar, and one
can't help but feel that the two companies have a side bet on who can slow a
system down the most while getting paid to do it.

Best to uninstall McAfee and use products which does as good a job but
without the overload on the system or your pocket.

AVG or Avast do free AV products which work really well. If you want
desperately to pay for a solution, go for NOD32.

If you want a firewall which prompts and pops up, Comodo do a free version
which will ask you now and again to 'allow or deny'. Personally, I prefer
Vista firewall.

Re. anti spyware, Windows Defender has already been discussed.

WinPatrol is supplied as a free version or paid. Apart from being a great
source of information, it also warns if a process/program is trying to add
itself to startup. It tells you the origin of the attempt, so it is easy to
see if it is something you have initiated or an unsolicited attempt by
spyware to go behind your back.

Hostsman is a nice little utility which enables you to install, update and
manage a 'hosts' file. What this will do is essentially immunize your system
against web sites or ads that might otherwise infect your system were you to
click on or enter them. It is a free utility and, as with WD, it does not
rely on the user having to remember to update and run it.

Your choice of course, but you will notice that many of the experienced
users suggest removal of McAfee or Norton 'Anything'


--
Mike Hall - MVP
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx




"Pepper" <> wrote in message
news:030BF91E-688A-4130-B99F-...
>I am currently using McAfee Security Suite, Webroot Spysweeper for MSN and
> Super Antispyware Free edition. Should I have Windows Defender and
> Windows
> Firewall turned on or off?
> --
> Thank you for your help.
> Pepper

Firewall: Vista's

Anti-virus: Avast Free 4 Home

Anti-spyware: Spybot Search & Destroy, SpywareBlaster.

I am not a fan of Defender; it was/is garbage(slow down) when people put it
on XP, and it still is garbage on Vista.

"Pepper" wrote:

> I am currently using McAfee Security Suite, Webroot Spysweeper for MSN and
> Super Antispyware Free edition. Should I have Windows Defender and Windows
> Firewall turned on or off?
> --
> Thank you for your help.
> Pepper

Your opinion of Windows Defender is the opinion of every one. I have never had any problem with
Windows Defender on any XP machine, Most members of our computer club use it and like it.

"Mick Murphy" <> wrote in message
news:1B59B04B-6898-48F0-AFF8-...
> Firewall: Vista's
>
> Anti-virus: Avast Free 4 Home
>
> Anti-spyware: Spybot Search & Destroy, SpywareBlaster.
>
> I am not a fan of Defender; it was/is garbage(slow down) when people put it
> on XP, and it still is garbage on Vista.
>
> "Pepper" wrote:
>
>> I am currently using McAfee Security Suite, Webroot Spysweeper for MSN and
>> Super Antispyware Free edition. Should I have Windows Defender and Windows
>> Firewall turned on or off?
>> --
>> Thank you for your help.
>> Pepper

I personally notice Defender has a bad rep when it comes to finding Spyware
though so I wouldn't give up on the more robust third party alternatives
just yet.
--
Andre
Blog: http://adacosta.spaces.live.com
My Vista Quickstart Guide:
http://adacosta.spaces.live.com/blog...3DB!9709.entry
"Mike Hall - MVP" <> wrote in message
news:%...
> The great thing about Windows Defender is that it is free and it auto
> updates, unlike many of the other free anti-spyware solutions. It also
> runs seamlessly in the background.
>
> The advantage of the above is that their is no onus on the user to
> remember to update and run anything. Even if Windows Defender does not
> catch everything, it will get more than a program which has neither been
> updated and/or run for a while.
>
> McAfee Security Suite would be really good if it wasn't so invasive, but
> it is and it slows any system down. Symantec products are similar, and one
> can't help but feel that the two companies have a side bet on who can slow
> a system down the most while getting paid to do it.
>
> Best to uninstall McAfee and use products which does as good a job but
> without the overload on the system or your pocket.
>
> AVG or Avast do free AV products which work really well. If you want
> desperately to pay for a solution, go for NOD32.
>
> If you want a firewall which prompts and pops up, Comodo do a free version
> which will ask you now and again to 'allow or deny'. Personally, I prefer
> Vista firewall.
>
> Re. anti spyware, Windows Defender has already been discussed.
>
> WinPatrol is supplied as a free version or paid. Apart from being a great
> source of information, it also warns if a process/program is trying to add
> itself to startup. It tells you the origin of the attempt, so it is easy
> to see if it is something you have initiated or an unsolicited attempt by
> spyware to go behind your back.
>
> Hostsman is a nice little utility which enables you to install, update and
> manage a 'hosts' file. What this will do is essentially immunize your
> system against web sites or ads that might otherwise infect your system
> were you to click on or enter them. It is a free utility and, as with WD,
> it does not rely on the user having to remember to update and run it.
>
> Your choice of course, but you will notice that many of the experienced
> users suggest removal of McAfee or Norton 'Anything'
>
>
> --
> Mike Hall - MVP
> http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx
>
>
>
>
> "Pepper" <> wrote in message
> news:030BF91E-688A-4130-B99F-...
>>I am currently using McAfee Security Suite, Webroot Spysweeper for MSN and
>> Super Antispyware Free edition. Should I have Windows Defender and
>> Windows
>> Firewall turned on or off?
>> --
>> Thank you for your help.
>> Pepper
>

I would agree but for the fact that many don't ever remember to update and
run the 3rd party stuff, not enough time, not sure how to do it.. the usual
excuses..

As good or bad as Defender may be, at least it updates and runs without the
need for user intervention.

I run WinPatrol which has anti-spyware properties, the MVPS hosts file
managed by Hostsman, and I do believe that NOD32 has anti-spyware properties
too.

--
Mike Hall - MVP
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx




"Andre Da Costa[ActiveWin]" <> wrote in message
news:%...
>I personally notice Defender has a bad rep when it comes to finding Spyware
>though so I wouldn't give up on the more robust third party alternatives
>just yet.
> --
> Andre
> Blog: http://adacosta.spaces.live.com
> My Vista Quickstart Guide:
> http://adacosta.spaces.live.com/blog...3DB!9709.entry
> "Mike Hall - MVP" <> wrote in message
> news:%...
>> The great thing about Windows Defender is that it is free and it auto
>> updates, unlike many of the other free anti-spyware solutions. It also
>> runs seamlessly in the background.
>>
>> The advantage of the above is that their is no onus on the user to
>> remember to update and run anything. Even if Windows Defender does not
>> catch everything, it will get more than a program which has neither been
>> updated and/or run for a while.
>>
>> McAfee Security Suite would be really good if it wasn't so invasive, but
>> it is and it slows any system down. Symantec products are similar, and
>> one can't help but feel that the two companies have a side bet on who can
>> slow a system down the most while getting paid to do it.
>>
>> Best to uninstall McAfee and use products which does as good a job but
>> without the overload on the system or your pocket.
>>
>> AVG or Avast do free AV products which work really well. If you want
>> desperately to pay for a solution, go for NOD32.
>>
>> If you want a firewall which prompts and pops up, Comodo do a free
>> version which will ask you now and again to 'allow or deny'. Personally,
>> I prefer Vista firewall.
>>
>> Re. anti spyware, Windows Defender has already been discussed.
>>
>> WinPatrol is supplied as a free version or paid. Apart from being a great
>> source of information, it also warns if a process/program is trying to
>> add itself to startup. It tells you the origin of the attempt, so it is
>> easy to see if it is something you have initiated or an unsolicited
>> attempt by spyware to go behind your back.
>>
>> Hostsman is a nice little utility which enables you to install, update
>> and manage a 'hosts' file. What this will do is essentially immunize your
>> system against web sites or ads that might otherwise infect your system
>> were you to click on or enter them. It is a free utility and, as with WD,
>> it does not rely on the user having to remember to update and run it.
>>
>> Your choice of course, but you will notice that many of the experienced
>> users suggest removal of McAfee or Norton 'Anything'
>>
>>
>> --
>> Mike Hall - MVP
>> http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> "Pepper" <> wrote in message
>> news:030BF91E-688A-4130-B99F-...
>>>I am currently using McAfee Security Suite, Webroot Spysweeper for MSN
>>>and
>>> Super Antispyware Free edition. Should I have Windows Defender and
>>> Windows
>>> Firewall turned on or off?
>>> --
>>> Thank you for your help.
>>> Pepper
>>
>
>

I use the one that comes with Norton Antivirus Corporate Edition, it
automatically replaced Defender in Security Center so I just worked with it.
--
Andre
Blog: http://adacosta.spaces.live.com
My Vista Quickstart Guide:
http://adacosta.spaces.live.com/blog...3DB!9709.entry
"Mike Hall - MVP" <> wrote in message
news:Oz%235z%...
>I would agree but for the fact that many don't ever remember to update and
>run the 3rd party stuff, not enough time, not sure how to do it.. the usual
>excuses..
>
> As good or bad as Defender may be, at least it updates and runs without
> the need for user intervention.
>
> I run WinPatrol which has anti-spyware properties, the MVPS hosts file
> managed by Hostsman, and I do believe that NOD32 has anti-spyware
> properties too.
>
> --
> Mike Hall - MVP
> http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx
>
>
>
>
> "Andre Da Costa[ActiveWin]" <> wrote in message
> news:%...
>>I personally notice Defender has a bad rep when it comes to finding
>>Spyware though so I wouldn't give up on the more robust third party
>>alternatives just yet.
>> --
>> Andre
>> Blog: http://adacosta.spaces.live.com
>> My Vista Quickstart Guide:
>> http://adacosta.spaces.live.com/blog...3DB!9709.entry
>> "Mike Hall - MVP" <> wrote in message
>> news:%...
>>> The great thing about Windows Defender is that it is free and it auto
>>> updates, unlike many of the other free anti-spyware solutions. It also
>>> runs seamlessly in the background.
>>>
>>> The advantage of the above is that their is no onus on the user to
>>> remember to update and run anything. Even if Windows Defender does not
>>> catch everything, it will get more than a program which has neither been
>>> updated and/or run for a while.
>>>
>>> McAfee Security Suite would be really good if it wasn't so invasive, but
>>> it is and it slows any system down. Symantec products are similar, and
>>> one can't help but feel that the two companies have a side bet on who
>>> can slow a system down the most while getting paid to do it.
>>>
>>> Best to uninstall McAfee and use products which does as good a job but
>>> without the overload on the system or your pocket.
>>>
>>> AVG or Avast do free AV products which work really well. If you want
>>> desperately to pay for a solution, go for NOD32.
>>>
>>> If you want a firewall which prompts and pops up, Comodo do a free
>>> version which will ask you now and again to 'allow or deny'. Personally,
>>> I prefer Vista firewall.
>>>
>>> Re. anti spyware, Windows Defender has already been discussed.
>>>
>>> WinPatrol is supplied as a free version or paid. Apart from being a
>>> great source of information, it also warns if a process/program is
>>> trying to add itself to startup. It tells you the origin of the attempt,
>>> so it is easy to see if it is something you have initiated or an
>>> unsolicited attempt by spyware to go behind your back.
>>>
>>> Hostsman is a nice little utility which enables you to install, update
>>> and manage a 'hosts' file. What this will do is essentially immunize
>>> your system against web sites or ads that might otherwise infect your
>>> system were you to click on or enter them. It is a free utility and, as
>>> with WD, it does not rely on the user having to remember to update and
>>> run it.
>>>
>>> Your choice of course, but you will notice that many of the experienced
>>> users suggest removal of McAfee or Norton 'Anything'
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Mike Hall - MVP
>>> http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> "Pepper" <> wrote in message
>>> news:030BF91E-688A-4130-B99F-...
>>>>I am currently using McAfee Security Suite, Webroot Spysweeper for MSN
>>>>and
>>>> Super Antispyware Free edition. Should I have Windows Defender and
>>>> Windows
>>>> Firewall turned on or off?
>>>> --
>>>> Thank you for your help.
>>>> Pepper
>>>
>>
>>
>