...problems...

My computer's being rampaged by Malware (the actual thing is called adware.WIN32.malware). But, anyways, we're sending it away to get a throrough cleaning and to get a new security system ('cuz McAfee really isn't doing it's job). So, until it gets back from the shop (and I come back from Disneyworld), I won't be online. That's until the 15th, by the way.

Aiy, for hearing that your pc got infected by that malware. At least it is now going to be cleaned of from the "junk" (spyware, adware virusses). What i can ask is to look in the Human Technologies section for help with that.

Anyhow, have a good time at Disneyworld.

Mercury,
I know you're getting it repaired now, but I wouldn't advise spending a penny of your money on most of the security systems out there. About the only one I would even consider recommending would be Norton Corporate...

However, there are a number of free anti-virus and anti-spyware/malware programs out there that do an extremely effective job for free...

In terms of Anti-virus software, I HIGHLY recommend either Avast! Antivirus or AVG antivirus... or both. No program will catch 100% of a computer's invaders.

I haven't researched it as much, but if you want information on anti-spyware programs, you can go to this page, as it is a volunteer service which regularly tests the latest inovations, as well as warning about rogue programs and spyware infections:

http://www.spywarewarrior.com

BTW... I hate spyware, so if I find any out there...

Don't worry, ya'll, it's fixed. We now have AVG on our system, as well as Spybot. Let's hope this doesn't happen again :3.

AVG is good. I know alot of people that use it including myself.

AVG and Avast are two great programs (I'd suggest getting them both, since no program can get 100% of spyware/viruses), but I would suggest getting something other than Spybot. The only reason I say that is because Spybot is not really a user-friendly program, and you can really mess up your system if you're not sure what you're doing.

I wouldn't recommend to run two anti-virus programs at once.

Reason for it see below.

Q:
Is it okay to run more than one antivirus program at the same time? I always thought it was, but I'd like to hear an update on it from you. Thanks!

A:
The most simple answer is, "No, it's not okay to run more than one antivirus program at the same time."

Technically, I've answered your question, but I suppose I'll give you some reasons why too! : ) All jokes aside though, this is a serious matter and this is something that's important for every computer user to know. Now, I thought we had done a tip on this in the past, but after searching and searching through our archives, I couldn't find a decent article on the subject. But, even if this is a duplicate, I feel it's important enough to go over again. So, if you already know about all this, this could be a good refresher for you or if you're not sure about it yet, please keep reading!

It makes sense that we, as computer users, assume that if we have more than one antivirus program on our computers, we will be better protected from outside threats. We all think that if one of them doesn't catch something, the other surely will. Well, this just isn't true. Using more than one program (or even multiple versions of the same one) will likely cause you some problems. Here are a couple of the biggest ones spelled out for you.

1.) You will use up too many resources on your computer. Doing this will more than likely slow your system down and it will truly affect your computer's performance.

2.) You could receive false virus alerts. Antivirus programs work by using an actual virus to detect another one on your computer. So, if you have more than one piece of software running at the same time, each program will think the other is a virus. The two programs will conflict in many ways, but this is one of the majors.

Now, as I'm sure you can already figure out, it's recommended that you only install one antivirus program on your PC. So, if you have two of them on your computer right now, you should uninstall one right away. Now, you might be wondering how you should pick which one to keep, right? Well, choose the one you're the most familiar with. For example, if you have Norton and McAfee on your computer, which one do you know the best? Which one is going to give you the protection you need, but also ease of use? Those are just a couple questions you should ask yourself before you decide.

Also, you might want to look into the expenses of each program you have. If one is going to be a little cheaper to upgrade, etc., you may want to go with that one. Keep in mind also that there are several free antivirus programs available today, so maybe that could be a deal breaker for you. Just weigh all your options and make sure you choose the program that is going to be the best for you and your computer.

If you already have two antivirus programs on your computer, you can uninstall one by going to Start, Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs. From there, just find the name of the one you want to get rid of and hit the Remove or Uninstall button. That will take care of the program and all of its components as well.

Now, if you still don't think you're going to be protected enough, just make sure you keep your virus definitions up to date and keep everything clean. Run your virus scans on a weekly basis as well. If you do all that, you'll be just fine with only one antivirus program. And believe me, your computer will thank you. No more conflicts, no more slow downs and no more trouble. The best is yet to come!

~ Erin

Heh I don't mean running them at once Kotie. I just mean having them both there so that you can run a sweep with one, shut it down, and then sweep with the other, just to be extra thorough.

ahh... okay, on that way then. And also be sure to update them everyday, but that happens automatically if you are always connected to the net. If not, then it is best to do it manually.

Speaking about the Anti-virus scanner... I need to order soon a new one for Panda Anti-virus and Firewall as it ends on 17-07-2008

Heh
That's why I like Avast! and AVG. Both completely free and give free updates.