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Windows has a firewall built in - 3rd party software firewalls cause so many problems
A better firewall is a NAT router for your DSL/cable connection. They're designed to share your connection among all of your computers but they have the added benefit of shielding your computers from the random crap floating around out there such a worms, kiddies running port scans, etc.
Use Firefox instead of Internet Explorer.
Don't be stupid and don't click on everything you see.
Windows has a firewall built in - 3rd party software firewalls cause so many problems
A better firewall is a NAT router for your DSL/cable connection. They're designed to share your connection among all of your computers but they have the added benefit of shielding your computers from the random crap floating around out there such a worms, kiddies running port scans, etc.
Use Firefox instead of Internet Explorer.
Don't be stupid and don't click on everything you see.
Windows firewall is impotent, it offers only what a NAT router offers. Neither provides any protection for any outbound traffic. I suspect that the so called 'problems' with third party firewalls is in reality traffic that should have been stopped.
Your last two points are on the mark
I would also add the protection provided by Blocking Unwanted Parasites with a Hosts File which blocks a huge list of known malware, virus, and tracking sites, some of which are utilized by legimate sites, such as the PayPal/DoubleClick tracking.
But if your AV is out of date, log off of here and download a free one now!
I wouldn't recommend with Norton or McAfee, personally. Norton tends to cause more problems than it solves it seems. McAfee, well, my experience with it isn't so great. They use it at my company and the other day it let through a very simple virus from a Yahoo! page. Not particularly impressive. Below would be my recommendations, but there are other very good programs at there as well.
Firewall - Comodo (free)
Antivirus - NOD32 ($32 per year or less for a multi-year deal)
Spyware/Malware - Spybot S&D and Adaware, both very good and both free
CCleaner to clean crap off of your machine, and it's free
These are the programs I have used for quite some time and have never had a problem of any sort.
Before Comodo I used Zone Alarm for my firewall for many years, but with my new Vista machine there was some kind of conflict that Zone Alarm could never solve. Having ZA installed on a clean machine would disable my Ethernet card. After messing with it for a couple of weeks I scrapped it and went with Comodo. Have never had a problem and I think it's more effective (personal opinion, not necessarily fact).
Windows firewall is impotent, it offers only what a NAT router offers. Neither provides any protection for any outbound traffic. I suspect that the so called 'problems' with third party firewalls is in reality traffic that should have been stopped.
Where's the bigger threat? A worm from outside your system trying to get in or a program that's already inside trying to contact the outside world? If you stop the first one, the second problem doesn't exist. Windows firewall and a NAT router do a fine job stopping the real inbound threats. As long as you disable uPnP and change your router's default password, its unlikely that malware can disable it or open ports from the inside without your knowledge.
Outbound "protection" is annoying and intrusive. Most users don't know the difference between c:\windows\system32\svchost.exe and c:\windows\svchost32.dll. So they're presented with a question (allow or deny) that they don't have the answer to. They'll either deny and break something or allow and make the firewall pointless. Experienced users like myself do know what's going on but simply get annoyed at the constant prompts. And so many firewalls are so badly written that they take forever to prompt in the first place. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to ping a host on someone's PC and literally 30 seconds after I ping, the firewall asks me if it's OK. Thanks for that!
Trying to run a LAN with software firewalls can be a great joy too. I've seen many systems where I'll add the local subnet to the "safe" list but the stupid thing still won't allow LAN traffic.
Avast is a good/free anti virus that I have used for many years and have had NO problems since using it. All the deputies around here use it and one recommended it to me and he was right.. It is the BEST!
Where's the bigger threat? A worm from outside your system trying to get in or a program that's already inside trying to contact the outside world? If you stop the first one, the second problem doesn't exist. Windows firewall and a NAT router do a fine job stopping the real inbound threats. As long as you disable uPnP and change your router's default password, its unlikely that malware can disable it or open ports from the inside without your knowledge.
Outbound "protection" is annoying and intrusive. Most users don't know the difference between c:\windows\system32\svchost.exe and c:\windows\svchost32.dll. So they're presented with a question (allow or deny) that they don't have the answer to. They'll either deny and break something or allow and make the firewall pointless. Experienced users like myself do know what's going on but simply get annoyed at the constant prompts. And so many firewalls are so badly written that they take forever to prompt in the first place. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to ping a host on someone's PC and literally 30 seconds after I ping, the firewall asks me if it's OK. Thanks for that!
Trying to run a LAN with software firewalls can be a great joy too. I've seen many systems where I'll add the local subnet to the "safe" list but the stupid thing still won't allow LAN traffic.
NAT by the very way it works will stop the worm, but it and the Windows Firewall do nothing to stop anything on any website you happen to visit. For those that never ever make a typo when entering a URL, or never ever click on the wrong link, then these will suffice.
But for 90%+ of the users the greatest threat is located directly between the chair and the keyboard.
As for outbound, I suspect you have never really paid attention as to the information that mainstream benign websites are harvesting. Our local newspaper home page tries to harvest your email addy. Should I be concerned that the local newspaper site harvests my email address, probably not, but which other sites are doing similar, and why?
I also run a LAN with a number of services and am multicasting information from my weather station to all PC's in the house, all with a firewall, all without any problems.
As far as Norton vs. mcafee, one sucks, the other is crap. The good free apps were mentions, if you want a paid solution Nod32 or Kaspersky are good ones, plus keep one of the free malware scanners in your tool box to run a manual "second opinion" scan on occasion.
TekFreek has road tested the slimmed down Norton Internet Security 2009 16.2.0.7 and has had no problems. If a person prefers to buy something they may as well get that. It has left McAfee in the dust.
I prefer Avast because it has done a decent job and is free. I've added ThreatFire and KeyScrambler as insurance.
For "on demand" antimalware programs I have SuperAntiSpyware And Advanced System Care (by Iobits) as well as CCleaner. For tough cleanups I may download MalwareBytes (shareware) to help out.
For other maintenance, I'd recommend a defragger. Iobit Smart Defrag is pretty good.
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