2 anti-virus programmes installed.

Question

I have AVG free edition and also Zone Alarm installed on my computer. I  had Windows Defender but uninstalled this. Is this OK to have 2?

ky331 · Answer

Is your Zone Alarm just their firewall? just an anti-virus? or a full suite that includes multiple programs???

You should have only one resident (continually-running in real-time) anti-virus program on your PC. If the AVG and ZoneAlarm both include anti-virus, then you should remove one of them. But you can mix, for example, AVG anti-virus with the Zone Alarm firewall.

Windows Defender is a resident anti- spyware program. It's okay (and in fact, recommended) to run a resident anti- spyware program in addition to your resident anti- virus.

Message Edited by ky331 on 03-29-2007 09:20 AM

larunlady · Answer

Thank you so much for that help Ky331, I will check all that out now and also reinstall Windows Defender! Must ask next time before I do anything silly!

ky331 · Answer

Spyware Doctor is one ot the very few programs recommended by Spyware Warrior:

http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm#trustworthy

Having said that, be advised that I am not personally familiar with it:

IF it offers a resident, real-time protection feature, then no, I would not run Windows Defender as well.

However, if the program is just an "on-demand" scanner, then you can run Windows Defender as a resident program, and still run an occasional "on-demand" scan to get a second opinion.

Hopefully, someone else who has first-hand knowledge of Spyware Doctor can give you more definitive advice.

EDIT: I'm asking around for some opinions that I'd trust...

Message Edited by ky331 on 03-29-2007 12:56 PM

larunlady · Answer

My Zone Alarm is the free version so probably just firewall and AVG just antivirus. I also have Spyware Doctor installed (purchased). Do you recommend me still to get Windows Defender again?

Bugbatter · Answer

A component of Spyware Doctor, PC Tools, does realtime scanning. If you are already running Spyware Doctor, you may not want to install Defender. Please remember that there is no one scanner that will find everything, but running too many can use resources.

Message Edited by Bugbatter on 03-29-2007 01:02 PM

larunlady · Answer

Thank you again, that has helped me greatly. I haven't used the Dell Forums a lot but when I have the information has been superb!

larunlady · Answer

Thank you bugbatter for your valued help. I will not reinstall Windows Defender now, one can have too much of a good thing, obviously!

Gmanson · Answer

SpywareDoctor can find hundreds if not more of false postives. Also windows defender also has bugs that i no longer deal with.

larunlady · Answer

Thank you Gmanson for those observations - there do appear to be a lot of spyware items found! But I have paid for it........

Bugbatter · Answer

Mr. Manson, that sounds more like an opinion than fact.
Can you provide links to reliable sources that support this statement?
"SpywareDoctor can find hundreds if not more of false postives. Also windows defender also has bugs that i no longer deal with."

Message Edited by Bugbatter on 04-02-2007 11:56 PM

joe53 · Answer

'SpywareDoctor can find hundreds if not more of false postives. Also windows defender also has bugs that i no longer deal with.' Since installing the final release of Windows Defender, I have seen no bugs. I can't comment on previous beta releases, which I never tried. To which bugs in Defender do you refer?

Gmanson · Answer

When was the final release of windows defender? I have installed previous versions an gotten several errors regarding updates and stops register code error windows. Both of you i suggest looking at the windows forums if the old topics are still there. Ive sent serveral bugs in to microsoft before and telling as vista with it im unsure if i even want it.

Gmanson · Answer

Hmm yea that was a beta release. Ill hold off i think i have enough protection and help anyways.

joe53 · Answer

Gmanson wrote:
When was the final release of windows defender? I have installed previous versions an gotten several errors regarding updates and stops register code error windows. Both of you i suggest looking at the windows forums if the old topics are still there. Ive sent serveral bugs in to microsoft before and telling as vista with it im unsure if i even want it.

Windows Defender final release was several months back. If you got error messages with your beta releases it was because they were no longer supported.

If you still have any of those beta versions of WD, uninstall them via Add/Remove. You can obtain the final release here;
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

Note that WD can be configured for on-demand scanning only, if you have some other AS running.

Virus & Spyware

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