mcafee internet security suite

[tfamok]

hi everyone,hope your good.
I got a new computer on friday and it came with mcafee internet security suite.do i need other freeware spyware/malware scanners installed also or am i just taking up more space with installing them.
Thank u so much.
Teddy

[mikkh]

It's probably a trial version - they mostly are

Personally, I'd uninstall it immediately because it's hideously bloated with about 7 or 8 things running in the background which slows any PC quite noticeably.

I wouldn't mind if it actually gave you more protection, but as 90% of the PC's I get called out to remove viruses from either have McAfee, Norton or AVG installed - it seems pretty clear to me there's no extra benefit from having it installed.

In answer to your question though it's supposed to be a full security suite, so theoretically it's all you need. Back in the real world though, a set of freeware apps gives a similar level of security without grinding your PC to a halt

[ken]

The 3 you have mentioned Mikk, I think Avast free is far superior. The only thing with Avast, if your not behind a router, you need a firewall. Comodo free firewall works well. I'm running Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 on my netbook, its the only computer I've got thats not behind a firewall all the time. I had heard a lot of good things said about it and Amazon offered it me for 11 quid, so I bought it. Dont slow the machine down luckily, but I've not taken it out of the house since installing it because of the weather. I've got Avast free on everything else and its served me well for a number of years. I've installed it along with Comodo on several friends machines over the last couple of years and they are all running OK. The 3 above mentioned I wouldn't have them in the house, never mind install them on a computer.

[mikkh]

Yes, that was my point - If McAfee, Norton and AVG are the supposed protection on the PC's I go to remove viruses from, it shows they're not doing their job. Although to be fair NOTHING is 100% protection, not even Linux, but it's as close as you can get.

I use Avast on my Windows partition and on my other PC's too, because it's not a resource hog and has a good detection rate compared to others. It's not infallible, none of them are, and the latest wave of viruses are coming embedded in video clips which is hard to guard against.

You have to be realistic when trying to protect yourself and accept you're going to get caught out sooner or later, no matter what you use, so there's little point in using a full blown security suite that grinds your system to a halt if it doesn't (and never can) fully protect you. Concentrating on a good backup regime is a better idea.

[tfamok]

mikkh.so i should uninstall mcaffee (and your right its just a months trial but was gonna purchase it,maybe i wont now)then i will install avast.should i have other spyware tools like superantispyware etc.on my previous computer i installed
Advanced System Care 3,is that just a waste of space?
my internet connection is through a wireless router,do i need firewall?

ps,do u guys have to spend all day on the computer to get this much knowlege,how do u keep up?
silly questions i know.
Cheers for your time and advice.
teddy

[ken]

You should install Super AntiSpyware, MalwareBytes AntiMalware and Spyware Blaster. Then you will be as safe as you can be these days. Your router has a hardware firewall, so you don't need a software one. I only run a firewall on my netbook, as its not always running in the safety of my router. Never run a computer on a public network without a firewall. If you have got a laptop that you use on hotspots and in pubs or whatever, never use it for banking or shopping.

Only about 23 hours a day normally, have to knock off for dinner or the National Union of Genius's are all over you.

[mikkh]

Yes, I spend a lot of time online - there was the small matter of 5 years in college to become a qualified technician too though, although to be honest I learnt more in several stints working in computer shops with very experienced technicians as co workers.

I like IT because it's an ever changing world and a constant challenge. A lot of trades are pretty humdrum once you've learnt the basics. I self taught myself Linux because Windows is not much of a challenge ;o)

I practically live in my Kitchen where my main PC is and my lounge is a computer workshop with a TV that mostly gathers dust

[tfamok]

mikkh,thanx so much bud.thats a lot of help.technician is exactly what i want to do.studying digitial media at the minute at college but parts of it bore the tits of me,ms office etc.other days i work at dw sports all day long and i just think im wasting so much time,could be learning on the job,but since i got no experience no computer store etc would have me.want to get to grips with the technical side of things.motherboards onwards.not many people in my class share that aspiration.do i keep superantispyware running all the time or just for scans and is Advanced System Care 3 worth having?

[ken]

Advanced System Care is past its sell by date, not that it was a lot of good in the first place.

Super AntiSpyware Free doesn't run in the background, only the Pro version does. Spyware Blaster is background protection and doesn't use any resources. SAS updates itself, MalwareBytes AntiMalware only looks for the real bad ones and has to be updated before running it.

[tfamok]

guys im aware im asking to many stupid questions.last 1.promise.
on my old machine i always used advanced system care,was maybe just in my head that it cleaned up my computer,maybe a comforter for me.do i need a tool to clean up my computer or do u guys just use system tools disk cleanup etc?
thanx again
teddy

[ken]

C Cleaner 3 has just come out the other day and cleans better than ever before. Even before it was upgraded it was twice as good as Disk Cleanup. It also gets rid of Flash cookies, which are becoming a big menace now.