Virus Protection
Virus Protection scanners, go through three places to find virii.
HDD
- Looks at every file on the disc.
Memory
- Scans the currently running memory to see if a virus is running now
Behaviour
- Scans both the memory and hard drive for suspicious well known behaviour and - patterns that suggest malicious software
Software Suggestions
GRISOFT – AVG
- Completely Free 10/10
- Anti-Virus & Anti-Spy ware Protection 8/10
- Slow Virus Search -3/10
- Simple Interface 5/10
- Medium Power Footprint 5/10
Total Score = 25/50
Very popular solution, highly recommended- will DEFINITELY PROTECT the machine from viruses and spy ware. But is a drain on resources and takes a long time to scan for threats.
NOD32 Anti-Virus
- Costs per year £29.95 (for updates + strong protection) 5/10
- Antivirus Only 7/10
- Regular Virii search speed 5/10
- Tricky interface – set and forget style. 3/10
- LOW power footprint 10/10
Total Score 30/50
Not so well known but very powerful anti virus system. Will DEFINITELY protect the machine from virii. Will not drain system resources too much and does quick scanning. The only real issues are the lack of Spy ware protection and the expensive price plans.
Firewall Protection
Firewalls control inbound and outbound traffic on either a network or an individual machine. This can be achieved by either software or hardware. Software is best for your situation.
Software Suggestions
Windows Firewall
- Costs Nothing (other than buying windows [which is pre installed]) 10/10
- Inbound Protection Only 4/10
-
Minimal Interface- set and forget style (with occasional alerts) 4/10
- LOW power foot print 9/10
Total Score 27/40
The windows firewall is an effective and quite protective measure for securing a windows machine although it only has INBOUND protection, so if a virus is transmitting bad data, the WINDOWS firewall will not protect you.
ZoneAlarm Firewall
- The Free Version is FREE (although a pro version can be bought) 10/10
- Inbound + Outbound Protection Alerts for each program 9/10
- Complicated, but comprehensive interface (STOP BUTTON) 6/10
- HIGH power footprint 4/10
Total Score 29/40
Zone Alarm- Firewall Specialists for a long time. Will protect both ways and will request permissions for every program it does not recognise. I highly recommend this software as it provides strong and reliable protection.
Clean Up Tools
Registry Doctor
- This software costs money (£17.50) 3/10
- This software fixes registry errors, backs up the system, and adjusts the registry for speed. 7/10 (the adjusting could be dangerous)
- Power hungry - will take a lot of resources when operational. 4/10
- Click and GO! Interface, although the system is complicated when It comes to advanced settings. 5/10
Total Score 19/40
Registry doctor – A often occurrence, simply because of the constant advertising everywhere. This software is a suitable enough solution for most people however I believe it has spy ware built into it, and would not recommend it.
Quicksys RegDefrag
- This software is freeware 10/10
- This software is a registry defragmenter- it will only optimise it. 4/10
- Will take little resources, runs in the background (like the vista defrag)6/10
- Set and Forget interface, no real options and hides during operation 8/10
Total Score 28/40
Quicksys RegDefrag is a simple set and forget registry defragmenter and streamliner. I believe this is the better option, as it will pick up redundant keys as it goes however a lack of options somewhat limits this software.
Disk Formatting
Darik's Boot and Nuke ("DBAN")
- This software is Free 10/10
- This software will overwrite the Hard Drive with ZEROS however many times you ask it to. 8/10
- The computer is busy during the Disk Format (low level physical format)3/10
- Set and forget – it can take sometime. Limited options 5/10
Total Score 26/40
DBAN- it’s a popular and useful tool. It simply erases your hard drive at a low level. It is loud, and you cannot use your OS at the same time- It is a simple FREE, but has limited options.
Windows formatting tool
- This software is free with windows. 8/10
- The software will perform a high level software format. 5/10
- You can only format a drive that windows isn’t using. 3/10
- You can format a drive to any FS type provided the disk supports it. 7/10
Total Score 23/40
Windows formatting tool isn’t very powerful, is noisy if formatting a hard drive, and is very slow. Although if doing a quick format it will be a bit quicker. You can use your OS, but incredibly slowly.
Conclusion
Based on the above statistics I would recommend this software:
- NOD32 Anti Virus
- Zone-Alarm PRO Firewall
- QuickSys Reg De-Frag
- DBAN – Boot and Nuke
I have done my best to always provide a free alternative, but it will not always be the best option. You should make your own decision based, on the facts above, and the software manufacturer’s website. I put my faith into EVERY product I have mentioned.
I hope this email will help you to decide what you need to use to make the computer you will shortly be receiving, the best machine for miles around!.
Best Regards Nick
