Heidi, me ol mate. I use AVG AV Free, never a problem with it. Sticking with the flag, I keep AVG AS [free version also] roughly updated and ready for when I may wish to scan for spyware etc [on demand only].
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/5390/lng/us/tpl/v5
Make sure you get this: Spywareblaster [I update it monthly using the M$ updates as a reminder], and a good firewall - one of these: ZoneAlarm Free, Kerio, Comodo

Norton and Dell? Now that should comprehensively bog your sys down...
Happy new year for when it comes...

Gerbil has it correct! I also use Spybot Search and destroy and Ad-Aware as my cleaners.
I just bought a Toshiba notebook - the deal was so good I did not even try to get it with XP loaded - if Vista P***es me off too much, I will buy XP and dual boot. But like all 'branded' machines I had to go in and uninstall a lot of stuff that was just dogging the machine. I am sure Dell is the same.

ps my .sig is for my desktop, not my laptop (I bought the laptop so I could sit in the living room with my DW who has a laptop of her own - we do not IM each other <grin>)

I use free avast on Vista Home Premium and seems to work as well or maybe even better than some programs that cost $$$.

I have Norton internet security 2007, which is just painfully evil and rubbish! Keeps error-ing me
So i have AVG free when Norton goes a bit AWOL!
Norton is going soon anyway and i don't intend to upgrade to 2008 version.

Ya, I have the 90 free trial of Norton and I don't intend to keep it after that. That is why I'm trying to figure out what to use.
I'm already a firm user of Spybot, AdAware, HiJack This! (when needed). I've used AVG, and liked it. I just want something that does it all.
I've got 250 GB hard drive and I'm already getting concerned about filling up the new PC. Only at 35GB used. But I just want to do everything "right" on this PC.
I still have my "broken" PC (infamous eMachines crap! power supply/possible motherboard issue) that I plan on "fixing". But it's been about......well.... a year now, I think, since it went out on me. Was stuck with my son's "old" Win98 10GB pc. Got so used to that and not being able to do anything (figgin' dial up, don'tcha know!). Now I've gotta take it slow, get back into the swing of being the techy in the house. Kids are rushing me! Hubby doesn't understand ANYTHING. He just wants it to "work" when he needs it to. Aaahhh! I wish the stupid PC could be just for me!! Ha Ha.
One more thing also. Firewall. What about just Windows firewall? Crap? Frequently hacked into? Just want to keep it simple and not have to run 50 programs just to stay safe. But, ya gotta do what ya gotta do, huh?
Ok, well.... Thanks again everyone for their input. It is greatly appreciated.
~H

Firewall first. Windows firewall is okay, sorta - it's half a firewall... like a door with a knob only on the inside. It hides you on the net, you are invisible to any unsolicited contacts. But if you somehow have something bad which wants to go out and solicit, eg adware, spyware, or a backdoor hack calling home to get instructions on what to do with your pc and its info, then windows firewall lets it out and accepts its contacts with no advice to you; think of that door being left open..... Not good. Get one of those 3 I suggested - they bother you with popups for a while as you teach them what is okay but they give you control. Of course, a good bit of nasty stuff will try to turn them off.... but what is perfect? Until you get a decent one keep windows version running at all times.
Something that does it all. There are lotsa packages out there that give you a full suite of protection... AV plus AS plus firewall, but you must buy them. Which is fine, of course. It all swings on commerce; there would be almost no spyware, adware, trojans etc if someone was not getting paid to write it; still be hacks, though, cos they are about theft, mostly.
What you get depends on what you do, your surfing, your gullibility... if you go to sites n click on files like photos etc without checking the file extension[s] as a least step you can get what you didn't think you were asking for. If you play in the dirt you will get some on you. Surf as a user, NOT as an admin.
No one package is perfect, sadly. 35 Gigs already? videos? PCs are really not good for handling videos, imo... just about anything you want to do with those large files takes forever.
Spybot with teatimer should do for much spyware etc, I keep AVG AS for an on-demand scanner....
Hubby n kids? Luckily, you can boot them too.
Happy new year.

I've been looking into this for a long time.

Something new I just found out is that ESET (The company that makes NOD32) just came out with a security suite. Check it out www.eset.com "Eset Smart Security", they have a free trial.

If you want to pay for your software, I highly recommend:

Antivirus: Either NOD32 or Kaspersky. They rate usually about the same in detection ratings- at the top! They're both pretty easy to use, though NOD32 lets you in on the action a little more, as you can watch it constantly scanning your files.

NOD32: www.eset.com
Kaspersky: www.kaspersky.com


Antispyware: Webroot SpySweeper. This is the best antispyware program I have ever used. Since I put it on my machines, I have never EVER experienced anything other than the odd tracking cookie. Its active protection is simply unbeatable! (Make sure to run a custom scan, though, and set it to look for rootkits and in hidden files)

www.webroot.com

Firewall: Zonealarm Pro. IF you want to pay- its like the free version, but more comprehensive. I use a free program for my firewall though.

www.zonealarm.com


(Most of these companies have security suites)

If you want free software:

Antivirus: Avast! is supposed to have the best detection ratings, but you have to manually run scans- no scheduling. AVG is supposed to be a little under Avast!, but its more comprehensive and hands-off- you can schedule scans and it updates automatically. Avast! Doesn't.

So here it depends how much you want to touch your programs- Avast! requires much more attention than AVG.

Avast!: http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html
AVG: http://free.grisoft.com/doc/5390/us/frt/0

On a side note, a free NOD32/Kaspersky counterpart is supposed to be Antivir. It looks like Kaspersky, but runs a constant, resource-light scan like NOD32. http://www.free-av.com/ (Notice the Kaspersky-like symbol?)

Also, a little known program is Comodo's Antivirus. Its supposed to be an up-and-comming competetor to Avast! and AVG. Check it out: www.comodo.com



Sorry for all the info, but you have many choices! Bottom line: Check out Avast!, AVG, Antivir, and Comodo. See which one you like the best. They'll all protect you well.


Antispyware: This one is a little shorter. A-squared free and Spybot. I find that Adaware is a good program, but A-squared is more thorough. I like the interface better, and its detection ratings are better, in my experience. Spybot is a good backup- its small and fast, and it tends to pick up stragglers. But its not a good Standalone protection! You may also want to install Comodo BOClean ( www.comodo.com ) to help keep malware off your machine in the first place (it is active protection) and Spywareblaster (http://www.http://www.javacoolsoftwa...reblaster.html) which keeps it from installing (it closes up holes that the stuff can hide in) http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/download/ , http://www.safer-networking.org/index2.html

AVG antispyware is pretty good too, a robust option, but it loses some functionality after 30 days (Its only supposed to lose its active protection, but mine stopped updating. Perhaps a coincidence?) http://free.grisoft.com/doc/5390/us/frt/0

Firewall: Definitively Comodo Firewall. Notice that Comodo has made it into all of these lists? It is a company that provides free enterprise grade (or so it claims) security software. Its all very good software. www.comodo.com

As for this firewall, It has been the most comprehensive firewall I have ever used. It tops every firewall in leak tests (until very recently)- including those you pay for. I use it on machines that I would be willing to buy a firewall for because it is so great! Leak test results: http://www.matousec.com/projects/win...ts-results.php


And as for Norton, the newer 2007/2008 versions have actually improved- they're actually almost worth having now. The suite, however, will and does bog your system down. Just a thought.

Hope this helps! Feel free to ask if you have more questions!

--The Comodore