SP2 and third-party security issues: Need help!

[Guest]

After a nasty infection, I went to safer-networking.org. I followed their
suggestions to the word and installed the security programs below. Each time,
after a restart or two, SP2 would freeze. All those programs seem to work
fine in SP1. So, I now have SP2 installed with AVG and Windows Defender. I'm
also using Microsoft's Firewall. Which of the following, if any, is safe to
install? Which caused the freezes, and what should I replace it with? Any
insight or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks for taking the time.

Brian

....

SpywareBlaster by Javacool

Spybot Search & Destroy

Windows Defender

Spyware Guard

IE-SPYAD

....

ZoneAlarm (with the Windows firewall turned off)

 

[DH]

After a nasty infection, I went to safer-networking.org. I followed their
suggestions to the word and installed the security programs below. Each
time,
after a restart or two, SP2 would freeze. All those programs seem to work
fine in SP1. So, I now have SP2 installed with AVG and Windows Defender.
I'm
also using Microsoft's Firewall. Which of the following, if any, is safe
to
install? Which caused the freezes, and what should I replace it with? Any
insight or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks for taking the time.

Brian

...

SpywareBlaster by Javacool

Spybot Search & Destroy

Windows Defender

Spyware Guard

IE-SPYAD

...

ZoneAlarm (with the Windows firewall turned off)

I suspect that I am going to be critisized by a number of people but I
suggest that you use Spybot and get rid of the rest. The only possible
exception is that if you know what you are doing, you might want to install
ZoneAlarm.

Furthermore, based on your question, I suspect that you have Norton or
McAfee Antivirus. I'd rather have a virus. Get rid of either of them. I
strongly suggest AVG or Avast. AVG can be downloaded (true freeware) from
http://www.download.com/3001-2239_4-10669237.html. Avast can be downloaded
(Again true freeware) from
http://www.download.com/Avast-Home-Edition/3000-2239_4-10680976.html?tag=lst-0-2

Okay everyone, I'm ready to be slammed!

Dave H.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

After a nasty infection, I went to safer-networking.org. I followed their
suggestions to the word and installed the security programs below. Each time,
after a restart or two, SP2 would freeze. All those programs seem to work
fine in SP1. So, I now have SP2 installed with AVG and Windows Defender. I'm
also using Microsoft's Firewall. Which of the following, if any, is safe to
install?

All are safe to install. And it's generally a good list, except for
Spyware Guard. Although there was nothing wrong with Spyware Guard, it
hasn't been updated in years, which makes it near useless now.

Which caused the freezes, and what should I replace it with? Any
insight or suggestions would be much appreciated.

I doubt *very* much whether any of these caused your freezes. Look
elsewhere for the problem.

 

[Jim]

All are safe to install. And it's generally a good list, except for
Spyware Guard. Although there was nothing wrong with Spyware Guard, it
hasn't been updated in years, which makes it near useless now.




I doubt *very* much whether any of these caused your freezes. Look
elsewhere for the problem.

Ken:

Isn't it likely that the OP did not prepare his SP1 system for the update?
I have Norton and ZA on one system, and Nod32 and ZA on the other.
I have never had a freeze.
Jim

 

[Rock]

After a nasty infection, I went to safer-networking.org. I followed their
suggestions to the word and installed the security programs below. Each
time,
after a restart or two, SP2 would freeze. All those programs seem to work
fine in SP1. So, I now have SP2 installed with AVG and Windows Defender.
I'm
also using Microsoft's Firewall. Which of the following, if any, is safe
to
install? Which caused the freezes, and what should I replace it with? Any
insight or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks for taking the time.

SpywareBlaster by Javacool

Spybot Search & Destroy

Windows Defender

Spyware Guard

IE-SPYAD

They are all good products. Spyware Guard is outdated and hasn't been
updated in years. I don't recommend the latest releases of Zone Alarm - too
bloated. For 3rd party firewall there is Sunbelt Software's Kerio Personal
Firewall (free and paid versions) and Comodo Personal firewall. I have run
both (on different systems) with no issues. Only have one firewall active.

Impossible to say if one of these caused the freezing problems. To be sure
install one at a time and test after each one.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Ken:

Isn't it likely that the OP did not prepare his SP1 system for the update?

Yes.


I have Norton and ZA on one system, and Nod32 and ZA on the other.
I have never had a freeze.

Nor I. None of the programs he mentions would cause a freeze, as I
said.

 

[Guest]

All are safe to install. And it's generally a good list, except for
Spyware Guard. Although there was nothing wrong with Spyware Guard, it
hasn't been updated in years, which makes it near useless now.




I doubt *very* much whether any of these caused your freezes. Look
elsewhere for the problem.

I tried installing just those and SP2. Nothing else. And also tried it
without any of the Fujitsu software that came with my Tablet. Still froze up.

 

[Guest]

Ken:

Isn't it likely that the OP did not prepare his SP1 system for the update?
I have Norton and ZA on one system, and Nod32 and ZA on the other.
I have never had a freeze.
Jim

I like this answer. Only because I don't know what it means to prepare SP1.
What I did do was wipe the disk with a fresh insall of Windows XP. Then
installed all the updates. Then installed SP2. One time I installed the
security stuff right away when first installing XP. Another time I went all
the way to SP2 before installing the security stuff. Most recently, I
installed what I described above: everything and SP2, followed by AVG and
Windows Defender. I also updated Explorer, installed the Experience Pack for
Tablet and Media Player. Would preparing SP1 make a difference?

 

[Guest]

They are all good products. Spyware Guard is outdated and hasn't been
updated in years. I don't recommend the latest releases of Zone Alarm - too
bloated. For 3rd party firewall there is Sunbelt Software's Kerio Personal
Firewall (free and paid versions) and Comodo Personal firewall. I have run
both (on different systems) with no issues. Only have one firewall active.

Impossible to say if one of these caused the freezing problems. To be sure
install one at a time and test after each one.

I first had this problem some time ago. I think I did install one at a time.
Several restarts later, the freeze came. I could move the cursor, but click
nothing. When I move over the task bar, I get the hour glass.

Thanks all for taking the time. I'm going to investigate "preparing SP1."
Are there any shortcuts from where I am now? Uninstalling SP2, then prepare
SP1 and reinstall SP2? Or do I have to start from wiping out the disk again?

 

[mikeyhsd]

installing SP2 should bring the computer up to date as of SP2.
you would need to do the updates that have come out after SP2.



(e-mail address removed)

Ken:

Isn't it likely that the OP did not prepare his SP1 system for the update?
I have Norton and ZA on one system, and Nod32 and ZA on the other.
I have never had a freeze.
Jim

I like this answer. Only because I don't know what it means to prepare SP1.
What I did do was wipe the disk with a fresh insall of Windows XP. Then
installed all the updates. Then installed SP2. One time I installed the
security stuff right away when first installing XP. Another time I went all
the way to SP2 before installing the security stuff. Most recently, I
installed what I described above: everything and SP2, followed by AVG and
Windows Defender. I also updated Explorer, installed the Experience Pack for
Tablet and Media Player. Would preparing SP1 make a difference?

 

[Jim]

I like this answer. Only because I don't know what it means to prepare
SP1.
What I did do was wipe the disk with a fresh insall of Windows XP. Then
installed all the updates. Then installed SP2. One time I installed the
security stuff right away when first installing XP. Another time I went
all
the way to SP2 before installing the security stuff. Most recently, I
installed what I described above: everything and SP2, followed by AVG and
Windows Defender. I also updated Explorer, installed the Experience Pack
for
Tablet and Media Player. Would preparing SP1 make a difference?

Not in your case. You make certain that your SP1 system is free of malware
if you
are updating in place.

By the way, there was no need to install the updates before installing SP2.
The SP2 update
disk has all of the updates up to the time that the disk was prepared.
Before you install SP2
you probably should install the system specific device drivers. After you
install SP2, you
should install AV and a firewall such as ZA. Then, and only then, you can
connect the computer
to the internet and download the many updates since SP2.

And how, you may ask, can I install an AV and ZA to a computer that is not
connected? The answer
is by planning ahead of time.

Jim

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Thanks all for taking the time. I'm going to investigate "preparing SP1."
Are there any shortcuts from where I am now? Uninstalling SP2, then prepare
SP1 and reinstall SP2? Or do I have to start from wiping out the disk again?

No, none of this is pertinent in your case. The comment about
"preparing SP1" mistakenly assumed that you had an existing
installation with SP1, and applied SP2 over the top of it. Since you
didn't, but applied SP2 over the top of a fresh clean Windows
installation, this isn't your issue.