I never had any luck with McAfee, Norton caused all kinds of problems on my computer so I went with SpySweeper w/Antivirus. Also have their firewall. Then I use AdAware (free version) & Norton Security Scan (free)......SpySweeper w/a-v runs daily & I usually run at least one of my freebies each time I get off the internet. Overkill? Probably, but then again paying a couple of hundred dollars to clean my computer of a nasty virus isn't exactly on my list of things to do.
A friend of mine recently had that XP virus that had totally screwed up her computer. Normally I can help my buds if I can just run an a-v tool to remove them but this one needed some changes in the registry & I won't go there. She had to call a tech & it cost her nearly $200. Ouch.
Now I may be paranoid but I'm very careful about following links to websites I'm not familiar with (especially the ones I get in emails) & don't open any emails from people I don't know. Also fussy about which attachments I open. These jerks are getting more slick every day so they are constantly finding new ways to infect your computer. You have to be vigilant & just a little paranoid.
AdAware, Norton Security Scan & SpySweeper are all very easy to use. So far, they've gotten the job done.
I also use Cool Iris with my email......it gives you a preview of the email w/o opening it. Sometimes it's hard to tell if an old friend is trying to reach you or if it's spam so I use Cool Iris. Great to be able to peek & not have to open anything questionable.
