No need to abandon AVG if you are happy with it as millions are. You NEED a firewall. Zonealarm is probably the most popular free firewall out there. Comodo is good but requires a little more input from the user.

You should also have some anti malware programs on the computer too. Select at least two, perhaps Spybot Search & Destroy, Spywarebleaster, AVG antimalware, AVG anti rootkit, BOClean or any other such program.

Of course none are any good unless they are updated regularly and ran as many free programs are not automatically updated and ran run.

I've been using windows OneCare..
Firewall/Anti-Virus/Anti-Addware/Back-up/Phishing-filter/Windows_Maintance... all in one.

Kind of a no brainer once you initially set up, up to the minute auto updates. 1- Annual subscription good for three or four computers in same household.

Pretty much out of sight, out of mind.. unless there's a problem - then it asks to fix it. Auto updates.

Apparently works well - I've never found anything occasionally running online virus scans and some of the popular spyware checkers.

Thanks mikie & owbist for your responses.

It occurred to me to search a little deeper into my existing programs & I found the Windows firewall which came w/ my Dell. I turned it off w/ dialup; seemed to be creating problems w/ loading pages. I've turned it back on so this should be enough I hope.

What is anti-malware & what is it protecting? It is a different name for spyware checker? I'll definitely look into a copy of the programs you show above.

Thanks again.

Kim the Windows firewall is simply not good enough. It is only a one way firewall protecting you from the outside world. You need one that also protects you from things on your computer sending out information without your knowledge. These items are sometimes referred to as malware - or phone home spies for the less damaging.

Obwist....Thank you for the explanation. I really like "free"; I'll be checking on Zonealarm this evening. I've heard of Spybot. Sounds like I've got some work to do. Thanks again.

Kim look over this page which gives good information about the type of things you need to protect your computer and if you click on one of the recommended programs it leads to an easy download. Some of the free programs are hidden among the demos and paid programs at other sites.

BOClean
owbist, thanks for the tip.
I like it, simple, free, it updates, and it works.

Comodo BOClean Anti-Malware, is case anybody wonders what I'm talking about.

Randy, I wish I had installed it on my wife's machine when I did mine. She got taken over by a Spambot, we found out in a hurry when the ISP gave us 24 hours to clean up our act.

I have had it a few months and find it great. The downside for some will be the fact you never see or hear from it. Much like Spywareblaster it just works in the background and you have to have confidence in it.

There is an update to the definitions today (Oct 4), now covering 38,028 bad guys.