Win7 firewall any good?

[mjw21a]

Just downloaded Comodo, so I'll be checking that out.

So...being the performance tweaker I am I had shut down Automatic Update when I installed Win7. I go to do an update just now and notice that one is definitions for Windows Defender. I didn't know that Win7 had an antivirus installed? Is it any good? Or just resource waste?

Ever since Norton I don't really like to have an AV running all the time. I prefer to setup the firewall (soft and hard) and not click on stupid stuff for most of my protection. I'll have an AV installed (AVG lately) just to run for periodic scans an occasionally scanning a download. Given the how do I turn off WD? Just unclick Real Time Protection and the Scan schedule? Or do I have to go into services?

Defender just does malware/spyware dude. It's not an antivirus product. Keep your AVG install on there or you're unprotected.

 

[augerpro]

Does the free Comodo firewall have any anti-spyware built in? The paid version of ZA used to, but it looks like they stripped it a couple updates ago. Still I have to wonder if there is not a better program than WD for that? If not I can keep it running but I want to make sure it is worth it.

So weird thing I jsut found. Went to services to shut down WD and saw that Windows Firewall was running, even though I have it turned off in my security settings (so ZA can run). So the settings don't seem to actually turn anything, but just idle them?

 

[mjw21a]

Does the free Comodo firewall have any anti-spyware built in? The paid version of ZA used to, but it looks like they stripped it a couple updates ago. Still I have to wonder if there is not a better program than WD for that? If not I can keep it running but I want to make sure it is worth it.

So weird thing I jsut found. Went to services to shut down WD and saw that Windows Firewall was running, even though I have it turned off in my security settings (so ZA can run). So the settings don't seem to actually turn anything, but just idle them?

Comodo's anti malware products aren't worth looking at. Check out the reviews. Their firewall product on the other hand is tops.

 

[c627627]

Agreed. Install Comodo Firewall only, uncheck everything else.

Comodo + Avira Antivir combo for the win.

 

[augerpro]

So Avira does not protect against spyware/malware, and the Comodo firewall does not either. I imagine some of the firewall features block spyware/malware though, even though it's not fully featured to protect from everything? Kind of like NoScript in Firefox should block some stuff, even though it isn't specfically targetting spyware/malware? Is malwarebytes the leading free program for that. Looking for effective yet lightweight and stable AV and antispy programs if I'm going to have them running all the time.

 

[mjw21a]

Generally you can find products that do all three, however typically they only do one of the functions well. Just choose 3 separate quality (free) products and use those.

 

[c627627]

Sometimes freeware Avira lights up like a X-Mas tree over Firefox/IE cache so it does offer protection when browsing. Also dude

 

[augerpro]

The dude abides...

Avira just downloaded

 

[c627627]

Avira AntiVir Personal 9.0.0.418


Allow the configuration wizard to keep the default extended threat categories.
(UNCHECK: Appication (APPL), Games, Jokes, Security privacy risk, and Unusual runtime compression.)


Subscription to new virus definitions for this program does not expire. (It is renewed automatically when it expires.) 

In case of problems, in order to extend the license without reinstalling the product, download the current license file.


hbedv.key Product License Key File is included and is available on the official download page as well.
In case of subscription problems, download the latest key file from 
http://dl2.avgate.net/down/windows/hbedv.key

and copy it to 
C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop

Options: 
C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\avcenter.exe

Turn off notification pop-ups after Antivir updates itself:
Administration (lower left) > Scheduler > Right-click on Daily Update > Edit job > Next > Next > Next > under 

Display mode, select Invisible > Finish.


> Configuration (Right middle part of the window) > CHECK: Expert mode (upper left)
> Scanner > Scan > Action for concerning files

then 
> General > Security > UNCHECK: Show notice if the virus definition file is out of date
then
> Update > Download and install product updates automatically (recommended)


To disable Notifier nag screen: Windows 2000/XP Control Panel > Administrative Tools [in WIndows 7, click on 

System and Security first] > Local Security Policy > Right click on Software Restriction Policies > Create New 

Policies > Right click on Additional Rules > New Path Rule... > Browse... to the path of avnotify.exe default is 
C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\avnotify.exe
> Set the security level to Disallowed > OK



For Windows XP Home you would need to boot into safe mode and log in as Administrator, then 
go to 
C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\avnotify.exe
and right click on it >
Properties > Security > Advanced > Edit > Select options not to let it execute for all users.


To disable AntiVir splash screen: right click on its shortcut > Properties >
Next to Target: add /ns to the existing path.

To disable AntiVir splash screen if it automatically starts at bootup, use program such as 
Startup Control Panel > HKLM / Run TAB > right click on avgnt > Edit... > 
add /ns to the existing path of the program so that it reads 
"C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\avgnt.exe" /min /ns


To submit a suspected virus, go to 
http://analysis.avira.com/samples/
to upload it.


Manual updates can be downloaded from:
http://dl.antivir.de/down/vdf/ivdf_fusebundle_nt_en.zip
or for older versions of Windows:
http://dl.antivir.de/down/vdf/ivdf_fusebundle_9x_en.zip
Unzip the downloaded file and copy all the contents to 
C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop
or
C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic
overwriting existing files.


It is possible to transfer virus definitions between systems if Antivir version is the same so that it contains these 

files:
aecore.dll
aeemu.dll
aegen.dll
aehelp.dll
aeheur.dll
aeoffice.dll
aepack.dll
aerdl.dll
aescn.dll
aescript.dll
aeset.dat
aevdf.dll
antivir0.vdf
antivir1.vdf
antivir2.vdf
antivir3.vdf
avewin32.dll
avpack32.dll
avrep.dll
unacev2.dll


Using two AntiVirus programs at the same time:
If there are two AntiVirus programs installed, you should not have two AntiVirus *Guard* programs active at the 

same time because this would slow the system down, Windows may even have problems booting with two AntiVirus 

guard components being active. So if installing AntiVir on a system where there already is an AntiVirus program 

installed, do not install AntiVir guard.

Also disable the guard component of one program if using another program to scan an entire disk drive.


Default log file location is 
C:\ProgramData\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\LOGFILES
or
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\LOGFILES


For older versions:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Avira\AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic\LOGFILES
C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic
or
C:\Program Files\Avira AntiVir Personal\
C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Avira AntiVir Personal\LOGFILES

 

[augerpro]

WTF I install Comodo and hit ok to restart the computer and it hangs in the shutdown screen for 5 minutes with harddrive working away.

ok just restarted and got the windows did not shutdown correctly window, where you choose how you want it to restart.

 

[c627627]

Your error is system/user specific, most of us restart the system upon installation as required, and can then setup Comodo as we wish.


I would make sure to UNCHECK everything when installing except for Firewall. Install Firewall *ONLY*.

 

[augerpro]

Goddammit

Comodo reports that the firewall is not functioning properly, do I want to fix? Said yes and restarted.

Gonna reinstall this. Was just getting to the point of doing my first backup of this new W7 install. If I have to reinstal everything I'll be f**king hot

 

[augerpro]

I did the firewall only. BTW what level are you guys choosing? The default is the middle level, I stayed with that

I have to remember to run these setups as Admin maybe...

 

[c627627]

First off, doing even a Windows update, let alone a major program install like this without drive imaging first, is suicidal. I did five images *during* my Windows 7 install alone, just in case something like that wouldn't happen.

 

[augerpro]

Ok it appears to be running ok. The diagnostic tool must have done it's job. Did the settings you suggested. Any other settings to change?

In the summary screen, I switched to Proactive.

 

[c627627]

I chose what I chose to have minimal interference. It'll block anything unauthorized trying to send data in or out, but I don't like it interfering with much else since I simply nuke my operating system partition and reimage before the monthly Windows update, sometimes even every week or two.

 

[augerpro]

In Misc>My Configurations are you running Firewall Security or Proactive Security?

EDIT: I see you made your own profile, which of the above was the setting when you made that profile?

 

[augerpro]

Also just did a reinstall and used Run as Admin. The diagnostic tool said something about a driver and what do you know, when I reinstall as Admin I got an additional window to install a driver!

 

[c627627]

After I set everything up as described above, I saved the configuration (also as described above) so now it's neither set to Firewall Security nor Proactive Security because it's saved as a custom named I have it, which was activated.

I've had to import my custom saved configuration a couple of times, and when I did, I had to select it, then click on Activate to actually start it.

 

[augerpro]

Holy Bejesus rundll rundll rundll rundll rundll rundll rundll rundll rundll rundll rundll rundll rundll rundll rundll rundll rundll rundll rundll rundll

Giving this permission is getting tiring. ZA had a feature called OS control that monitored OS services which I liked, but it also had Advanced Component control which had to give permission to every single service/app/program that talked to any other service/app/program. I hated it and always left it off. This Comodo default is annoying, any way to lessen these popups, especially for rundll which is apparently used be every damn program on my computer. Ok maybe not that many but it feels like it.