Win 7 Firewall

[carnageX]

Also take note that if your using a router, it too has a hardware firewall built in. So with the combination with the windows firewall, you should be o.k.

Routers have pretty basic ones in them if you're using the stock firmware (3rd party firmware such as DD-WRT is better). I mean an actual hardware firewall that has better firewall capabilities .

Can even make your own if you have a spare computer with multiple network ports:
https://www.pfsense.org/‎

 

[cowboy]

Your thoughts on a couple of tools I've used in the past.

Spybot
CCleaner

 

[carnageX]

I haven't used Spybot in years, honestly lol. It's become kinda bloated/slow and only really serves a specific kind of malware. I've been successful with Malwarebytes Antimalware, so I haven't had a need for Spybot.

CCleaner is still a good one to use for an all-in-one temp files cleaner.

 

[cowboy]

So you would go with Malwarebytes and Antimalware, both ?

Any special settings or tweaks for either ?

 

[carnageX]

Malwarebytes Antimalware is 1 program . Commonly shortened to 'MBAM'.

 

[cowboy]

Right,
I had an Eye typo..

So any tweaks, or just run as it comes

 

[carnageX]

Nothing really to tweak on it. The free version isn't an active scanner, it's just a removal tool to run after an infection has already happened.

Common sense is going to be your best proactive protection. Don't click on links through emails (always manually go to the site it's referencing), don't click on shady popups/ads, watch what you download/click, don't visit porn, etc. Common sense should always be your first line of defense - an AV is a 2nd line of defense that doesn't always work, no matter what AV you have.

 

[cowboy]

Looked at your reference below, can you run 2 (not at the same time but one then another later ?)

Reason I asked it seemed like there were some that were better at removing existing issues (either there before the FW was run or got thru somehow)
Or I suppose you could just run an anti spyware program to get those..

I would recommend against using McAfee, as it's not a very good product. You can get better free antivirus as well. BitDefender Free is one of the better ones nowadays; Avira and Avast are also both good.

You can check out performance of the various AV's here: AV-Comparatives Summary-Report » AV-Comparatives

They're a 3rd party AV reviewing/testing site that aren't sponsored by any AV companies.

 

[carnageX]

No, you should not have 2 AV's installed on the same machine. They tend to fight each other and can cause issues on your system.