I put this up here on the main board because I just saw it and wanted most people to get a shot at it...

There is a promotion for ZoneAlarm Anti-spyware. A one year license for free (normally like $20 or something) for personal use XP and Windows 2000.

I have not used it but I will try it out (for free). I've heard that this is OK, not too bad, not super, but worth it for free. For those using this in conjunction with Windows Defender (free from Microsoft for those with legal copies of Windows) this should be pretty good against spyware (you listening fishaholic?) If you don't have any spyware, this is a pretty good deal for free. Downloading ends 8pm tomorrow (Wednesday)

Go to the web site, fill out the form on the right side of the page, and download it...

http://download.zonealarm.com/bin/free/sum/index.html

My providing this link does not mean that I will provide Tech Support for this software ;) - because I won't ;)

(you listening fishaholic?)

I'm on it..Thanx JR:thanks:

thanks John......
it already removed some stuff..

I use Ad-Aware (paid the $39 for that one to get the blocking feature), Spy Bot (free) and (free + best) AVG. Run all of them about once a week and have been very pleased. Important to run updates frequently though. After dealing with total highjacks a couple years ago (thanks to my kids using Lime Wire and other download sites) and spending $$$$ to get them fixed, I can't imagine anyone NOT using at least one of the free services. It's amazing how many people don't know about %&#*#*& spyware and trojans and how they can screw up your computer - and worse. Lots of people I've talked to think they are viruses, which they are NOT, although most virus blocking programs now include spyware blocking features. But again - updating is CRUCIAL. Oh and by the way (you Mac cultists out there) - a friend ran AVG on his fairly new Mac recently and found more than 100 of these things on his machine. So no one is safe. There is a special place in hell for the people who distribute these freakin things.

just to piggyback on this thread ...

here is another GREAT freeware product if you don't want to shovel out $400 for Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc).

http://www.openoffice.org/

SPY BOT ROCKSS!!

just to piggyback on this thread ...

here is another GREAT freeware product if you don't want to shovel out $400 for Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc).

http://www.openoffice.org/

Absolutely. If you need an office sweet for the kids or you want something good and you don't need access, get open office. Be nice to the group though. If it saves you $400, throw in twenty plus or so bucks to help them cover the development

:spam::spam::spam::biglaugh:

Thanks for the info guys. Going to try these!

I woud add A² (A squared) to round out the list of free products to have and run. This is probably the most potent one I've used to remove even the nastiest of the crap that's out there.

I had to unistall it...
maybe it didnt like the free AVG anti-virus
pc kept freezing up.....back to normal, but without spyware protection...

just to piggyback on this thread ...

here is another GREAT freeware product if you don't want to shovel out $400 for Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc).

http://www.openoffice.org/

Great suite which is even better when run in a Linux OS such as Ubuntu.

JR, being i am completely computer illiterate, will Zone Alarm do more for me than the MacAfee i have and/ or would it be compatible?

Thank you.

JR, being i am completely computer illiterate, will Zone Alarm do more for me than the MacAfee i have and/ or would it be compatible?

Thank you.

Probably not but the special is over now anyway ;) - It is probably good for free.

Do get Microsofts Windows defender to use in CONJUNCTION with something else though

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

froze my computer too. Took me awhile to to figure out what was causing it. Problems went away when I got rid of it. Saw today on CNET that it is a very common problem.