Install anti-virus before firewall???

[robert213]

I am in the process of installing latest versions of software -- IBM T30, Win XP (Recovery CD) with SP3, Oracle/Sun Open Office 3.2.1, Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash and Shockwave, etc.

I am dumping Grisoft's AVG 8.5 and Check Point's Zone Alarm 8.0.

I am replacing with Avast! and Online Armour.

Question?

What is the preferred sequence to install anti-virus and firewall?

Install anti-virus before firewall?

Install firewall before anti-virus?

Thanks!


BTW - I recently learned that under BIOS Setup Utility, Display...
"HV expansion [On]" enables a large full-screen Windows Start-Up Splash Screen.

[RealBlackStuff]

AV before FW.

[KRAZY KEV]

anti virus before firewall because if you use XP then the firewall in windows will already be switched on by default. if you use an internet security suite you dont have to worry what one is installed first as they are installed as a full package
NB: when you install a third party firewall the windows firewall will be switched off. this is normal and should always be left turned off to avoid problems and conflicts

[ozzymud]

Good choice btw on Avast, I also dumped AVG after a long time in use (years), they just got too bloated/slow"/in your face" for me...

Also, I keep these url's memorized:

http://www.filehippo.com/download_avast_firefox
www.filehippo.com/download_avast_antivirus

The 1st I use in IE (Actually by typing it into the My Computer address bar), then Firefox to get AV, on laptops, I honestly just use XP's firewall... never really connected long enough away from home nor do I generally install new/unknown software on my laptops.

At home I don't run firewall software, that's what my router is for.

P.S. I only install Avast with the "File Shield", The way i see it is any virus that finds me is going to wind up as a "file" on my computer... whether by downloading, getting as an attachment in an e-mail or IM... and if i try to run/save said file, Avast's file shield will catch it.

And as to security suites... never been a big fan of "jack of all trades" software... would rather the company focus on doing 1 thing REALLY well rather then having a one click solution thrown together.

Just my 2 cents, fyi, or whatever

[Colonel O'Neill]

I'd avoid OpenOffice and Adobe Reader (both are massively clunky and bloaty). Maybe consider WPS Office and Foxit Reader?

XP was a good time full of OS resource hacking.
Considered slapping on a nice new ThinkPad bootloader screen?

[robert213]

I am replacing with Avast! and Online Armour.

I have dropped Online Armour (too restrictive) and gone back to Check Point's Zone Alarm.

Maybe consider WPS Office...

Anyone else with thoughts on -- Oracle/Sun Micro's Open Office versus WPS Office??

[ozzymud]

I actually use LibreOffice (http://www.libreoffice.org/) which is a fork of OpenOffice.

As a result of the fork of OpenOffice.org into LibreOffice, and the resulting loss of developers, Oracle announced in April 2011 that it was terminating the commercial development of OpenOffice.org.

It has a lot of improvments over OpenOffice. I haven't used WPS, but probably wont, can seem to find a Linux version (I try not to use anything that I already don't have as I might move to Linux eventually). Libre or Open Office are available for windows, mac, and linux... popular open source software tends to be compiled for most popular OS's