windows xp sp2

follyfoot

I bought my laptop with windows XP. installed Mcafee internet security suite
version 6 and then updated XP to service pack 2. since then i have had no
end of problems. I am using AOL broadband 9 which allows me to download
mcafee personal firewall plus. however i understand i can only have one
firewall running. does anyone know which firewall provides the best protection? also does having mcafee viruscan, spamkiller, privacy services switched on conflict with XP because most of the mcafee processes are not giving me full protection and also my machine now runs really slowly?

rogerramjet

A lot of people have had problems when updating to SP2 especially with anti-virus software, a few comps I updated refused to boot after update so your lucky .

Mcafee should automatically shut down the windows firewall, or should have asked you which one you wanted. It maybe worthwhile unistalling Mcafee and then re-installing because it does sound like you have a conflict problem

christie_m

I'd have thought that McAfee would have disabled the XP SP2 firewall during install...all the other commercial products are pretty clever at that.

Probably just McAfee full-stop that's causing the problems

follyfoot

but do you know which firewall provides better protection? is it worth updating to sp2?

pchelpman

SP2 provides many extra improved protection features but the firewall is certainly not one of them. I always recommend folk install a third party firewall (there are some good free alternatives around) then disable the windows SP2 firewall.

rogerramjet

Firewalls are very much the same, I use a bundled nortons one on one computer, sygate on another, zone alarm on another. never used windows firewall but I'd assume its not that much different from the others.

wolfman

The Windows one doesn't do outbound protection, which is one of the main benefits of a software firewall (when compared to a hardware firewall). Hence, I'd never use it.

Personally, I like Kerio as it's quite light and easy to use.