[martin_fierro]

FREE PC PROTECTION: (Not an exhaustive list. Your results may vary. Void where prohibited. For entertainment purposes only. No wagering, please. Whattayawantfernuthin'.) (Thanks, but "Buy a Mac" doesn't qualify as "FREE PC protection")

Alternative browsers: Mozilla Opera AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition: Free anti-viral protection Popup ad killers: Bayden Systems Popup Popper: Blocks popup ads well in MSIE Shoot the Messenger: Close that friggin' Messenger in Windows XP Spyware removers: Spybot S&D AdAware MailWasher: Good for pre-screening & bouncing SPAM Windows Update: At least install the critical ones ZoneAlarm: Excellent Firewall Test your firewall from without with: ShieldsUP! DSL Reports Port Scan Test your firewall from within with LeakTest LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Explore Linux as an alternative OS, without installing it on your hard drive, via a free bootable CD-ROM! Download Knoppix (or one of these other Linux distributions), burn the ISO file onto a CD-ROM, and reboot with the CD-ROM in its drive. If you later want to install Knoppix on your hard drive, here are some tips.

[billorites]

Well, she's cute.

I'd like to exploit her internet vulnerabilities.

[Criminal Number 18F]

Good advice, Martin, across the board.

I would just add this one-stop spyware information page:

http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm

It ID's not only untrustworthy antispyware programs, but trustworthy ones. A bit of a hassle to use.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Mmmmm. Nice software.