You and the Internet

Can you skin the Earthlink Toolbar? Is it resident on the desktop when you are not online?

Earthlink Toolbar intergrates with Internet Explorer so it uses the same color background as the IE Toolbar does. No way to skin it. Total Access, another software package from Earthlink, only available to Earthlink Subscribers resides on your desktop and isn''t skinnable.

http://www.mjleaver.com/

SyncBackup....an extremely useful tool for backing up synchronously......set it and forget it... 

Personal Firewalls....a must Freeware versions offer you the basics in personal protection. Professional versions as well as Norton''s and MacAfee offer a whole package of extras that you may or may not need or want to pay for.

http://www.snapfiles.com/Freeware/security/fwfirewall.html Link with description and ratings of eight different Free Personal Firewalls

For those who are concerned that they have work/home files that they want to keep secure this appears to be an excellent and easy to use freeware encryption program.

http://www.cypherix.com/

It creates an invisible virtual drive that you simply send files you want to protect to. It is very, very simple to use and appears to be very secure. Just don''t forget your password

iISystem Wiper
Allows you to delete information that windows stores about what you do on your computer. Deletes history, cookies, temporary files, and more. Clears files for Internet Explorer, AOL, Netscape, and many other programs. Includes plugins for over 50 applications and you can create your own plugins with the plugin editor. More free tools on the site.
http://iisoftware.net

RegCompactor
Over time the registry becomes larger as new programs are installed, used and removed. The registry can grow but it can never shrink back due to its design. This is because when you add some data into the registry it becomes larger, but when you remove this data the registry will not shrink back to it''''''''''''''''s previous size. Why? When a registry entry is removed, that entry is simply marked as blank but remains in place, introducing a gap into the registry. This way the registry becomes more and more fragmented over time.
http://www.elrise.com/registrycompactor.htm

Winspy
With @WinSpy, You can find out what the others have done on your computer , including what web sites they have been, what text, images, movies they have seen. and also what files they opened/saved, what kind of search they have done and what they ran at the start menu. Double click the displayed item will directly open or link to the file or the URLs stored on your computer.
http://www.acesoft.net/winspy/

Installspy
A program to monitor the filesystem, registry, processes, and shell for changes.
http://www.mjleaver.com/Software/software.htm

SpywareBlaster
Spyware, adware, browser hijackers, and dialers are some of the fastest-growing threats on the Internet today.
By simply browsing to a web page, you could find your computer to be the brand-new host of one of these unwanted fiends! The most important step you can take is to secure your system. And SpywareBlaster is the most powerful protection program available. Prevent the installation of ActiveX-based spyware, adware, browser hijackers, dialers, and other potentially unwanted pests. Block spyware/tracking cookies in Internet Explorer and Mozilla/Firefox. Restrict the actions of potentially dangerous sites in Internet Explorer. SpywareBlaster can help keep your system spyware-free and secure, without interfering with the "good side" of the web. And unlike other programs, SpywareBlaster does not have to remain running in the background.
http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareblaster.html

WinPatrol
WinPatrol uses a heuristic approach to detecting attacks and violations of your computing space. Traditional security programs depend on signature or reference files which are like the guy who holds the shovel behind the horses in a parade. WinPatrol takes a snapshot of your critical system resources and alerts you to any changes that occur without your knowledge.
http://www.winpatrol.com

Ad-aware
Ad-aware is THE award winning, multi-trackware detection and removal utility (designed for Windows 98 / 98SE / ME / NT40 / 2000 / XP Home / XP Pro) that will comprehensively scan your memory, registry, hard, removable and optical drives for known Datamining, aggressive advertising, Parasites, Scumware, Keyloggers, ed traditional Trojans, Dialers, Malware, Browser hijackers, and tracking components.
http://lavasoft.element5.com




[Message Edited]

Yac
YAC is a Caller ID system that uses the modem in your Windows-based computer to monitor incoming phone calls. When a phone call is received, YAC displays the Caller ID info on the computer screen. YAC can also notify programs called "YAC Listeners" on the network. These listeners receive and display Caller ID information at the same time as the computer attached to the phone line. YAC can be used to send text messages to the listeners on your network as well.
http://sunflowerhead.com/software/yac/

BCWipe
Allows rapid secure file deletion and free space wiping
http://www.jetico.com/index.htm#/bcwipe.htm

anybody know of a good program to keep track of passwords and usernames and/or email?

Ones that do not include Gator please!!

Free AVG AntiVirus Software

http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php
Download, install and use AVG Free Edition and get:

AVG Resident Protection
AVG e-mail Scanner
AVG On-Demand Scanner
Basic Scheduled Tests
Free Virus Database Updates
Automatic Update feature
Easy-To-Use Interface
Automatic Healing of infected files
AVG Virus Vault for safe handling of infected files

Passwordsafe
PasswordSafe.com has been your personal assistant username / password manager since 1998. Online or on your desktop, PasswordSafe is always there to remember for you. Use our free service for your web site accounts, online shopping, online auctions, network, email, Hotmail password, bookmarks and more. Never get locked out again with this complete solution to password management.
http://www.passwordsafe.com/


Passphrase Keeper
Securely store and manage all your account information. The program allows you to enter user names, passwords, PINs, combinations, credit card numbers and encrypts your data, using powerful Blowfish encryption...plus others on the site.
http://www.webattack.com/freeware/security/fwpass.shtml

I thank you my friend.

http://www.roboform.com/index.html

Opera 7.x

http://www.opera.com/download/

Sygate Personal Firewall

http://smb.sygate.com/products/spf_standard.htm

AdMuncher

http://www.admuncher.com/

SpywareGuard

http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareguard.html

SpywareBlaster

http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

Trend Micro PC-cillin

http://www.trendmicro.com/en/products/desktop/pc-cillin/evaluate/overview.htm

MailWasher Pro

http://www.firetrust.com/products/pro/

Active Ports

http://download.com.com/3000-2085-10062969.html?part=65960%20&subj=dlpage&tag=button

SiSoftware Sandra

http://www.sisoftware.net/?location=pinformation
 

lol...I was going to post that one as well Yrag but ya beat me to it

Yeah giz...thats a pretty good one

....Randy, you're a show-off

Cleanup! is simply the most thorough system cleaner that I have found. It not only cleans, but securely deletes temp files, as well as allowing you to chose specific folders to be cleaned. http://users3.ev1.net/~stevengould/cleanup/

This site is a good resouce for online privacy and security info and programs: http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~ehowes/main-nf.htm
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This has been an outstanding thread!-each time I look at it, something new is learned

sig101, your link just made my bookmarks/favorites list.

Thanks...

OK I know must of you do not like Trillian but it is worth mentioning as it lets you chat with all 5 chat clients at once. (yahoo, ICQ, IRC, MSN, AOL)

http://www.ceruleanstudios.com/downloads/

If you want a dandy little RAM tool that frees up memory when needed give FreeRAM XP pro a look. It is freeware.

http://www.yourwaresolutions.com/

I don't know many specifics but i will try and show a few alogn with some sites that have alot of variety especially in the security area.


CNET - of course many of you probably already know about this site.
http://www.download.com

MajorGeeks - Really great site for up to date resources
http://www.majorgeeks.com

AVast! - Great Anti-Virus, though i wouldn't use it on Dial-Up
http://www.avast.com

AntiVir - Great Anti-Virus, have had alot fo success with it
http://www.free-av.com

anyway i know soem major ones most people know about so I won't put those down, but check these sites out they are pretty good.

This isn't really a freeware site or much, but you can tottaly make your Windows XP run a little smoother:

http://www.blackviper.com

It was on TechTV, and I looked at it, and did a couple things that it says I could do, and my Windows XP runs excellent.

I prefer to be proactive and keep the stuff of my PC in the first place. The main tool I use is ie-spyad. Which is available at http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~ehowes/resource.htm

This is a tool to add known malware sites to the restricted sites zone within Internet Explorer. This uses the security available with Internet Explorer to prevent these sites installing software on your PC without your permission.

Its free, its regularly updated, its the largest list of malware sites available and it doesn't hog resources as it doesn't run as a program in the background. Since using ie-spyad I haven't had even a single tracking cookie on my PC. It gives me the benefit of ActiveX from friendly sites and the protection needed from malware sites i.e. the best of both worlds.

I run ad-aware scans to check, but they always come up clean now.


Also if you have one of Norton's firewalls check out AGNIS at the same site. This will add loads of ad blocking to Norton's firewall to improve the ad blocking features in these products. AGNIS is also available for ad-shield.