I have connected a Windows laptop to my network. How do I protect it from viruses?

[sgould]

I'm not switching back!!

But being a lifelong Mac person I have little idea of what to do to protect an IBM ThinkPad from spyware, viruses etc. and I need advice on what to get (free if possible.....) to save me from self-destructing.

The laptop is a ThinkPad 600E running Windows98. Dates from about 1999. I use it about three or four times a month for a program that won't run under Virtual PC - needs ActiveX or somesuch. I read about a hack that would overcome the ActiveX problem but I really don't want to disturb my Mac.

As it was the only thing I bought Virtual PC for, I have removed VPC from my Mac.

Reason for the need is that I managed to connect the ThinkPad to my wireless network with a Belkin USB wireless dongle. I connected because an upgrade was too big to download via the dial-up modem.

But now I can connect to the internet, I'm obviously at some risk. And after 20 or more years "just using" a Mac, I need some guidance on things Windows. I "just use" a Windows machine at work, but it is under the control of the systems admin and I've never been able to play with it. So, I know what a Windows laptop does, but not how it works or what to do with it. I believe it's too old to upgrade to WinXP.

[HateEternal]

If you are behind a router, it sounds like you are from your network setup. You don't have to worry so much about catching viruses that spread over the network to insecure machines, the router should block those. You just need to worry about viruses/spyware that you would have to install or acquire by getting an infected file. So the best solution here is to be very cautious with what programs you download and install, mainly for the spyware portion. And you must also be very cautious about files that you receive from unknown people via email.

In all the years that I have been using a PC, I have never used an antivirus program, maybe its dumb, but I have not had any problems. I sit behind a router and it filters out all the crap, and I always make sure I know what I am installing and discard any suspicious looking emails.

[nixgeek]

Check out ClamWin, which is free (this is basically ClamAV but for Windows). Another free tool is SpyBot: Search and Destroy to prevent spyware from taking over your PC.

Or you could download Ubuntu Linux and install that on the laptop and you won't have to worry about viruses or spyware. It would be as safe as your OS X setup.

[Clivey]

Also, check out Trend Micro software, they do an excellent 'all in one' internet suite that I've installed in several places and is very good. Can't if it runs on W98 though.
ATB

[AkleyMac]

The best virus/spyware protection software I ever came across was Webroot Spy Sweeper (www.webroot.com) . It is not free, but not too expensive (about £15 a year), but I am unsure whether it will run on Windows 98 (sure if u check the site it will tell you though).

[fryke]

Since when is ActiveX a problem in VPC? I've never heard of that problem...

[sgould]

I tried using it on VPC6/XP Home ed. It's an inventory and repair manual. When the program is running the screen is a split page with diagrams on one side and instructions on the other. In VPC you could only see the instructions. The pictures never appeared. Maybe there was some other proprietory stuff in there as well?