TeeJay3800

What exactly does HostsServer do besides replace the "action cancelled" message? It says it's designed to "speed up browsing", but I don't see how simply replacing that message speeds anything up. In fact, it starts out using 2.5 MB of RAM and that gradually increases over time, so if there is no benefit I'd rather avoid it. If it has any real advantages I'll use it, but so far I don't see any difference other than more memory being used.

Uninstalling and reinstalling is not necessary. Just use JavaRa to update using the built-in Java updater. After installation is complete, use JavaRa again to remove old versions of Java (Version 6 Update 6 and earlier) and other junk Java files. Very quick, easy, and effective procedure.

EDIT I don't see a delete option in the edit post window.

True, but the toolbar option is checked by default, and it is also true that a lot of crapware comes bundled with toolbars as well. I think it was a bad choice in poor taste to include the Yahoo toolbar option. We all know CCleaner is great, free software, but it makes it appear to be in the same category as the numerous crapware on the net.

Very cool feature, but why is it only available on Firefox and IE 7? I don't see any reason why it can't be included for IE 6 users as well.

I'm having a very frustrating problem with Sunbelt Personal Firewall. I have the option checked to check for beta releases for the built-in update checker. Ever since some of the recent beta updates have been installed, my network performance has dropped dramatically. With the firewall disabled, using Speakeasy I get roughly 3.8 - 4 Mbps download speed, but with the firewall enabled, I only get 0.7 - 1.5 Mbps. I've never had this before with any firewall, and surely any properly designed firewall won't cut your connection speed in half! Is there anything I can do to correct this? I would switch firewalls, but so far I've found nothing that works as well and (most importantly) uses as little memory and system resources as SPF. Any suggestions are appreciated!

Yeah, I'm using the latest version of JavaRa (its says "1.08" at the top), I've removed old version of JRE, and done all the cleanup functions that JavaRa offers. I currently have Java Version 6 Update 5 installed (the latest version is 6 Update 6). This is on a Windows 2000 machine. When I check for updates, I use the jucheck.exe method, but it still tells me that no update is available, even though I'm using an outdated version.

Isn't the latest version of Java version 6 update 6? Well according to THIS page, I have version 6 update 5 installed. However, when I use JavaRa to check for updates, it tells me I have the latest version installed. Obviously I don't, so why doesn't JavaRa correctly report that and give me an option to upgrade?

That's a good idea. I've had no luck getting the automated task to work on Windows 2000, so I just added a shortcut to the Quick Launch bar and click it every so often. After running it, should I be seeing the Mem Usage in Task Manager drop? So far, I really haven't seen much of a difference.

Thanks for the link Davey, but the author does not provide any solution for getting the program to run under Windows 2000 using the task scheduler. The solution for XP is simple, but that check box does not exist in 2000. The program works if I run it manually, but it does not start using the task scheduler...

I'm trying to get this tool to work on my Windows 2000 machine, and I'm getting the same "could not start" error. The task properties window looks different from how it does in XP, and I don't see a "only run when logged in" check box. How do I get this running under 2000?

I too liked AVG, and used it for many years. After reading in this thread about how much lighter-weight AntiVir is, I gave it a shot. I've been very impressed with it so far. It uses much less memory!

How does the resource/memory usage of Maxthon 2 compare to 1? Much higher?

You're the first person I've seen mention that they use Maxthon. I've been using Maxthon 1 on my older Windows 2000 machine for quite a while and really like it a lot. For some reason, the IE engine is a LOT faster on lower powered machines, but since IE 6 is the latest version I can run on Win2k, I'm stuck without tabbed browsing and other modern features. That's where Maxthon comes in. It's basically FF/Opera but with the faster IE rendering engine. I still run Opera on my XP machine, but Maxthon is a lifesaver on the older PC's!

That seems to have fixed it. Thanks!

I would like to try this useful-sounding program, and it seemed to install successfully, but when I check it's status in Scheduled Tasks, it says "could not start." This is on a XP SP3 system that is otherwise working properly. Does anyone have any suggestions for getting this program to run?

I installed it today without any issues whatsoever. I'm not sure why folks here have had so many issues.

I was leaning towards that or Ad-Aware 2007. Is AA 2007 really as bad as I've heard?

http://free.grisoft.com/ww.download-avg-an...nd-anti-rootkit Apparently, AVG Anti-Spyware is now integrated with the paid versions of AVG Anti-Virus and is no longer available separately. That is too bad since its been my favorite anti-spyware product for a long time now. Now I need to find a replacement. What do you guys recommend? I'm considering Spyboy S&D, Ad-Aware, a-squared, or SuperAntiSpyware. I want something with fast scans and NO real-time protection. Any suggestions?

On a semi-related note, how reputable is Spybot these days? I've heard the last couple years they've falled behind in the antispyware game. This article seems to suggest that as well: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spybot_S%26D#Reviews_and_awards. Is Spybot really worth using anymore?

This sounds like a very useful program, but is it for sure safe to use? I would hate to use it and end up with a corrupt Java installation. Just making sure before I use it. EDIT: I just tried it and am very impressed! It removed two old version of Java and quite a few junk files. I wonder why Java leaves old versions when it updates...

I have a question about IE-SPYAD for ZonedOut. I added the IE-SPYAD restricted sites to ZonedOut and was impressed with how many sites it blocked, but I am wondering if the "definition file" is something that has to be updated regularly. If it does, how often do updates to IE-SPYAD come out? Thanks!

Careful with that. My parents just got THIS "Vista Home Premium" laptop, and I have NOT been impressed with it's performance. My XP Home machine is an Athlon 62 X2 1.7 Ghz with 1GB RAM and it FLIES by comparison. Vista seems to have such high resource requirements, that you have to have a VERY powerful PC to match XP's performance. Even a dual core 2GB system won't keep up.

Thanks, but unfortunately that article only has a very small section on Host-based intrusion prevention systems. Thanks to davey for his explanation as well.

I have setup and secured both wired and wireless routers from Linksys, Netgear, and D-Link. My favorite by FAR is Linksys.