COMODO Internet Security, a must have security program for your Windows PC

Comodo Internet Security (CIS) from Comodo Security Solutions Inc. provides complete threat protection by combining
  • A powerful antivirus software that automatically detects and eliminates viruses, Worms and Trojan horses;
  • An enterprise class packet filtering firewall that constantly defends your computer from inbound and outbound internet attacks; and
  • A rule-based intrusion prevention system called Defense+ that protects your critical operating system files from malicious processes, internal attacks and blocks unknown malware.
When used individually, each of the above mentioned product delivers superior protection against its specific threat challenge. When used together as a full suite they provide a complete security system for your Windows PC.

Let’s download a copy of CIS setup from http://personalfirewall.comodo.com/download_firewall.html and start CIS installation.











Click on OK button.


Click on Next button.


Go through the License Agreement and click on I accept button.


Choose the destination folder and click on Next button.

































Enter your email address to receive product updates, PC security tips, and click on Next button.
















Check on Install COMODO Antivirus, Install COMODO Firewall and click on Next button.
















Choose your option to join or skip ThreatCast community, and click on Next button.
















Check on Install COMODO Hopsurf Toolbar, if you want to integrate the COMODO recommended way to protect your favourite browser. Click on Next button.
















COMODO Secure DNS is another recommended service that is provided free of cost. Click on Next button.

















Click on Finish button to allow CIS setup activate product license.

































Click on Finish button to restart the computer. After restarting the computer, CIS detects a new private network.














You may assign a name to this network. However, the CIS assigned name is OK. Click on OK button.

Open COMODO Internet Security Start menu subgroup and launch COMODO Internet Security.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

CIS has a nice and user-friendly interface to work with. We have not updated the virus signature database, yet. But before that have a look at the functionality of the CIS. Click on the ANTIVIRUS button in top command bar.















Click on Scanner Settings button.




















Set options for Real Time Scanning and click on Manual Scanning tab.




















Set options for Manual Scanning and click on Scheduled Scanning tab.


Set options for Scheduled Scanning and click on Exclusions tab.


Click on OK button to close Virus Scanner Settings window. Click on FIREWALL button.















Click on Stealth Ports Wizard button. The wizard is used to create invisible ports for your network. You have 3 options to define stealth ports. You can define new trusted network, you can set CIS to alert you for every incoming connection on per-case basis or you can block all incoming connection to your computer.

















Suppose we want to define trusted network. Click on Next button.


Select you network zone and click on Finish button.


Click on OK button. Now click on View Active Connections button. The Active Connections interface contains summary of all currently active connections on a per-application basis. This list is updated in real time whenever an application creates a new connection or drops an existing connection. You can view all the connected applications, source, destination, and total amount of traffic that has passed in and out of your system over each connection.


Click on Close button. Click on My Port Sets button. A number of standard ports are listed on functionality basis. You can add your application ports, edit or remove existing ports.


Once you are done defining your set of ports, click on Apply button. Click on My Network Zones button.














Click on Apply button to go back to Firewall management interface. Click on My Blocked Network Zones button.














By default there are no blocked network zones. You may add network zones, with which you want to avoid any packet interchange. Click on Cancel button. Click on DEFENSE+ button to see interface for host intrusion prevention system module.















Click on View Active Process List button.















This shows all processes running in your system with their hierarchy in process tree, process identifier, module developer's name, and user account name. Click on Close button. Then click on My Trusted Software Vendors button.














Click on Cancel button. Then click on My Protected Registry Keys button.














This displays all Windows Registry keys protected by CIS. You can add/edit/remove/group registry keys for better protection to suit your security requirements. Likewise clicking on My Protected COM Interfaces shows you which COM (Component Object Model) interfaces have been secured by CIS.














This was a general walkthrough of Comodo Internet Security installation and features. CIS is an industrial grade security product delivered free of cost. Highly recommended to be installed on your Windows PC.

Uninstalling antivirus software

There are times when you have to decide uninstalling antivirus software from your PC, because you find that for whatever reason it has become corrupt and has lost desired functionality.

Following is the brief introduction to major software uninstall tools. These tools can require one or more restarts during cleaning process. So it is advised that you save all your work and close all other application before you continue.

Alwil Software Uninstall Utility (aswclear.exe)




















You need to enter path to folder where selected product is installed. Click on Uninstall button and aswclear.exe will start product removal process. Apart from uninstalling avast! 4 Home/Professional, aswclear.exe can be used to remove following software from your machine.
  • avast! 4 Server Edition
  • BART CD Manager
  • avast! for Kerio
  • avast! PDA Edition
  • avast! 32
  • avast! Managed client
  • avast! Distributed Network Manager
  • avast! Windows Home Server Edition
avgremover.exe

avgremover.exe removes AVG from your computer.

BitDefender_Uninstall_Tool.exe

BitDefender_Uninstall_Tool.exe removes BitDefender v7.x, v8.x, v9.x, v10.x, BitDefender 2008, and BitDefender 2009.

















Delnvc5.exe

Delnvc5.exe removes installation of Norman ASA antivirus products.

McAfee Cleanup utility (MCPR.exe)

MCPR.exe utility is used to remove instances of McAfee brand antivirus products like McAfee Personal Firewall, McAfee SpamKiller, McAfee Virus Scan etc.

Norton_Removal_Tool.exe and Norton_Removal_Tool_9x.exe

Symantec offers 2 tools to remove Norton antivirus products, in case you find it necessary to do so. Norton_Removal_Tool.exe works with Windows NT, 2000 and later versions of Microsoft Windows OS while Norton_Removal_Tool_9x.exe works with PCs running Windows 95 and 98.
Removing Panda antivirus

Panda Software International offers following 3 tools to remove its antivirus products.
  • UNINST_v1012.exe
  • Uninstaller.exe
  • UNINSTALLER_08.exe
Like all other major antivirus manufacturers, F-Secure offers a tool that is used to remove F-Secure Service Platform, F-Secure Anti-Virus and F-Secure Internet Security from workstations where executed upon.

Retrieving product keys using Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder

Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder v2.0.1 is a free software that retrieves your Product Key (cd key) used to install a number of software from your registry. Apart from Product Key of Microsoft Windows, this Keyfinder is able to retrieve serial number of following software.
  • @Stake L0pht CrackLC5
  • 3D Mark 2001
  • ACDSee 3.1, and 9.x
  • Acronis True Image
  • Adobe Acrobat 6, 7, and 8.x
  • Adobe Photoshop 7
  • Advanced Direct Remailer (ADR =>2.20)
  • Advanced Direct Remailer (ADR <=2.18)
  • After Effects 7
  • Alcohol 120% 1.9.x
  • Anno 1701
  • AutoCAD 2000, 2002, 2004, LT 98, LT 2000, LT 2002, LT 2002i, LT 2004, and LT 2005, Mechanical 2000i
  • Axailis IconWorkshop 6.0
  • Battlefield 1942, 1942 Road To Rome, and 1942 Secret Weapons of WWII
  • Battlefield Vietnam
  • Beyond TV 4, and TV 4 Link
  • Beyond Media
  • BitComet Acceleration Patch
  • Black and White
  • Borland Delphi 6, and 7
  • Call of Duty 2
  • Chrome
  • Command and Conquer: Generals
  • Command and Conquer: Generals Zero Hour
  • Command and Conquer: Tiberian Sun
  • Command and Conquer: Red Alert
  • Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2
  • Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 Yuri's Revenge
  • Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
  • Company of Heroes
  • Counter-Strike (Retail)
  • Crysis
  • Cyberlink PowerDVD
  • Dell Service Tag
  • DVD Profiler
  • Elaborate Bytes Clone DVD
  • FIFA 2002, and 2003
  • Freedom Force
  • Futuremark 3DMark2001, 3DMark2003, 3DMark2005, and 3DMark2006
  • Futuremark PCMark2005
  • GetDataBack
  • GetDataBack for NTFS
  • GetRight
  • Global Operations
  • Gunman Chronicles
  • Half-Life
  • HDD State Inspector
  • Hidden & Dangerous 2
  • IGI 2: Covert Strike
  • Industry Giant 2
  • Internet Download Manager
  • James Bond 007 Nightfire
  • Legends of Might and Magic
  • LimeWire Acceleration Patch
  • MagicISO
  • mIRC
  • Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
  • Medal of Honor: Allied Assault: Breakth
  • Medal of Honor: Allied Assault: Spearhe
  • Mindjet MindManager 7 Pro
  • Nascar Racing 2002 and 2003
  • Naturally Speaking 8
  • Need For Speed Hot Pursuit
  • Nero Burning Rom 5, 6, and 7
  • NewsBin Pro 5x
  • NHL 2002 and 2003
  • Norton Antivirus 2006
  • Norton PartitionMagic 8.x
  • NOX
  • O&O BlueCon 5
  • O&O CleverCache 6
  • O&O Defrag 8
  • O&O DiskImage 1
  • O&O DiskRecovery 3
  • O&O DriveLED 2
  • O&O SafeUnErase 2
  • O&O SafeErase 2
  • Padus DiscJuggler
  • Passware 8.x
  • PC Icon Editor
  • PowerQuest PartitionMagic
  • Pro Evolution Soccer 6
  • Quake 4
  • Ravenshield
  • ReplayConverter
  • Registy Mechanic
  • Roxio My DVD 8 Premier
  • S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Shadow of Chernobyl
  • SecurDataStor v6
  • SecurDataStor v6 CD-Media
  • Shogun: Total War: Warlord Edition
  • Sims, The
  • Sims, The Living Large
  • Sims, The House Party
  • Sims, The 2 Family Fun Stuff
  • Sims, The 2 Glamour Life Stuff
  • Sims, The 2 Nightlife
  • Sims, The 2 Open for Business
  • Sims, The 2 Pets
  • Sims, The 2 Seasons
  • Sims, The 2 University
  • SimCity 4 Deluxe
  • Slysoft AnyDVD
  • Slysoft CloneCD
  • Smartversion
  • Soldiers Of Anarchy
  • Sonic Record Now!
  • Sony Vegas 6
  • Splinter Cell - Chaos Theory
  • Stardock
  • SuperCleaner
  • Symantec Norton Internet Security 2007
  • Tag&Rename
  • Techsmith Camtasia Studio 3.0, and 4.0
  • Techsmith SnagIt 7, 8.0, and 8.1
  • The Gladiators
  • TGTSoft StyleXP
  • TMPGEnc Plus 2.5
  • Tobit ClipIncPlayer 4
  • Trend Micro PC-cillin Antivirus 11, and 2007
  • TuneUP 2006, and 2007
  • Unreal Tournament 2003, and 2004
  • VMware Server, and Workstation 5.0
  • VSO BlindWrite 6
  • VSO ConvertX to DVD
  • Westwood Alarmstufe Rot 2
  • Westwood Alarmstufe Rot 2 Yuri's Revenge
  • Westwood Tiberian Sun
  • Winamp 5
  • WinImage
  • WinPatrol
  • Winzip
  • WS FTP
  • ZoneAlarm
Use of Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder is useful, so that you may find no problem if you lose product keys of above mentioned software and find it problematic to install these software at a later stage without a product key in hand.

7-Zip, the best free alternative to popular zip programs

7-Zip 4.57 is free software developed by Igor Pavlov. You can use 7-Zip on any computer, including a computer in a commercial organization. You don't need to register or pay for 7-Zip.

The main features of 7-Zip are
  • Powerful file manager: The 7-Zip File Manager is a program for manipulating files and folders.
  • High compression ratio with high speed of operations: Compression and decompression performance of 7-zip is at par with any free/commercial tool available in the market.
  • Large number of supported archive formats: 7z, ZIP, GZIP, BZIP2, TAR, RAR, CAB, ARJ, Z, CPIO, RPM, DEB, LZH, SPLIT (like 001, 002, …), CHM, ISO, COMPOUND (like msi, doc, xls, ppt), WIM, and NSIS (exe)
  • Command line support
7-Zip creates fully ZIP compatible archives, which can be decompressed by any ZIP compatible decompression utility. During compression 7-Zip can use one of the following ZIP compression methods:

  • 0 - Store
  • 8 - Deflate
  • 9 - Deflate64
  • 12 - BZip2
7-Zip v4.57 can extract any files from ZIP archive that were compressed with one of the following methods:

  • 0 - Store
  • 1 - Shrink
  • 6 - Implode
  • 8 - Deflate
  • 9 - Deflate64
  • 12 - BZip2
However, there is a limitation. 7-Zip v4.57 doesn't support Zip multivolume archives.

7z is a new archive format, providing following main features.

  • Open architecture: 7z has an open architecture, so it can support any new compression methods.
  • High compression ratio
  • Strong AES-256 encryption
  • Ability to use any compression, conversion or encryption method
  • Supports files with sizes up to 16000000000 GB
  • Unicode file names
  • Solid compression
  • Archive headers compression
Overall, 7-zip is a must have program on any Windows based computer.