10 spyware things - way too many! watch out for "rouge" anti-spyware . If you've got 10, I'm guessing you've got some wolves in sheep's clothing . 2-3 is probably best. MSAS and Spybot S&D for sure and maybe Adaware. Here's a good resource to check if you're anti-spy is a double agent http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm

3 firewalls - multiple firewalls tend to conflict. Get 1 you like, and configure it well

If you want extra securtiy, add layers (different kinds of protection)
There are some good ones that don't hog resources.

Here's a pretty good combo:

*) Current Windows Updates - should go without saying

1) 1 Anti-virus and 1 Firewall of your choice.

1.5) Trojan Scanner b/c virus scanners tend to be lax on trojans
EWIDO is good and FREE, also finds some spyware
http://www.ewido.net/en/

2) reputable antipyware (2 is better than 1)

MICROSOFT ANTISPYWARE
microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
Huge database, good realtime protection, schedule updates and scans, nice extras, FREE

SPYBOT S&D http://www.safer-networking.org/en/mirrors/index.html
Stable, reliable, unlikely to "sell out" , really nice extras, teatimer hogs CPU so I turn it off but you shouldn't unless you have other realtime protection, leave sdhelper on, schedule scans and set to update upon program start, set to immunize after updates, use the HOSTS list, FREE

ADAWARE is ok to, also FREE, kinda unstable, tends to freeze for some people, sometimes has problems with updates, no realtime protection nor scheduling in free version. Running in safe-mode makes these more powerful

2.5) SPYWARE BLASTER http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
blocks some bad sites, installs, and cookies. no CPU usage, remember to update, FREE

3)PROCESSGUARD http://www.diamondcs.com.au/processguard/
controls what can and cannot execute on your CPU
protects all your other security programs so they can't be disabled
inserts itself very deep into the OS so that it is not easily disabled
very simple, very little CPU, very powerful, a MUST
FREE version works great, full version offers extra stuff ...
remember to turn off learning mode, or it is useless

3.5)Script Defender
http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/system/sdefend.htm
By setting itself as the script executer in Windows this simple little application interscepts requests to execute scripts, and then asks you what to do. If you're trying to execute script, just say Execute, and the script will be passed on to the real script executer. If your opening a strange email and suddenly a request to execute a script pops up, block it. Simple. Effective. No CPU use. Free

4) Intrusion Prevention
PrevX Home and/or WinPatrol (doesn't hurt to use both)
http://www.prevx.com/prevxhome.asp
http://www.winpatrol.com/
These offer great realtime protection against unauthorized installs and registry modification, aswell as buffer overflow protection. Little CPU usage.
Main function is to throw up a warning if something is being changed and ask you to allow or block. FREE versions work fine, especially paired with PROCESSGUARD and MSAS realtime protection. PrevX is supposed to be more powerful, more extensive, and more difficult to use, but WinPatrol does have some nice functions that PrevX doesn't, and PrevX gives you more information in warning messages (perhaps too much for some).

5) Drive Cleaners
Sometimes malware hides in temp folders, so its a good idea to clear those out every now and then, but be careful not to delete stuff you want. Here are a couple of good FREE Utilities
http://www.ccleaner.com/
http://www.stevengould.org/software/cleanup/

6) Stand Alone Scanners and Uninstallers
CWShredder http://www.trendmicro.com/cwshredder/
removes coolweb search. found vx2.looktome when my other scanners missed it! FREE
Lavasoft offers some FREE uninstallers http://www.lavasoft.de/support/download/
There are others, but I don't know them too well.

7) Online Scanners and Security Checks
Since your installed scanners could be disabled, its a good idea every now and then to run an online scan to make sure everything's OK. Bookmark these, and visit once in a while. All FREE
Virus
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp
http://www.bitdefender.com/scan/license.php
Malware
http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx
Trojan
http://www.ewido.net/en/
Spyware
http://www.trendmicro.com/spyware-scan/
Firewall Check and more
http://www.symantec.com/cgi-bin/securitycheck.cgi
http://scan.sygate.com/
http://bcheck.scanit.be/bcheck/

Unless you work for the CIA, that ought to cover you pretty well.
If you're still paranoid, add a Hardware firewall and a rootkit scanner.

IE-SPYAD is probably good addition if you're using internet explorer

Try adding a gateway router, it helps a lot I found.

Also I use Avorox Shield as an extra aid.

These programs are the ones that I use (on my personal machine) and reccomend to my customers. They are all free and with the exception of JV16 quite easy to find.

AVG Free
Zone Alarm Free
Spybot SD
Adaware SE
Spyware Blaster
JV16 Power Tools (registry tool)

Keep the first five on the list updated, run them all regularly and you shouldn't have any problems.

TPW

Personally, as I'm sure it's been mentioned a couple of times, but I would think that what you use and utilize would depend on what you're using the computer for...like, for a friend of mine that basically only uses his laptop for PC DJ and doesn't go on the internet much, if at all, doesn't really need to have a lot of bells and whistles. However, on the other side of the coin, if you're using the internet a lot, especially if you run all over the internet, you'd probably need more of the safeguards listed here than my DJ friend. Just my two cents.

I don't use any of those from the first post and my computer is still working fine! Actually, I don't install any junk so there is nothing to clean. Nevertheless I do use Spybot, Kaspersky and Zone Alarm. Sometimes I start AdAware but it is usually not neccessary.

Talk about bumpin an old thread. Anyway, moving on.

Like so many others of this topic, I find that there should be no set antivirus/antispyware/firewall for everyone. We all use different things, we all have a custom system. I use that many different programs when doing a total clean-up, I hardly keep track of what I have and haven't used.

Personall, I use two main programs for my system and antispyware sparingly (once a month). They are CA eZ-Trust AntiVirus and ZoneLabs ZoneAlarm. They have sucessfully kept my system from danger (except for WebHost, which is confusing a lot of people). And for anti-spyware, I use whatever is on the top of listings.

i only need 2

Simply install these best providers around and the Windows Creators MICROSOFT

NON Microsoft...
AVG

Microsoft...
Antispyware

THATS IT

And it running faster than my brothers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He has Norton AVG Spywaremicrosoft, Spybot, REGmachanic

Hes also weired!!

i had system mechanic and tuneup utilities.. they rock!
i will be trying diskeeper soon, and i guess there is more to be added in the must haves in this topic..

SpyHunter is a very good anti-spy/ad-ware program. The only bad feature is that if it's not payed then you will have to manually erase the registry entries or files which are identified as dangerous for your OS's integrity. That can be very difficult and boring for computer illiterates.

Zonealarm is a must have free firewall. It's perfect, for PCs at least.

Windows users could make good use of a registry cleaner. At the moment I'think a good one would be Abexo.

I Got My McAffe SpyWare And Firewall, Registry Mechanic, and Common Sense And So Far Im Workin In Tip Top Shape Altough I Shouldnt Have Let A Friend Use My PC I Just Finished Making It Work Again.

So A Must Have Would Be Common Sense Not Much Of It Out There.