[Sca-cooks] Oh, help help!!! Firefox v. IE

[Brett McNamara]

First, FireFox and IE don't conflict with each other directly. 
They'll each beg to be your default browser, but that's about it. 
Given how integrated Windows is with IE, you're generally best off
just leaving it the default.  Do not uninstall IE!  You probably
wouldn't be able to kill it all, but you'd still bugger your system.

I've used FireFox, or some kind Gecko based browser,  for years
without issue.  I wouldn't worry about that first.  Spyware and all
the other junk out there, that I worry about.

If you want you use Windows with peace of mind, you should have a
personal firewall and a couple of scrubber and blocker programs.  I
use these as a rule.

ZoneAlarm -  THE personal firewall.  Poke around, you'll find the free one.
AdAware -  good for cookie killin' and gator type stuff.
SpyBot – good for the stuff that AdAware missed.

Here's a pretty good primer on the usual suspects:
http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-6264-5285499.html

If you're Windows XP, I'd patch to the max.  The caveat here is that
maximum patching can also slow you down; your call.

Also, if you have broadband, NEVER plug a single computer directly in,
if you can help it.  Using a gateway router, the standard box people
use to allow multiple machines to share an Internet connection, will
buy you extra security goodness.  It's called NAT, if you're curious.

If your machine in now shockingly slow, download those three programs
I mentioned and turn the machine off.  Unplug from the Internet, then
install the firewall and run the checkers.

Hope this helps,

Wistan / Brett the computer guy