What is the best anti-virus, spyware etc. software

Please can anyone help me. I bought a Satellite Pro M40 laptop which is lovely and installed Norton Internet Security 2006 and Ad-aware, however, I am so paranoid since going on broadband because of Trojans and spyware invading my pc. I posted another message because I had control panel open as a shadow image in the background so did a complete re-install using Toshiba disc, now another shadow appeared when online called Padtouch_wndllabel. I hear that spyware can disguise itself as other progs. I need real basic help really as its all new to me but wonder if there are any other protective measures I can take to check if my laptop has been infected or to stop it in the future??? - without going into registry files etc?? Maybe I should post this under Satellite Pro forum would that be best??
Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.
Manderz

Hi Manderz,
I hope that you enjoy using your new laptop! With regard to the "best" antivirus and anti-spyware software, there is unfortunately no one answer. Obviously, having any protection is better than none at all, so the Norton security suite you have installed is a very good start indeed.
Personally, I use a number of anti-spyware programs, including Ad-aware SE, SpyBot Search & Destroy, and Microsoft's own Windows Defender. All of these should be happy running alongside each other but it is very important that you only have one anti-virus program as this needs "control" over the dataflow in and out of your computer. Running more than one normally leads to each program battling against the other, usuallymaking the computer unusable in the process.
The importnant thing to remember with any of these programs is that regular updates and system scans are the key to catching any natsy visitors - try once per week to start and see how you go from there.
The other "top tip" is just being sensible with what you are doing on the internet: clicking "yes" on all those adverts or agreeing to anything you have not read or understood is inviting spyware onto your system.
I hope this does not sound too baffling or put you off using your new computer to its full potential - if you are unsure, just post away on the forums. There is no such thing as a dumb question if it going to save you frustration and worry.
Good luck, enjoy, and I hope this has been some help....

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