For a free PrevX Edge alternative you could try
DriveSentry - you can upgrade it to the paid version for US$10, (for life), UKP10 or EU$10. They also have a portable version if you want on-the-go cover.
Currently, I'm running
KingSoft Internet Suite 2009, (the
other KIS
), on a 180 day trial. Seems to have little impact on the system performance-wise and is currently using about 22MB across all it's processes.
Virus/programs database updates happen every 6 hours by default are are also non-intrusive, you get a requester in the lower right corner of your screen telling you it's updated the program or database which goes away after about 10 seconds, (or you can click OK).
It will open a requester
before a
program update asking for confirmation if it detects high processor usage, (eg. video encoding).
I don't use Scan On Demand or Full Scan in any AV I've used, I prefer On Access protection for less impact.
Can't really say much about the AV part at all, it'd only get used if it finds something and it hasn't found anything.
CONS:
The only problem I have with the AV component is that you don't seem to have an option to Ignore a suspect file, it's either Quarantine or Delete.
The Firewall is reasonably configurable, (it seems to differentiate between LAN and internet traffic very well, (compared to some firewalls I've used where you have to input specific network rules just to let LAN traffic pass without problem - Comodo springs to mind).
Custom rules can be created for traffic type, although with nowhere near the ease of PCTools Firewall, (PCTFW has arguably the best custom rule creation interface I've ever seen/used in a firewall).
It's relatively non-intrusive in the requester department, only popping open one when a new program wants to access the net.
Permission requesters open reasonably quickly giving you the usual Allow/Block Once/Always options.
CONS:
1) There seems to be some kind of Whitelist in effect, having it set at the default Medium level I would still expect all new outbound programs to require permission before being allowed to communicate with the outside world - however, Securom's updater breezed through without a peep from the firewall. Not really a problem but it does cause me to wonder what other programs are allowed through without asking.
NOTE: I am comparing this with other firewalls whose default 'medium' level is usually a learning mode that requires all outbound programs to be given permission, (assuming you haven't turned on an "Automatically allow known programs' option).
2) You can't sort the allowed programs list, makes it hard trying to find one program somewhere in it.
3) You can't resize the interface window, (applies to AV and AS also), coupled with 2) makes it incredibly annoying.
4) Log file is a bit sparse on details, (for my liking - no where near as complete as PCTFW).
The Anti-Spyware sits in the background waiting for something to happen. Not having IE installed and using Portable Firefox, (so effectively no browser installed as far as the system is concerned), it probably doesn't have that much to do.
It does have a handy(?) Health Index analyser that starts at a score of 100 and gets reduced depending on what suspect problems it finds, eg. shared folders, unknown startup items, etc, etc. Any unknown items can be submitted to Kingsoft for analysis.
The AS also contains a few useful tools:
a) A Process Supervisor which lists running processes, checks them against Kingsoft's database and marks them as Secure or Unknown, (you can submit Unknown to Kingsoft for checking), and let you kill any.
b) USB Protection Tool which disables Autorun on portable devices - something I do system-wide normally.
c) LSP Repair Tool to try to repair your Winsock 2 if your connection goes wacko - see
here for a freebie version.
d) History Cleaner for temp files and cache, I use CCleaner.
e) Disk Cleaner to allow you to remove *.tmp, *.chk, cookies, etc, etc - again, I use CCleaner.
CONS: None to speak of.
The only gripes I have with the suite as a whole are the ones I've listed under the AV and Firewall.
Normally US$29/year for virus/program updates.
As a bonus you have
David from Kingsoft Research on the DC forums so you can personally harass him if there's something you don't like
BTW David if you're listening, I don't know what you've done to your
website but IMO you've taken a step backward, (unless I'm missing something obvious). You used to be able to click through to a page dedicated to each product along with it's associated awards and info but now they're both together on every page it's rather bereft of anything useful other than a download link.
NOTE: I've never run an integrated Internet Suite before KIS2009 and I should probably say that after my trial ends I will probably go back to
PCTFW, (because I haven't yet found a
free firewall that provides the same amount of logging with the ease/breadth of custom rule creation). And for an AV I'll use whatever free version of something that doesn't impact my system.....or maybe I'll try the free
Comodo IS first and see if they've improved their firewall sufficiently, (configuration-wise).
I should also mention that I actually bought the upgrade to DriveSentry over a year ago because it seemed like an excellent program, (it probably is an excellent program just not suited to me), but quickly got sick of requesters wanting confirmation for programs not in the database. I'm pretty sure I'd get this with any HIPS style program, (as DriveSentry and PrevX basically are), but AFAIAC, HIPS ain't for me. I rapidly get sick of all the requesters.
Decent, (not perfect), firewall and AV is all I need.
