How do I pick the right tools to protect my system?

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Im a firm believer in comodo-firewall pro.
Easy to configure-and is getting more popular
by the day.
Comodo also has anti-virus & anti-malware programs to.
Just adding my 2 cents worth.

hmm..! I am using quickheal for more than 2 years and didn't get a single virus. though avast , avg and avira are also good but i doubt that they will not repair most of the files which have virus even made in year 2003. I think avira is also good and detection rate (which matters most) is also good. the most reliable source to see detection rate of anti viruses,I think is virus bulletin. others like panda is also good. but i will always recommend quickheal antivirus which provides all basic protection that is firewall + antispyware + antivirus and of course it is less costlier than other as it is of just 30$(US). this is my personal experience.

As the originator of the question Leo responded to, I would like to thank him, publically, not just for his complete, in-depth response, but for the invaluable service he is providing (Leo, I would buy you a Latté if I knew how I could get it to you in one piece).

For the record, I have experienced many of the same situations described elsewhere in these comments, and at a, not insignificant, cost while on a limited budget. In fact, it was those rising costs, with no satisfaction that led to the question in the first place. I did the Symantec and McAfee routes with the same observations – bloated. Then, three months ago the manager of a Hospital IS department in our area clued me into the existence of AVG and, thus far, I’ve been impressed by it’s KISS approach to product design and development, and of course “Free is Good”. As with the experiences of others, it has already saved me once by picking up a virus that had slipped through my other defenses.

I applaud its developers for their decision to release it, at no charge, to the general computing public.

I also happen to agree with Rob Cox re: the need for more than one product in any given category, and will be looking at the suggestions he and others here have offered.

Thank you, all.

I have a lot to say, but i guess this is supposed to be a comment only so i will be as brief as posssible. The products i recommend are chosen after examining nearly every review and comparative available and 5 solid years of installing, testing and uninstalling various antimalware software.
RESIDENT ANTIVIRUS:
*FREE- Avira Antivir Personal Edition Classic.
*PAID- Kaspersky, NOD32.
RESIDENT ANTISPYWARE:
*FREE- Spyware Terminator, Spyware Doctor Starter Edition(via Google Pack).
*PAID- Webroot Spy Sweeper, Spyware Doctor.
SOFT FIREWALL:
*FREE- Comodo, Online Armor Free.
*PAID- Outpost, Online Armor.
NON RESIDENT ANTIVIRUS:
Norton Security Scan(via Google Pack),BitDefender Free Edition 8(not 10 though its the current version coz it interferes with Windows Security Center, via filehippo.com), Kaspersky S.O.S.
NON RESIDENT ANTISPYWARE:
AVG Antispyware(free version drops resident protection after 30 days), AdAware 2007 Free, a-Squared Free Edition.
If you disagree with any of the above recommendations, their relative ordering or have any doubt as to the authenticity of these claims,
please feel free to mention it here.

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