AVG alerts during recent Windows Updates ?

ummm, this old argument that a 3rd party firewall is not needed in addition to Windows firewall + NAT firewall in adsl-modem-router unit, is often spouted by seasoned experts, and is not much help to lesser mortals who fight with their web-browser, often dropping their internet security knickers down to their ankles whilst trying to get a specific (poorly crafted and/or malicious) web site, to correctly load and script in their browser window;
A third party firewall that alerts the user to unauthorised inbound and outbound connection attempts can be a help.
Admittedly it's a bit of an art to harden-up a PC for use on the web, with a multi-layered approach to ones internet security, and finding that software mix that happily co-exists without preventing normal function of ones web browser, requires some work.
AVG internet suite does not place a heavy load on ones system, co-exists with all my other internet security software, (real-time a/v scanners etc. and tools.

Stuff like Norton bloatware, Panda, Kaspersky, Mcafee, Avast, Zonealarm, the list is almost endless, (during my extensive compatibility testing in the past), they're often more trouble than they're worth.
Quality software such as Webroot (who bought PrevX), happily co-exists with AVG and my other internet security software.

Keep your Windows security updates up to scratch, keep your MSVP hosts file up to date http://***********.mvps.org/hosts.htm , keep your internet sec suite updated, keep all your anti-virus scanner databases up to date, (what one misses - another one might catch!), always practice safe-hex. Switch on SPI (stateful packet inspection) if you have that option in your NAT firewall. Stateful firewall - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ...and if you're a gamer - read up on port forwarding !

blah... blah ...blah

The solution which has proved to work best that I've seen over the entire 5+ years since Win7 beta is lightweight MSE, Win7 firewall with on-demand scanners Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpyware.

If one is prone to infection, adding MBAM Real Time protection has stopped this cold in every case. You'd have to turn it off to let most invaders get past.

So what is your point ? ...I was responding mainly to Andrew129260 who purported that if one has a NAT firewall, a software firewall is rather unnecessary, ...so I aired my view that a software firewall in addition to a hardware NAT firewall in ADLS modem/router unit has its' benefits !
As for your " 1 firewall, 1 AV prog, " you obviously don't know what you're talking about.
A part of ones multi-layered approach to internet security, is to use several AV programs, (which happily co-exist - and which requires a lot of testing to achieve that happy software mix), so that what one AV prog. misses - another might catch !

"Any program of any kind that stops Windows 7 Updates in any fashion is a bad program; period."

Tell everybody something new !!! I've never heard of a "program" that stops Windows updates, Where did that topic ever enter the conversation ?

I am grateful for all advice but when that advice is flawed, I like to give others the benefit of my knowledge !

best regards, Richard

"And next time be more respectful in your reply."

oooooh ! I don't think that was warranted, though casting my eye back through - perhaps one should have been more tactful.

Agree with all OBVIOUS points, e.g. once malaware is in PC --- too late !

...you stick to multi-malware progs, and 1 a/v prog, and we'll just hope that you don't catch the 1 nasty that your 1 a/v prog. is not armed against. (when I say a/v prog, I mean "a/v prog/tsr real-time scanners" :)

rjk44 said:

As for your " 1 firewall, 1 AV prog, " you obviously don't know what you're talking about.
A part of ones multi-layered approach to internet security, is to use several AV programs, (which happily co-exist - and which requires a lot of testing to achieve that happy software mix), so that what one AV prog. misses - another might catch !

I would not use more than one AV, nor have I seen anything but trouble trying to do so having been here every day since beta without missing a day. You are the first I can recall who even suggests it.

The "layered protection" to which you mistakenly refer is best handled as I described earlier: A good lightweight AV like MSE for best performance, on-demand scanners like Malwarebyates and SuperAntiSpyware - which can be upgraded to full time Malwarebytes if there is repeat infection - and the Win7 firewall. A router firewall hardens it even more.

All of these allow native perfect Win7 performance with no throttling, slowing and few if any issues.

"I would not use more than one AV, nor have I seen anything but trouble trying to do so having been here every day since beta without missing a day. You are the first I can recall who even suggests it. "

...indicates to me inferior expertise, and inadequate time and effort spent determining which real-time av-scanners happily co-exist. It's REALLY easy to experience "anything but trouble" using more than one a/v real-time scanner, when using anything less than a methodical approach to adding an extra real-time av-scanner and testing it's interaction with other tsr software currently installed on ones machine.

As for your reference to "on-demand" scanners, and "repeat infection," these are much less likely to occur in the first place if first dealt with by a cascading detection method, ...that you obviously do not know how to implement.

"layered protection" to which I "mistakenly" refer is obviously a discipline that you do not fully understand.
David H. Lipman would have a strong word or two, to your purporting the use of only one a/v program, considering that no single internet security suite, (specifically its' real-time a/v scanner), will provide 100% protection against existing and emerging threats.

The very tone of your post indicates that you are not receptive to good advice. It's unfortunate that you have not gained sufficient expertise in using more than one a/v real-time scanner. It does take a good deal of time and effort testing, and determining which brands will happily co-exist without causing problems.

In view that my initial post has prompted a couple of vitriol toned responses, mostly by a couple of people, (or was it just one?!), who are evidently very inept and ignorant in the area of internet security, and who have not put sufficient time and effort into software testing, and then make silly statements like,

"nor have I seen anything but trouble trying to do so having been here every day since beta without missing a day. You are the first I can recall who even suggests it."

....very sad attitude !