I have contacted Element Software regarding the virus reports, and, according to them, AND Avira, they are all false positives because the software seems to be compressed with something called 'upx'.

I have tried this out and its very good value for its price, although it does have bugs, I must say.

Comment #43: I managed to repair my pc when it forced a reboot, somehow corrupted the registry blocking the net. I do backup my registry daily and was able to repair the problem, This app runs smoothly on my pc, it does give many false positives which is not a plus for me. Zemana is one of the best out there. So it's still thumbs down.

Hey!!! Guys if u are looking for absolute security suite then i suggest you BitDefender Total Security 2010. Do you know why BitDefender is standing on #1 Postion since last 4 years?


Answer is very Simple!

Because it deserves this position

The best protection you can get is a good AV like Symantec's ®Norton, MailWasher® to protect and simplify your mail, ZoneAlarm® firewall, and SpySweeper® to get the rest. check ratings on all of these, you won't be dissapointed.

I installed the app all went smoothly until the app stated that Zemana AntiLogger was bad and kept propmting me to either disallow or allow I kept allowing, then a dreaded reboot. Now I cannot access the net with that pc. I thought maybe the nic went bad. Tried 2 new ones same problem. Even uninstalled it with the same problem. I never set a restore point and now I'm stuck.

Thumbs Down!

As a UK-based technical author, I can assure everyone here that the CORRECT UK English spelling IS ‘technologies,’ jusyt the same as it is on the USA.
Comment by Scottish Geek

proof that scots can't spell ;D

I would like to thank you all who tested this software as I was going to try it out as I don't like AVG but I will stick with it now..Thanks Frank

Guys, remember this program was written BY a 19 years old HIMSELF, so don't go extremely hard on him. It's quite remarkable...really. Keep on the good work creator of today's giveaway!

~Joji~

After downloading and installing the software, my pc is getting slow.
This software when acting as a firewall, it pops an option for program like YahooMessenger, and giving it options for "Block", "Delete", "Allow".
But when i choose allow,nothing happened, my YM is dead.

After restarting my laptop, i just realized that my two Antivirus ( SmadAV and Symantec 10) recognized it have a trojan inside it and deleted the installer file.

My Internet is grounded, and when i checked the host file, many many website is listed there, and it kill access to Microsoft and another Antivirus website, almost working like Conficker worm.

SO I decide to uninstall this software and back to my Restore Point.
All works normally again.

I will not use this software anymore.

@#8: I would love to know which DICTIONARY claims that 'technilogies' is a correct spelling? Just because a word appears in a Google search, that doesn't mean it's correctly spelt. Mis-spellings appear in Google just the same as correct spellings.

As a UK-based technical author, I can assure everyone here that the CORRECT UK English spelling IS 'technologies,' jusyt the same as it is on the USA.

Hey #Joji, why do you say Eset doesn't detect malware?. I use Eset Smart Security, I've just had a look in the quarantine, it contains 14 various trojans, all since I installed it in December 2009.

http://lavasoft.element5.com/mylavasoft/rogues/totalprotect2009

http://www.brighthub.com/computing/smb-security/reviews/47026.aspx

First of all, this product is written by a 19-year old student.

( Aug 26, 2009 ) beta !! compares to OneCare. Some info !!

Doh and replaced my hosts file with a 600k file which looked pretty convenient until I tried to run Symantec AV to get todays definitions and found that om.symantec.com was blocked (which is where Norton AV's trying to go to). I really don't trust this program.

Installed and clicked in TuneUp, answered that it's a Game machine and it goes to do it's thing.. starts to run (with some DOS popups going here and there.) and on stop 5 states it's running Defragment Hard Disks, here's where Nortan A/V (mandated by my work) steps in and stops MemoryCleaner.dll as it has a Trojan in it. This true? Either way the whole thing has 3 windows open and has been stuck for a while now. I think I'll consign this as "free" and I got what I paid for it...and then remove it. Thanks anyway!

i installed etp on my computer it kept stopping seaport but when i clicked delete. it just kept finding it i am tring to delete element total protect but it wont let me can you send me the removal tool please

If you already have a real time anti-malware program installed and try to install this they are likely to conflict with each other. It is never a good idea to have more than one real time protection installed at once though a firewall and anti-malware con co-exist just fine. Be careful as this is not a known program and that in itself makes me leery of it. There are so many good free programs out there I will take a pass on this one. Thanks anyway.

I thought I might throw a spanner in the works and share how I get around the security threats, 1st install a virtual machine, mount a linux puppy distro inside, add whatever anti-virus/malware and firewall,Puppy runs totally in RAM, nothing will escape the box you've made! you decide where to store any files collected on-line, virus sweep them before commiting to the hard drive. if something nasty does infect you can always dump the VM and mount a new one. Puppy can run iside Linux or Windows, off a live CD or even a USB, it doesn't install anything on the PC only a folder to store (if you choose to) you can still access your files on your main O/S. but will have to close puupy to regain your origonal system, its a very small @ 100MB but plenty good enough for everyday use.

Be extra careful with this software!

It will create an Internet server block list which remains intact after uninstalling. Unless you know your way around Windows system files and manually remove the list, you will not be able to unblock those web sites even after you uninstall the software.

Avira finds Trojans when your pc has never seen the internet at all. Avira is a Trojan as far as I can see . Get real protection and skip this free junk

The price is 6.99 not 10.93.
Also when I uninstalled, it left a whole bunch of crap on my computer.
I deleted them.(not knowing if it was safe or not)Don't install!

#15. I had a spare laptop hanging around so I decided to test Element TotalProtect on it.

I first tested Comodo Leak Tests before I installed Element TotalProtect. This is the resulting score: Score 50/340 (Windows Firewall was enabled)

Here's the score with Comodo Leak Tests after I installed Element TotalProtect: Score 50/340 (Windows Firewall was disabled)

So it would seem that the firewall provided by Element TotalProtect is no better than Windows Firewall.

Entrusting your computer's defence to a software suite is not a decision to be taken lightly. You need to trust the producer as well as the product.

Today's product is promoted by the developer as "groundbreaking", especially in its deployment of anti-malware technologies that presumably are proprietorial (unique to, and owned by, Element Software UK.)

Today's producer is said to be a group of "software professionals". Today's producer is, on the basis of its domain registration and corporate title, a UK business enterprise.

I can find no trace of it in the UK. There is nothing to stop anyone, anywhere, from using a co uk domain address, even if their business is in Timbuktu.

I can find no trace of the location of the "software professionals" responsible for the "ground-breaking" technologies.
WHOIS reports that "The registrant is a non-trading individual who has opted to have their address omitted from the WHOIS service."

I can find but one point of contact with the developer / publisher. It is in the form of a disposable hotmail address. The address is that of Jake Jackson, "proprietor and original creator of the UK based website Element Software which specialises in delivering web 2.0 applications."

From this, it now seems, has emerged a complete (Total Protection) array of up-to-the-minute software defences against computer threats that is of "proven reliability" (according to the developer's claim on a Softpedia entry relating to the Element Browser.)

Sadly, a cursory glance at the developer's own web page --

http://www.elementsoftware.co.uk/totalprotect/viruslist.html

instills amazement rather than confidence: if this is the standard of threat protection on offer, it's "ground-breaking" only in the sense of the need to dig a hole in which to bury a computer after it has been rendered useless by the threats this software is so clearly incapable of keeping track of or pace with.

A look at the Element Software online community forum -- always a good thing to have, and essential where security apps are concerned -- provides no reassurance, either, in the form of accounts of actual user experience. The forum's shut.

I have nothing against Mr Jackson. He's probably a very nice chap.

But being nice is not enough. Being responsible is the requirement here, for this is, of all things, a security app, one on which depends much, much more than on a non-security app.

Thanks, then, GOTD for the Element TotalProtect download offer. But security software from a hitherto unknown source represented by a non-trading individual with a hotmail address has no appeal at all.

#12 - great link. Everyone should have a watch before uninstalling their existing software and depending on this one.

Hi all!!


Today's giveaway is not only USELESS but also very DANGEROUS indeed as AVG, AVIRA and A-SQUARED reported viuses after install.

GAOTD staff should be leerier of crap programs such as this one before releasing them here....LOL!


Anyway, to protect your IDENTITY while surfing and/or shopping online is enough to have:


- a good FIREWALL (OUTPOST, COMODO, ONLINE ARMOR)

- a good ANTIVIRUS (AVAST or AVIRA) and a good ANTISPYWARE (A-SQUARED 4.5, MALWAREBYTES ANTIMALWARE)

- a great BROWSER (FIREFOX) with the right extensions (==> BETTER PRIVACY + COOKIECULLER 1.4 + REFCONTROL + IXQUICK HTTPS PRIVACY SEARCH ENGINE + WOT (or/and McAFEE SITE ADVISOR or/and LINK EXTEND) + LIBERTY GUARD + NO SCRIPT + ADBLOCK PLUS + KEY SCRAMBLER + LINK ALERT 1.0.1 + SECURE LOGIN 0.9.3 + LASTPASS (or KEEPASS 2), plus a couple of extra-layer protections capable of preventing fraudsters stealing your personal information, including usernames, passwords, bank account details and credit card numbers.

A good one is definitely PREVX SAFEONLINE that is compatible with Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 2008, Windows 7 (32&64bit).Internet Explorer (5-8), Firefox (1-3), Google Chrome (2 & 3), Opera (9 & 10). Mac will be supported Q2 2010).

http://www.prevx.com/safebook.asp?rkw=facebook&sessionid=265AF9A1-6907-4A66-A5EB-D78304C0E199&tr=4367&pn=routes


But maybe the best way to protect our own online identity keeping praying eyes away from your sensitive data is to SURF ANONIMOUSLY.

The best (free) tool to do that is definitely a program called ULTRASURF that allows you to hide IP addresses and locations, clean browsing history, cookies as well as bypass bloody filters and blockage on the Internet in rogue countries where censorship policy is in force:

http://www.ultrareach.com/


For those surfing the web with a slow 56K dialup connection or are paying a fee based on the amount of data they transfer (e.g. 3G/GPRS/DSL/CDMA) and have monthly download limit, I recommend TOONEL which is similar to ULTRASURF with the only difference that it's able to conserv network bandwidth as well....great tool!!!

Finally if you want to keep your privacy and sensitive data from hackers when accessing FREE PUBLIC WI-FI HOTSPOTS, then I recommend you using a free tool called HOTSPOT SHIELD 1.37:

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Security/Security-Related/Hotspot-Shield.shtml


As you can see from the blurb, it secures your web session with HTTPS encryption, hiding your IP address for your privacy online.


EVERYTHING FOR FREE!!


So please forget this CRAP and follow my suggestions...LOL!


Enjoy!


Cheers from Italy!

[ Avira Anti-Virus ]
Pros: very fast scan
Cons: lots of false positives

[ Element Total Protect ]
Pros: nice layout
Cons: creator rarely updates virus database AND some security modules can not be disabled :( Terrible at detecting viruses

[ Kaspersky 2010 ]
Pros: lots of features, few false positives, detects most viruses
Cons: Ram bogger (Tip! Disable some security modules to lessen up the ram usage!)

[ ESET NOD 32 ]
Pros: Extremely fast, turbo speed scan. Very easy to use with lots of features
Cons: NEVER detects malware

[ avast! Anti-Virus FREE ]
Pros: lots of features, good detection rate
Cons: some security modules doesn't work and lag on computer

[ Malwarebyte's Anti-Malware ]
Pros: Detects malware and spyware. Good scan rate
Cons: Low in features and design.

[ AVG Anti-Virus ]
Pros: Tons of features, easy to use, good detection rate
Cons: Ram bogger, and a few other stuff

Hope that helps! :P

~Joji~

@ #18

I would recommend reading from a reputable source, not some site where a company is giving their software away for free, lol

Exactly, Bubby... even as Ashraf suggested other "free" security options... how secure are they? While I'm (to a point) a believer in "you get what you pay for", I know there are still some decent free alternatives.

Point is, I would trust the magazines and websites that actually put these things to the test, more than I would trust the claims of some no-name software suites... or recommendations here.

#8, Before making a derogatory comment like that, you should consider in which form of English it is written. Is it UK (the Queen's) English, American English, Australian English, or any one of a dozen variations used throughout the Commonwealth (indeed, across the world).

Google.UK it. You get an example:TEIS - UK Telemedicine and E-health Information Service. A questionnaire-based survey quantified the adoption of telemedicine and videoconferencing technilogies in 47 practices in West Dorset, Devon, Cornwall

As it happens, you can tell where Element Software is located from their URL: www.elementsoftware.co.uk, and if you should happened to surf their site, you will see "whilst", not "while", "programme", not "program", and the like. In the Company store, you will see prices in Euros, not $US.

If anyone has a spare pc to install this giveaway on - would be curious to see how serious or "tinker-toy" the firewall is.

Test with the Comodo Firewall Leak Test and post some results.

http://personalfirewall.comodo.com/cltinfo.html

I'd hate to think someone installs TotalProtect with the mistaken belief that they are Totally Protected. especially with such tabloid claims like "Immunize your system against all possible future threats". Not in this lifetime.

It block YahooMessenger 10 .i can't run Y!M althrough i choice "allows..."

Could not figure out if it was a anti virus or just a spyware program, and most certainly do not run two virus programs at the same time it will not work well they would fight each other . yes it looks like I will pass on this one. the reviews was enough to stop me from down loading this one

More about this piece of software:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANHQUJav_QM

I thought I woudl give it a go and I have AVG and spysweeper already running and they both went made, I ignored that and though oh well give it a chance and then to my amazement the product itself started to report infections and alike, this would seem to be either a very bad product or an infected install

Both aSquared anti-malware and microsoft security essentials reported viruses right after install. After scanning aSquared shows element totalprotect 2010\etpbackupui.exe as a "Backdoor.Win32.Poison.axjo!A2"
Security essentials showed 2 trojans. These may be false (which has happened before with programs like STEAM) but I don't feel like risking it.

#3, Avira is likely finding a virus signature from this program, not an actual virus. Most credible AV's take steps to avoid this issue; it is ETP's fault not Avira's. If you have Avira (real-time) you don't need this thing. In fact (evidently) if you have *any* other av & firewall you don't need this.

Haven’t tried the software, but as we all know, the protection of your PC and valuable files is really important. It amazes me that any software company that uses spelling like ‘anti-malware technilogies’, will expect people to trust their software. How can you expect that their anti-malware scripts are written accurate enough to find the names of the malware they are searching for? Who knows, instead of searching accurately for malware, it might be looking for ‘milware’, ‘voruses’ or ‘trigans’.

This program is not worth your time yet, Ashraf is correct just go to youtube and watch the reviews. I do not put much faith in those youtube reviewers but this program needs work you will be a lot better off going with avast or mse.

This silly thing declared Java to be a virus and shut the PC down, causing me to lose hours of work which could not be saved.

It's as worthless as a 3-legged dog on a fox hunt and potentially dangerous!!!

This is meant to be used instead of proven and trusted anti-virus and anti-malware programs?


No way.

Avira finds a trojan during installation. (TR/crypt.UPKM.gen) or UKM.gen

This program also finds a virus in wmiadap.exe. Which one is correct?

Ashraf, your link is not working!

@ Ashraf

I only add security programs that will run alongside my current ones, like AV, firewall and others. There is no hint on Element's website as to its compatability or otherwise. Personally, I'm not about to chuck out my trusted collection for this, unless it's something special. Do you have any idea?
As usual, those that are unprotected in any way (too many, if my experience is any measure) should probably get it anyway. I've seen far too many 12 month old machines that have ground to a halt because the trial antivirus has run out and not been replaced.

The Good
* Comes with multiple tools, such as anti-malware, firewall, website adviser, defrag, and file backup.
* Anti-malware includes live protection and on-demand scanning.
* Can "tweak"/"tune-up" your computer.
* Has the ability to "immunize" your computer against threats.

The Bad
* Developer claims database of malware signatures is "updated daily" but it has only been updates a handful of times (15 to be exact) in the past 6-7 months and each time only one signature was added.
* The website adviser doesn't seem to do anything - just lists ever site as green.

Free Alternatives
9 programs to provide your computer with security for free

For final verdict, recommendations, and full review please click here.