Free Security Suite

oreo27

Member
Hey guys,
Just wanted to say how I'm protecting my system. I think with the right (free) security applications installed, you can be protected as if by a complete security suite. Best part is, you're taking the best of all sides. And did I mention they're free?

Basically my protection is

1. Avira AntiVir Personal - This antivirus application can do wonders in removing viruses and protecting your computer. It has heuristic detection which stands out amongst free antivirus packages and from my personal experience it works well with Windows Vista. Oh and did I mention it doesn't eat up much resources? (Scan once a day)

2. Malware Bytes AntiMalware - This baby is free, reliable and updated every 10 minutes, well maybe not 10 minutes but it is updated at least more than twice a day from my experience. This supplements Avira by removing items that are not detected by Avira. Now, no trojan, virus worm or whatever malicious software will ever cause great damage to your system (Scan once every three days)

3. Last but not least, Windows' default firewall will do the trick. Let's face it, we don't want anything complicated controlling our internet traffic. I mean most of us these days are behind a router which has a built in firewall already. I honestly even didn't run my firewall with xp and was fine with it.

P.S. Oh and since we're talking Vista, may I add that UAC (User Account Control) is also going to supplement the security of your system

Oh man too many tabs, I think this should go in System Security. Help MOD
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Intel Core2 Duo E2200 2.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    Emaxx IG31-AVL (AMI 1.1 Bios)
    Memory
    4.00 GB DDR2-800 MHz Dual Channel Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    Inno 3d GeForce 9500 GT 1GB DDR3
    Sound Card
    Realtek 6 Channel On Board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" Generic Flat Screen Panel
    Screen Resolution
    1024 * 768
    Hard Drives
    1 Seagate 80GB 7200 RPM SATA

    1 Western Digital My Book Essentials 1TB
    PSU
    500W
    Case
    LGA 775 Compliant Case
    Cooling
    Case Fan (Generic)
    Keyboard
    Generic PS/2 Keyboard
    Mouse
    Generic PS/2 Mouse
    Internet Speed
    1Mbps DL 600Kbps UL
    Other Info
    Altec Lansing 2.1 Sound System

    Nokia 5800 Xpress Music RM -356 v31.0.101
You will probably flush out lots of opinions & recommendations here.
Incidentally,why do choose not to include Defender?
What you are using seems ok to me.
Your best free protection is to surf safely & to watch what you click on & down load. ;)
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    LAPTOP. HP Pavilion dv7-1005TX .
    CPU
    IntelCore [email protected] x2
    Memory
    4.00 GB installed, max capacity 8 GB.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT & 512MB DDR2 dedicated graphics mem.
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.0" diagonal WXGA + High definition brightview widescreen infinity display.
    Screen Resolution
    1440 x 900
    Hard Drives
    SPECS.
    Drive 1. 298.09 GB Fujitzu MHZ2320BH G2 ATA Device
    Drive 2. [ All as above.]

    CONFIG. C:\287.65 GB, D:\298.09 GB, E:\10.44 GB.
    Case
    Laptop / notebook.
    Cooling
    Stock.
    Keyboard
    IBM enhanced
    Mouse
    Synaptics PS/2 Port touch pad.
    Internet Speed
    ADSL [ Too slow.]
    Other Info
    Webcam.
Hey you got the same initials as my dad.

Yeah I probably will, Windows Defender? Never even scanned with that in my entire life. Although it's always updated. I might try that. Thanks for the suggestion :D
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Intel Core2 Duo E2200 2.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    Emaxx IG31-AVL (AMI 1.1 Bios)
    Memory
    4.00 GB DDR2-800 MHz Dual Channel Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    Inno 3d GeForce 9500 GT 1GB DDR3
    Sound Card
    Realtek 6 Channel On Board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" Generic Flat Screen Panel
    Screen Resolution
    1024 * 768
    Hard Drives
    1 Seagate 80GB 7200 RPM SATA

    1 Western Digital My Book Essentials 1TB
    PSU
    500W
    Case
    LGA 775 Compliant Case
    Cooling
    Case Fan (Generic)
    Keyboard
    Generic PS/2 Keyboard
    Mouse
    Generic PS/2 Mouse
    Internet Speed
    1Mbps DL 600Kbps UL
    Other Info
    Altec Lansing 2.1 Sound System

    Nokia 5800 Xpress Music RM -356 v31.0.101
Great man! I have had malware bytes+ windows defender.. but then somehow somethign got through. I got avira, and my computer is now running like a beast!! Thanks :D
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    HP dv6000 CTO Entertainment Lappy :D
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Duo T8300 @ 2.4GHz (2 CPUS), ~2.4 GHz
    Memory
    4094 MB Ram
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS, 2031 MB Memory
    Sound Card
    Realtek Hi-Def Sound Card
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor
    Screen Resolution
    1200x800
    Case
    HP Laptop :D
    Cooling
    Fans
    Keyboard
    Laptop
    Mouse
    Microsoft Pro Mouse :D
    Internet Speed
    DL: 20.51 Mb/s, Up-Load :5.27 Mb/s Ping: 10 ms
i run avast, defender, and windows firewall. no issues as of yet.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    CUSTOM BUILT BY ME
    CPU
    AMD PHENOM II X3 710 2.6GHZ Overclocked to 3.25GHZ Stable
    Motherboard
    Ecs Gf8200a Phenom-2 X4 Quad Core Mboard
    Memory
    8BG PC5300 4 x 2GB OCZ
    Graphics Card(s)
    PCI-E ATI HD 4670 1GB Overclocked 4GB Total
    Sound Card
    Onboard 7.1 HD AUDIO
    Monitor(s) Displays
    55" Vizio LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1600 x 1200 HD
    Hard Drives
    1TB Seagate, 1TB Hitachi, 250GB Maxtor, 250GB Seagate
    PSU
    Kingwin ABT-610MM Maximum Power 610 Watt ATX 12V
    Case
    GENERIC
    Cooling
    Zalman CNPS7500-AlCu LED Universal CPU Cooler, 4 CASE FANS
    Keyboard
    MICROSOFT WIRELESS KEYBOARD
    Mouse
    MICROSOFT WIRELESS MOUSE
    Internet Speed
    CABLE 15MBPS
Zone Alarm free, AVG free and Malware Anti-malware is what I use.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire X1700
    Motherboard
    ASUS
    Memory
    3 gigs
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1 gig GeForce 210
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Vizio 21" tv
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 resolution
    Hard Drives
    1 terabyte sata in 1 partition
    Cooling
    fans that came with it
    Keyboard
    basic USB
    Mouse
    basic USB
    Internet Speed
    3 megabits on a cable modem, wired

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    CUSTOM BUILT BY ME
    CPU
    AMD PHENOM II X3 710 2.6GHZ Overclocked to 3.25GHZ Stable
    Motherboard
    Ecs Gf8200a Phenom-2 X4 Quad Core Mboard
    Memory
    8BG PC5300 4 x 2GB OCZ
    Graphics Card(s)
    PCI-E ATI HD 4670 1GB Overclocked 4GB Total
    Sound Card
    Onboard 7.1 HD AUDIO
    Monitor(s) Displays
    55" Vizio LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1600 x 1200 HD
    Hard Drives
    1TB Seagate, 1TB Hitachi, 250GB Maxtor, 250GB Seagate
    PSU
    Kingwin ABT-610MM Maximum Power 610 Watt ATX 12V
    Case
    GENERIC
    Cooling
    Zalman CNPS7500-AlCu LED Universal CPU Cooler, 4 CASE FANS
    Keyboard
    MICROSOFT WIRELESS KEYBOARD
    Mouse
    MICROSOFT WIRELESS MOUSE
    Internet Speed
    CABLE 15MBPS

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    LAPTOP. HP Pavilion dv7-1005TX .
    CPU
    IntelCore [email protected] x2
    Memory
    4.00 GB installed, max capacity 8 GB.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT & 512MB DDR2 dedicated graphics mem.
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.0" diagonal WXGA + High definition brightview widescreen infinity display.
    Screen Resolution
    1440 x 900
    Hard Drives
    SPECS.
    Drive 1. 298.09 GB Fujitzu MHZ2320BH G2 ATA Device
    Drive 2. [ All as above.]

    CONFIG. C:\287.65 GB, D:\298.09 GB, E:\10.44 GB.
    Case
    Laptop / notebook.
    Cooling
    Stock.
    Keyboard
    IBM enhanced
    Mouse
    Synaptics PS/2 Port touch pad.
    Internet Speed
    ADSL [ Too slow.]
    Other Info
    Webcam.
AVG - A resource hog???? :confused: :D :p
Running AVG Anti Virus Pro here quite happily on 2 Vista Ultimate laptops. ;)
like i said i like AVG used to run it on all my rigs, great program just has a bigger footprint

YouTube - AVG Anti-Virus is a Resource Hog?

thought that was funny somebody would do that.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    CUSTOM BUILT BY ME
    CPU
    AMD PHENOM II X3 710 2.6GHZ Overclocked to 3.25GHZ Stable
    Motherboard
    Ecs Gf8200a Phenom-2 X4 Quad Core Mboard
    Memory
    8BG PC5300 4 x 2GB OCZ
    Graphics Card(s)
    PCI-E ATI HD 4670 1GB Overclocked 4GB Total
    Sound Card
    Onboard 7.1 HD AUDIO
    Monitor(s) Displays
    55" Vizio LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1600 x 1200 HD
    Hard Drives
    1TB Seagate, 1TB Hitachi, 250GB Maxtor, 250GB Seagate
    PSU
    Kingwin ABT-610MM Maximum Power 610 Watt ATX 12V
    Case
    GENERIC
    Cooling
    Zalman CNPS7500-AlCu LED Universal CPU Cooler, 4 CASE FANS
    Keyboard
    MICROSOFT WIRELESS KEYBOARD
    Mouse
    MICROSOFT WIRELESS MOUSE
    Internet Speed
    CABLE 15MBPS
Actually, AVG is not a resource hog, it simply eats up more resources than Avast or Avira. Avast is also pretty good, I've used that for my virtual machine (xp) replacing my AVG free and I can say that it's running smoother. Although, IMO Avira is still the best out there. But I think if you're a beginner, you should stick to AVG or Avast. I mean Avira is not harder to use it's just that there's no link scanner in the free version. Something advanced users more than often do not need. Zone alarm is pretty good although it causes some issues on some setups that I won't take the risk of installing it. I'm sticking to the default firewall of Windows.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Intel Core2 Duo E2200 2.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    Emaxx IG31-AVL (AMI 1.1 Bios)
    Memory
    4.00 GB DDR2-800 MHz Dual Channel Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    Inno 3d GeForce 9500 GT 1GB DDR3
    Sound Card
    Realtek 6 Channel On Board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" Generic Flat Screen Panel
    Screen Resolution
    1024 * 768
    Hard Drives
    1 Seagate 80GB 7200 RPM SATA

    1 Western Digital My Book Essentials 1TB
    PSU
    500W
    Case
    LGA 775 Compliant Case
    Cooling
    Case Fan (Generic)
    Keyboard
    Generic PS/2 Keyboard
    Mouse
    Generic PS/2 Mouse
    Internet Speed
    1Mbps DL 600Kbps UL
    Other Info
    Altec Lansing 2.1 Sound System

    Nokia 5800 Xpress Music RM -356 v31.0.101
zone alarm is nice, but it can be annoying with all the popups. the only thing i did not like avira was when it updated it had the pop up to upgrade to the paid version.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    CUSTOM BUILT BY ME
    CPU
    AMD PHENOM II X3 710 2.6GHZ Overclocked to 3.25GHZ Stable
    Motherboard
    Ecs Gf8200a Phenom-2 X4 Quad Core Mboard
    Memory
    8BG PC5300 4 x 2GB OCZ
    Graphics Card(s)
    PCI-E ATI HD 4670 1GB Overclocked 4GB Total
    Sound Card
    Onboard 7.1 HD AUDIO
    Monitor(s) Displays
    55" Vizio LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1600 x 1200 HD
    Hard Drives
    1TB Seagate, 1TB Hitachi, 250GB Maxtor, 250GB Seagate
    PSU
    Kingwin ABT-610MM Maximum Power 610 Watt ATX 12V
    Case
    GENERIC
    Cooling
    Zalman CNPS7500-AlCu LED Universal CPU Cooler, 4 CASE FANS
    Keyboard
    MICROSOFT WIRELESS KEYBOARD
    Mouse
    MICROSOFT WIRELESS MOUSE
    Internet Speed
    CABLE 15MBPS
AVG - A resource hog???? :confused: :D :p
Running AVG Anti Virus Pro here quite happily on 2 Vista Ultimate laptops. ;)
like i said i like AVG used to run it on all my rigs, great program just has a bigger footprint

YouTube - AVG Anti-Virus is a Resource Hog?

thought that was funny somebody would do that.

Just as well I'm not a believer in all I hear, see & read! :)
Guess there is positive as well as negative advertising. Wonder what the REAL motive/ agenda was behind the video.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    LAPTOP. HP Pavilion dv7-1005TX .
    CPU
    IntelCore [email protected] x2
    Memory
    4.00 GB installed, max capacity 8 GB.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT & 512MB DDR2 dedicated graphics mem.
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.0" diagonal WXGA + High definition brightview widescreen infinity display.
    Screen Resolution
    1440 x 900
    Hard Drives
    SPECS.
    Drive 1. 298.09 GB Fujitzu MHZ2320BH G2 ATA Device
    Drive 2. [ All as above.]

    CONFIG. C:\287.65 GB, D:\298.09 GB, E:\10.44 GB.
    Case
    Laptop / notebook.
    Cooling
    Stock.
    Keyboard
    IBM enhanced
    Mouse
    Synaptics PS/2 Port touch pad.
    Internet Speed
    ADSL [ Too slow.]
    Other Info
    Webcam.
no idea just found it and thought that it was funny that somebody would even make it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    CUSTOM BUILT BY ME
    CPU
    AMD PHENOM II X3 710 2.6GHZ Overclocked to 3.25GHZ Stable
    Motherboard
    Ecs Gf8200a Phenom-2 X4 Quad Core Mboard
    Memory
    8BG PC5300 4 x 2GB OCZ
    Graphics Card(s)
    PCI-E ATI HD 4670 1GB Overclocked 4GB Total
    Sound Card
    Onboard 7.1 HD AUDIO
    Monitor(s) Displays
    55" Vizio LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1600 x 1200 HD
    Hard Drives
    1TB Seagate, 1TB Hitachi, 250GB Maxtor, 250GB Seagate
    PSU
    Kingwin ABT-610MM Maximum Power 610 Watt ATX 12V
    Case
    GENERIC
    Cooling
    Zalman CNPS7500-AlCu LED Universal CPU Cooler, 4 CASE FANS
    Keyboard
    MICROSOFT WIRELESS KEYBOARD
    Mouse
    MICROSOFT WIRELESS MOUSE
    Internet Speed
    CABLE 15MBPS
zone alarm is nice, but it can be annoying with all the popups. the only thing i did not like avira was when it updated it had the pop up to upgrade to the paid version.

Yeah, that's the only letdown from Avira. There's also another bug related to the right click context menu (Avira). I'm not so sure if they've fixed it yet as I don't have that option installed with my product.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Intel Core2 Duo E2200 2.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    Emaxx IG31-AVL (AMI 1.1 Bios)
    Memory
    4.00 GB DDR2-800 MHz Dual Channel Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    Inno 3d GeForce 9500 GT 1GB DDR3
    Sound Card
    Realtek 6 Channel On Board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" Generic Flat Screen Panel
    Screen Resolution
    1024 * 768
    Hard Drives
    1 Seagate 80GB 7200 RPM SATA

    1 Western Digital My Book Essentials 1TB
    PSU
    500W
    Case
    LGA 775 Compliant Case
    Cooling
    Case Fan (Generic)
    Keyboard
    Generic PS/2 Keyboard
    Mouse
    Generic PS/2 Mouse
    Internet Speed
    1Mbps DL 600Kbps UL
    Other Info
    Altec Lansing 2.1 Sound System

    Nokia 5800 Xpress Music RM -356 v31.0.101
Or instead of bothering to keep a number of limited freeware security programs updated, I just brought Norton 360 v3. Renew the subscription when it expires, and its detections rates are equivalent to if not better than Avira.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Sony Vaio Z46GDU
    CPU
    [email protected] w/6MB L2 cache 1066MHz FSB
    Memory
    6GB DDR3 1066MHz SDRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    9300M GS 256MB + Intel Integrated 4500MHD
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.1" WXGA True Colour Tough
    Screen Resolution
    1600x900
    Hard Drives
    320GB SATA 7200RPM
    Internet Speed
    1MB/s
Or instead of bothering to keep a number of limited freeware security programs updated, I just brought Norton 360 v3. Renew the subscription when it expires, and its detections rates are equivalent to if not better than Avira.

Yes it's all a matter of choice. Free or paid plus a paticular "brand." Aren't we lucky?
FWIW I use a paid version of anti virus, malware etc but I still prefer to manually update so that I am fully aware of what is being downloaded & when.:)
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    LAPTOP. HP Pavilion dv7-1005TX .
    CPU
    IntelCore [email protected] x2
    Memory
    4.00 GB installed, max capacity 8 GB.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT & 512MB DDR2 dedicated graphics mem.
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.0" diagonal WXGA + High definition brightview widescreen infinity display.
    Screen Resolution
    1440 x 900
    Hard Drives
    SPECS.
    Drive 1. 298.09 GB Fujitzu MHZ2320BH G2 ATA Device
    Drive 2. [ All as above.]

    CONFIG. C:\287.65 GB, D:\298.09 GB, E:\10.44 GB.
    Case
    Laptop / notebook.
    Cooling
    Stock.
    Keyboard
    IBM enhanced
    Mouse
    Synaptics PS/2 Port touch pad.
    Internet Speed
    ADSL [ Too slow.]
    Other Info
    Webcam.
You can turn off the warning popups in Zone Alarm. I have the free version.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire X1700
    Motherboard
    ASUS
    Memory
    3 gigs
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1 gig GeForce 210
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Vizio 21" tv
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 resolution
    Hard Drives
    1 terabyte sata in 1 partition
    Cooling
    fans that came with it
    Keyboard
    basic USB
    Mouse
    basic USB
    Internet Speed
    3 megabits on a cable modem, wired
Yeah, that's the only letdown from Avira. There's also another bug related to the right click context menu (Avira). I'm not so sure if they've fixed it yet as I don't have that option installed with my product.

that i did not know.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    CUSTOM BUILT BY ME
    CPU
    AMD PHENOM II X3 710 2.6GHZ Overclocked to 3.25GHZ Stable
    Motherboard
    Ecs Gf8200a Phenom-2 X4 Quad Core Mboard
    Memory
    8BG PC5300 4 x 2GB OCZ
    Graphics Card(s)
    PCI-E ATI HD 4670 1GB Overclocked 4GB Total
    Sound Card
    Onboard 7.1 HD AUDIO
    Monitor(s) Displays
    55" Vizio LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1600 x 1200 HD
    Hard Drives
    1TB Seagate, 1TB Hitachi, 250GB Maxtor, 250GB Seagate
    PSU
    Kingwin ABT-610MM Maximum Power 610 Watt ATX 12V
    Case
    GENERIC
    Cooling
    Zalman CNPS7500-AlCu LED Universal CPU Cooler, 4 CASE FANS
    Keyboard
    MICROSOFT WIRELESS KEYBOARD
    Mouse
    MICROSOFT WIRELESS MOUSE
    Internet Speed
    CABLE 15MBPS
I have Windows Defender and Windows Firewall, Avira Antivir, and most important to me, Mcafee Security suite. Now I kno that Mcafee isn't free (the whole version, you get a trial in Vista Home Premium), but I made it free if you kno what I mean :D
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Toshiba Satellite A300-15I
    CPU
    Intel Pentium Dual Core T2370 1.73 GHz (3.46GHz)
    Motherboard
    I don't know
    Memory
    Standard(I now) : 2,048 MB ; maximum expandability : 4,096 MB ; technology : DDR2 RAM (667 MHz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    manufacturer:ATI ; type : ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3470
    Sound Card
    I don't know
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.4" Toshiba TruBrite® WXGA TFT High Brightness display and LG LCD TV
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800, and I don't know for TV
    Hard Drives
    capacity : 200 GB
    certification : S.M.A.R.T.
    drive rotation : 5,400 rpm
    Cooling
    I don't know
    Keyboard
    Keys : 87 Windows® keys : 2
    Mouse
    Logitech V220 Cordless Optical Mouse For Notebooks
    Internet Speed
    100 Mbps
    Other Info
    Physical dimensions:
    W x L x H : 363 x 267 x 34.5 (front) / 38.5 (rear) mm
    weight : starting at 2.7 kg

    Security features :
    Wireless LAN switch
    main hard disk (by screw)
    main memory (by screw)
    HDD password on request
    supervisor password
    slot for Kensington Cable Lock
    main battery pack (by sliding latch)
    user password

    Special features:
    integrated 1.3 Megapixels Web Camera for Video
I have Windows Defender and Windows Firewall, Avira Antivir, and most important to me, Mcafee Security suite. Now I kno that Mcafee isn't free (the whole version, you get a trial in Vista Home Premium), but I made it free if you kno what I mean :D

If you are running two anti virus programs at the same time you are in trouble. :cry:
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    LAPTOP. HP Pavilion dv7-1005TX .
    CPU
    IntelCore [email protected] x2
    Memory
    4.00 GB installed, max capacity 8 GB.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT & 512MB DDR2 dedicated graphics mem.
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.0" diagonal WXGA + High definition brightview widescreen infinity display.
    Screen Resolution
    1440 x 900
    Hard Drives
    SPECS.
    Drive 1. 298.09 GB Fujitzu MHZ2320BH G2 ATA Device
    Drive 2. [ All as above.]

    CONFIG. C:\287.65 GB, D:\298.09 GB, E:\10.44 GB.
    Case
    Laptop / notebook.
    Cooling
    Stock.
    Keyboard
    IBM enhanced
    Mouse
    Synaptics PS/2 Port touch pad.
    Internet Speed
    ADSL [ Too slow.]
    Other Info
    Webcam.
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