Are you supposed to have a spyware program as well as a antivirus program installed on your computer

I was going to get AVG as an antivirus , then i saw there is antivirus as well as spyware programs, should I use both, or just one? Thanks in advance.

Are you supposed to have a spyware program as well as a antivirus program installed on your computer?virus

Yes, you should have both. They protect, and remove, different types of "bad stuff" from your computer. (usually)

Both programs have what's called 'Definition Files' of currently know nasties, so make sure that the programs you choose are updated daily. (some of the better ones can even catch unknown threats using a heuristic scanner/engine - it looks for anything similar to the known threats)

Everyone has their own preferences as to what programs they like to use. What you use is your choice, but consider your usage habits. If you don't do a lot of web surfing and downloading you can get by with free versions. If you surf a lot, do a lot of downloading and enjoy using Peer to Peer sites for getting free music, games, videos, etc., then you better have some good programs watching your behind. O_O

ZoneAlarm and Ad-Aware are good programs that have both free and subscription/license purchase versions, but you can do a Google search and find tons of info on various other programs out there.

The best way to decide, IMHO, is to do your own research. Look for programs that have features that are best suited to your needs.