Is this enough to keep me reasonable safe?

OK, I did my homework, so is this all I'm gonna need (in addition to safe surfing)?

OS: Windows XP Pro (version 5.1) SP3
anti-virus: Avast Free 5.0.418
firewall: PC Tools Firewall Plus Free 6.0.0.74
anti-malware blocker: SpywareBlaster 4.2
anti-malware scanner / removers: Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.44 freeware
SUPERAntiSpyware freeware 4.33.1000
clean-up utility: Glary Utilities 2.20.0.831
browser: Internet Explorer 8

Assuming IE8 is like IE7, here are the security settings I'll use:

Trusted sites security level: Medium-high
Internet security level: High <-- Medium-high to download^

ActiveX controls and plug-ins:
* Download signed ActiveX controls: Prompt
* Download unsigned ActiveX controls: Disable
* Initialize & script ActiveX controls not marked as safe: Disable
* Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins: Enable
* Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting: Enable

Miscellaneous:
* Installation of desktop items: Prompt
* Launching programs and files in an IFRAME: Prompt
* Navigate sub-frames across different domains: Prompt

^ For some reason, IE7 requires me to do this even at a Trusted Site and even with:
1. "require server verification..." unselected, and
2. Security level for Trusted sites zone set at Medium-high.

And if my NetGear WGR614v6 wireless router is capable of it, I'll put its firewall into "stealth" mode (to drop incoming packets rather than denying them, which supposedly makes you invisible to some attackers).

And should I go to OpenDNS.org for a free secure DNS source?

And does anybody know if enabling Java in the browser constitutes a vulnerability to malware? How about Javascript?

 

Might consider throwing PC Tools ThreatFire in the mix. A very good resident behavioral blocker. Good for zero-day malware blocking and anything that might slip by everything else.

Try to be careful with Glary Utilities. It's a good tool to have on hand but it's not a good idea to have it blindly clean the registry for you. A safer choice for cleaning the registry would be CCleaner Slim. Another area of concern in Glary Utilities could be the duplicate file finder. Sometimes duplicate files are necessary for an application to work properly.

Over all, what you've selected looks very good.

It's not a bad idea.

 

Ahh well, some folks are wise and smart, some are a little reckless and foolish. You're in the 1st group, I fit in the latter, so the extra security is a benefit for me. If I had to choose though, between Avast 5.0 and Threatfire, I would keep Avast 5.0 and loose Threatfire.