jim-00-4.6 said:
which has what, exactly, to do with any anti-virus software?LandyII said:
why?
Actually, I agree with this. I run both periodically on all my machines.
I like it to see what's running and trying to "get out".
securing your wap should be step 1.
She was asking a general question about a firewall, which I know has nothing to do with anti virusjim-00-4.6 said:
Sure.Roach said:
I'll take any machine and squeeze so much life out of it you wouldn't believe it. Of course, building is more fun, but nothing rewards like taking a hog of a machine, like a Ferrari towing a load of bricks around, and cutting those bricks loose so the thing can run like it is supposed to.----------------------------------------------------------kennith said:I wouldn't piss on Norton to put out a fire.
Yes, it will slow ANY machine down. Not just the old stuff. Norton is a hog, Vista is a hog, and hogs slow things down. I've got an Athlon XP over here that will smoke everything on the shelf today. Why? Because it runs light, that's why. Take the biggest quad-core you want, with the fastest RAM you can get, and the biggest internal caches you can find, and install Norton. See what happens.
You have just ruined your machine. That is a cold, hard, fact.
I do a lot of go-fast work on computers. It is cheaper than cars, what do you want?
Removing Norton is without a doubt, the biggest single software effect that can be had on a machine, unless you count going from Vista to XP on a machine that can get away with it.
Those guys used to have some great programs. Norton Commander was so good, I've got a copy on a shelf, still in it's shrink wrap from the days of DOS.
Now, however, their programs are bloated, and like some sort of tentacled fiend, they infect even the darkest corners of your computer with their overloaded code. They are so infectious, in fact, that they are nearly impossible to remove in their entirety.
Norton has been known to slow things down to such a vast degree, that performance in intensive programs can be cut in half as a result. Absolutely without merit of any kind.
I currently run a program called Avast. I got it because it was the smallest program available. AVG has become bloated over the years as well, and I was no longer satisfied with it's performance. Avast is so small, and uses so little memory with it's active processes, that I have not noticed any performance difference at all from running it.
On top of that, I have used Avast to help counter and destroy the newest dreaded Antivirus advertisement trojans that are being passed around. Avast stops them dead in their tracks, and if installed on an infected machine, will destroy most of the issues all by itself. A program called Malwarebytes destroys the rest of the infection entirely.
Without Avast and this other program, such an infection requires wiping your hard drive and starting over. I've never seen another program catch this stuff so quickly, and do it without causing performance issues.
Norton is rubbish.
If you must have it, by the powers, do the upgrade. Don't go and try and install a new version. There is so much crap going on in that program that you do NOT want to rock the boat, believe me.
Roverlady said:Wow, thanks guys!
I'm going to renew what i have and also add the other downloads for free (spybot, etc).
I'm pretty careful about sites and downloads, don't open anything looking like spam or from someone I don't know and don't search many sites other than what I recognize and trust. I download from iTunes and occasional catalogs, watch Youtube, check work email and Facebook and Rover sites. That's about the extent of my usage online at home.
I also clear cookies, history, and temp download files every time I log off. Just a habit I've been in for years.
I AM on an unsecured wifi connection (though I know the originator, I obviously don't know other users) so I want to do what I can to be safe.
Any other suggestions?!
atriot: .Exactly my feelings. Keeping it simple and comfortable for the end user is important.Roach said:Imho, I usually give the same advice as I gave the op to my 55 or so private clients. Why? Because they have to be able to use it. Norton works fine when you use it as intended. Let it run its updates, follow the instructions when it wants a scan run, and renew the damn thing when you are supposed to. Most of my clients hire me because they need guidance. If they could figure this stuff out they wouldn't be paying me $45.00 /hr to come over and help them. Part of helping folks with this is to get them to feel comfortable running the software they have. Introducing them to Avast or malwarebytes would be akin to asking them to do a low format on their hard drive. Just my opinion, but a vast majority of folks just want to enjoy their computers and have as little issues operating them as possible, sorta like their cars...
Yep, even the code monkeys ;-)Roverlady said:
LandyII said:----------------------------------------------------------
Without Avast and this other program, such an infection requires wiping your hard drive and starting over
I disagree with this statement, Avast isn't the only AV on the market that can and will catch trojans/virus/malware/ & whatever else
I do agree with not rocking the boat! Stick with whatever is on her computer and upgrade online -
BTW - Malwarebytes looks like a pretty comprehensive program
http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php
