Viruses

Who doesn't have a virus scanner installed with automatic updates ?

  • Me - it was me !

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Not I (said the walrus), I wear protection.

    Votes: 25 86.2%
  • Huh ? Virus scanner ? Is that like a tricorder ?

    Votes: 4 13.8%

  • Total voters
    29
Re: They slow your system down

Originally posted by Patosan
So now I do weekly back-ups and use the also excellent and FREE on-line McAfee "house call" virus check regularly. I guess it's worth noting that I've never used "MS Outlook" ... wouldn't know where to begin. I'm a web mail person ... yahoo !

It's my perception that viruses enter systems after the user opens something that they shouldn't have.

Good job on 3 counts...

1) you still do virus checks - even if not real time, regular checkups are better than none (a few antivirus companies offer online virus scanning)

2) You don't use Outlook - one of the most dangerous pieces of software ever written in my opinion - there are plenty of other good email programs around, or just use the web

3) You obviously take care with attachments - dilligence will get you a long way
 
Re: They slow your system down

Originally posted by Patosan
It's my perception that viruses enter systems after the user opens something that they shouldn't have.

Patosan,

It would be nice if this was true, unfortunately your perception is wrong. A PC does a lot of things behind the scenes and is vulnerable as long as it is connected to the outside world - internet, cd-rom or floppy drive.

I have never seen a virus protection program cause significant performance degradation so have to assume that there is something wring with your system.

You should consider some maintenance on your PC - clean up the hard drive, remove some programs loading on start-up & check your PC for viruses (which could be the problem rather than the virus protection...ironically).

Remember, once the anti-virus software has thoroughly checked your PC is clean once it then only needs to monitor your system's 'breathing' anything that goes in or out of it - this is fast & not resource hungry.

Cheers,

Aceyducey
 
Hi everyone,

Thanks for the advices. I re-loaded and re-installed AVG, which I used to use after the trouble with Norton.

While I like WIndows XP Home edition (reliability finally arrived to my PC), as I mentioned I do have major difficulty accepting that
XP installer work for about 35 minutes THEN falls over with the same error message both for upgrade as well as full install, while
every other install programs from the same drive works perfectly.

I do accept to write installers for a great variety of different computers is not an easy thing, at the same time I rather assume that it is another 'bug'. Especially as I had to install some other software from the same drive and same MS CD, when it has installed with no problem. ANyway, it is not an issue until I have to go through the entire excercise again.

Regarding to viruses, I only got infected over 9 years of internet use only twice. I have a simple rule. If I do not know the person and / or the email address, I do not open, but delete it immediately. Once a (fortunately harmless) piece of virus managed to get on from a portable diskette, other time I accidentially opened a strange email, I knew from the past that carried the virus. I cleaned that one up using Norton's downloadable fix program for it.

Tibor
 
Aceyducey,

Have you actually done a resource performance check before and after having the anti virus software in action. Windows has such a convenient meter. I was shocked at the difference.

The makers admit there is a consumption .. it is unavoidable.
How much consumption and the speed of your system of course are the variables. Mine is 2 yr old laptop, 700Mhz with 128 RAM. Slow by todays standards I guess.

Of course rsource consumption doesn't mean an equal speed slow down ... but it increases he chances of slow down and jam up, if you like to be D/lLing while doing several other things at the same time.

As I said I already do regular on-line virus scans ... so the system is clean, be it at the check point in time.
 
Patosan,

Yes I have, and have no resource issues (4yr old deskop, win 98).

Maybe you need to use a different brand of anti-virus software - hundreds to choose from :)

I tendto run a memory manager these days & rarely have resource issues - would switch to XP but it doesn'tlike my sound card & I am too lazy to fix the problem. :)

Cheers,

Aceyducey
 
I have recently upgraded to Norton Antivirus 2003, I had some problems with it clashing with other Norton programs.

After a month of emails back and forth, Nortons decided that their programs were incompatible with each other, but if I was prepared to pay for phone support, they would try and help me!!

Last time I buy Nortons.
 
Macca, was it Norton System Works that you were running that caused the problems ? It is a known problem that you cannot upgrade the antivirus component of System Works on its own - it's clearly documented on the web.
 
Aceyducey,

What's the advantage of running a memory manager ?

Also what are your resource levels ?
When running win.mx (D/L site) and 2 explorer windows my levels go down to :
system : 46%
user : 46%
GDI : 80% ... usually ok
What is reasonable with these running ?
 
yes Sim, it was a clash between Norton sysytem works and NAV2003.

You say that it is common knowledge on the web, I wish someone would tell Norton's then because they offered to take my money for phone help while we tried to sort it out.

I bought it over the net through their website, nowhere on the NAV page does it say that is it not compatible with NSW. In fact it took their helpline at least a month to arrive at that conclusion.

The plan was to uninstall NSW, install NAV2003 and reinstall NSW without NAV section. This is what their online help desk said is the correct thing to do, unfortunately I know now, that it won't work.

I now just run NAV2003 and use the inbuilt window programs to clean up and defrag.

Can you tell me is there a way, using Windows 98Plus, to create a rescue disk like NSW does? NAV2003 does a rescue set of sorts, using floppies but the old NSW could use a zip drive and create a good rescue set, any suggestions?
 
Originally posted by Patosan
What's the advantage of running a memory manager ?

Patosan,

It frees up resources locked up by programs - particularly resources kept locked even when the program is shut down.


Originally posted by Patosan
Also what are your resource levels ?

I couldn't tell you off the top of my head - (probably around 60%) I'm a layman at heart :)

Mostly I judge by program response time, so long as it's fast enough to keep me satisfied I'm happy, if it slows down I look at it in depth.

I run a lot of graphics editing & game software plus heavy use of Office apps...Restart on average 3x a day to clean it out totally.

Cheers,

Aceyducey
 
Re: They slow your system down

Originally posted by Patosan
Have tried Nortons package (via free trial d/l) and also the excelent free Zone Alarm firewall. Both slowed down my system significantly ... by at least 20%.

Patosan....do you use a Japanese OS? Mine is and while I know little about the way PC`s run, I know after installing Nortons ( after a bad experience with McAfee`s ) my system is like a slug.....i do put up with it though as it seems to catch a couple of emails a week.
 
Hi Kuso san,

Interesting user name ...kuso. I guess other non-Japan based people on the forum don't get it.

Yes my OS is a Japanese windows ME in a a NEC laptop.
Yes, I tried Nortons last year, on a trial basis. I and my system slowed right down. I actually uninstalled McAfee before installing Norton.

Anyway I got rid of Nortons but ever since I have cabinet.dll errors now and then. Don't know how to fix them ... though there doesn't seem to be any operating trouble.

Just yesterday I downloaded the AVG free system, which Geoffw advised about. So far all is working well ! Though I haven't tried using my fave D/L site yet ... that was copletely out with Nortons.

Here's a good free online virus check "house call".
http://housecall.antivirus.com/housecall/start_corp.asp

Thanks for the software link Geoffw.
 
Originally posted by Patosan
Hi Kuso san,

Interesting user name ...kuso. I guess other non-Japan based people on the forum don't get it.


Hi Patosan,

Yes, um, sorry bout that. It was my feeling at having to come up with a handle the first time I joined a board years ago, and now it has stuck. :)

Scanning with your site now. Thanks
 
Hi Jas,

Im pretty sure "kuso" is Japanese for a 4 letter word also known in English as "excrement", and usually used as an exclamation.

Jamie.
 
Hehehe...

And my mother assured me learning to swear in other languages would never impress anybody...

Showed her, didnt I...
 
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