So, do I have virus protection or not?

[JimTheBrit]

A snapshot of a PC message displayed earlier today:

Norton Internet Security (Perhaps) (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jimmy13/MyPCisMockingMe.jpg)

Am I protected against virii that are in a undefined state of existence? Am I the first to experience Shrodinger's AVP?

Edited to add: Yeah, I know what's happened, I just thought the message was kinda funny.

[Hand Bent Spoon]

Norton Internet Security = No Security At All (especially from false trojan messages and system crashes/resource hogging).

Why do people use Norton? They probably remember way back to 1995 when Norton Utilities was still good.

:D

[evildave]

Back before Symantec bought 'em? Yeah. I have Drive Image and Partition Magic. PowerQuest got bought out by Symantec. Guess new versions of these will suck, too. The customer support went instantly to *****.

No AV software offers 100% protection. If a virus newer than your AV filter comes out, it will probably be capable of infecting your computer. Look at it like email spam. The filters false-positive and are more of a nuissance for that than the spam is, and the spam keeps getting through, anyway.

Same thing goes for anti-virus software. It's like driving with giant water bumpers all around your car. Sure, nobody will dent your car, but you're getting 2 miles per gallon and have to crawl in and out the window. If they hit you hard enough, the bumpers won't help, anyway.

[heath]

Originally posted by Hand Bent Spoon
Norton Internet Security = No Security At All (especially from false trojan messages and system crashes/resource hogging).

Why do people use Norton? They probably remember way back to 1995 when Norton Utilities was still good.

:D

100% agreement. Norton products are bloated crap nowadays IMO.

Get McAfee virus scan. MUCH better. Between McAffee and Tiny firewall my always on windows PC has never once been infected, even though I run all sorts of dodgy P2P and warezed stuff.

[JimTheBrit]

Originally posted by Hand Bent Spoon
Norton Internet Security = No Security At AllMy use of NIS is purely superficial. My PC's main protection comes from several power crystals placed strategically around my work area. Also, I have help from a nice bunch of guys called the 'L33T H@XoR SKRiPT0s' who have placed warm greeting messages around my PC and kindly redirected my homepage to their website. :D

[DaveW]

Originally posted by heath


100% agreement. Norton products are bloated crap nowadays IMO.

Get McAfee virus scan. MUCH better. Between McAffee and Tiny firewall my always on windows PC has never once been infected, even though I run all sorts of dodgy P2P and warezed stuff.

Last time I tried McAfee, it was much more of a resource hog than Norton. (Might have been 3 years ago or so). Has that changed?

[BPSCG]

Originally posted by JimTheBrit Edited to add: Yeah, I know what's happened, I just thought the message was kinda funny. [/B]Okay, so what DID happen? Inquiring minds want to know.

[heath]

Originally posted by DaveW


Last time I tried McAfee, it was much more of a resource hog than Norton. (Might have been 3 years ago or so). Has that changed?

I've got it set up to scan inbound internet traffic always but only to do a system scan when I tell it to. The periodic scans are the things that really suck cycles.

[JimTheBrit]

Originally posted by BPSCG
Okay, so what DID happen? Inquiring minds want to know. Oh, ok. NIS screwed up. Prior to the new installation, the prog removed the old, corrupted version. Spoil sport.

[De_Bunk]

Norton / Mcaffee both ok..

I also found Grisoft AVG worked well...especially as its a free prog..

The only thing i found slightly dubious...was the "Tiny" Firewall

Too many complaints about it on the web...

And nothings gonna beat "ZoneAlarm"...its better than most "paid for" firewalls...

And as for the one bundled with XP...people have been punching holes through that for ages..

DB

[heath]

Originally posted by De_Bunk
Norton / Mcaffee both ok..

I also found Grisoft AVG worked well...especially as its a free prog..

The only thing i found slightly dubious...was the "Tiny" Firewall

Too many complaints about it on the web...

And nothings gonna beat "ZoneAlarm"...its better than most "paid for" firewalls...

And as for the one bundled with XP...people have been punching holes through that for ages..

DB
Tiny is by far the best software firewall I've ever used under windows (at least the old free version I use). I like it because it's totally configurable and leaves me totally in control. But it's not as friendly for firewall novices as Zone Alarm.

I recommend Tiny to security savvy people and Zone Alarm to the rest. You're one of the rest :p

[De_Bunk]

Heath...

Quote..

"I recommend Tiny to security savvy people and Zone Alarm to the rest. You're one of the rest..."

Nah...Im definitely not "one of the rest"...

Its just that i dont try and pretend that being "savvy" about computers equates to a little gang of "PC geeks"...some kind of elitist group of people..

Trouble is 99% of people who use PCs are not "Savvy"...they need everything explained in a normal way...

They don't need things like complicated firewalls, hard to configure Anti-virus software...

Or geeks that are afraid that there smug attitudes are being threatened by the average jock

Nice and simple....thats what wins...

And as for Tiny firewalls...think again...just go check the web...

I recommend Google search engine for people who know and "LetsPlayAndSearch.com" for the rest...youve obviously been surfing using the wrong Search engine...

DB

[heath]

Originally posted by De_Bunk
Heath...

Quote..

"I recommend Tiny to security savvy people and Zone Alarm to the rest. You're one of the rest..."

Nah...Im definitely not "one of the rest"...

Its just that i dont try and pretend that being "savvy" about computers equates to a little gang of "PC geeks"...some kind of elitist group of people..

Trouble is 99% of people who use PCs are not "Savvy"...they need everything explained in a normal way...

They don't need things like complicated firewalls, hard to configure Anti-virus software...

Or geeks that are afraid that there smug attitudes are being threatened by the average jock

Nice and simple....thats what wins...

And as for Tiny firewalls...think again...just go check the web...

I recommend Google search engine for people who know and "LetsPlayAndSearch.com" for the rest...youve obviously been surfing using the wrong Search engine...

DB

I said it's the best not the easiest.

If you personally don't like it or can't work out how to get the most of it then don't use it. I can't say I really care.

[De_Bunk]

Heath..

Thats right..

You just keep right on using Tiny Firewall....

And lets hope you keep right on top of all those ports you wanna secure...

Whatever...

DB