Antivirus choice for XP

[Shelly F]

A friend who uses MSN MAIL (msn.com) wishes to change from Symantec
antivirus to another one due to problems updating definitions, and has
asked: which one?
I would normally recommend AVG (Grisoft) free version, except for the
following statement on the AVG free site:

Warning: If you work with Webmail (such as hotmail.com, msn.com,
yahoo.com, etc.), you are using your Internet browser (for example, MS
Internet Explorer) only to access your e-mail box, and your
attachments are not downloaded to your computer until you access them.
The main risk that you face in this case comes from e-mail message
attachments. Because of this, your e-mail is not scanned by the
available plug-ins, and scanning of the potentially dangerous
attachments takes place as you access them. We recommend using AVG
Free to check any executable file or MS Office documents that you
receive through electronic mail.

Request advice....she does receive attachments....and does save some
of them to her computer! Windows firewall is on, also..... tia

 

[Guest]

A friend who uses MSN MAIL (msn.com) wishes to change from Symantec
antivirus to another one due to problems updating definitions, and has
asked: which one?
I would normally recommend AVG (Grisoft) free version, except for the
following statement on the AVG free site:

Warning: If you work with Webmail (such as hotmail.com, msn.com,
yahoo.com, etc.), you are using your Internet browser (for example, MS
Internet Explorer) only to access your e-mail box, and your
attachments are not downloaded to your computer until you access them.
The main risk that you face in this case comes from e-mail message
attachments. Because of this, your e-mail is not scanned by the
available plug-ins, and scanning of the potentially dangerous
attachments takes place as you access them. We recommend using AVG
Free to check any executable file or MS Office documents that you
receive through electronic mail.

Request advice....she does receive attachments....and does save some
of them to her computer! Windows firewall is on, also..... tia

I have been using Nod32 anti-virus since june (I dumped Norton as well)
and have been very pleased with it.It will scan any .exe file as it is being
opened.

 

[Guest]

Go to majorgeeks.com and look for the "Antivir" anti virus. It is free, I
have used it for a year with no problems. Hope this helps.

 

[Gerry Manganiello]

I have been using Nod32 anti-virus since june (I dumped Norton as well)
and have been very pleased with it.It will scan any .exe file as it is
being
opened.

My 2 cents:
Try this Anti Virus: http://www.avast.com/
Very effective. Norton is OFF my Christmas wish list!!

 

[Ron Martell]

A friend who uses MSN MAIL (msn.com) wishes to change from Symantec
antivirus to another one due to problems updating definitions, and has
asked: which one?
I would normally recommend AVG (Grisoft) free version, except for the
following statement on the AVG free site:

Warning: If you work with Webmail (such as hotmail.com, msn.com,
yahoo.com, etc.), you are using your Internet browser (for example, MS
Internet Explorer) only to access your e-mail box, and your
attachments are not downloaded to your computer until you access them.
The main risk that you face in this case comes from e-mail message
attachments. Because of this, your e-mail is not scanned by the
available plug-ins, and scanning of the potentially dangerous
attachments takes place as you access them. We recommend using AVG
Free to check any executable file or MS Office documents that you
receive through electronic mail.

Request advice....she does receive attachments....and does save some
of them to her computer! Windows firewall is on, also..... tia

If she saves the attachments to her hard drive they will be check by
AVG when they are saved. No real concern insofar as I can see.

p.s. in my opinion, and that of many others, the scanning of emails by
antivirus programs is totally superfluous and can be dispensed with
without any increased risk. The normal resident scanner will still
pick up any infected email attachments when they are saved as separate
files or when they are opened.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

 

[Larry(LJL269)]

and scanning of the potentially dangerous
attachments takes place as you access them

So what's the problem? Larry

Any advise given is my attempt to show appreciation for all
the excellent help I've received here but I'm no MVP so it
may only apply NUGS (Normally, Usually, Generally, Sometimes

 

[Mike]

I have been using Nod32 anti-virus since june (I dumped Norton as well)
and have been very pleased with it.It will scan any .exe file as it is being
opened.

Why did you dump Norton?

What about Mcafee (sp?)?

Along this line, I am trying to decide if I should install Symantec Personal
Firewall. I have used their Internet Security package on Win2K for years. It
not only has done a good job at incoming/outgoing packet management (which I
believe is really important for a PC - especially the outgoing side) but it
allows one to manage popup ads and set specific site permissions. I am a
newbie to XP and have been told that its has a firewall. Does it need to be
supplemented?

 

[Guest]

Why did you dump Norton?

What about Mcafee (sp?)?

Along this line, I am trying to decide if I should install Symantec Personal
Firewall. I have used their Internet Security package on Win2K for years. It
not only has done a good job at incoming/outgoing packet management (which I
believe is really important for a PC - especially the outgoing side) but it
allows one to manage popup ads and set specific site permissions. I am a
newbie to XP and have been told that its has a firewall. Does it need to be
supplemented?

If your looking for a firewall use this one
Sygate Personal Firewall (Free and up)
http://smb.sygate.com/free/spf_download.php

 

[Guest]

Why did you dump Norton?

What about Mcafee (sp?)?

Along this line, I am trying to decide if I should install Symantec Personal
Firewall. I have used their Internet Security package on Win2K for years. It
not only has done a good job at incoming/outgoing packet management (which I
believe is really important for a PC - especially the outgoing side) but it
allows one to manage popup ads and set specific site permissions. I am a
newbie to XP and have been told that its has a firewall. Does it need to be
supplemented?

Why I dumped Norton?
I used Norton system works for a few years,one update for the firewall
caused my IE to crash everytime I used it something to do with System proxy
service,after a year I'm still waiting for a reply to my E/mail from their
support people.
The anti-virus worked well I never have a virus when I used it however a
full system scan took an average of 90 minutes,NOD32 takes about 7 minutes
and is very lite on system resources,every on-line scan of my system's
security shows that I do not have anti-virus softeare installed,Nod32 runs a
little different than some of the other major brands(less likely that a virus
would detect it and disable it as well) Norton was updated once a week unless
their was a major new threat Nod32 updates daily they do not wait for one big
update but provide them as they are written.
Bootup time using Norton was about 2 minutes with Nod32 and sygate firewall
it takes about 20 seconds.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

A friend who uses MSN MAIL (msn.com) wishes to change from Symantec
antivirus to another one due to problems updating definitions, and has
asked: which one?
I would normally recommend AVG (Grisoft) free version, except for the
following statement on the AVG free site:

Warning: If you work with Webmail (such as hotmail.com, msn.com,
yahoo.com, etc.), you are using your Internet browser (for example, MS
Internet Explorer) only to access your e-mail box, and your
attachments are not downloaded to your computer until you access them.
The main risk that you face in this case comes from e-mail message
attachments. Because of this, your e-mail is not scanned by the
available plug-ins, and scanning of the potentially dangerous
attachments takes place as you access them. We recommend using AVG
Free to check any executable file or MS Office documents that you
receive through electronic mail.

Request advice....she does receive attachments....and does save some
of them to her computer! Windows firewall is on, also..... tia

Well, the same would be true of any antivirus application. This is one
reason that using a web-based "email" solution is a greater security
risk. Your friend will have to decide if she'd rather accept that risk
than learn to use a real email client application and a POP3 email account.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Larry(LJL269)]

p.s. in my opinion, and that of many others, the scanning of emails by
antivirus programs is totally superfluous and can be dispensed with
without any increased risk. The normal resident scanner will still
pick up any infected email attachments when they are saved as separate
files or when they are opened.

I agree Ron (see my post after this)

For completeness, just because u scan ALL with AV multiple
times does NOT mean u wont get malware. See my post
'AntiVirus is N/A 4 KB833987 & ANY XP vulnerability ' of
~ 12/09.

So AV is necessary but not sufficient to be SAFE. Patching
vulnerabilities(Win Update) must also be done. & Firewall. &
BBU. &.. & Colt 45 Series 80

Just my 2¢ worth Larry

Any advise given is my attempt to show appreciation for all
the excellent help I've received here but I'm no MVP so it
may only apply NUGS (Normally, Usually, Generally, Sometimes

 

[Plato]

I dont care what anti-virus you use nor how you have it set. ANY
attachment SHOULD BE SAVED, NOT OPENED, TO A FOLDER.

Then you do a scan of that folder/file. Many virures/trojans when
auto-opened can IMMEDIATELY DISABLE your background antivirus scanner,
and can even disable other scanners you are not even running 24/7 but
have installed.

You want to make sure the file is safe BEFORE you open it.

 

[Mike]

:


If your looking for a firewall use this one
Sygate Personal Firewall (Free and up)
http://smb.sygate.com/free/spf_download.php

Does one need something like this when XP Pro sp2 has an embedded firewall?

I read over the features of the Sygate firewall a couple of times. It is not
explicit that outgoing packets are filtered as well as incoming. Is that the
case?

 

[Mike]

:


Why I dumped Norton?
I used Norton system works for a few years,one update for the firewall
caused my IE to crash everytime I used it something to do with System proxy
service,after a year I'm still waiting for a reply to my E/mail from their
support people.
The anti-virus worked well I never have a virus when I used it however a
full system scan took an average of 90 minutes,NOD32 takes about 7 minutes
and is very lite on system resources,every on-line scan of my system's
security shows that I do not have anti-virus softeare installed,Nod32 runs a
little different than some of the other major brands(less likely that a virus
would detect it and disable it as well) Norton was updated once a week unless
their was a major new threat Nod32 updates daily they do not wait for one big
update but provide them as they are written.
Bootup time using Norton was about 2 minutes with Nod32 and sygate firewall
it takes about 20 seconds.

The benchmarks they reference are interesting. What do you mean by,"every
on-line scan of my system's security shows that I do not have
anti-virus softeare installed?" Does that mean that the security console gives
you continual warning that you need to install AV software?

Their annual renewal charges seem a little on the high side, but you get what
you pay for?

 

[Alias]

: On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 06:15:02 -0800, MAP wrote:
:
:
: > "Mike" wrote:
:
: >> On Fri, 10 Dec 2004 19:59:03 -0800, MAP wrote:
:
:
: >> > I have been using Nod32 anti-virus since june (I dumped Norton as
well)
: >> > and have been very pleased with it.It will scan any .exe file as it
is being
: >> > opened.
:
: >> Why did you dump Norton?
:
: >> What about Mcafee (sp?)?
:
: >> Along this line, I am trying to decide if I should install Symantec
Personal
: >> Firewall. I have used their Internet Security package on Win2K for
years. It
: >> not only has done a good job at incoming/outgoing packet management
(which I
: >> believe is really important for a PC - especially the outgoing side)
but it
: >> allows one to manage popup ads and set specific site permissions. I am
a
: >> newbie to XP and have been told that its has a firewall. Does it need
to be
: >> supplemented?
:
:
:
: > If your looking for a firewall use this one
: > Sygate Personal Firewall (Free and up)
: > http://smb.sygate.com/free/spf_download.php
:
: Does one need something like this when XP Pro sp2 has an embedded
firewall?
:
: I read over the features of the Sygate firewall a couple of times. It is
not
: explicit that outgoing packets are filtered as well as incoming. Is that
the
: case?
:
: --
: Thanks, Mike.

Yes, it is. The XP firewall only protects the computer from incoming
traffic, not outgoing traffic. Sygate does both.

Alias
:

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Does one need something like this when XP Pro sp2 has an embedded firewall?

Yes. WinXP's built-in firewall is adequate at stopping incoming
attacks, and hiding your ports from probes. What WinXP SP2's firewall
does not do, is protect you from any Trojans or spyware that you (or
someone else using your computer) might download and install
inadvertently. It doesn't monitor out-going traffic at all, other than
to check for IP-spoofing, much less block (or at even ask you about) the
bad or the questionable out-going signals. It assumes that any
application you have on your hard drive is there because you want it
there, an therefore has your "permission" to access the Internet.
Further, because the Windows Firewall is a "stateful" firewall, it will
also assume that any incoming traffic that's a direct response to a
Trojan's or spyware's out-going signal is also authorized.

I read over the features of the Sygate firewall a couple of times. It is not
explicit that outgoing packets are filtered as well as incoming. Is that the
case?

Yes, the Sygate Personal Firewall monitors outbound traffic.



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Guest]

The benchmarks they reference are interesting. What do you mean by,"every
on-line scan of my system's security shows that I do not have
anti-virus softeare installed?" Does that mean that the security console gives
you continual warning that you need to install AV software?

Their annual renewal charges seem a little on the high side, but you get what
you pay for?