Question on SP2

[William Gower]

I just upgraded my HP machine to sp2. I am using Norton Personal Firewall
and Symantec Virus Software. Is there any advantage to uninstalling those
and going with the Virus software and firewall that comes with XP sp2?

 

[Mike Kolitz]

Firstly, there is no anti-virus protection included with SP2, so either way,
you shouldn't uninstall your anti-virus software.

As for the firewall, it's up to you. If Norton's firewall software gives
you more features that you're likely to use than the Windows XP firewall, or
you're more comfortable using the Norton software, I'd stick with it. The
important part is that you have a firewall running.

 

[Bill Crocker]

Ditto on everything Mike said.

Bill Crocker

Firstly, there is no anti-virus protection included with SP2, so either
way, you shouldn't uninstall your anti-virus software.

As for the firewall, it's up to you. If Norton's firewall software gives
you more features that you're likely to use than the Windows XP firewall,
or you're more comfortable using the Norton software, I'd stick with it.
The important part is that you have a firewall running.

 

[Ken Blake]

In

I just upgraded my HP machine to sp2. I am using Norton
Personal
Firewall and Symantec Virus Software. Is there any advantage
to
uninstalling those and going with the Virus software and
firewall
that comes with XP sp2?

You're not the first person to have thought that SP2 includes
anti-virus software, but that 's not correct--it does not.

Regarding the firewall, it's the other way around--the advantage
is disabling the Windows firewall and sitcking with the one you
already have. The built-in Windows firewall (with or without SP2)
monitors incoming traffic only, and therefore is inferior to
almost any of the third-party firewalls which are bi-directional.

 

[Plato]

I just upgraded my HP machine to sp2. I am using Norton Personal Firewall
and Symantec Virus Software. Is there any advantage to uninstalling those
and going with the Virus software and firewall that comes with XP sp2?

If your symantec stuff is working, stay with it. Note that SP2 does not
contain an antivirus.

 

[Alex Nichol]

I just upgraded my HP machine to sp2. I am using Norton Personal Firewall
and Symantec Virus Software. Is there any advantage to uninstalling those
and going with the Virus software and firewall that comes with XP sp2?

While I have no liking for Symantec software - there are free tools that
do as well and are not intrusive - SP2 does *not* include any AV
software, merely a check that you have some installed and it reports
being up to date. The Symantec firewall will be more comprehensive, and
if you have it I would stick with it