Virus, spyware, etc.

[newman]

Depends on what kind of web pages are you visiting. Warez or porn are, as you probably know, high risk zones, virus-wise. What I'd do in your place is, switch to Mozilla or Firefox, keep my windows always updated, firewall on, and use something like thunderbird for e-mail (but still restrain yourself from opening messages from unknown sources). Also, try and stay away from suspicious web pages. Just following these guidelines will greately reduce the probability of virus infection. Still, it would be wise to have an anti-virus and an anti-spyware app handy and doing regular,scheduled scans. Pick quality apps that will update themselves automatically over the net (I use Kaspersky anti-virus, but any better anti-virus will do. Same goes for anti-spyware). I also use tuneup utilites, to keep the system, registry, temporary files and such things in check. I run it about once a week, to clean the registry of entries that are not needed anymore.. better to maintain than having to re-format and re-install everything often :)

[nafa]

You will need some protection. Since you appear to only recently started using a Windows machine, your best bet is upgrade you Norton license to get the continued protection. This will buy you the necessary time to get acquainted with Windows and acquire the various free tools for firewall, anti-virus and antispyware functions.

[MadMax]

Norton is a useless pile of steaming festering crap.

1. Download and install either Mozilla or Firefox.

2. Download AVG free from grisoft.com (Anti Virus)

3. Download Ad-Aware from Lavasoft. (spyware tracker)

There are free versions of both which are just fine. They also have commercial versions that have more features.

4. Download Spybot search and destroy. Also free. This one warns you of attempts to change the registry.

5. XP Anti Spy. Must have. it will allow you to turn off all kinds of bullshit installed by M$, and stops all kinds of naty reporting of your habits to M$ without your knowledge.

Also, there is a neat little thing you can do to avoid ad crap from even being installed on your computer by visiting sites... As Aware will remove cookies from your system, but the free version doesn't keep them from being installed in the first place. FYI CGtalk installs adware on your computer. It involves creating a simple text file.

[Jorge Arango]

Thank you all for your replys.

I downloaded Firefox and set it as my default browser.

At the moment, I'm downloading the trial version of AVG Plus Firewall from grisoft.
I didn't find the free anti virus.


I'll install the other programs and ask again if I have any trouble.


Jorge Arango

[MadMax]

At the moment, I'm downloading the trial version of AVG Plus Firewall from grisoft. I didn't find the free anti virus.


Products page, 8th item down on the left hand menu AVG FREE EDITION

[Jorge Arango]

Products page, 8th item down on the left hand menu AVG FREE EDITION

Sorry MadMax, guess I'll have to check my glasses too...

Thanks again,


Jorge Arango

[newman]

Norton is a useless pile of steaming festering crap.

Man, I love Black Adder style insults :) Completely agree about Norton... only product of theirs I ever liked was Norton Commander, in the good ol' DOS days...

[MadMax]

Man, I love Black Adder style insults :)



ROTFLMAO!!!

Black Adder II was probably my favorite of the entire series.

[newman]

ROTFLMAO!!!

Black Adder II was probably my favorite of the entire series.

That's the one happening during rennaisance, right? With the queen? Lord Melchett? If so, that is the best season of Black Adder, by far!


Black Adder (while trying to teach Baldrick simple math by adding 2+2 beans):
Baldrick, for you, the rennaisance is something that happened to other people, isn't it?

[MadMax]

That's the one happening during rennaisance, right? With the queen? Lord Melchett? If so, that is the best season of Black Adder, by far!


yeah, that's the one.

There are so many great quotes in that series it isn't even funny. Just a bit of trivia, HUgh Laurie, who currently stars as Dr. Gregory House on the Fox series ...House, was a semi regular on Black Adder.

[imashination]

Hello, Bob.

[newman]

... a wooden duck.

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