Computer protection

[Jay Markanich]

Hey Dom -

You said you use AVG and the MSN firewall to protect your computer(s).

I have the newest Norton, which upgrades itself regularly.  I think I have it for another 500 days or so.  Norton requests that I turn off the MSN firewall, in favor of its own.

I have heard from many that Panda makes a good anti-virus/spyware/phishing program.  You like AVG.  And I, as you well know, am no computer whiz bang.

Despite my 500 days left on Norton, would you recommend that I bag it in favor of AVG or Panda?  Or do I have good enough protection for now and simply wait for the Norton to run out?

Lemmino your thoughts, oh Karnack.  I defer to you...    Thanks,   Jay

[Dominic Maricic]

Personally, I'd uninstall Norton and install AVG and leave the Microsoft Firewall on. Norton just slows down your computer with all the bloat it contains. The corporate version of Norton is excellent, it's their home version that stinks. I really haven't tried Panda to be honest but I've heard good things too, but AVG is free and I know it's good, so why buy Panda.

[Jay Markanich]

Is good.

[John Adrian Sopher]

Hey Dom, I use Norton System Works and tell everyone to get it.  Its not the anti virus part that I'm concerned about.  Its the speed disk (defrager) and the fix it feature that I tel everyone about.  I explain it like this.  You provide routine maintenance on your car, you have to do the same on you PC.  Norton is simple to use and very good at what it does.  And for people, like my whole family who run to me anytime they have a problem, its simple to use.  And I look like a computer God cuz my computer hardly ever has problems.  lol  I do back everything up tho!!!  I've had HD's die on me before!

[Dominic Maricic]

If you don't have everything active at once its not too bad.

[John Adrian Sopher]

Ahhh well, I do go into msconfig and turn off the stuff I dont want running.  That the second thing I do that makes me look so good on PC's.  lol  And like a cheap $2 computer nerd, I know how to redo windows when all else fails.  lol

[Dominic Maricic]

Knowing msconfig is powerful

I use Diskeeper for defrag, good program.

[John Adrian Sopher]

What about the all important fix it portion?  I know windows crashes under its own weight if left alone.  hehe

[Dominic Maricic]

Don't know, haven't used Norton System Works in probably 2 years while working on another machine. If it works well though then it's good

[John Adrian Sopher]

I was just curious, my sister is having virus and shareware problems and I told her I wasn't going to fix it this time cuz she would do any of the things I ask her to do.  Like Norton!

[Dominic Maricic]

Lol. Set your entire family up with remote connection so you can fix their problems from home

[John Adrian Sopher]

LMAO Hu? Wha?  No entiendo!

[Jay Markanich]

You know, remote - stare at the TV, push buttons, annoy the wife by surfing - remote...

[John Adrian Sopher]

Ohhhh ya I got one of those!!!  or 5. 

[Dominic Maricic]

Remotes or wives?

[John Adrian Sopher]

Remotes...  Workin on the first wife thing right now.  lol

[Dominic Maricic]

Try to stay on the first one, makes life easier.

[John Adrian Sopher]

Hmmmm  I think I'll take that into consideration!  lol

[Jay Markanich]

Dom - does virus protection (AVG, Norton, et al) and spyware (Spybot, Webroot, et al) pick off stuff before the computer is infected and put it in a safe place, or do they  eliminate the threats after they have attached to something in the computer?  When we do sweeps, are the protection programs just going to where they have them localized and then compiling them for elimination, or has the bad ware done damage?

[Dominic Maricic]

Both. The programs do active scans as you're using the computer, and do full sweeps during scheduled times. The will ask you if you want to remove the virus file completely or try to clean it.