(no subject)

[soc_puppet]

You know what would be really cute? A plush Kodama baby rattle.

Okay, need help/opinion here. We've had this PC hooked up to the 'net for a few months now, and we still haven't gotten any real virus protection ^^; Yeah, I know, stupid us. We sorta had some McAfee set up (the firewall) but I don't know the password to download updates for it and it's probably run out by now anyway--or is at least close to it. Anyway, we've got some adware running rampant on it >_< Is there a particular program you guys would reccomend for computer antibiotics vaccines virus protection? If not, I'll pro'ly just have Mom sign us up with McAfee again, but I would like some opinions. Thanks in advance ^_^

Comments

[mistressoffoxes.livejournal.com]

Well, we use Norton Antivirus on all of our computers, and I've never had a virus in the over two years I have had it, now.

[soc_puppet]

Gotcha.

[nekokenchan.livejournal.com]

I have something called Anti Vir(us). I have no idea how to get it, but I could ask Dad for more advice. He's probably coming over again today to try to set up my wireless networking.

[soc_puppet]

Good luck with the networking stuff ^_^

[(Anonymous)]

For firewall:
Sygate Personal Firewall

For antivirus, any _one_ of the following:
AntiVir
Avast!
AVG

For antispyware, _all_ of the following:
Spyware Blaster
Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE Personal (version 1.06r1)
Microsoft AntiSpyware Beta
Spybot - Search and Destroy

For Trojans scanning and removal:
ewido Security Suite

All of these programs have free versions available (and these are what I use). Google is your friend. :)

[soc_puppet]

*_* Thank you, random(?) anonymous person! ♥ I won't have to deal with people this way *rushes off to google them*

[soc_puppet]

Okay, me = stupid for not mentioning this earlier >_< but I've only got Windows 98 and some of these need 2000 or higher. Do you have suggested equivalents?

[soc_puppet]

Oh, also, I installed some stuff, and then images stopped downloading. I can't see things anymore T-T You ever have that problem?

[soc_puppet]

...Never mind, I think I fixed it.

[(Anonymous)]

Sorry, no, I don't have equivalents to suggest for '98. None of those three antivirus prgs work on '98? You should only use one AV prg at a time, ya know.

I have an aversion to the commercial grades of both Norton and McAfee. My god, there's so much bloat there it's almost like loading in spyware. Symantec and Network Associates (Norton and McAfee, respectively) want to be all to everyone in the hope that this will convince someone to extend their subscription. In their overkill they load up way too much crap. I do like the enterprise McAfee, but unless you're doing up a few hundred PCs, you may find that expensive.

Now that you're doing college, you kinda oughtta get a modern computer if your reach can be made to stretch that far.

Ciao.

[soc_puppet]

No, it was actually one of the anti-spy/adware ones that didn't work for Win98 >_< (Thankfully, the first antivirus program I tried worked.) *shrugs* Maybe I just wasn't looking hard enough.

...Yeah, I can kinda see what you mean there.

*ponders* I'll have to give that one some thought. What I've got has been working pretty well for me, for all that it can't do everything the more modern computers can. Still, there might be some things I'll need to do that I hadn't anticipated.

Thanks for your help and suggestions ^_^

[(Anonymous)]

I like to be helpful sometimes. :)

On another note, some software you might want to download in case you get a computer sometime with a DVD burner...

A few months back, the MPAA's attack lawyers succeeded in getting the web site source for DVD Decrypter (perhaps the finest Macrovision scrambling system remover around) pulled down. Now the site for DVD Shrink (an extremely useful tool for chopping out unwanted previews and other junk in mandatory viewing before the menu becomes available; also used for trimming a bit of file size to more conveniently fit one movie or whatever onto one DVD-R) has removed their download links. If you want this fine software before it disappears entirely, look it up at http://doom9.net/ before that site gets taken down.

Again, ciao.

[(Anonymous)]

Oh, crap. Just as I'm recommending my favorite firewall (Sygate Personal), I now see that Symantec is buying Sygate. http://tinyurl.com/dzx56

There's a nice picture there with the story, a picture of a ravening shark closing on a nice, cute little fish. How appropo...

[soc_puppet]

Alas, it is the way of the world all too often D:

...yeah, looking into that DVD thing sounds like a pretty good idea.