Morris Minor Owners Club

Is the windows security good enough these days?

I have used Norton for years but it gets more exoensive every time I update.

What else would you recommend?

XP with a windows firewalled connection is adequate provided your on automatic updates and dont have cause to open 'suspicious' mails like the morris dancers get
So long as you check your connection is firewalled thats the majority of harm out of the way - unless your daft enought to open spam mails and use a mail prog that doesnt help you out in identifying such potential problematic ones.
PM if you need help Rog - you can further cover yourself with completely free but hard to locate stuff from the web.

Oh yeah and Norton really sucks ! theres better for free that doesnt suck up your computers resouces like it does and slow everything to a grinding halt !
Incase you missed it - Norton Sucks

AVG for the virus and Zone Alarm for the firewall (both free), use a broadband router with a built in firewall and switch it on.

For the best in security, use a Mac or install Linux.

Norton comes with my BT package

AVG Free for Anti-Virus (covers e-mail as well) Spybot Search and Destroy (also free) for monthly cookie/registry cleanup. Also Windows Firewall on.

The big advantage of the above over Norton or Mcafee is they do not slow your PC down, plus all updates are daily and automatic.

Without added security Windows XP/Vista is full of holes. It's not that Microsoft produce bad software, it's just as it's the most common OS, it gets attacked by hackers more often.

Avast for AV and Windows Firewall for the rest.
Spyware Blaster is worth having too, (as are AdAware and Spybot Search and Destroy as mentioned).
(google them all)

Stay well away from 'integrated' security suites. They're all rubbish with the exception of Kaspersky but you have to pay for that!

Norton, McAfee and the like are all terrible and virtually un-removable (is that a word?) once they get hold.

Microsoft don't necessarily produce 'bad' software but they do produce inefficient software with loose code and vulnerabilities that frankly shouldn't be there with hindsight.
Why should your OS alone take up multiple gigabytes of space?

Bill Gates dies and stands in front of Peter who says he can either go to heaven or hell. Bill asks to see what each is like. So Peter sends him to heaven for an hour.

After floating on a cloud playing a harp for ten minutes, Bill gets bored and cuts his stay in heaven short. So Peter sends him to hell. There he finds loud rock music, amazing women, every drink you can imagine, and one huge party going on, with everyone having a great time.

After an hour, Bill returns to Peter. "Well, what's it to be" asks Peter. "Hell of course" replies Bill. So off he is sent to Hell, and finds himself up to his neck in molten lava. Bill screams to Peter, "What the heck is this, it's agony, what happened to the Hell I was sent to a few minutes ago. Peter replies, "Oh that....that was the Beta Version"

Norton comes with my BT package

Anyone who installs BT bloatware needs thier head read !

Orkney wrote:

Norton comes with my BT package

Anyone who installs BT bloatware needs thier head read !

I see that weather you are having is causing some problems
Just hang tough Bro, we are all here for you

I use AVG as well as I got fed up with Norton`s slowear as mentioned it made start up so slow, I actually use the full paid for version which cost £65 for 3 pc`s for 2 years so is good value.

Yeah Yeah MT LOL
seriously - ashamedly i have no choice but to use BT for broadband - long story took 2 years - but no way on this earth was i going to drop the bt installation disc in any machine i have.
They force you to do this that and the other - without asking which is the rude bit.
BT are also famous back from dial up days for caching content so what you see isn't neccearily what is actually there at that moment in time.
Oh and the irony of it is that since thier latest business merger webwise - by the time they have overwritten and forced your browser for search and preferences the last thing your going to be saying is Yahoo ....

Sorry, what did you say, I fell asleep

It takes years to discover the best software/setup for a PC, and yes, it's annoying when some software install sticks in a load of bloatware that causes the PC to slow down or even crash. These often bloat the registry hives as well, causing permanent problems. Until you discover RegistryFix, which is the other tool I use to keep the PC up to speed.

This needs to be done though, as some Trojans map your keyboard typing, and can fish passwords/credit card numbers that you type, so they can capture your banking details or online purchases.

OK Judge, you can go back to sleep again

Orkney, glad you are weathering the storm.

Until you discover RegistryFix, which is the other tool I use to keep the PC up to speed.

That sounds a useful bit of software what exactly does it do as I am not a technophobe

Kevin wrote:

Until you discover RegistryFix, which is the other tool I use to keep the PC up to speed.

That sounds a useful bit of software what exactly does it do as I am not a technophobe

It searches the entire registry and finds redundant entries for software that was un-installed, as well as incorrect paths/links/software key values.
It then deletes these entries and optimizes the registry hives, giving faster startup and shorter close down times. As well as fixing crashes that were being caused by the invalid registry entries. It also creates backups incase you get any problems after a reg fix (I never have.)

www.registryfix.com

I've tried loads of these tools, but this one does exactly what it says on the tin

Don't be alarmed the first time you run it, 5,000 or more registry errors is common, and most are just left there by old software, but some are likely to be system hogs that need fixing.

Orkney wrote:

Norton comes with my BT package

Anyone who installs BT bloatware needs thier head read !

I know just what you mean Kevin, what with having to be supplied with free internet security, free calls at any time of day, a wireless hub and phone etc, I don't know what came over me

Hi people I have NTL Sorry Virgin Media now this is supplied with free internet security(verry good security as well inc: Anti virus,firewall,anti spywere,identity theft protection perenal control and pop up blocker),all can be instaled on upto three computers. Free calls at any time of day, and free TV.

My step father installed all the BT rubbish. I then un-installed what I could and installed 'Firefox' for him.
BT had totally trashed the standard Internet Explorer. With their new tie-in with Yahoo its even worse now as you get all these pointless Yahoo widgets too!

So, if you have to use BT, fair enough. But don't use their client software - its too painful.
Firefox FTW!! As they say.

I wondered how long it would be before 'FTW' appeared on this board. I *think* you're the first - congratulations

all the BT rubbish.

Some people will never realise how dire it is - especially when its 'free'
those who doubt its bloat capacity just unplug your broadband and connect with a modem !
Not to mention bet in the majority of cases must be at least 50% or more slower startup time when using that stuff.