Do I need Norton?

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:49 am

My provider is offering free Norton Dashboard (anti-spy, anti-virus, firewall, etc). With the new computer I only have what came with Vista; didn't even install the trial AV that came with it. I'm runnin' naked in the fields. It's cool for the net to run so fast and smooth and I don't want to slow it down if I don't have to.

What's your opinions? Should I download the Norton?

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:52 am

Obsolete?? What do you suggest?

Peg · Post by **Peg** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:53 am

You don't have an antivirus installed? :-2 By all means, install it.

Carolly · Post by **Carolly** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:07 am

fuzzy butt;850304 wrote: AVG? I never get viruses. ever. it detects them, tells you about them, and gets rid of them before they get to your PC. But I dont' know anything. :wah: shouldn't ask me PC questions.
Fuzz have to agree....I use AVG also but the other day when I was in PC world the guy there was telling me that the free version is actually 3 months old when we get it and is crap......I had to disagree as Ive had no problems.Also what is bothering me is I want a new lap top but really worried now as everyone moans about vista

Carolly · Post by **Carolly** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:37 am

fuzzy butt;850312 wrote: Carolly, I think that maybe PC world is paid to make people upgrade to the paid version.......twits they shouldn't have made the free version so good.:wah:
Oh he was telling me all this while he was chewing his gum and trying to blow bubbles the twat.....ye Im really gonna take notice of him:wah::wah:

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:42 am

Carolly;850335 wrote: Oh he was telling me all this while he was chewing his gum and trying to blow bubbles the twat.....ye Im really gonna take notice of him:wah::wah:

No! No! The lack of social skills and common sense is how you know he's a computer person. If you want to be really sure, check if he's into fantasy role playing and considers women to be lumpy men.

(Clodhopper giggles and runs for cover):wah:

Carolly · Post by **Carolly** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:47 am

Clodhopper;850339 wrote: No! No! The lack of social skills and common sense is how you know he's a computer person. If you want to be really sure, check if he's into fantasy role playing and considers women to be lumpy men.

(Clodhopper giggles and runs for cover):wah:Cloddy yer not related to the mad Oz bird Kay are you

:rolleyes:;)

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:56 am

Carolly;850345 wrote: Cloddy yer not related to the mad Oz bird Kay are you

:rolleyes:;)

All British people are the ancestors of all European-descended Aussies and Kiwis and should be treated with the respect ancestors deserve. (rueful sigh) Haven't been able to convince many of them about this, though.

Carolly · Post by **Carolly** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:58 am

Clodhopper;850352 wrote: All British people are the ancestors of all European-descended Aussies and Kiwis and should be treated with the respect ancestors deserve. (rueful sigh) Haven't been able to convince many of them about this, though.;)Maybe

but Kay's round the bleedin twist so she dont count:D;)

Carolly · Post by **Carolly** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 5:24 am

fuzzy butt;850385 wrote: Yes yes cloddy . This coming from the person who wanted to speak sports with me?

Oh dear. Yes I am kind.

I do have other interests you know.

Yes my ancestors came from jolly old scotland and england but they left a trail of half cousins in ............................hhhmmm lets see .......draw a map between here and Britain.

:wah
Ere we could be related

now theres a thought:-2:wah:;)

Peg · Post by **Peg** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 5:29 am

I've used Grisoft's AVG for years and like it.

Carolly · Post by **Carolly** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 5:33 am

Me finks we better carry on this conversation on our other thread Fuzz ....fink we may be getting off the subject

:o

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 5:34 am

fuzzy butt;850405 wrote: OOps took the thread off target

Yes AVG yes.

No, that was me, exercising my half-wit. Oops, sorry.

Norton seems to work for me, but whaddoIno?

Carolly · Post by **Carolly** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 5:34 am

oops snap:wah:;)

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 8:06 am

Another vote for AVG here - Norton is overcomplex and slows the machine horribly. I also replace the Windoze firewall with Zone Alarm as well.

The free version of AVG is not three months out of date, it's their virus capture network for the commercial version so they wouldn't hamstring it.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 8:16 am

I was advised by my brother in law who works in the comp industry to download Avast. I first went to Norton website and on the website they have a tool to completely remove all Norton software. I then downloaded Avast and registered it. I have since done the same with my other 4 comps. I will never look back, comps are running faster, I seem to get about 90% less spam e-mails, its all free and updates at least daily.

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 10:25 am

I find Norton to be weak.

I removed it from Vista when I got it and installed the free version of Avira AntiVir.

You can get it here: http://www.majorgeeks.com under "antivirus." If you don't want that one, they will show you how the other AV's rate and what's hot and you can choose another.

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:25 pm

While we're all chatting here on this thread, Accountable's getting all kinds of nasty virus's lurking at his door.

Install an inti-virus program.........................NOW.

I use AVG as well.

Chookie · Post by **Chookie** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 2:24 pm

along-for-the-ride;851193 wrote: While we're all chatting here on this thread, Accountable's getting all kinds of nasty virus's lurking at his door.

Switch to LINUX now (or buy a Mac). You don't need an anti-virus as 90 odd percent of computer viruses (Virii?) are built for dissemination on PCs.

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 2:30 pm

Chookie;851252 wrote: Switch to LINUX now (or buy a Mac). You don't need an anti-virus as 90 odd percent of computer viruses (Virii?) are built for dissemination on PCs.

Preaching to the converted Sir

Chezzie · Post by **Chezzie** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 2:33 pm

No to Norton its a leech and slows down yer pc and its a bugga to get rid of.

I have AVG installed with pc on xp and 3 laptops on vista...works beautiful

I also have the free avg spyware running

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:45 pm

Clodhopper;850339 wrote: No! No! The lack of social skills and common sense is how you know he's a computer person. If you want to be really sure, check if he's into fantasy role playing and considers women to be lumpy men.

(Clodhopper giggles and runs for cover):wah:
:yh_rotfl

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 5:04 pm

Chookie;851252 wrote: Switch to LINUX now (or buy a Mac). You don't need an anti-virus as 90 odd percent of computer viruses (Virii?) are built for dissemination on PCs.
I almost bought a Mac, but it wasn't available immediately - only online. I will definitely consider Linux in the future, but not right now. Too busy to be bothered at the moment.

Thanks for all your input and suggestions, guys. I scanned home pages quickly and, with less information and even less time than I would like, I decided to go with Avast.

I'll let ya'll know if I have problems.

CARLA · Post by **CARLA** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:11 pm

Well if your going to do anything with Norton just do the Anti-Virus, or download the free version of AVAST it is good. Despite what everyone say a Antivirus software is a good thing to have. Not so sure the home versions are all that great but the Network version of Norton Enterprise has saved my back side many times. Trojans are your worst threat and they creep in from many places. :-5

CARLA · Post by **CARLA** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 6:56 am

The only reason NORTON or any Antivirus, Spyware, Firewall software slows your system does is you don't know how to set it up. If you just install it and let the setting stay at the default levels which are usually way more than you will ever need. It will make your PC so slow you might as well turn it off.

There are setting that need to be gone through 1 at a time to make sure they aren't at "Overkill". If you take the time to do this you will see your system run like its old self again.

Don't blame it on the Software folks it is usually the USERS that are the problem. It is a machine and a very dumb one at that so put your smarts to use and look at the setting in your Antivirus, spyware, firewall software and you may be very happy at the results.

Richard Bell · Post by **Richard Bell** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 8:32 am

Carolly;850307 wrote: I use AVG also but the other day when I was in PC world the guy there was telling me that the free version is actually 3 months old when we get it and is crap......I had to disagree as Ive had no problems.

I used AVG for several virus free years.

The last two machines I've owned run Avast. You can have Avast update automatically every time you log on to the internet. Avast, like AVG, also has a free version.

I would highly recommend either one. Interestingly, they are both from the Czech Republic.

Richard Bell · Post by **Richard Bell** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 8:34 am

Accountable;851343 wrote: I decided to go with Avast.

Great choice !

I'll let ya'll know if I have problems.

You won't have any trouble.

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 11:06 am

CARLA;851717 wrote: The only reason NORTON or any Antivirus, Spyware, Firewall software slows your system does is you don't know how to set it up. If you just install it and let the setting stay at the default levels which are usually way more than you will ever need. It will make your PC so slow you might as well turn it off.

There are setting that need to be gone through 1 at a time to make sure they aren't at "Overkill". If you take the time to do this you will see your system run like its old self again.

Don't blame it on the Software folks it is usually the USERS that are the problem. It is a machine and a very dumb one at that so put your smarts to use and look at the setting in your Antivirus, spyware, firewall software and you may be very happy at the results.

Trouble is, most users are just that - users.

Norton and McAfee are the two most commonly installed security suites on new machines. They are set up by the oem for their machines and the average user is just not going to play with the manufacturer's settings.

I'm reasonably skilled with a computer but I don't get on with either of them - try to do anything on the computer and they fight you all the way.

The likes of AVG and Zone Alarm, however, work well straight from the download. Not at all intrusive, just get on and do their job.

I don't see why I should pay for something and then struggle to get it working right when I can install and alternative for free that works better and does just as good a job

The Rob · Post by **The Rob** » Sat May 03, 2008 6:01 am

On my old machine I used AVG and Zone Alarm and never had a problem. The AVG replaced the Norton Anti-Virus that had been bundled with the pc; that software proved to be a touchy, jealous entity that guarded itself more readily than it protected me and honestly seemed sometimes to react with a fit of pique to other software I'd download, like a mental patient that sets fire to the mattress because the food tray is the wrong color.

If the current security bundle (Trend Micro PC-cillin) gives me any grief when it expires and I try to renew/update it, I'll go with AVG again, or perhaps try Avast.

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Sat May 03, 2008 6:24 am

Weird stuff on the first day. I kept getting dropped offline and back again immediately (my MSN messenger kept popping up telling me I have 4 messages over and over again). I thought it might be Avast acting up, but it hasn't happened since.

Actually I haven't had any noticeable change in performance. Thanks again, YSGI. :-6