I'm spending too much time w/tech supp. Their online updates cancel. Not the downloads, but the actual upgrade process (that keeps your rules current) fails to complete. It's always the "White List" whatever the hell that is.
Any advice on alternatives ? MacAfee ? Webroot ?
Get a Mac.
A Mac would be nice, but in the meantime....
I have Avira antivirus.......pretty good so far..it's inexpensive. It was recommended by the guy who fixes our computer. He also installed for us the free version of Super Anti-Spyware and and the free version of Malwarbytes. The Avira updates itself, and you can program scan times. I scan my system once a week with all of the above. So far so good. One time my son clicked on one of those fake security scan bugs and I ran a virus scan and it was taken care of.
Previously I had Norton 360 and ended up with several viruses it couldn't get rid of.
If you have internet supplied by Comcast, they give you Norton security for free.
It got it free for 6 mos. Don't think I want to prolong the agaony.
buzz, I hear your pain. When I bought my computer couple years ago, I told them to get rid of everything having to do with Norton on the computer. It's a bully product and seems to like to sabotage your use of the computer. I have webroot ... it never bothers me every two seconds like Norton did with buying another updated thing or another, or whatever bs they were selling. It seems the only thing Norton did well was to badger you to buy more stuff.
I swear by Webroot. It stays quiet, does it's job, and doesn't bother me to buy more products every other Tuesday. I have Vista and it works well within the protection the computer itself has, so all I can say is ... the faster you separate from Norton the better off you are. I'm sure those that get Norton free with Comcast are not bothered as much because you are already paying for Norton through your internet service with Comcast. If you don't have a partnership relationship like a Comcast/Norton, and just install Norton on your own, you will be buying a box full of aggravation. That said, you can see you are already experiencing probs with Norton updating. It's maddening. It will say you have to update ... you say go ahead ... it starts and then says ... oh boy, update unsuccessful. Now you're spending time trying to remedy that. You shouldn't have to and those techs don't get you any closer to solving the big mystery. MacAffe is a close second to Norton in the aggravation department.
Quote from: billyjean on June 10, 2011, 05:58:37 PM
It will say you have to update ... you say go ahead ... it starts and then says ... oh boy, update unsuccessful. Now you're spending time trying to remedy that.
You nailed it !
Thanks, I'll check out Webroot.
Quote from: buzz on June 10, 2011, 09:19:20 PM
Quote from: billyjean on June 10, 2011, 05:58:37 PM
It will say you have to update ... you say go ahead ... it starts and then says ... oh boy, update unsuccessful. Now you're spending time trying to remedy that.
You nailed it !
Thanks, I'll check out Webroot.
I use Avast free A/V http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download (http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download)
I also use CCleaner regularly to eliminate messy yellow build-up. http://www.piriform.com/CCLEANER (http://www.piriform.com/CCLEANER)
Word of caution on -trying- to remove Norton. It will assume you are a virus and will fight you to retain control.
After using their uninstall option, it's best to run Ccleaner to get rid of any lingering evidence of Norton.
Quote from: watcher on June 11, 2011, 08:13:51 AM
Word of caution on -trying- to remove Norton. It will assume you are a virus and will fight you to retain control.
After using their uninstall option, it's best to run Ccleaner to get rid of any lingering evidence of Norton.
Thanks. So is it best to remove Norton before installing any replacement ?
Quote from: buzz on June 11, 2011, 09:40:21 AM
Quote from: watcher on June 11, 2011, 08:13:51 AM
Word of caution on -trying- to remove Norton. It will assume you are a virus and will fight you to retain control.
After using their uninstall option, it's best to run Ccleaner to get rid of any lingering evidence of Norton.
Thanks. So is it best to remove Norton before installing any replacement ?
Yes. Buzz, my recommendation rather than purchase online (if you're going with Webroot) is to buy it at Best Buy. Talk with a Tech there on how to effectively and completely remove Norton. They very often tell you stuff you didn't think about.
Quote from: buzz on June 11, 2011, 09:40:21 AM
Quote from: watcher on June 11, 2011, 08:13:51 AM
Word of caution on -trying- to remove Norton. It will assume you are a virus and will fight you to retain control.
After using their uninstall option, it's best to run Ccleaner to get rid of any lingering evidence of Norton.
Thanks. So is it best to remove Norton before installing any replacement ?
Yes. Absolutely. The conflict of competing A/V programs can be a nightmare.
Oy !
Quote from: billyjean on June 10, 2011, 05:58:37 PM
MacAffe is a close second to Norton in the aggravation department.
And robbing of resources. Norton has always been known as a CPU/memory hog, as well as McAfee and a few others out there.
What does everyone think of Cyber Defender?
Late to the discussion here but if you value your time, get a Mac. Yes, it costs more upfront but you will discover you get more work done and you don't mess around with updates, viruses, crash and burn, etc. You save so much more time and aggravation it is worth it. Have not looked back after two years. Old computer now a giant paperweight. Regarding updates: the mac tells you "hey, updates are available" and you agree to get the updates. Computer does all the work for you, in the right order (unlike Windows patches) and with no fuss. Then it's done and you get back to work. If you take the plunge, also get the extended warranty. I know, it costs more but it's worth it. We had a drive go flaky on us and they gave us a bigger one for free. Brought it home, plugged it in, computer said: "hey do you want to restore from your backup?" Sure! An hour later it was like new. Try that with a Windows machine. Just my 2 cents...
Again, buy a Mac.
So buy a $2000 piece of equipment to fix a $50 dollar problem! Great idea!
And with all the problems I'm reading about Lion; it's not as green on the other side as they're are making it out to be.
Mr. Daniel; how are updates different on Windows than on OS X? You basically explained the way updates are done in Windows.
Backups are good if you set them up; no matter what platform you're one. I have backups running on my Windows 7 machine and although not as easy as Daniel makes it sound; I restored my data in less than 45 minutes.
Windows and OS X will work the same for anyone that knows how to use the operating system.
PS: I suggest using Microsoft Security Essentials, it works great and it's free!!!!!!!
Nothing is foolproof. Fools are ingenious.
I have about 70 macs at the office and 1 PC. I spend as much if not more time messing with the 1 PC as I do the 70 Macs.
I manage over 200 PC's and only "mess" with them when they have hardware problems. I once owned a macbook and it was a pain from day one.
YMMV
Quote from: LowLevelOwl on August 08, 2011, 09:28:50 AM
So buy a $2000 piece of equipment to fix a $50 dollar problem! Great idea!
And with all the problems I'm reading about Lion; it's not as green on the other side as they're are making it out to be.
Mr. Daniel; how are updates different on Windows than on OS X? You basically explained the way updates are done in Windows.
Backups are good if you set them up; no matter what platform you're one. I have backups running on my Windows 7 machine and although not as easy as Daniel makes it sound; I restored my data in less than 45 minutes.
Windows and OS X will work the same for anyone that knows how to use the operating system.
PS: I suggest using Microsoft Security Essentials, it works great and it's free!!!!!!!
Sounds like MS improved its process since I last dealt with it. I still think the UNIX underlying OS X is more stable. The other advantage Apple has is they control hardware and software development. I realize Windows machines are less costly initially, but in my experience, it hasn't been worth it, at least not since I lost interest in geeking out just to get something simple accomplished. I use a Macbook Pro and it has been pretty reliable. Have had no problems with it yet, but nothing lasts forever. Also have an iMac, which has been pretty great too. When we switched to Macs, we kept our wireless router which had worked fine with the PCs but couldn't deal with the Macs. The apple router ($169) cost more but worked from day one. I know you can get routers for $29 but I just don't have the will in me any more to mess with this stuff all the time. My time is worth too much to keep flipping switches. When I did IT, it was part of my day; it was easy to keep up. Now, not so much. I've moved on to other interests. Glad you like the PC. My advice should perhaps be: if you have the knowledge and the time, you can save money by using a PC. Otherwise, try Mac. Do I base my spiritual world around this choice? Nope.
Symantic has a Norton Anti-Virus removal tool for free on their website. You simply uninstall Norton and then run the tool. Within 5 minutes all traces of Norton is cleared from your hard disk and windows registry.
While Mac is good, I still like to have total control over my PC. For me Mac just does too much automatically. Which is probably good for most people.
I just want to report something strange with the Norton 360 product.
I have a customer who has one of my machines (about 3 years old) and Norton gave a warning "There is a problem with your hard disk, please call Symantec at 1-800-XXX-XXXX"
So the customer called Symantec and was told that there was something wrong with her hard disk. The only way to fix it was to call The Geek Squad and they could send somebody out to her house to fix it for her for only $250.00. She said she'd bring the computer in to me and they insisted that ONLY The Geek Squad could fix it.
So we ran Windows diagnostics and found no problems. She keeps this computer backed up to an external hard disk once a month and has not received any warnings or degraded performance with this hard disk at all. But about once per week Norton 360 sends her this message.
To me this causes concern over the Norton product. And why was Norton so insistent that she uses The Geek Squad. Why is it that only THEY can fix the problem?
Because they are in cahoots with Best Buy.
New Twist to Online Tech Support Scam
The IC3 continues to receive complaints reporting telephone calls from individuals claiming to be with Tech Support from a well-known software company. The callers have very strong accents and use common names such as "Adam" or "Bill." Callers report the user's computer is sending error messages, and a virus has been detected. In order to gain access to the user's computer, the caller claims that only their company can resolve the issue.
The caller convinces the user to grant them the authority to run a program to scan their operating system. Users witness the caller going through their files as the caller claims they are showing how the virus has infected their computer.
Users are told the virus could be removed for a fee and are asked for their credit card details. Those who provide the caller remote access to their computers, whether they paid for the virus to be removed or not, report difficulties with their computer afterwards; either their computers would not turn on or certain programs/files were inaccessible.
Some report taking their computers to local technicians for repair and the technicians confirmed software had been installed. However, no other details were provided.
In a new twist to this scam, it was reported that a user's computer screen turned blue, and eventually black, prior to receiving the call from Tech Support offering to fix their computer. At this time, it has not been determined if this is related to the telephone call or if the user had been experiencing prior computer problems.
http://www.ic3.gov/media/2013/130107.aspx (http://www.ic3.gov/media/2013/130107.aspx)
We have AVG, free, they call it a "trial" download, but it seems to persist in force forever, have had it since July. It has been very effective, calls out threats detected, sticks them in a "vault", where you can look at them, if you like. Try it!
berwynson
http://www.avg.com/us-en/trustav_bt_ppc?ECID=ad:bi:se:US-EN-SCH-AVG-Free&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=avg%20free%20download&utm_content=&utm_campaign=US-EN-SCH-AVG%20Free (http://www.avg.com/us-en/trustav_bt_ppc?ECID=ad:bi:se:US-EN-SCH-AVG-Free&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=avg%20free%20download&utm_content=&utm_campaign=US-EN-SCH-AVG%20Free)
Quote from: berwynson on February 28, 2013, 09:00:05 PM
We have AVG, free, they call it a "trial" download, but it seems to persist in force forever, have had it since July. It has been very effective, calls out threats detected, sticks them in a "vault", where you can look at them, if you like. Try it!
berwynson
http://www.avg.com/us-en/trustav_bt_ppc?ECID=ad:bi:se:US-EN-SCH-AVG-Free&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=avg%20free%20download&utm_content=&utm_campaign=US-EN-SCH-AVG%20Free (http://www.avg.com/us-en/trustav_bt_ppc?ECID=ad:bi:se:US-EN-SCH-AVG-Free&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=avg%20free%20download&utm_content=&utm_campaign=US-EN-SCH-AVG%20Free)
I have used AVG in the past with no problems.
http://www.avg.com/us-en/trustav_download_ppc?ECID=ad:go:co:US-EN-GDC&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=AVG%E2%84%A2%20Free%20Download&utm_campaign=US-EN-GDC&gclid=COb9w66d3LUCFQP0nAodszYA5w (http://www.avg.com/us-en/trustav_download_ppc?ECID=ad:go:co:US-EN-GDC&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=AVG%E2%84%A2%20Free%20Download&utm_campaign=US-EN-GDC&gclid=COb9w66d3LUCFQP0nAodszYA5w)
I just had a computer come in today with the anemone.tv Google virus. Whenever you try to go to any website it redirects you to a very crude image of a snowman. The image looks like it was created on a regular typewriter. BTW, the computer used the AVG anti-virus.
After spending a few hours throwing every known anti-virus tool at it, I gave up and reformatted
the hard disk and since the customer didn't have a back up. But this computer was used only for web browsing and e-mails only I was able to save the e-mails, address books and bookmarks.
I'm just sayin'...
Quote from: dualref on March 07, 2013, 01:57:05 AM
I just had a computer come in today with the anemone.tv Google virus. Whenever you try to go to any website it redirects you to a very crude image of a snowman. The image looks like it was created on a regular typewriter. BTW, the computer used the AVG anti-virus.
After spending a few hours throwing every known anti-virus tool at it, I gave up and reformatted
the hard disk and since the customer didn't have a back up. But this computer was used only for web browsing and e-mails only I was able to save the e-mails, address books and bookmarks. I'm just sayin'...
Nothing is foolproof. Fools are ingenious.A/V protection is vital.
I switched from AVG to Avast several years ago when it seemed as though AVG had become a target. Norton and M$oft IE are still the dominant platforms being hacked for exploits and virii.
Both, IMO, should only be used by advanced users who can tweak and interpret their programs' behaviors.
The "default" settings of IE are configured to M$oft's Corporate advantage. Norton's defaults are overly protective to an extreme.
Anyone who uses the internet needs to understand more than point and click. A/V programs are like air bags in cars. Great to have, but no sense TRYING to make them deploy.
That's the problem, most people just "use" their computer and have no idea what warning messages mean or care to know.
Several years ago I used Kasperski Anti Virus. I found it to be good but it was "noisy". It put out a message every few minutes about what the computer was doing. And the messages were not user friendly to people who only know how to "use" their computer. All those messages did was confuse them and even worse antagonized them. Most people just want their computers to "work" with minimal intervention on the their part.
Here is a funny story that happened to me back in the early 80's.
I had a woman call that said a few weeks ago she bought an IBM PC AT. It's her first computer.
But she had a problem with it. I asked her what the problem was. She said when she turns it on all she sees on the screen is a C:\ and that's all. I told her that is normal and she needs to type in the name of a program to make it do anything. Her response? "Well the salesman told me it could do anything I wanted it to do. So I am waiting for it to do my house inventory, manage my checking account and keep track of my prescriptions and it's not doing any of that. I'm still waiting for it to do something!
I told her to go and see the salesman that sold it to her. Yes, true story!