Luxor4u

Right you lot, I have been given my very own lap top for my birthday. I have been told that if I click on to a web site link, say Stan puts one up on History, it may have a virus, without him even knowing, and it could be passed on to my lap top, sounds silly to me but is it true.

A very stupid A- Four, I know, but even I an not perfect.

That is what firewalls and antivirus programs are for! Tell Matthew to get his finger out and set it up properly so you are protected!

Download microsoft security essentials its free and very good virus detection software, this should stop you getting a virus.

http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

Also turn on your firewall.

See you two are on the ball, will show him this when he gets home. thanks .........I may be back in the future on other problems......the typing seems a little strange on these lap tops.

Nice present A-Four ! and yes the typings a bit different for a while but you soon get used to it !

That's the problem with laptops - small keyboards! However you can get a 'normal' keyboard and plug it in.

Stan and Mimimay are right, I might get one of those key things Stan says, as I use to type 60 words a minute in the old days when I worked way back in the early 1980's

At the moment I'm like a child with a new toy, I wonder how long it will be before I f^^^^ it up.

Probably not long!

DJKeefy wrote:Download microsoft security essentials its free and very good virus detection software, this should stop you getting a virus.

http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

Also turn on your firewall.

You know me.... never a techxpert, so I know you will refrain from derisive replies, please! How do you turn on a firewall? I have Norton Antivirus on my Mac laptop (it came with it)... would the Microsoft one be overkill if I downloaded that? Can/should you put more than one on? Which is better?

Windows XP has its own built in firewall, as do most good antivirus programs. A firewall won't stop you clicking on a link that may download a virus, but my (free) AVG will put up a warning if it detects one on a webpage, and not allow it to be opened unless you tell it otherwise!

Mcafee SiteAdvisor is also good. It checks websites and will warn you if there have there have been complaints about it regarding suspicious code or behaviour. Its free too.

KJB wrote:Mcafee SiteAdvisor is also good. It checks websites and will warn you if there have there have been complaints about it regarding suspicious code or behaviour. Its free too.

It also slows your computer right down, as will Norton (the copy you get "free" with the computer is usually out of date and generally rubbish!). Microsoft is okay if you really have to use it but it update constantly taking up your bandwidth and clutters up your memory and hard disk space.

In various tests, AVG outperformed Norton! And it's free. It updates itself once a day with latest definitions. And most importantly, it is easy to remove, unlike Norton!

Kevininabydos wrote:

KJB wrote:Mcafee SiteAdvisor is also good. It checks websites and will warn you if there have there have been complaints about it regarding suspicious code or behaviour. Its free too.

It also slows your computer right down, as will Norton (the copy you get "free" with the computer is usually out of date and generally rubbish!). Microsoft is okay if you really have to use it but it update constantly taking up your bandwidth and clutters up your memory and hard disk space.

Ah! That might explain my Skype problems on my Acer Aspire1 netbook. I have trouble getting through to Egypt (my husband's mobile), the calls constantly drop out, and are distorted. Skype says my computer is slow. My McAfee (included when I bought it) is finished, but I constantly get warnings and requests to renew. How do I get rid, please? So which do you recommend?

Open the start menu, open control panel, open add/remove programs, select current loaded programs (may take a min to create a list, select Mcfee click on remove and ignore the pleas to keep it.

I, like Stan, use AVG free. it is quick, unobtrusive/noninvasive and you can choose when it scans. I also have Spybot search and destroy, this is also a free program from the internet and I scan once a month and it gets rid of anything that slips through AVG and clears all the cookies for you. Spybot gets rid of all the malware/spyware that take over your internet connection to send spam, slowing you down. As you start the program it is noninvasive and if you update before you scan, it is always up to date.

Should have got yourself a Mac........
virus what's that ?

With only a 4% market share, no wonder very few virus writers bother with a Mac!

But before OSX, Macs were vulnerable to viruses - and as yet there have been only one or two written for it.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/as ... r-security

Another fan of AVG here. Never given me a problem or let anything nasty into my netbook home or away.

Thanks so much Kevin! I'll try that when I get a minute.

I would suggest that you get an ativirus. There are free ones that step up to the level of paid ones like avast. Though, you are free to choose whatever you want that would best suit your needs.

It is very easy to get a virus especially if you browsing through a lot of sites you are not confident with.

Firewalls and defenders are not enough so you still have to get an antivirus to protect you real time and block possible access to your computer.