| Forum Home | ||||
| PC World Chat | ||||
| Thread ID: 71346 | 2006-08-03 01:06:00 | Is a virus checker really necessary today? | PeterA (8057) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 475721 | 2006-08-03 01:06:00 | I expect screams of astonishment when I ask if a virus checker is necessary. I ask this because my ISP checks for new viruses hour after hour with superior software than I have available. Is it really logical that I can do a better job than Paradise? I do believe in firewalls and use them. I have not used a virus checker for a couple of years and am still virus free. I do scan regularly though. I am even using Win 98 SE. What do you reckon am I mad Peter A |
PeterA (8057) | ||
| 475722 | 2006-08-03 01:20:00 | Your isp only checks your emails Not files you download, or pages that you go to that may download dodgy things or cd and disks given to you by frieds, or indeed emails from other accounts (gmail, hotmail yahoo etc, which if like me, you download through Outlook need checking), also your ISP's virus checker won't catch everything, so a second line of defence is always good Mind you I did the same as you and never ever got a virus, but then again I only used webmail, didn't go to any dodgy sites, and my floppy drive and cd drive were both faulty, as well as being on a 33kb modem, so i think most viruses probably died of old age before they got to my computer |
Morgenmuffel (187) | ||
| 475723 | 2006-08-03 01:21:00 | Nope I do the same. last year on win98 I just had an old virus checker that I hardly ever used. Never got any viruses for the 6 years I had the machine. Last year my new XP machine came with Nortons , and I havn't bothered renewing the program when the free period expired. I use Zonealarm and Mailwasher on my machines. Zonealarm stops anything coming in, and Mailwasher prevents viruses sneeking in with emails. I read the emails in mailwasher and delete the spam straight off the server. Only emails I want to keep or reply to are downloaded. I do use free spyware tools infrequently, but the best tool to use is common sence. I do use Opera, and Firefox as my browsers as they have less vulnerabilities than IE as well. I have been on the net since, I think, 1995 (in its present www form) only ever had about 3-6 viruses in that time. |
netchicken (4843) | ||
| 475724 | 2006-08-03 01:23:00 | I I ask this because my ISP checks for new viruses hour after hour with superior software . I have not used a virus checker for a couple of years and am still virus free. What do you reckon am I mad Peter A How do you know its superior? Seeing as you don't have a virus checker, how do you know you are still virus free? Yes, I do. I suppose you aren't using any antispyware either - which ISPs don't scan for and is more of a problem than viruses often. |
pctek (84) | ||
| 475725 | 2006-08-03 02:42:00 | Well I expect their virus checkers to be of a higher standard than say, AVG or similar free ones. I do use anti-spyware software regularly. What bugs me the most is the spam I get. Often just nonsensical meaningless prose, no attachments, plenty of the Viagra and penis enlargement stuff. I realise that two virus checkers are better than one but I am not in a position to update them say every hour to be up with the play. Peter A |
PeterA (8057) | ||
| 475726 | 2006-08-03 02:47:00 | You mean you don't want a permanently erect and enlarged penis? :groan: | Graham L (2) | ||
| 475727 | 2006-08-03 02:59:00 | Gets in the way of my pull out keyboard drawer. | PeterA (8057) | ||
| 475728 | 2006-08-03 04:11:00 | My son tried the windows 98 operating system. It took one week for 4 viri to cripple his system. Live and learn. We connect via paradise too. | personthingy (1670) | ||
| 475729 | 2006-08-03 09:48:00 | yeah your mad :D while a person with good pc skills abd net habits can avoid most virus's, the catch is when you do get one how do you know? i've seen people with virus's that have been on there for years. I do scan regularly though if you don't have AV what are you scanning with ? |
tweak'e (69) | ||
| 475730 | 2006-08-04 00:28:00 | yeah your mad :D while a person with good pc skills abd net habits can avoid most virus's, the catch is when you do get one how do you know? i've seen people with virus's that have been on there for years. if you don't have AV what are you scanning with ? You can be bloody dense sometimes tweake. It's obviously a visual check, very good eye sight you know, which is why the IPS's superior software statement is also true. |
Murray P (44) | ||
| 1 2 | |||||