OT HEEEELP MY @#*%& COMPUTER IS *$&%%&

[Raging Deadstar]

There is a lot of overkill when it comes to security. Much of it can be avoided by common sense.

I'm Running Windows XP, Service Pack 1 (I refuse to install SP2, I'll wait a few months before installing anything with that's reputation)
Mozilla Firefox 1.0.
Trend MicroInternet Security. (Virus Scanner+Firewall)
Spybot Search and Destroy.

That's it. I check my e-mail Online via hotmail, and with Firefox nothing gets past. Half the time I'm unsure if i have an Active Firewall, and I virus scan once a month...Rarely get anything. Maybe I'm lucky, or Maybe it's just common sense on how to avoid this kind of stuff by the sites you visit and the people you talk to.

[Atrocities]

SP 2 is awsome..... I have had no pr

***SYSTEM ERROR***

[David E. Gervais]

SP2 does not like my system. I have tried installing it 3 times, and each time, once installed it freezes on bootup. I have waited as much as 30 mins to see if it is just doing a bunch of micromanagement or sys file updates. but no way. I have to physically shut down the computer and then when I boot it says there was an error. I boot in safe mode and manage to get into windows. then I simply say 'reboot' and it boots fine. it locks up only when a cold boot is attempted. (I find it very strange that it likes rebooting from safe mode but fails on a cold boot.)

Oh well, it's not the end of the world, I too have SP1 installed and all the critical updates. My system runs fine.

nuf said, Cheers!

[kerensky]

Reading all you guys have said about using IE, I'm sarting to wonder if my pc is an exception. We use IE/Netscape and have had no problems on either our 2k pro or xp pro computers. We also have norton antivirus/internet security pro, which generates it's own firewall. Plus our dsl router has its own firewall....

[Fyron]

You are already doing most of what needs to be done to minimize the risks of using IE. The other would be a powerful ad-filter to eliminate popup, popunder, etc. ads that are likely to install crap in your system through IE holes, though I suspect Norton Internet Security does something like that already... An anti-spyware program (Ad-aware and/or Spybot; most others are junk) run once a week or so completes the protection.

Of course, it is still better to go with a secure browser, such as Mozilla or Mozilla Firefox. They are based on the old Netscape (the new Netscape is based on Mozilla...), so adapting to Mozilla should be a snap...

[Instar]

Fyron, IE6 SP2 has a popup blocker that is decent enough. It kills most popups that I don't want, and doesn't kill ones that I do want.

[Fyron]

For XP only... Not only popup ads have malicious code in them. IE is still a very insecure browser, and will probably always be so.

Only over-zealous popup blockers kill popups that you do want. Firefox's blocking extensions only block unsolicited popups as well... Who said anything about popups anyways?

[Instar]

Imperator Fyron said:
The other would be a powerful ad-filter to eliminate popup, popunder,

[Fyron]

Popups are one small part of that... Any sort of ad can potentially carry nasty crap. Note the etc.