ASSistance required

[Wookie]

@dirtybobby: what's wrong with ZoneAlarm?

@wmrcomputers: AVG 8 has a feature...

 

[db]

Waht are you all using instead of ZA?

nothing.. you don't need a software firewall, your router does a perfectly good job on its own of handling internet traffic..

i have AVG free on my machine and that's it - no firewall software, no "internet security," etc.. i spend large portions of my day hanging out in shady parts of the internet, and not once in my whole life has my machine ever been compromised.. i've never had a virus, and never received a letter from an ISP/copyright holder claiming i'm being a bad boy.. software firewalls are useless and the only thing they do is interfere with your internet connection..

the exception to this, i have found, is apple macs.. a lot of mac software "phones home," and if it finds you are using a blacklisted serial number then it disables the application.. the popular way to get round this is to install little snitch, which is basically a small firewall-like app which notifies you of all outgoing internet connections and asks you to allow/deny them.. PCs don't need this kind of sentry, because the cracking community is invariably better at creating keygens/cracks so that you don't need to worry about app's phoning home..

@dirtybobby: what's wrong with ZoneAlarm?

everything.. as stipulated above, it's irrelevant to most internet users, so even if it was a well coded app. it would still be daft to install it unless you have a specific need.. however, it is not a well written app.. it is bloated, and in my experience universally wrecks internet connections..

it interferes with cookies and referrers, so breaks a lot of forums and log-on scripts.. it doesn't follow rules properly.. it sporadically blocks all internet traffic for no reason..

if you want to use it, knock yourself out - but if anyone comes to me with internet problems the first thing i do is disable and uninstall any "internet security" programs and this always does the trick..

@wmrcomputers: AVG 8 has a feature...

behave, that report is from june and it was patched a couple of days later..

 

[tek-monkey]

^ What he said. ZA used to give us at least 2 machines a week to fix, easy money. Norton the same, in fact all IS packages seemed quite shite. I also just use AVG Free and let my router do the rest, always have. My torrent machine used PeerGuardian, but that seems outdated now. Anyone know a replacement?

 

[shoes]

Dude i use Antivir & Zone alarm and no problems so far.

Waht are you all using instead of ZA?

Your internet is pretty slow Cult to be fair.

Zonealarm - Why would you want your network to work anyway?
Norton - Like sugar in your fuel tank

Antivir has done me fine for a long time now, and as above my Netgear router sorts everything else out. Interesting you say you have never had a virus bobby, I am the same, I also spend a lot of time in shady areas of the internet and have never had ANY problems like that. I think the majority of problem is stupidity.... would you like to download these emoticons for msn because you are incapable of expressing emotion in real life or even interracting with another human and as such you have to supplement your life with these? Yes please..... :duh:

 

[wmrcomputers]

Absolutely right about AVG 8, but indeed the problem was "patched", although I personally install AVG without the linkscanner included. As long as you know what to do and what to click on etc if you come across a virus, then the link scanner isn't really needed. To a novice though it's a handy feature.

I also agree with the comments about Zone Alarm. A computer shop in Stone that I worked for used to install that as standard, and I could never really understand why. All it acheived was adding complication to a novices PC, when they already struggle with most of the technology in computers as it is.

 

[MyCult]

Right, the general consensus here seems to be ZA is useless, think I have it out of habit more than anything else.

I have hardware that does this job for me (router) so I'll un-install ZA when I get home.

Consider me told!

Anyway, you bunch of filthy de-railers, back to the Laptop for me Ma!

 

[cookie_monster]

Zonealarm - Why would you want your network to work anyway?

even as a complete eejit on computing matters- i have to agree with this statement.

ive got a free version of avg and zonealarm...not sure where the zonealarm came from but i cant get rid of it.

its totally pointless and the only thing it does is stop my internet owrking whether im using opera or firefox/modzilla.


x

 

[shoes]

You should be able yo get rid of this using XP/Vista with the control panel.

1) Close/Shut down zone alarm as best you can using the icon in the tray in the bottom right corner of your screen.
2) Start Menu ==> Control Panel (maybe Start Menu ==> Settings ==> Control Panel)
3) Add/Remove Programs
4) Find Zonealarm
5) Change/Remove (or Uninstall)
6) Follow onscreen instructions

even as a complete eejit on computing matters

im using opera or firefox/modzilla.

Oxymoron.

 

[db]

even as a complete eejit on computing matters- i have to agree with this statement.

ive got a free version of avg and zonealarm...not sure where the zonealarm came from but i cant get rid of it.

what happens when you try and remove it via Add/Remove Programs?

Anyway, you bunch of filthy de-railers, back to the Laptop for me Ma!

sorry mycult, but i think the suggestions in this thread are the best you're gonna get! i've had a good hunt round HUKD for you and can't find anything better than the ones people have already suggested.. you just can't quite get a laptop for £200, imo

 

[shoes]

Tidy the VAIO up and give her that

Just re read the thread to see if this was covered, but would a desktop suffice? You could get an alright desktop and screen for 250 notes no problem, see if WMRComputers has anything suitable.

What about this?

It would DEFINTELY be worth gettin more RAM for this though using 512MB with vista is suicide. In fact just rebuild it with XP.

Edit: on that page just below is a 'Deal' including a mouse and another 512MB RAM stick for an extra £15

 

[tek-monkey]

Best I can find is £265+vat for a new one (Dual Core 1.86Ghz, 2Gb, 120Gb, 15.4)

 

[shoes]

The one I posted is new but much much lower spec than that.

 

[My Name is URL]

I also agree with the comments about Zone Alarm. A computer shop in Stone that I worked for used to install that as standard, and I could never really understand why.

ZA used to give us at least 2 machines a week to fix, easy money.

I think that clears that up then