Brendan Hughes

PC had XP Home, Norton AV 2003, free ZoneAlarm, and broadband connection via cable TV company. At some point our email wouldn't download, so the lovely teccy told my wife to switch off the protection. Got the Blaster virus, amongst others. Shop has now cleaned the PC (I couldn't do it) and apparently updated windows, so hopefully no more holes for blaster to get through. Dunno about, say, MyDoom (but isn't that only by email?)

I can re-install my Norton from CD but it will need 9 mths of updates, which I can only get from the web. If ZoneAlarm is still there, I can only get that updated from the web. But I don't want to go on the web without protection!!

Can I download free ZA and the Norton updates here in the office, then install them off CD/floppy? (I don't know what size they are). I doubt I can manage Norton, surely they want a subscription first (it's on my home PC, not this office one) before letting me download the updates?

I'm also recommended AdAware, though I suppose that can wait for a bit.

Grateful if someone can help me with a) program availability and size, and b) the most intelligent order to do things (I would expect Norton before ZA...)

BTW, if the answer is as simple as "you don't get viruses just by connecting, you need to open email attachments; stop worrying", then that's fine by me...

Thanks

Brendan

cong

yep you shouldnt get any virus unless you open a infected mail, but you can get hackers who hack in and then take over your p.c or steal information on passwors on you account etc.... i think zone alarm can be instaled onto a flooppy but norton cannot be downloaded on to floppy unless you have about 90mb floppies ....just get a 128mb usb flash drive there wicked... there smaller then a floppy about the size a lighter and hold over 100 floppies

suba

goto www.windowsupdate.com and patch up any security holes on your PC. you can also goto housecall.antivirus.com for a free online scan of your PC for viruses.

dba

sorry Cong,but thats not quite right.I had did the same as Brendan and went on line aftre a clean install and got viruse in 2 mins,I got 4 which kept bringing the system down one way or another.You can get viruses just by going on line,they scan for open ports.

Brendan,i am no expert,but this is what i did;

Install both Zonealarm and Norton before going on line
set Norton to max protection
next get the new definitions from Norton
then update windows
(afaik ZA wont need updating if you already have the latest copy)
download Adaware and Spybot (reboot after each run)

you should be fine

cong

yep thats what i mean hackers ie viruses or programs which get into your sytem
i could e-mail you a freeware version of zone alarm

scoobyster

If I were you, I'd download fresh up to date installation files of Zone Alarm and AVG (free) Anti Virus in your office, put onto cd and install on your home machine. If you want to continue using Norton, install that too but disable, while AVG and ZA are protecting your system you can go online safely and update Norton. Then enable Norton and get rid of AVG.

FWIW I've never had any virus bother just running AVG and ZA, I update about once a week or fortnight, running an ADSL connection and the machine is on about 6hrs a day.

http://www.grisoft.com for AVG
http://www.zonelabs.com for ZA

Hope that helps.

Ben

Brendan Hughes

Thanks everyone. Solution is delayed as I got home with new PC, reinstalled Norton - and it refused to work (starts up, then disappears after 10 seconds). As did DVD drive. And when I shut down, my "Standby" button is greyed out. All as it was previously. So it's gone back to the shop again...