Giveaway of the Day Forums

1. 

   RosnSC
   Member

   Some of you may remember my problems over the last 2-3 years with my HP Compaq desktop. Most times it has run well, but a few times not at all. For the past I-don't-know-how-many months it has not worked at all. I had been using it, and it just suddenly died on me. I tried several times, in vain, to get it running, but no dice. Well, just a couple of months ago, after it sitting under my sewing machine desk, I tried it again, and got it running, but it was like 'handicapped'. None of the hardware was working properly, if at all. Now...knowing you don't run a computer without Internet security, unless you don't intend to hook it up to the Internet, I dutifully downloaded a free security software package which took care of the antivirus and firewall. I don't recall which one it was, but after downloading and installing it, my computer just stopped working again, and I couldn't get it working again.

   Okay, here we are, a couple of months later, and I try yet again, and to my surprise I got it running again. It has been running for about 2 days now, and so far no problems. I put AVG free and Zone Alarm free on it. Now, for the advice - I want to change over to Norton because I like it better - for one thing it doesn't have all those ZA pop-up boxes asking permission for every little thing, including that Prevalence Reporter - but I am scared to death that if I do it will crash like before. Do you think I should leave well enough alone with the security software I have, and not take a chance on Norton messing my computer up?

   Posted 14 years ago #
2. 

   Robert
   StrayCat

   Hi Sue,
   This may sound off topic but
   the best thing you should do right now is to try to make an image of your drive (including the factory restore partition,if there is one)to an external drive and replace your current drive that seems to be (slowly) dying.
   In my experience there are times S.M.A.R.T isn't always that smart.
   Before proceeding backup some of your valuable stuff on external media.

   It might prevent some headaches too.LOL.
   :)

   Posted 14 years ago #
3. 

   RosnSC
   Member

   Hi Robert. I don't have an external drive, so can't do any of that sort of thing. I can't really replace the drive, right now, either. Don't have the funds to do that, plus I don't have the proper installation software. The only reason I managed to get things going on here is because I held onto a Windows 98 SE (illegal) copy someone 'kindly' gave me, way back when I was trying PC 'CPR' on my older son's then-kaput laptop, for which the installation software was in the same condition, so was useless. I didn't know the guy was giving me just a copy of his software until I had run all over town looking for his apartment (this was all done through my local Freecycle group, btw). By that the time he handed it to me, and I saw what it actually was, I decided to just take it. Funny thing is, is that it didn't even have the correct serial number on it...lol.

   Anyway, I am just trying to keep this thing going until we can afford to get a new PC. If it's still going then, I am giving this one to my younger son. Up until now, I have been using an old-as-the-hills-and-slow-as-Christmas eMachine with a whopping 766 MHz processor, and 256 MBs of RAM. Believe me, there have come along many a game I haven't been able to get for it, because it wouldn't run them. Some games I already had wouldn't run either...same reason

   Posted 14 years ago #
4. 

   Robert
   StrayCat

   I understand.So maybe,for the time being try and stick with your present security software.
   AVG and Zonealarm are fine.(Avira free is another good alternative,if you don't mind the ads)
   Norton always has been pretty invasive,not really my fav.
   Wish I could do more to help.

   Posted 14 years ago #
5. 

   copmom
   Member

   Good morning! I didn't have the problems you're having, but thanks to advice from these forums I installed Comodo free edition which both gives me virus protection and a firewall. This was after I didn't want to have to pay McAfee for renewing once again! I'd been paying them about $70 annually for virus and firewall. So far I haven't had any problems with it. Yes there are some pop ups as it 'trains' itself, but it seems t be doing the trick for me and it's not invasive!

   Posted 14 years ago #
6. 

   RosnSC
   Member

   Thanks, copmom, for your input, as well as Robert. I suppose for the time being I may just keep on here what I have, but may change over. I don't mind a firewall 'training' itself, but I keep getting the same pop-ups - Google Installer/Update, Prevalence Reporter - and am wondering what's up with so much from either one. I have Norton on the old eMachine, as well as my SIL's brand new HP with Windows 7 on it. I haven't had any of that stuff going on with Norton. Oh, btw, it occurred to me a while ago that I had forgotten to mention I am running Windows XP SP3 on my Compaq.

   Posted 14 years ago #
7. 

   copmom
   Member

   I'm running XP SP2 on mine.. and just remembered, I seem to recall that AVG kinda "took over" too many things so I deleted that one using Revo Uninstaller. I love Revo! I don't have any of those pop ups like you have with Google installer/updaters. And when I download anything I'm really careful to UNcheck any boxes that say install some toolbar!

   Posted 14 years ago #
8. 

   RosnSC
   Member

   Copmom, I forgot about all those popups I got before with ZoneAlarm, until I had downloaded, installed, and started using it. I haven't had that problem with other firewalls. What's most annoying/irritating is when they come up when I am playing a game; does it constantly.

   Posted 14 years ago #
9. 

   Whiterabbit-uk
   Games Guru

   If you're not connected to the internet, you can always turn it off via the icon that should be present next to the clock. Just right click on it and you will be able to turn it off while you play your games. :)

   Posted 14 years ago #
10. 

    RosnSC
    Member

    WR, I have DSL, which means I am 'always on'. The only thing I could do is unplug my Ethernet cable/cord. (A few minutes go by, and suddenly I decide to....) right click onto the 'Z' icon, where I see 'Game Mode', as well as 'Engage Internet Lock', and 'Stop all Internet activity'. If I use 'Game Mode', I have to choose between Automatic Allow (Internet access permissions), or Automatic Deny, both of which have their risks.

    Posted 14 years ago #
11. 

    Whiterabbit-uk
    Games Guru

    I'm also always on, but if i needed to go offline I'd just disconnect my ethernet cable from the back of the router. I can easily do that from this position at the moment because I have the router on my desk. :) but I appreciate what you are saying.

    I would have though though that turning off your firewall would be safe if you aren't going to be surfing the net while you are playing games. (That is unless you already have some malware hiding on your computer). I turn my firewall off sometimes becasue I get annoyed with the pop ups, but only infrequently as my firewall is just about configured to everything I use on the computer.

    :)

    Posted 14 years ago #
12. 

    Dragonlair
    Member

    Why do you have to disconnect a cable to go "offline"? I'm always on but if I need to do something and I don't want to be connected (like testing if a game is truly local and does NOT need the internet), I just press the "standby" button on the modem and it turns off the connection. Only the power light stays on. It would also be easier to pull the plug on the modem than disconnect any cables in my case.

    Posted 14 years ago #
13. 

    Inas
    Member

    I normally disconnect by temporarily "unhooking my wireless" connection via the "internet status/setup" section of the windows "control panel." I've never had to physically disconnect a cable, unless it's to fix my wireless signal capability.

    Posted 14 years ago #
14. 

    Whiterabbit-uk
    Games Guru

    For me it's easy as pie to unhook the cable. I just have to reach out to the router and it's done. I don't have a standby button. Though to be honest I never thought to use the routers software to disconnect. lol Sometimes the simplest solutions just pass me by. :) Thanks for that Gem Happy Person.

    Posted 14 years ago #
15. 

    Terri218
    Member

    I always disconnect from the internet when I am not on it because AT&T advised me that my modem would overheat if I left it plugged in all the time.

    Posted 14 years ago #
16. 

    Dragonlair
    Member

    Terri, Comcast gets upset with me because I turn off my computer every night. They get reports that my internet looses connection ALL the time! :) I do it so the whole computer gets some "rest".

    Posted 14 years ago #
17. 

    Inas
    Member

    @WhiteRabbit - you are quite welcome - so happy I could be of help. :)

    Inas

    Posted 14 years ago #
18. 

    notblocklox
    retired

    WR, I'll do it like you, just unhook the cable. All other solutions need too long time before they take effect.

    Posted 14 years ago #
19. 

    RosnSC
    Member

    WR, I can disconnect my ethernet cable, whether from the computer tower, or my router, which doesn't sit on my desk, but is on another table. My router doesn't have a Standby button, so would just have to unplug the cable. I never mess with it, though, unless I have to service something. Until now I never thought of unplugging anything while playing a game, or even checking to see if my firewall had a Game Mode feature. Truth be told, I don't know if I would even remember to do/use either option...lol.

    Terri, I have never had a problem with my modem overheating, and we leave both computers on 24/7 except when we are having some kind of stormy weather that would necessitate turning them off. On that note, we have never had our ISPs tell/advise us to turn off, leave on, or even restart our computers or modems for any reason, except when troubleshooting a problem. Before we moved out to the country we were using Comcast; now we're using DSL through our local phone company. Comcast isn't available to us, out here 'in the sticks', though it would probably be much higher than what we are paying, anyway.

    Posted 14 years ago #
20. 

    Robert
    StrayCat

    Well..I only push the power button on my modem/router, if for some reason I don't want to connect to the internet
    :)

    Posted 14 years ago #
21. 

    RosnSC
    Member

    Robert, to be honest, I didn't even think of something so simple as pushing the power button 'off'. I have seen a few firewalls, though, that have 'game modes' so you don't have to do that. If my previous firewalls had one, I was unaware of it. I didn't even know my ZoneAlarm had one until earlier today...(slight chuckle).

    Posted 14 years ago #
22. 

    Whiterabbit-uk
    Games Guru

    My router doesn't have a power button It's a Belkin N1 Wireless router. The only button is a reset button. :)

    Sue, it sounds wonderful, living out in the sticks. I would love to move out to the country. The only views I have are of the distant Derbyshire hills and then only over the roof of a neigbour, lol.

    Posted 14 years ago #
23. 

    RosnSC
    Member

    Stephen, your current view sounds better than my former one. We didn't have distant hills to view, but only other people's MH's, a gas station, and a somewhat-distant high school. Yup, I lived in a mobile home park, and not a very good one, at that, but we bought a fixer-upper in said park, so lived in it there...heh heh. We now live an hour away in a small town; on a 4-ish acre ranch, now known as a horse ranch since 6 horses have made their residences on it...(chuckle). We have 3 chickens, a rooster, and some baby chicks as well, along with 2 ducks, and one dog. Two of the horses, are lame (one with arthritis, and one with a bad-but-usable 'knee'), and are therefore 'rescue' horses. We have trees, view, nature galore, and a view that is wonderful!

    Posted 14 years ago #
24. 

    Inas
    Member

    My router does not have a "power button" either. I would also love to live on farm for awhile, as I love animals - but that said, I am used to living in the city (i.e., I'm a city gal), so I don't think I can completely give up living the city life - LOL!

    Posted 14 years ago #
25. 

    RosnSC
    Member

    HappyPerson, in my much younger years, I might have preferred to live closer to the city, too; at least in the 'burbs. Now, if there was absolutely nothing to do out here, I might would go a little bonkers, but such is FAR from being the case. In addition to the livestock to care for, there is the veggie garden to care for, plus an entire front yard to dress up with flowers, and such. We are in our first year of living out here, and in that time a whole of yard cleaning up, shrubbery-clearing-out, and other stuff has been done. Now, I am having the fun of deciding what I want to plant where, with some things being transplanted to other locations, and flowers to put down. A neighbor gave me some Four O'Clocks, and some Irises, so I am going to put those out, some where. Like I said it's all great and wonderful. One thing that's great, too, is when we were having our yucky, wet, rainy, and at-times freezing weather, this past Winter, the menfolk were the ones feeding the livestock...not me...lol.

    Posted 14 years ago #
26. 

    Inas
    Member

    Hey there, RosnSC, the most important thing is that living on the farm makes you happy - and it's always a good thing to be happy with what you have - and I wish you a lifetime of happiness - for sure - and that's what we should all strive for in our lives.
    Best wishes always,
    Inas

    Posted 14 years ago #
27. 

    RosnSC
    Member

    Thanks for the well-wishes, Inas. Actually, it was an big adjustment, at first. Although 2 out of the 3 members in my family had already wanted to move out here, our move was actually an all-of-a-sudden-one.

    We live with my SIL's fiance' who was in a nearly-fatal motorcycle accident last July 19th. He is now permanently disabled, so our living here with him helps him financially, and we get to enjoy country living. He had already wanted her to move out here with him, but it would have been difficult, because of our particular family circumstances.

    Actually, one of the harder things, for me, about being out here, is that I am an hour away from the (sewing) fabric sources I used to live about 15 minutes maximum away from...(chuckle). Fortunately, I already had a fairly good amount of stash accumulated before moving out here...lol.

    Posted 14 years ago #
28. 

    Anonymous
    Unregistered

    http://www.anti-malware-test.com/

    Antivirus performance test Thu, 02/11/2010
    Nobody needs powerful but too resource-intensive protection with which you just cannot use your computer for doing what you would like to.
    No award,McAfee, Microsoft, Dr.Web, VirusBlokAda, Microsoft,Dr.Web, Kaspersky
    Norton, F-Secure,Trend Micro.

    Platinum Award Platinum Performance Award On-Access Scanning
    Avast Platinum Performance Award On-Demand Scanning
    Avira have a look and take you Pick.

    Posted 14 years ago #
29. 

    RosnSC
    Member

    Hotdoge3, Trend Micro is the one I put on this computer the last time I 'fixed' it; the time nothing worked like it was supposed to, and the computer was what I called 'handicapped'. It was like that before I put the Trend Micro on it. Afterward, it just crapped out again, as though I hadn't done anything to it. *This* time, however, it is working properly, with no handicaps whatsoever.

    Are you saying that everything on your No award list is considered inferior to Avast and Avira? Not picking, but just trying to clarify.

    Posted 14 years ago #
30. 

    Whiterabbit-uk
    Games Guru

    Sounds idyllic.... :) There's just not enough space in the UK to own something like that unless you're a millionaire. :(

    Posted 14 years ago #

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