to those who know computer

[jenfer]

i want to protect my computer after spending a big chunk of money fixing it from viruses and whatever other things are going on there.

i am buying the norton antivirus 2005. i am also getting their firewall program.

do you think i need the firewall program as well? i have a 2-3 year old computer and have XP.

i have AVG on, if i install the antivirus on my comp, will it have any conflict???

thanks for the help!

[cfuh]

you only need the firewall if your computer is all the time and hooked up to a modem cable/DSL. you don't want people to hack into it.

as for virus protection, norton is good. i don't think you'll have any problems with both pieces of software running.

hope that helps.

[jenfer]

thanks, that helps.

i do have cable modem and my comp is on most of the time when i am home. so i will install firewall as well.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Check with the cable modem, it may have a firewall in it already, or if you're wireless, more than likely your router has a firewall in it already. The modem may not, but the router most likely does. XP does have a firewall, you have to make sure it's on, but, if your router has one, to me it doesn't make sense to be double protected like that, but if you've been hit by a virus or hacker, double protection won't hurt anything either. It might slow things down just a teeny tiny bit, but it won't hurt anything.

[slleipnir]

Firewalls are good to have anyway. We have Zone Alarm. My dad is one of the best people when it comes to keep his computer clean and all that stuff. His kinda paranoid but anyway.

Norton is good, it comes with a firewall, doesn't it? I don't like it though...My dad always says I get virus from sites I visit. I usually go to all the same ones though so I duno.

As for AVG and norton..you should go with one. I don't know if it will conflict, but I've never really went with 2 ones before. It might tell you to delete it, not sure. I think the norton one should do fine

[Katiesmom]

My major in school is computers and I just learned that is not good to have both anti viruses running you need to just choose one..i never did like norton, AVG has been the best that I found...good luck:)

[moosmom]

You might want to download an anti-spy program as well. Go into www.spybot.com and it's free. Since there are tons of anti-virus programs out now, hackers are getting smarter and sending pop-ups that slow your computer WAY down. I have it on my computer and clean out the junk a couple times a week. I also have a pop-blocker on my computer.

[jenfer]

Thanks for the input.

When I took my comp to the computer guy, they installed AVG and the other thing... i think it's called Spybot Search and Destroy. They told me I don't need extra antivirus software. I am just being paraoid. So maybe I should just keep the things he had done for me and just get the firewall???!!!

And right now I use Mozilla for my browser, which seems fine.

[slleipnir]

I'd just get the firewall. I have AVG for both my computers.

[tomkatzid]

You can't run Norton and McAfee at the same time, not sure about AVG.
We have McAfee, Spybot, Giant, and Adaware runny at all times. A modum with a firewall, a router with a firwall and MSxp with the firewall.
Norton didn't find somthing I was seaarching for on the computer so I put on McAfee and just never redid the Norton thing. But I like Norton better.
Katz

[RedHedd]

I'd do the firewall too. When I finally got onto DSL I was hit bigtime with a virus the very first day. Didn't take me long to decide to upgrade my Norton to their full Norton Internet Security suite (they gave me a great price break). I'm happy with it. I also run AdAware and Spybot Search & Destroy regularly. Sounds like ya done good! :)