Free vs paid

[Li'l Abner]

I have a customer whose hard drive failed and I have now reinstalled
WIndows 7 on a new drive.

His provider is HughesNet. They have him on a plan where he has a ZoneAlarm
Security Suite of some kind or another that is supposed to protect him from
everything. But they are charging him $3.95 a month for it.

He has never had malware problems and is not a risky surfer. He is a mule
addict and practically every site he visits has to do with mules... :-)

I have suggested installing the free version of Avira or Avast, or
Microsoft Security Essentials.

Does he even need a firewall other than the Windows firewall? If so, I
could always install the free version of ZoneAlarm.

Or should I just reinstall the ZA Suite and let him keep paying?

Personally, I use the free version of Avira and the paid version of MBAM
which runs resident. It's rare that either ever detects anything and I live
a helluva lot more dangerous than my customer :-)

--
--- Everybody has a right to my opinion. ---

[FromTheRafters]

Li'l Abner wrote:
> I have a customer whose hard drive failed and I have now reinstalled
> WIndows 7 on a new drive.
>
> His provider is HughesNet. They have him on a plan where he has a ZoneAlarm
> Security Suite of some kind or another that is supposed to protect him from
> everything. But they are charging him $3.95 a month for it.
>
> He has never had malware problems and is not a risky surfer. He is a mule
> addict and practically every site he visits has to do with mules... :-)
>
> I have suggested installing the free version of Avira or Avast, or
> Microsoft Security Essentials.
>
> Does he even need a firewall other than the Windows firewall? If so, I
> could always install the free version of ZoneAlarm.
>
> Or should I just reinstall the ZA Suite and let him keep paying?
>
> Personally, I use the free version of Avira and the paid version of MBAM
> which runs resident. It's rare that either ever detects anything and I live
> a helluva lot more dangerous than my customer :-)
>
Avira and the firewall that came with Windows 7 is just fine IMO.

[Li'l Abner]

FromTheRafters <erratic@nomail.afraid.org> wrote in
news:ishb7q$5bo$1@dont-email.me:

> Li'l Abner wrote:
>> I have a customer whose hard drive failed and I have now reinstalled
>> WIndows 7 on a new drive.
>>
>> His provider is HughesNet. They have him on a plan where he has a
>> ZoneAlarm Security Suite of some kind or another that is supposed to
>> protect him from everything. But they are charging him $3.95 a month
>> for it.
>>
>> He has never had malware problems and is not a risky surfer. He is a
>> mule addict and practically every site he visits has to do with
>> mules... :-)
>>
>> I have suggested installing the free version of Avira or Avast, or
>> Microsoft Security Essentials.
>>
>> Does he even need a firewall other than the Windows firewall? If so,
>> I could always install the free version of ZoneAlarm.
>>
>> Or should I just reinstall the ZA Suite and let him keep paying?
>>
>> Personally, I use the free version of Avira and the paid version of
>> MBAM which runs resident. It's rare that either ever detects anything
>> and I live a helluva lot more dangerous than my customer :-)
>>
> Avira and the firewall that came with Windows 7 is just fine IMO.

Thanks. That's what I wanted to hear. :-)
Anyone want to second the motion?

--
--- Everybody has a right to my opinion. ---

[David H. Lipman]

From: "Li'l Abner" <blvstk@dogpatch.com>

> FromTheRafters <erratic@nomail.afraid.org> wrote in
> news:ishb7q$5bo$1@dont-email.me:
>
>> Li'l Abner wrote:
>>> I have a customer whose hard drive failed and I have now reinstalled
>>> WIndows 7 on a new drive.
>>>
>>> His provider is HughesNet. They have him on a plan where he has a
>>> ZoneAlarm Security Suite of some kind or another that is supposed to
>>> protect him from everything. But they are charging him $3.95 a month
>>> for it.
>>>
>>> He has never had malware problems and is not a risky surfer. He is a
>>> mule addict and practically every site he visits has to do with
>>> mules... :-)
>>>
>>> I have suggested installing the free version of Avira or Avast, or
>>> Microsoft Security Essentials.
>>>
>>> Does he even need a firewall other than the Windows firewall? If so,
>>> I could always install the free version of ZoneAlarm.
>>>
>>> Or should I just reinstall the ZA Suite and let him keep paying?
>>>
>>> Personally, I use the free version of Avira and the paid version of
>>> MBAM which runs resident. It's rare that either ever detects anything
>>> and I live a helluva lot more dangerous than my customer :-)
>>>
>> Avira and the firewall that came with Windows 7 is just fine IMO.
>
> Thanks. That's what I wanted to hear. :-)
> Anyone want to second the motion?
>

I second that sentiment.



--
Dave
Multi-AV Scanning Tool - http://www.pctipp.ch/downloads/dl/35905.asp

[Li'l Abner]

"David H. Lipman" <DLipman~nospam~@Verizon.Net> wrote in
news:ishc9601djf@news3.newsguy.com:

> From: "Li'l Abner" <blvstk@dogpatch.com>
>
>> FromTheRafters <erratic@nomail.afraid.org> wrote in
>> news:ishb7q$5bo$1@dont-email.me:
>>
>>> Li'l Abner wrote:
>>>> I have a customer whose hard drive failed and I have now
>>>> reinstalled WIndows 7 on a new drive.
>>>>
>>>> His provider is HughesNet. They have him on a plan where he has a
>>>> ZoneAlarm Security Suite of some kind or another that is supposed
>>>> to protect him from everything. But they are charging him $3.95 a
>>>> month for it.
>>>>
>>>> He has never had malware problems and is not a risky surfer. He is
>>>> a mule addict and practically every site he visits has to do with
>>>> mules... :-)
>>>>
>>>> I have suggested installing the free version of Avira or Avast, or
>>>> Microsoft Security Essentials.
>>>>
>>>> Does he even need a firewall other than the Windows firewall? If
>>>> so, I could always install the free version of ZoneAlarm.
>>>>
>>>> Or should I just reinstall the ZA Suite and let him keep paying?
>>>>
>>>> Personally, I use the free version of Avira and the paid version of
>>>> MBAM which runs resident. It's rare that either ever detects
>>>> anything and I live a helluva lot more dangerous than my customer
>>>> :-)
>>>>
>>> Avira and the firewall that came with Windows 7 is just fine IMO.
>>
>> Thanks. That's what I wanted to hear. :-)
>> Anyone want to second the motion?
>>
>
> I second that sentiment.

Thanks. If I got your vote, then it's a done deal!

--
--- I don't care what whatshisface says ---
--- I wonder if his boat capsized; his absence is noticeable! ---

[G. Morgan]

Li'l Abner wrote:

>Thanks. That's what I wanted to hear. :-)
>Anyone want to second the motion?

+1

[Nobody > (Revisited)]

On 6/5/2011 6:41 PM, FromTheRafters wrote:
> Li'l Abner wrote:
>> I have a customer whose hard drive failed and I have now reinstalled
>> WIndows 7 on a new drive.
>>
>> His provider is HughesNet. They have him on a plan where he has a
>> ZoneAlarm
>> Security Suite of some kind or another that is supposed to protect him
>> from
>> everything. But they are charging him $3.95 a month for it.
>>
>> He has never had malware problems and is not a risky surfer. He is a mule
>> addict and practically every site he visits has to do with mules... :-)
>>
>> I have suggested installing the free version of Avira or Avast, or
>> Microsoft Security Essentials.
>>
>> Does he even need a firewall other than the Windows firewall? If so, I
>> could always install the free version of ZoneAlarm.
>>
>> Or should I just reinstall the ZA Suite and let him keep paying?
>>
>> Personally, I use the free version of Avira and the paid version of MBAM
>> which runs resident. It's rare that either ever detects anything and I
>> live
>> a helluva lot more dangerous than my customer :-)
>>
> Avira and the firewall that came with Windows 7 is just fine IMO.

I've had limited experience with Avira recently (used to be one of my
fave recommends), but the present "freebie" Avast 6 is great. I've
actually been recommending the Avast! Internet Security Suite to friends
and relatives, mainly because "I get less support calls at 10PM". The
biggest issue is the n00bie confusion when Avast decides it nees to open
something in it's "SandBox" mode...

Win 7's firewall so far seems to be just as good at "basic intent" as
ZoneAlarm used to be.

On my own machine, I do run the paid (and resident) MalwareBytes
AntiMalware (MBAM), I caught a killer deal on that. But, I "kinda force"
my "pigeons" (friends and family who want free IT advice) to install it
(free version) as an "on-demand" thing.

Something else regarding "free":
If you have some of those pigeons to deal with, have them install
"TeamViewer 6" (http://www.teamviewer.com). There may be better "remote
assistance" apps out there, but this one's extremely simple to set up.

--
"**** this is it, all the pieces do fit.
We're like that crazy old man jumping
out of the alleyway with a baseball bat,
saying, "Remember me mother****er?"
Jim “Dandy” Mangrum

[Li'l Abner]

"Nobody > (Revisited)" <usenetharvested@aol.com> wrote in
news:JvWGp.42168$_z3.17624@newsfe04.iad:

> On 6/5/2011 6:41 PM, FromTheRafters wrote:
>> Li'l Abner wrote:
>>> I have a customer whose hard drive failed and I have now reinstalled
>>> WIndows 7 on a new drive.
>>>
>>> His provider is HughesNet. They have him on a plan where he has a
>>> ZoneAlarm
>>> Security Suite of some kind or another that is supposed to protect
>>> him from
>>> everything. But they are charging him $3.95 a month for it.
>>>
>>> He has never had malware problems and is not a risky surfer. He is a
>>> mule addict and practically every site he visits has to do with
>>> mules... :-)
>>>
>>> I have suggested installing the free version of Avira or Avast, or
>>> Microsoft Security Essentials.
>>>
>>> Does he even need a firewall other than the Windows firewall? If so,
>>> I could always install the free version of ZoneAlarm.
>>>
>>> Or should I just reinstall the ZA Suite and let him keep paying?
>>>
>>> Personally, I use the free version of Avira and the paid version of
>>> MBAM which runs resident. It's rare that either ever detects
>>> anything and I live
>>> a helluva lot more dangerous than my customer :-)
>>>
>> Avira and the firewall that came with Windows 7 is just fine IMO.
>
> I've had limited experience with Avira recently (used to be one of my
> fave recommends), but the present "freebie" Avast 6 is great. I've
> actually been recommending the Avast! Internet Security Suite to
> friends and relatives, mainly because "I get less support calls at
> 10PM". The biggest issue is the n00bie confusion when Avast decides it
> nees to open something in it's "SandBox" mode...

I have one machine that I use exclusively for a webserver. It also has
mail, FTP, news, and Shoutcast servers. I have had Avast on it ever since
Avira had a memory leak problem about a year ago. The other day I updated
Avast to the newest version and it wanted to run my mailserver (MDaemon)
in a sandbox. That was enough to turn ME off. It's now running Avira as
are my other 3 computers.
>
> Win 7's firewall so far seems to be just as good at "basic intent" as
> ZoneAlarm used to be.
>
> On my own machine, I do run the paid (and resident) MalwareBytes
> AntiMalware (MBAM), I caught a killer deal on that. But, I "kinda
> force" my "pigeons" (friends and family who want free IT advice) to
> install it (free version) as an "on-demand" thing.

We think exactly alike on that.

> Something else regarding "free":
> If you have some of those pigeons to deal with, have them install
> "TeamViewer 6" (http://www.teamviewer.com). There may be better
> "remote assistance" apps out there, but this one's extremely simple to
> set up.

And you know what's *really* good about it? User Account Control does not
kill it! I was previously using either UltraVNC or Show My PC on all my
customers with Vista or Windows 7. I always had to talk them through
turning off UAC. The only thing I don't like about it is that it nags me
to buy the paid version every time I go to get out of it.

Thanks much for your reply!

--
--- Everybody has a right to my opinion. ---

[Nobody > (Revisited)]

On 6/5/2011 9:29 PM, Li'l Abner wrote:

>
>> Something else regarding "free":
>> If you have some of those pigeons to deal with, have them install
>> "TeamViewer 6" (http://www.teamviewer.com). There may be better
>> "remote assistance" apps out there, but this one's extremely simple to
>> set up.
>
> And you know what's *really* good about it? User Account Control does not
> kill it! I was previously using either UltraVNC or Show My PC on all my
> customers with Vista or Windows 7. I always had to talk them through
> turning off UAC. The only thing I don't like about it is that it nags me
> to buy the paid version every time I go to get out of it.
>
> Thanks much for your reply!

Thanks for that! There's "probably something wrong" with TeamViewer
overall (security-wise), but so far this is the best answer for "remote
assistance" I've found. I used to use the native "Windows Remote
Assistance" app, but I got tired of all the "fone handholding" I had to
do when either UAC or the other-end user's security software got in the
way. I'm not saying that there won't be a snag sometime, but this puppy
works!







--
"**** this is it, all the pieces do fit.
We're like that crazy old man jumping
out of the alleyway with a baseball bat,
saying, "Remember me mother****er?"
Jim “Dandy” Mangrum

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Nobody > (Revisited):
>Something else regarding "free":
>If you have some of those pigeons to deal with, have them install
>"TeamViewer 6" (http://www.teamviewer.com). There may be better "remote
>assistance" apps out there, but this one's extremely simple to set up.

+1
--
PeteCresswell