"TTBoy" <Hungry@Wendys.org> wrote in message
news:8rs4ivcnmbmjk3lj410ghvk485hmadna4r@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 17:26:22 -0400, "mto" <nobody@nowhere.com> wrote:
>
> >
> >"eddie spagetti" <yoeddie7@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> >news:6dovhv0liml5akj6ivntbvs2aqcjvkr6g4@4ax.com.. .
> >> When I opened my outlook express this morning a got a message saying
> >> my OE exe file had been changed. PCcillin says the new host name is
> >> ads.as4x.tmcs.net. Any body have any ideas? I'm not showing any
> >> viruses. I have been having a lot of problems since installing Sygate
> >> firewall.
> >
> >Ideas - sure, your OE got hijacked. Tried Sygate and it wouldn't even
run
> >on my machine. Get AdAware. Get SpyBot Search and Destroy. Both free.
> >Use them - should get rid of the thing. Don't forget to immunize under
> >SpyBot advanced. Then get a different firewall. I like Zone Alarm Pro.
> >Read the ng archives for some other firewall ideas. Avoid Norton.
> >
>
> May i ask why you want to avoid norton ?
> TTBoy

Probably my #1 reason to recommend against Norton is experience. First,
every time that I have tried a Norton product - from Win95 on - I have ended
up with a total mess, once having to literally wipe the drive to restore
things.

Second, for many years I've run a large, pretty high traffic website - which
means that the site email is in thousands of Windows address book. Judging
just by my newsletter subscriptions over the years I would guesstimate well
over 30K. For more than 5 years now every single day that address has
received at least 50 email viruses. Every single virus that propagates by
email shows on my "doorstep" within 24 hours of discovery and often much
sooner. I always send out a little note re the virus discovery to whomever
I received it from and often they write back asking for advice/help.
Invariably they either do not have an antivirus installed at all or far more
commonly, are dependent upon Norton.

Additionally, I have a number of clients for whom I make housecalls to deal
with computer/software problems. Every single time that I have found one of
them to be infected with a virus they have been running Norton - usually the
av that came with the machine. Those clients who didn't get av software
with their machine and thus ask for advice have never had a problem.