Antivirus software

[fixrupr]

I do not like the way Norton or McAffee antivirus tries to possess my computers when installed per default method.

Our ISP (U of Toledo) does a pretty good job of scanning email before we get it. I would still like to be able to scan any questionable files.

Question…..
Can antivirus software be run from a CD or from a different partition or drive so that it would not affect my operating system (win98se)?

[mjc]

As to the first part...not if it is a windows based AV program, it needs all the registry entries and what not in order to run.

Different partition/drive yes, but it doesn't really make much of a difference where it is, it is still going to to what it wants with the OS.

F-prot (http://www.frisk.is/f-prot/) has a DOS version that can be run outside of Windows and doesn't mess with it and it can be run from a floppy or cd (with DOS drivers of course)

I also find AVG (http://www.grisoft.com/) to be a little less annoying than either of the two you mentioned....

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

[jes]

In what way do Norton and McAffe possess the system?

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"If the automobile had followed the same development cycle as the computer a Rolls Royce today would cost $100, get a million miles to the gallon and explode once a year, killing everyone inside." - Robert Cringely, InfoWorld Columnist

[jes]

In what way do Norton and McAffe possess the system?

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"If the automobile had followed the same development cycle as the computer a Rolls Royce today would cost $100, get a million miles to the gallon and explode once a year, killing everyone inside." - Robert Cringely, InfoWorld Columnist

[fixrupr]

Thanks mjc,

I think I’ll not run AV on our main machines. Diminishing returns aspect. I do total partition copy every week onto one of 3 removable hard drives. We don’t go to darker corners of the web, and mostly without AV have yet to p/u anything in 7-8years (knock on wood). McAfee is free to me (UT site license) but it has made system unstable. Norton has had same effect after reformat. I’ll run AV on a spare machine to check out anything questionable.

Your information was very helpful, thanks.


Jes,
If you are running AV program and don’t know what I mean, consider yourself fortunate.

[fixrupr]

Mjc
Got F-prot, will try. Moocho thanks

Jes,
After foolin w/ McAafee (and nothing else) on this PC, was having problems w/ IE5.5.
Had to reinstall 5.5. Never had any problems like that in 7-8yrs w/o McAfee.

Other minor quirky behaviors are signs that would be best to format / restore pre AV copy of this HD.

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"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe."
---- Carl Sagan ----

[Paul Komski]

Jus' a simple example of a NAV "takeover".

The settings of your Email accounts (.iaf files) are changed.

The incoming mail server becomes pop3.norton.antivirus; so if you disable NAV you wont be able to get mail from your nomal pop account.

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Take nice care of yourselves - Paul

[This message has been edited by Paul Komski (edited 12-25-2001).]

[YODA74]

Don't know about that I have disabled my NAV and have always gotten my mail, so what you have must be different than Norton? I know nav is invasive but i still get my mail either way, hooked up or not.

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Treading,Troden,Trails
HERE (http://www.davematthewsband.com)

[Paul Komski]

Hi YODA
Sorry if my post was misleading http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/frown.gif - disabled was the wrong word to have used. This does happen when NAV is excluded from starting-up using MSCONFIG; it doesn't happen when NAV (having been already started) is then disabled from within its own software. (Of course there would be no difference at all if eMail protection had not been enabled anyways).

I also read (not sure where I'm afraid) that if NAV is uninstalled it does not (necessarily) return the OE account settings to their original values.

I discovered that NAV had reconfigured the account settings, when I had problems sending mail via an old ISP's SMTP (though receiving via its POP3 was OK). I had to reconfigure an account so that it used one ISP(the new one) for sending and another(the old one) for receiving. I guess this "confused" NAV and it took me a while to figure out what was going on - and hence the use of MSCONFIG.

I didn't mean to slander NAV http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif which I have found to be a very reliable and effective antivirus - though I'm not so fond of NIS.



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Take nice care of yourselves - Paul

[iisbob]

this is one of the issues they fixed with the newer version (norton antivirus 8.0-2002 ), you no longer ( nor does it ) reconfigure your mail seetings-instead it sets up a different virtual proxy to run them { basicly it's running in a semi auto scan state ) and there is no longer a poproxy setting in your registry-just a regular .exe link.

It also seems to take a little longer to open/scan files-but it also takes a little less resources to work-fair tade off IMHO.

You can actually scan your system just from the CD if you wished, of course it will not have the latest updated virii definitions.

What we do a work is have a system that has no connection to the net; we keep a basic backup of all our files-we take systems that are connected and after updating/changing files on them and having them AV scanned we back them up onto that system. Gives a sys admin a nice secure /comfy feeling. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif



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iisbob
""I was gratified to be able to answer promptly, and I did. I said I didn't know."
Mark Twain