windows update

[neiltwist]

Does anyone here not use this?

if you don't, go to http://www.windowsupdate.com and update!

 

[Cornishwomble]

If you have XP you can set it to check for updats automatically. The updates are crucial as some of them stop the viruses as they start to pop up

 

[Fishsta]

I don't.

I prefer to take manual control of what updates I install.

Mainly because I don't trust Microsoft. But I wouldn't reccommend this course of action to any relative novice.

Just have a look in your Task Manager and see if "QMgr" is running.

If it is, Microsoft spyware is running on your PC and reporting details of your activities to them.

 

[Cornishwomble]

My PC doesnt automatically install the updates, it just looks to see what are available and then lets me know, I don't have to install them if they are irrelevant.
The windows update site is also handy in that it sometimes comes up with driver updates for my pc.

Not really bothered about microsoft knowing my business, if they're spying on me then all they know is that I'm skint, play in a brass band and go and watch AFC Wimbledon every week! God knows what category they'll have me under... he says waiting for first sarcastic comment!

 

[bruceg]

I've nothing against Windows Update, in fact I think it's pretty useful. One word of warning though: if you have it set to automatically download and you use a GPRS card with your laptop then expect some hefty phone bills. We saw this happening to some poor unaware user whilst monitoring a Canadian network recently. Poor individual kept cancelling his sessions before they completed, started all over again next time online and, as a result, was exceeding his free download quota ever so slightly

 

[neiltwist]

yeah I have the automatic thing turned off altogether, but for me, it's the easiest way to make sure you have all the most up to date updates!

By using this and AVG antivirus free edition, I have so far managed to get infected by no viruses, and have had no security holes abused. Ever.

 

[bruceg]

yeah I have the automatic thing turned off altogether, but for me, it's the easiest way to make sure you have all the most up to date updates!

By using this and AVG antivirus free edition, I have so far managed to get infected by no viruses, and have had no security holes abused. Ever.

AVG is class software as is ZoneAlarm if you're looking for a quality free firewall.

 

[neiltwist]

yeah I have the automatic thing turned off altogether, but for me, it's the easiest way to make sure you have all the most up to date updates!

By using this and AVG antivirus free edition, I have so far managed to get infected by no viruses, and have had no security holes abused. Ever.

AVG is class software as is ZoneAlarm if you're looking for a quality free firewall.

oh yeah, I forgot about the firewall as we have one built into our router.

 

[Fishsta]

yeah I have the automatic thing turned off altogether, but for me, it's the easiest way to make sure you have all the most up to date updates!

By using this and AVG antivirus free edition, I have so far managed to get infected by no viruses, and have had no security holes abused. Ever.

AVG is class software as is ZoneAlarm if you're looking for a quality free firewall.

Oooh, no... Zone Alarm is awful.

Steer well clear.

If you ever upgrade to a better firewall, be prepared for your internet to NEVER WORK AGAIN when you uninstall ZoneAlarm... at least not without following the instructions on this page.

But seriously... in the words of the Comic Book Guy in the Simpsons... WORST. FIREWALL. EVER.

 

[bruceg]

That's certainly a forceful opinion but I've never had any trouble with ZoneAlarm whatsoever. Which do you prefer?

 

[rutty]

That's certainly a forceful opinion but I've never had any trouble with ZoneAlarm whatsoever. Which do you prefer?

I'm with you - never had a problem with Zonealarm. I've even uninstalled it and reinstalled. Not a problem at all.

 

[ScrapingtheBottom]

Windows? What's that???

 

[Fishsta]

That's certainly a forceful opinion but I've never had any trouble with ZoneAlarm whatsoever. Which do you prefer?

LOL... hmm.

Now, there's a lot of people have a problem with AOL. They don't like it because it's so intrusive, or they have memories of the days when it was known as "AOHell" because you could never get online.

These days, however, it is an EXCELLENT ISP, and with some tweaking you can strip out all the bumpf that gets installed with it and have a fast, reliable, always-on connection. Now, you can also use it as a traditional ISP, and set it up through DUN.

Norton Firewall is a lot like that. Now, I can probably hear some of you power-users sniggering here, but hold on a mo... properly configured (10 minutes of a job at the most) and with all the bumpf stripped out, you can just let it do its job, and it does it perfectly. I still check the logs every now and then to see that it's working the way it should, and I haven't had a problem yet. The best bit is the tracing, where you can actually trace the hacking attempts to an IP address, from there to the ISP and even to a city anywhere in the world. Certainly makes reporting hackers very easy.

But if you're using ZoneAlarm, you might want to consider just switching the Windows XP Firewall on and uninstalling it. That's how bad it is.

 

[Fishsta]

Windows? What's that???

It's an operating system that takes up about 80% of your hard drive space (no matter what size hard drive you have), runs about 40% of the speed it should do, sends about 300% of the data it should to the internet and costs 500% of the real monetary value of the product.

What the hell am I doing on Windows...

 

[rutty]

Windows? What's that???

It's an operating system that takes up about 80% of your hard drive space (no matter what size hard drive you have), runs about 40% of the speed it should do, sends about 300% of the data it should to the internet and costs 500% of the real monetary value of the product.

What the hell am I doing on Windows...

Install Linux, you know you want to

I only use Windows at home now when I need to use my webcam

 

[Dave Euph]

Well currently my computer isn't on the net ... so who knows what sort of trojans, worms and other nasties will infect my PC when I reconnect it to the network at home! :lol:

 

[ScrapingtheBottom]

Windows? What's that???

It's an operating system that takes up about 80% of your hard drive space (no matter what size hard drive you have), runs about 40% of the speed it should do, sends about 300% of the data it should to the internet and costs 500% of the real monetary value of the product.

What the hell am I doing on Windows...

Sounds much better than Mac OS X ..... not!

 

[neiltwist]

Windows? What's that???

It's an operating system that takes up about 80% of your hard drive space (no matter what size hard drive you have), runs about 40% of the speed it should do, sends about 300% of the data it should to the internet and costs 500% of the real monetary value of the product.

What the hell am I doing on Windows...

now that's a bit harsh! it only fills up 80% when you use internet explorer for the first time, at which point your temporary imternet files take up about 50% of the drive (or in the case of my pocket pc, 90% with no exageration!)