Windows 7 Free Anti-Virus .vs. Purchased Anti-Virus

Well it would appear you do have another piece of protection with a router as it uses a hardware firewall.
I would also recommend getting what the previous poster said about Linux and AV get the free version. It is better to be safe than sorry later on.

stueycaster said:

I've become the local go-to guy with my friends at work when they have computer problems. Their problems are always viruses.

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Yea much the same here, for the last 25+ years

Andrea Borman said:

I can connect to the Internet witlessly

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yes witless is how i'd describe such statements

Highwayman said:

yes witless is how i'd describe such statements

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It is connect to the Internet wirlessly on wireless broadband. Andrea Borman.

Is it just me??? is it??? lmao please tell me it's not....lol

There is an apt expression we yanks have. "pissing up a rope"

Highwayman said:

Is it just me??? is it??? lmao please tell me it's not....lol

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I don't know, must be you, cuz I'm goo...I'm goo...I'm goo....I'm good. Crap my stress tick has returned.
Oh Well, maybe it's not just you.
Nevermind.

You guys are a hoot. I have decided to give up and just ignore it all.

Andrea Borman said:

And it is worth mentioning that there are no virus protection programs on Linux. So what to they do if they want to use an anti virus program? Andrea Borman.

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Hello Andrea
It is not true that there are no Anti-virus programs for Linux. Both AVG and Avast have Linux versions.
It is true however that even though there are malicious programs and code that runs on Linux, they are usually targeted at servers, so the average Linux user really doesn't have to worry much about using an anti-virus program. There are a couple of very good reasons for this.
First, less than ten percent of computer users run Linux as their primary operating system. What self respecting evil-doer would write code that would only target less than ten percent of potential victims? The object of the game is to infect as many as possible so viruses are written to target Windows. By targeting an operating system that is used by almost 90 percent of the population the evil-doers have the potential to cause the most damage.
Secondly, These bits of malicious codes are called viruses for a reason. They tend to behave and follow the same infection patterns as their human counterparts.
For any virus to be effective, there must be a minimum population density. Otherwise the odds of an infected host finding the next victim gets too small and the virus dies out.
Take the flu as an example. Flu season tends to be the coldest months of the winter. This is because people stay indoors more in the winter where the population density is much higher so the chances of an infected host finding its next victim is greater.
Linux just doesn't have the population density to support viruses. The odds of a Linux machine finding other Linux machines to infect are too low for any Linux base viruses to become widespread.
Running an anti-virus isn't just a matter of personal risk Andrea, it is a civic responsibility.
Do you realize that a significant portion of what we pay for internet access goes to protecting the network from people such as yourself?
When you and others like you become infected it ends up hurting us all.
Think of it like this. You may be the safest driver in the world. Obey every rule, take every precaution. It would still be silly (and illegal in most states) not to have insurance. Why? Because you're human. You can make mistakes.
Just like you can make mistakes on the road you can make one on the net. All it takes is one wrong click, one lapse of judgment and you're infected. Many others will pay until it gets bad enough for you to notice or your ISP tracks it down.
Do us all a favor Andrea, install an anti-virus.

Starcros said:

Hello Andrea
It is not true that there are no Anti-virus programs for Linux. Both AVG and Avast have Linux versions.
It is true however that even though there are malicious programs and code that runs on Linux, they are usually targeted at servers, so the average Linux user really doesn't have to worry much about using an anti-virus program. There are a couple of very good reasons for this.
First, less than ten percent of computer users run Linux as their primary operating system. What self respecting evil-doer would write code that would only target less than ten percent of potential victims? The object of the game is to infect as many as possible so viruses are written to target Windows. By targeting an operating system that is used by almost 90 percent of the population the evil-doers have the potential to cause the most damage.
Secondly, These bits of malicious codes are called viruses for a reason. They tend to behave and follow the same infection patterns as their human counterparts.
For any virus to be effective, there must be a minimum population density. Otherwise the odds of an infected host finding the next victim gets too small and the virus dies out.
Take the flu as an example. Flu season tends to be the coldest months of the winter. This is because people stay indoors more in the winter where the population density is much higher so the chances of an infected host finding its next victim is greater.
Linux just doesn't have the population density to support viruses. The odds of a Linux machine finding other Linux machines to infect are too low for any Linux base viruses to become widespread.
Running an anti-virus isn't just a matter of personal risk Andrea, it is a civic responsibility.
Do you realize that a significant portion of what we pay for internet access goes to protecting the network from people such as yourself?
When you and others like you become infected it ends up hurting us all.
Think of it like this. You may be the safest driver in the world. Obey every rule, take every precaution. It would still be silly (and illegal in most states) not to have insurance. Why? Because your human. You can make mistakes.
Just like you can make mistakes on the road you can make one on the net. All it takes is one wrong click, one lapse of judgment and you're infected. Many others will pay until it gets bad enough for you to notice or your ISP tracks it down.
Do us all a favor Andrea, install an anti-virus.

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You are wasting you breath and time here. This person is clueless.
She also says in another post that no one needs the recently released Win 7 SP1
and in yet another shes says that because she doesn't know how to configure an email client like T-Bird and others
that nobody can.
This despite the fact that millions of users use email clients daily.

I do not believe in anti-virus programs that is why I do not have one on my computers. I have got three Windows 7 Netbooks. If you have an anti-virus program a lot of the time. There have been cases where they have misread your computer and people have been told they have a virus and that program has been removed or blocked. When they do not have a computer virus.

You did mention servers but I have not installed a server on my Netbooks,I do not think I have the room for it. Or maybe I do have,I am not sure.

Obviously when I browse the Internet I must be connected to some kind of server on Windows but I don't know what that is.

But I think my chances of getting a virus on Windows 7 are very small, and even if I did have Windows XP,I still think that I would not get a virus. As I use my computer at home and it is set on a home network not a public network.

And talking about Windows XP-I wrote a post on Outlook Express or THE EMAIL THAT NOBODY CAN USE. And I have read that Outlook Express is responsible for a number of viruses.

And although on Windows 7 they don't have Outlook Express there,they have got Windows Live Mail,which is a clone of it.

But the good news is that on Windows 7,Windows Live Mail is not bundled with Windows. So you do not get Outlook Express or one of it's clones,such as,SeaMonkey Mail,Thunderbird or Windows Live Mail. Unless you download and install them yourself.

But like Outlook Express,these email client's are modeled on Outlook Express and are clones of it. So like Outlook Express you won't be able to use them anyway. See my post on this site here- Link Removed

But on Windows 7 as I said,none of these type of email clients is bundled with Windows. But if you have got Windows XP or Windows Vista,you are not so lucky.

As on Windows XP Outlook Express is bundled with Windows, so you are stuck with it as it cannot be uninstalled in programs menu,like Firefox can be. So the only way to get rid of it is to delete the file in programs on C/drive like I did with Internet Explorer. This would remove the program.

Windows Vista users have Windows Mail,another Outlook Express clone bundled with Windows, and so that cannot be uninstalled in programs menu. Unless you delete the file in programs on C/drive like in Windows XP.

But Windows 7 users do not have to face any of that as Outlook express or a clone of it is not bundled with Windows 7 and does not come with it. So you don't get it unless you install it yourself.

But who would do that? As you cannot use Outlook Express or any of it's clones and if you try to set it up,you won't get further than writing your own email address. As I said in my other posts,it asks you for your outgoing http. or POP server and I don't know that. Then it asks you for your incoming http. or POP server and I don't know that either.

And yes,I tried all of the suggestions that the web said about my G.Mail server. Google does tell you what that is but when I tried it with SeaMonkey mail-an Outlook Express clone,it did not work.

So no matter how hard, or how much, you try to set up Outlook Express or one of it's clones,you won't get it up and running.

Back to the virus issue, they say that Outlook Express is not safe and there is a risk of viruses. But as no one can use it you won't have to worry.

Because Outlook Express and it's clones,Windows Mail,Windows Live Mail,Thunderbird and others are- THE EMAIL THAT NOBODY CAN USE. So you won't get a virus from this as you won't be able to use it.

But one thing you WILL get is one big headache trying to set it up, but of course you won't be able to.

Outlook Express and it's clones really are-THE EMAIL THAT NOBODY CAN USE and YOU won't be able to use it either.

But as it has been said on the web that Outlook Express has a risk of computer viruses,maybe it is not a bad thing that nobody can use it or it's clones.

Now all that is needed is that Outlook Express needs to be removed from Windows XP, and Windows Mail,it's clone removed from Windows Vista.

That will make Windows XP and Windows Vista users very happy. I am sure. And I am just happy that I do not have to deal with Outlook Express or it's clones on my Windows 7. So I don't have to spend time deleting files to uninstall it. To get it off of my computer.

And the good news is Windows defender has been updated this month as it is twice a month along with Malicious Software Removal Tool-MRT.

And although Windows defender and MRT are not included in Windows XP like they are on Windows 7 and Windows Vista. Windows XP users can download and install,these two tools from the Microsoft website. Andrea Borman.

To all this
I have to ask what have you been smoking, Outlook express was fine for many users who knew what they were doing.
I certainly hope you do not give computer advice to you friends and family. I personally never used Outlook express as I use Microsoft OUTLOOK which comes with many versions of MICROSOFT OFFICE SUITE. I have used OUTLOOK EXPRESS a long time ago had no problem with notr with the setup. If something comes with Windows you as a user are not required to use it.

I agree with Super Sarge, what have you been smoking. I have used Outlook Express with no problems whatsoever. Used it on Windows ME and Xp before starting to use Microsoft Office in 2005. If you don't want to use it you don't have to. Why mess with removing it from the computer.

Sonny said:

Why mess with removing it from the computer.

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Because she's an expert. She recently removed IE and some other useless things and had to reload system after.
Joe

Andrea, You're wrong!!!!

Well,in all of the time I have been on the computer I have never figured out how to use that email. That is Outlook Express,which they had in the Internet cafes,I used to go to. There they had Windows XP with IE6 or IE7 and Outlook Express. And it used to pop up every time you clicked on an email address on a website.

And when I got my own computer,my first encounter was with SeaMonkey Mail,a clone of Outlook Express and when I Installed Windows Live Essentials because I wanted Windows Live Messenger. There was Windows Live Mail,but then I found out that to use Windows Live Messenger,you don't have to download all of the Windows Live Essentials pack.

So I got rid of Windows Live Mail and the others,which uninstalled normally in programs menu,and just kept Windows Live Messenger.

But I did keep SeaMonkey web browser. But unfortunently, on Windows when you install SeaMonkey,you don't just get the browser you get the email client as well. Which is a clone of Outlook Express and has the same system as that.

On Linux when you install SeaMonkey through the packages,you only get the web browser. You do not get SeaMonkey Mail unless you choose to install it. But on Windows that is not the case. When you download SeaMonkey from the Internet,even if you select custom install,during the installation.You still get SeaMonkey Mail installed along with the browser,which is a clone of Outlook Express.

And when I tried to use SeaMonkey Mail,Outlook Express,Windows Live Mail,Thunderbird,Spicebird and other emails like it which are all clones of Outlook Express and based on it. I could not use it. It asked me for my email address which I knew. Then asked for my incoming http. or POP server- of course I don't know that. Then it asked for my outgoing http. or POP server- I don't know that.

So of course the email never got sent and when you enter the questions they ask,which you don't know the answer to anyway,you cannot even change the settings to re set it and start again. And when you click on a email address on the web,SeaMonkey Mail or Windows Live Mail or whatever Outlook Express clone you have installed,pops up.

And I had to close it again as I cannot use that email. And when I asked other people about what is the outgoing http. or POP server and the incoming http. or POP server,they did not know either.

Outlook Express is on Windows XP but on Windows Vista they have got Windows Mail instead which is a clone of Outlook Express. But on Windows XP and Windows Vista, Outlook Express and Windows Mail cannot be uninstalled in programs menu. That is they cannot be uninstalled the same way that other programs can be. And both Outlook Express and Windows mail are bundled with Windows like Internet Explorer is. Outlook Express-with Windows XP and Windows Mail-with Windows Vista.

So the only way to get rid of these programs is to delete the file on programs on C/drive. And if I did have Windows XP or Windows Vista,I certainly would get rid of these programs.

But on Windows 7,which is what I have you don't get THE EMAIL THAT NOBODY CAN USE-Outlook Express or it's clones bundled with Windows. You are spared that. Windows Live Mail,another replacement for Outlook Express is not included in Windows 7. So you won't get it,unless you install it yourself.

They stopped making Outlook Express after Windows XP, so on Windows Vista they have Windows Mail for Windows Vista only. Which is bundled with Windows,like Outlook Express is bundled with Windows XP.

And on Windows 7 they have Windows Live Mail but that is not bundled with Windows 7. And it is not included with it. So Windows 7 users won't get Windows Live Mail,unless they choose to install it. But of course you won't will you?

As Windows Live Mail,Windows Mail,SeaMonkey Mail Thunderbird and others like it are all modeled on Outlook Express and are clones of it. And they all have the same system and ask the same questions which I and nobody else can answer. How do I and anybody else know what the incoming and outgoing http. or POP server is. And even when I put down the http. or POP address that it said was G,Mail's server that I found out on Google search. It still would not work.

And nobody else could get it working either.

And even on Linux the clones of Outlook Express have found their way there. On Linux they have Thunderbird,which is a clone of Outlook Express and works exactly like it. So Linux users won't be able to use that email either. And there are other email clients that are the same as Outlook Express on Linux as well.

I don't understand why they make so many email client's that are copy cats of Outlook Express because nobody can use them.And I cannot use them either.

I use Instantbird which is like Pidgin but it is more user friendly and easy to use. And you can send instant messages and it works. And so does Aim Messenger and Windows Live Messenger. And G.Mail and Hotmail works too.

But Outlook Express and email clients like it do not work.

I think that Outlook Express and it's clones should be renamed-THE EMAIL THAT NOBODY CAN USE. It certainly lives up to it's name,because you cannot use it. Andrea Borman.

Outlook Express is easy to use. I don't see how you can make it sound so bad. When I used Outlook I had my yahoo and hotmail both coming to me through outlook express. Just because you didn't have any idea what pop or http was is not the fault of outlook express. I would have thought you would have tried to find out and then you would see that it wasn't a bit difficult to use. Right now I use Microsoft office and have all three of my emails coming to me in one box.

Also the mail that you can get in the messenger can have all your emails addresses if you have more than one opened in one spot.

My mistake meant to say smtp not http.

Sonny said:

Outlook Express is easy to use. I don't see how you can make it sound so bad. When I used Outlook I had my yahoo and hotmail both coming to me through outlook express. Just because you didn't have any idea what pop or http was is not the fault of outlook express. I would have thought you would have tried to find out and then you would see that it wasn't a bit difficult to use. Right now I use Microsoft office and have all three of my emails coming to me in one box.

Also the mail that you can get in the messenger can have all your emails addresses if you have more than one opened in one spot.

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How did you get it working? It is near to impossible to use that email, Outlook Express and it's clones. See here-Link Removed These email clients,if you could call them that. They are impossible to use.

And I and nobody else could get them up and working. Outlook Express and clones are-THE EMAIL THAT NOBODY CAN USE. Andrea Borman.

Andrea Borman said:

How did you get it working? It is near to impossible to use that email, Outlook Express and it's clones. See here-Link Removed These email clients,if you could call them that. They are impossible to use.

And I and nobody else could get them up and working. Outlook Express and clones are-THE EMAIL THAT NOBODY CAN USE. Andrea Borman.

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It seems to me after glancing over that link to everyone having problems that you are the only one having a problem. Every email (yahoo and others) has an incoming and out going address (POP). Now today everything is pretty much done automatically and not manually like it used to be. As said in the other thread you just put in your email address and password and that is about it. Not difficult at all.

Sonny said:

It seems to me after glancing over that link to everyone having problems that you are the only one having a problem. Every email (yahoo and others) has an incoming and out going address (POP). Now today everything is pretty much done automatically and not manually like it used to be. As said in the other thread you just put in your email address and password and that is about it. Not difficult at all. There are some emails that have a different thing. Not all have a POP.

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Oh but it's impossible to an "expert" like Andrea.

BTW many millions of people use an email client like Outlook express and it's "Clones" daily.
It isn't rocket science except to you Andrea.

Also see the quotes around my use of expert Andrea.
It means I consider you anything but an expert.
A crackpot yes, expert no.

Consider this quote from one of my countrymen Samuel Clemens better know by his pen name Mark Twain.

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
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Wise man Mark Twain, you would do well to heed his advice, Andrea.
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