Mumble Report post Posted July 26, 2008 How many virus would you expect to try and attack and eat a normal computer ? I'm just a bit worried, because I was looking at the log of scans and detections for my virus thing (told you I was bored ) and it's made no detections, no deletions, no cleaning no nothing since I got the computer last September time. Is this normal? Am I that scary that I'm frightening the viruses away before they have a chance to attack ? Or is my virus thing (I use McAfee) not working correctly? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheNeil Report post Posted July 26, 2008 How many virus would you expect to try and attack and eat a normal computer ? I'm just a bit worried, because I was looking at the log of scans and detections for my virus thing (told you I was bored ) and it's made no detections, no deletions, no cleaning no nothing since I got the computer last September time. Is this normal? Am I that scary that I'm frightening the viruses away before they have a chance to attack ? Or is my virus thing (I use McAfee) not working correctly? How often you get infected (or even attempted infected) depends on what sites you're visiting, what software you're running etc. There's no real 'average' in terms of these numbers (I think I've had three attacks in maybe 5 years - hardly massive) As long as your virus patterns and software are up to date then I wouldn't worry about it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baddad Report post Posted July 26, 2008 Hi Mumble - Pretty much as TN says, but have you got an 'anti-malaware' programme too? Depending on which Mcafee package you bought it could be included, but if you've ONLY got antivirus then antimalaware really would be a good addition. A Virus is pretty much there to screw your computer up... malaware is slightly different, and tends to invite other malaware onboard too if it's the nasty stuff - Everything from harmless tracking cookies to keyloggers and back door trojans can come under the 'malaware' banner... I have 3 on my system now (antispyware/malaware programmes - not trojans!) , but only really use 2... 1 - Avast antivirus includes malaware detection in the freeware version ( I switched to avast a while back and have found it to be really good, but slow... If you schedule a 'boot-scan' though, it'll do it while booting the PC before loading anything else, which is very fast, and also takes care of any 'stay resident' stuff that may be launched on reboot) 2 - Spybot S&D... I use this about once a week, after updating, as a double check to see if Avast has missed anything. It never has yet 3 - Hardly ever use it now since I ditched AVG Antivirus in favour of avast, but AVG Antispyware free is a pretty good prog too... In 'standard' mode, it detects tracking cookies, so it can look quite alarming when you see the report, but it can be set to ignore them. I usually run it a couple of times a month, and delete tracking cookies on principle! If you've got antivirus and it's updated regularly and you have a firewall (not just the windows one, though that's a good start) and anti malaware/spyware there's not really any reason why you should have problems. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mumble Report post Posted July 26, 2008 *Nods and pretends I understood what BD said* If you've got antivirus and it's updated regularly and you have a firewall (not just the windows one, though that's a good start) and anti malaware/spyware there's not really any reason why you should have problems. I think this is the problem - I don't actually know what I have or what's running. When I got the computer supposedly ready to go with everything I needed loaded and working from the disability peeps, I noticed pretty quick that there didn't seem to be any virus thingys at all. Our uni provides McAfee as a free download to all students so I downloaded this - I didn't buy anything - so I don't have any manual or anything or really know what it does, but it comes up with a 'thing' when I turn the 'puter on and there's a little icon in the system tray saying it's enabled, so I cross my fingers and pray that everything's OK. I had Norton before, so I don't know what McAfee is supposed to 'do' if anything. I assume if it wasn't OK however, I would have had major problems by now and as I don't buy anything over the internet with credit cards (ta bank v. much ... ) I don't worry too much (well, much more than normal ...) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baddad Report post Posted July 26, 2008 *Nods and pretends I understood what BD said* I think this is the problem - I don't actually know what I have or what's running. Hi mumble... If you go start>settings>control panel and then click on the little shield that's labelled 'security centre' This'll show you what you've got running: You should have 3 green lights Firewall on Automatic updates on Antivirus on My guess is you'll have all 3... if you look at the drop down menu it'll tell you what programme's doing what. If your firewall is 'Windows Firewall' You'd do well to install something like Zone Alarm or another freeware programme. Windows firewall is okay, but very basic. It'll take a while for you to 'allow' all the programmes you want to allow (you'll get pop ups asking you if you want to enable a programme (i.e. Mediaplayer) to access the trusted zone), but once that's done it's far more secure and runs in the background... Antivirus should say McAfee, and you also want to check it's set to auto update (should be, but if you open the Mcafee panel and it's warning you you need to and it hasn't been done for months, then it's not!) Auto update is for Microsoft patches/service packs etc... Security centre doesn't list anti-spyware... you'll just have to check your Mcafee version to see if it's included... double click the Mcafee icon in your task bar to check what you've got... hopefully, it'll be a full student 'bundle' on a university multi-user license that'll include malaware detection, but if not, download Spybot of AVG Free (or both!) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mumble Report post Posted July 26, 2008 I got a green, an amber and a green Firewall is Windows, It says Automatic Updates I need to check settings, Virus scan it says is McAfee and up to date However, I can't find what 'bits' of McAfee I have Went to McAfee in the All Programmes list and it only has on access scan listed - trouble is I dunno if this is normal or not ... I'm a little worried about downloading anything - basically part of my 'agreement' with having this 'puter is that I don't download anything and that if I do, I can't get support if anything goes wrong. However, I guess if anything does go wrong as a result of not having the right virus stuff then it's the disability peeps who are at fault anyway ... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pearl Report post Posted July 27, 2008 Mr p uses more or less the same stuff as you baddad & we have had v few alerts too. He's going to try that boot up thingy, as usually the pooter is out of action most Saturday evenings while it checks for baddies Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baddad Report post Posted July 27, 2008 ********* marvellous... After having no viruses on the PC for years I've just clicked on a local farm link from Hugh Fernley Whittingstall' website for free range chickens, and got a virus alert Nobody EVER ask me about antivirus software again Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mumble Report post Posted July 27, 2008 Nobody EVER ask me about antivirus software again very sorry .... Now, can anyone direct me in the direction of anti-lottery winning insurance please? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tally Report post Posted July 27, 2008 Well as long as it wasn't Salmonella, you should be OK. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mumble Report post Posted July 27, 2008 Well as long as it wasn't Salmonella, you should be OK. Anti-viral software would be no good for Salmonella. Salmonella is a bacterium and would need antibiotics and you'd have to find the right shaped hole in the side of the computer to slot them in (a bit like a baby's shape sporter), probably three times a day. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites