My Norton AntiVirus program tells me I now have a
Trojan Horse on my Home computer,
(I'm NOT at home right now)

However, Norton says it can Not remove the Virus.

It's possible that I am not using a Legit version of XP,
possible!

My one-year subscription of the Norton A.V. expires in
about 3 weeks.
My question for you: should I just re-up with Norton, or
switch to someone else, like McAfee?

Also, I noticed quite a few Bundles of software for sale over the weekend, like a McAfee 'Personal Fire Wall'.

Is that something that would help me, a great deal, in the future?

Thanks in advance for your Opinions & Advice!

get symantec...I use it everyday on my windows machines....for everything else,
it's mac or linux...

oh and i've used all of them, including AVG....most of them leave you hanging when you need them most.


b

If you have Sober (or a variant) it disables the update functions of Norton and Symantec so that you can't use those tools to clean it. Tricky bugger.

I know symantec has a Sober removal tool. It is at:

Sober Removal Tool

Run that, then try Trend to run a scan from the Internet. Do this only if you have a fast internet connection.

As for Norton or Symantec, 6 of one, half-dozen of the other. No real dif IMO.

I use Grisoft AVG you can get a good free version, it updates every other day or so. I also use Zone Alarm as a firewall

Norton notorious for not removing malicious code very well. If that removal procedure does not work, re-load Windows. I know,,,,that sucks! Good luck!

In the antivirus tests done by PC World magazine, Norton/Symantec is not highly rated.. mainly because it is good at detecting viruses, but not good at removing them. McAfee is top-rated in their tests because it does both consistently well. The reviews are available online, for everyone to see.

Whatever you do, don't stay with Norton/Symantec.. the only reason it has a good reputation is because of advertising.

www.f-prot.com

never fails...

Rich

I'm so lazy. I have a copy of Norton (don't ask where I got it ) but never install it anymore. When my computer chogs down, virus related or not, i just reinstall windows again..

QUOTE

re-load Windows.

um why?

write down the files pathe, at any copies it made of itself

make a DOS boot disc

boot the machine in DOS

find the files

delete them

QUOTE (TimT @ Nov 28 2005, 08:51 PM)

QUOTE re-load Windows. um why? write down the files pathe, at any copies it made of itself make a DOS boot disc boot the machine in DOS find the files delete them

that works...unless you have a NTFS partition.....


b

Actually for most of the latest trojans that won't even come close to working.

google for "rootkit" to understand why that won't work.

I use Avast anti-virus. Free and updates it's virus signatures every day, can't ask for more than that. Norton has given me nothing but fits over the years, plus try and remove it (doesn't play nice). I use ZoneAlarm (the free version) for a fire wall. It works great. Both free, guess I'm cheap!

QUOTE (sgomes @ Nov 28 2005, 09:07 PM)

Actually for most of the latest trojans that won't even come close to working. google for "rootkit" to understand why that won't work.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot.

FUCK SONY

For those of you that don't know, Sony Music released Music CDs with software on them to enforce their copyrights. The software auto-installs after you click on the obligatory agreement screen. It installs in such a way that it hides itself on your PC so that NOTHING can find it. Some security folks discovered it, and guess what??? The virus guys latched onto it too. Now they can hide viruses on your PC and you can't do jack shit about it.

Sony should be hung up by their fucking balls for this. (I am a little bitter, but working in the IT world, I don't need more headaches).

Here are some articles if you are curious:

Article 1
Article 2

So you all should boycot Sony stuff. Any company that thinks this poorly of their customers doesn't deserve to have any.

Forget all the antivirus software out there--you don't need them!!! They all slow your machine down and can't keep-up with all the new viruses that come out daily. For a one time $29 you can install a program called "Deep Freeze" (Internet download) by Faronics that will solve all your problems. We have been using it religiously for years in the Middle and High Schools that I work in. If a computer can withstand hundereds of teenagers using them daily and be good as new every single day...that's testimony you can take to the bank.
This is how it works:
The program freezes the hard drive in your machine which you can turn on or off at will. To install new programs or make setting changes, you turn it off, make your changes and then re-freeze it.

When your computer is frozen you can download every virus that is on the Internet, delete files, programs, etc and when you restart your computer it is ALL EXACTLY back to where it was when you first started it.

If you spend any amount of time on the Internet, as many of all of you do, it's not if but when your virus protection will fall short. Nobody wants to spend their precious time trying to clean a virus or reinstallg an operating system--that's crazy!

Deep Freeze works well.....

really well.

b

Hey People

I do 90% of my banking on the net, I am scared shittless.
I have Norton and AVG, with a Spygate firewall. I have no frikken idea if it is good or not. Sorry for the Hyjack but I have a small detour question.
I was thinking of loading a small hardrive, in a portable box, and use it only for banking...problem... my 733 can't be configured to boot from USB. I was told running it from a slave, is useless protection from pin hackers. I do the usual clearing of my memory after banking, but then I have to re-enter my passwords.
Maybe Deep Freeze is for me ?

Thanx
Later

Depending how techy you are you could...
* They sell a removable drive cartridge that goes in one of the extra slots next to the CD ROM. You then can have a seperate drive that slides in just for your banking and another drive you use for your normal Internet stuff. Depending on what drive you have in..it becomes the "Master" on your IDE channel.

*Partition your hard drive using "Partition Magic" and have a dual boot at strartup...one for banking and one for other

*Deep Freeze--absolutely nothing is retained when you restart you computer

I've used a bunch, on servers and workstations too... I like AVG... works great and the price is right... free for single user... mcAffee and norton use much more overhead, and give you nothing extra... AVG also gives constant updates...

sygate is a good firewall too... easy to use, low overhead.

QUOTE (MecGen @ Nov 29 2005, 06:02 AM)

Hey People I do 90% of my banking on the net, I am scared shittless. I have Norton and AVG, with a Spygate firewall. I have no frikken idea if it is good or not. Sorry for the Hyjack but I have a small detour question. I was thinking of loading a small hardrive, in a portable box, and use it only for banking...problem... my 733 can't be configured to boot from USB. I was told running it from a slave, is useless protection from pin hackers. I do the usual clearing of my memory after banking, but then I have to re-enter my passwords. Maybe Deep Freeze is for me ? Thanx Later

there is a small linux based bootloader that is supposed to be able to boot from USB stuff even if the PC doesn't support it...i'll check into it.

b