TOPIC: Computer protection

Dom - does virus protection (AVG, Norton, et al) and spyware (Spybot, Webroot, et al) pick off stuff before the computer is infected and put it in a safe place, or do they  eliminate the threats after they have attached to something in the computer?  When we do sweeps, are the protection programs just going to where they have them localized and then compiling them for elimination, or has the bad ware done damage?

Both. The programs do active scans as you're using the computer, and do full sweeps during scheduled times. The will ask you if you want to remove the virus file completely or try to clean it.

I have been using AVG for many years!
I had nothing but problems with all the other Big Guns, mostly Norton.
I have had no issues at all after using AVG. Even the little spy crap is identified and can be dealt with, on one click.

I was sure glad to hear Dom endorse it! Being free for so many years, I thought there had to be a down side. AVG updates itself all the time, sometimes daily, I'm impressed.

Dom - I just got an advisory about AVG anti-virus.  There is apparently a software problem causing computers to crash.  Have you heard?  It is here below.  What should we do?  Wait until the patch comes out?  Uninstall?  Lemmino!

www.dailytech.com/Update+AVG+Virus+Scann...ent/article13407.htm

If you're computer is still alive you have nothing to worry about as they fixed the bug pretty fast. If you are running Vista you were never exposed.

What do you guys think about Kaspersky? I use it. It seems OK to me. But, I am not a software pro. I used to use Norton, but it was a resource hog. I think Kaspersky was the what Norton was based on.