Re: OT A computer virus heads up

RCE wrote:
"Reggie Smithers" <spamremoverlantaga@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:TaWdnctsrZb-bH3eRVn-oA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx


"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

--
Reggie



Because I am currently bored, I tried that Microsoft SafetyLine link that someone (JimH?) provided (thanks). I did the full scan doober (took a while) and it reported my computer was fine, no viruses, no screwed up files, no de-frag required. Everything is just hunky-dorey.

What's interesting to me is I have never, in all the years I've had a computer and been on-line used any kind of anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-anything software. The only thing protecting this computer from the cold, hard world is whatever firewall Microsoft uses in XP and whatever my ISP firewall is. I tell people this and they are horrified - and they advise me I am going to get hacked, mutilated, screwed and all kinds of horrible things.
To date (knocking on wood) nothing has ever happened. In fact, the only problem I encountered with this computer was after Microsoft did one of those automatic updates, which I didn't know it was going to do until I shut the computer off one day and it told me to wait while some updates where installed. The next day I could not connect to our house Wireless router. I did a "recover" back to a date just prior to the update installation and everything has been fine ever since. After that experience, I shut off the automatic update option as well.

My wife, the worry wart, has all kinds of anti-bad stuff installed on her computer and she is constantly having crashes and problems. Norton seems to be the biggest culprit.

The way I figure it, I just can't allow myself to worry and get paranoid about a stupid computer. If I get a virus and it breaks - I'll take it to a computer repair place and let them clean it up. If, in the unlikely event the computer is totally trashed - I'll decide if I really want a new one. I am very careful not to store anything of any importance on the computer.

So, has all this hacking and virus stuff been over emphasized to sell protection software, or have I just been lucky for the last 15 years?

RCE


It is a racket... *but* I ran a year or two without protection and got infected by a friend. Cost me about $ 125.00 to have it cleaned and Norton installed.
.

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