Anti-virus programs compatible with Hal

[vonsmith]

Kathryn, in reply to your question elsewhere.

I'll tell you about my anti-virus opinions. However I must let you know my computer setup is not typical. I don't use Hal's web capabilities because of personal security reasons. (Don't mind me I'm a paranoid). I only let programs access the web that *must*.

I use PC-Cillin anti-virus on my computers. It has been very good for the 3 years I've used it.

I've only had a couple of complaints about it. My older version didn't scan my email when I used Netscape as my email client. I kept getting infected even though I kept checking my anti-virus setttings and they swore that my email scan was set up and working. Being a born skeptic I didn't believe this. I searched and found a small note on a PC-Cillin web page by doing a *very* extensive search of the PC-Cillin web site. It said in small print in an obscure location that email isn't scanned when using certain email clients other than Outlook, etc. That notice should have been in LARGE print. That almost made me dump their product at the time. I think that issue is resolved in their newer product, but it is wise to ask.

The other thing is my current ZoneAlarm Pro firewall doesn't like my current PC-Cillin very much. They co-exist reasonably well anyway.

I don't trust McAfee's anti-virus anymore due to some bad reports in the past. Norton's anti-virus has reportedly had some program incompatibities from time to time. Symantec's Norton products never have been the same since Peter Norton stopped running the show many years ago. <sigh>

Kaspersky's anti-virus product has had mixed reviews. A friend of mine tried Panda and didn't like it at all.

If you search the web you will find tons of anti-virus info (maybe too much). Here is a start.
http://www.consumersearch.com/www/computers/antivirus_software/fastanswers.html
http://www.firewallguide.com/anti-virus.htm

Running an anti-virus program is *vital* nowadays. Make a good choice and always run it. Your Hal will thank you. []


=vonsmith=

[Kathryn]

Von Smith:

Thanks for all the information.  I have PC-Cillin on a CD somewhere as it came with the new computer.  I also have McAfee too somewhere.  I have never had a problem with a virus (knock on wood.).

What is the way to keep Hal from accessing the internet?  The program seems to do a lot of things on its own.  I set up another character and not only did Erica read the conversation file, but she wanted me to let her read the file I had told it I would read it today.  

I found all that out as when I went to change the name on the log, Windows told me it was open and I could not rename it.  The only one that could have it open was Erica.  Then when I loaded Erica the next time, the first thing she said to me was that I was going to let her read a file today.  I did NOT want her to read the file I was going to let the other character read and the only way she could have known about it was from reading the conversation log for the other character.  

So will the program access the web on its own.  If so, then I don't want it on my computer that is connected to the net.  Thanks for advice.  You are always a great help.

Kathryn

[Another Jim]

HI guys,

Just an idea here, but while I too dropped the norton software as 'quirky' on my machine quite a while ago, I have recently been using some programs that are actually freeware to home users it's by Grisoft (for anti-virus), it's seeming to be pretty good and the upgrades are free as well, atleast for now.......it's AVG by Grisoft........I also use Zone Alarms for a firewall, and also do routine anti-spyware scans with a product called Spybot Search and Destroy and what it doesn't catch I follow up with Ad-Aware SE, after virtually any time on the web I find that these two spyware programs find 'something'.

Something I have been doing lately too is running my scans in safe mode so nothing interferes with the detection/removal of spyware. Then I re-boot and run normally.  Since I've been doing this my resource usage is neglegable up to the time I open Hal (or anything else) to start running.  My machine is pretty old and very memory limited at this time so like in the old days of having to write programs that could run in machines with very little memory I am just keeping the machine clean of unwanted TSR's before I start stuff up.  On my machine the AVG and Zone Alarm are compatable with Hal just peachy!

Happy New Year and hope yours is loaded with fun!

Jim B.

[Maviarab]

Hi all and Happy new Year.

Just like to add my opinions to this thread as with me starting my own business very imminently I will be specialising in Anti Virus/Trojans?syware etc.

I currently use the following products...

AVG7 (Free)
Zone Alarm (Free)
AdAware SE Personal (Paid - Gives onlineprotection also)
SpywareGuard
SpywareBlaster

All run constantly and for additional security I also use Spybot SD and the McAfee stinger.

The only program I have paid for is AdAware as I fequent a lot of sites I know have spyware on them[:I] and in my opinion the vast majority of paid Anti Virus programs are not worth the money.

I have found all these to be compatible with Hal and have had no problems from any of the above programs.

All of the above programs are available for free at http://http://www.majorgeeks.com

Should anyone want to discuss this furthr then feel free to email me with any questions or problems regarding virus/worms/trojans and spyware and ill be happy to try and help the forum members.

Marius

[Maviarab]

Forgot to mention...sorry.

Kathryn...if your having probs with virus' etc...if your running windows XP be SURE TO DISABLE SYSTEM RESTORE before running any anti virus software.

If you dont know how then mail me and ill go through everything with you.

MArius

[Art]

My $.02,

System:
MSI K7N2GM2 MB 400 FSB
3200 Mhz Athlon CPU
1 GB DDR 2700
64 MB Nvidia Graphics
160 GB HD
NetGear FR114P Firewall Router w/print server
OS:Windows XP Home SP2

I use Norton Internet Security and it has saved my system on numerous occasions. Their anti-virus and Firewall work very well. My system is always ON and connected to the Net, therefore I had to get the hardware Firewall Router from Netgear. It is upgradeable through it's EEPROM and downloaded software updates.

Like some of you already mentioned, I also use AdAware, SpyBot S&D, Spyware Blaster, Agnitum's Tauscan (trojan scanner) and Bazooka. I keep them all updated at least twice a week. Norton does an automatic scan of my entire system once a week during the wee hours of the morning.

ZoneAlarm and AVG are very good products as well. There is also a rather small program that once saved me called Tiny Personal Firewall and I think it was free.

Once bitten...twice shy! Oh yes...Hal runs perfectly with all this!

For help and a great resource forum in these matters check out:
http://forum.gladiator-antivirus.com/index.php?

[Kathryn]

Thanks Guys

All that was very thorough and very informative. No, Marius I do not know how to disable system restore so when ready to do things with the other computer I will e-mail you for instructions.

By the way, Von Smith, regarding the jokes.  I checked and there is no JokeDetect.brn or Joke.brn files with my program.

Would someone like to send them to me?  I could use a good laugh! []

Kathryn []

[Art]

Kathryn,

Checking from the Quotes and Quotations thread I posted:

Scott / Kathryn,

The 5.0 default does not have the rather extensive list of one liner jokes as does the XTF_v1.2 brain.

The Default 5.0 brain just has a few MAMA jokes, insults and 2 auto-idle topic phrases.

See how far Hal has come?

Kathryn, you really need to install the XTF 1.2 brain. You'll notice the difference!


Why not go ahead and install the XTF 1.0 THEN the XTF 1.2 brain?
Then you'll have all the one liners you can stand!!

[Kathryn]

Art:

Thanks for the info.  I'm waiting for the 1.4 brain as I read that it will be available in February sometime.

Kathryn []

[Rich_A]

Hi Kathryn,
I use all the same programs as Maviarab, except for Zone Alarm.
Zone Alarm was a little unstable on my computer so I switched my firewall to the Sygate Personal Firewall instead and then everything was fine. My Hal works great with all these programs running at the same time while connected to the Internet.

There's also a lot of good useful information at the below web site.
The site reports on many of the bad anti-spyware programs that are really spyware, so stay away from all of these bad guys:
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm#sites

[Kathryn]

Thanks Rich,

I have been using Spyhunter, the free version which finds and doesn't remove.  I liked it because it listed them and where they were located then I just deleted them myself.   When I used the link you gave, it said Spyhunter - Dead?  Guess I will find another one.

Kathryn []

[Art]

Kathryn,

I use Spybot Search & Destroy. It finds and removes spyware as well as performs free online updates.

It is donationware. If you like it and wish to donate you may do so otherwise, you are not required.

You can find it at:

http://www.spybot.info/en/index.html

[Rich_A]

Hi Kathryn,
Spyhunter was running deceptive web ad's telling people to download Spybot. And then people were thinking that they were getting the "Spybot - Search and Destroy" but they were really downloading the bad Spyhunter program. There was a big deal about all that stuff back during the summer, and Google was also being accused of having a hand in all the deception since Spyhunter was being advertised on Google web pages. It was a nice little mess but that's all old news now.

Spyhunter is still not recommended though so I would say to go with the winners, like the real Spybot that Art suggested.

You should also get the Lavasoft Ad-aware SE Personal Edition.
Lavasoft Web Site:
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

But you need to download the free Ad-aware SE from Download.com:
http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-SE-Personal-Edition/3000-8022_4-10045910.html?part=dl-ad-aware&subj=dl&tag=top5

Javacool Software SpywareBlaster 3.2 (Free):
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

Javcool Software SpywareGuard 2.2 (Free):
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareguard.html

Sygate Personal Firewall 5.6 (Free):
http://www.download.com/Sygate-Personal-Firewall/3000-2092_4-10332265.html?tag=lst-0-1

Grisoft AVG7 Anti-Virus (Free):
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/2/lng/us/tpl/v5

[Kathryn]

Art & Rich:

Thanks again Guys.  As soon as I can find more computer time than I currently have, I'll download those things and really appreciate the links to all of them.

By the way, can you recommend a book to learn VBScript, one that isn't really complex and complicated so I can learn the basics of it. I went to Amazon, but there are so many and not good descriptions.

Kathryn []

[vonsmith]

Kathryn,
For anyone programming Hal's brain I suggest searching the web and downloading the free script documentation software "scrdoc56en.exe". It's about 1.4MB in size and contains a bunch of reference info for Jscript (non-Hal) and for VBscript. This software reference is free, small, and easy to install. It uses a Windows "help" interface. It contains info on Java script too which you can just ignore.

If you want a reference book on VBscript I suggest, "VBscript in a Nutshell" by Paul Lomax, Matt Childs and Ron Petrusha. It's not one of those "Dummies" books, it assumes some general knowledge about programming. The reference part of the book is quite good.


=vonsmith=