Topic: More Security Software Woes.

[chorleydave]

I use a wonderful little progam called Poptray, an email notifier that runs in the Systray and uses hardly any resources.  It checks your email accounts at a pre-set interval and notifies you of any waiting email by means of a rotating icon.  Then you can either open your mail client and download your mail, or delete it on the server.  Much better than these silly bloatware anti-spam features built into email clients.

Unfortunately, I also have begun to use AVG version 7.  Unlike previous versions of AVG which were simple to work with, AVG 7 follows the customary security software method of completely ruining your online experience.  Some idiot at AVG thought that it might be a good idea to add an automatic email scanner to the new version.  Not only does it cause email to take about ten times as long to download as it did previously, but PopTray doesn't even work with it, unless you disable the email scanner.  So, in order to use PopTray, you have to disable the email scanner in AVG, let PopTray do it's work as normal, then (when you are ready to download your waiting mail) either re-activate AVG's scanner, or look at an annoying popup telling you that it isn't functional.

Why can't people just leave things alone? :tony:

[Simon]

Nothing's ever simple is it?  Have you tried Mail Washer instead, Dave?  Although, I have, on occasions, had Norton scream at even checking an e-mail header with Mail Washer, so it does seem that the AV brigade also monitor e-mail previewers.  

[Rodders]

My preference is for a combination of Outlook XP, Mailwasher Pro, Firetrust Benign, AVG 7 and MSGTAG Status.  Mailwasher checks my mail accounts and alerts me via the sytem tray whenever I have messages which aren't on my dross list.  Firetrust Benign then neutralises the code of anything arriving in my inbox, while AVG 7 checks my mail for known threats.  It all seems to work fairly well now that Microbesoft have issued another patch for the patch that broke Benign.

As for Norton, I think they should have stuck to making motorbikes.  

[chorleydave]

This really is getting ridiculous.  As I indicated in another thread, I have been planning to download and use Mozilla Thunderbird as my email program.  However, having just visited the forum and read a dozen threads started in the last two days about Thunderbird not working properly since AVG 7 was installed, with the only solution anyone has been able to come up with is to permanently disable the AVG email scanner, I don't think I'll bother.  It looks as if it's back to Outlook Express 6 for me as it at least works alongside anything.

This really is becoming outrageous.  Security software is now determining what else you can use on your computer.  :tony:

[chorleydave]

Nothing's ever simple is it?  Have you tried Mail Washer instead, Dave?  Although, I have, on occasions, had Norton scream at even checking an e-mail header with Mail Washer, so it does seem that the AV brigade also monitor e-mail previewers.  

Thanks, Simon, but it seems that AVG 7 is even causing problems for people with Mailwasher.

http://forum.grisoft.cz/freeforum/read.php?3,3179,page=1,backpage=  

Anyway, I've completely disabled the AVG 7 email scanner and Poptray is now working fine.  What's the point of it?  We've managed without it for many years in previous versions of AVG.  I detest security programs as it is.  I don't intend to let them hold me to ransom.  I can be sure of one thing though.  At the next format AVG goes and Avast returns.  >

[Rodders]

I hate to think of you performing without any protection, Dave.  Have you given AntiVir a try lately?  It's FREE.

[chorleydave]

Thanks, Rod.

Yes.  I was using AntiVir, but everytime I went to update it, it doesn't just update the signature files, it updates the whole bloody program, up to 9MB at times - a nightmare on dialup.  Therefore, it had to go, hence I downloaded AVG 7.

As I say, AVG as been developed without this stupid email scanner for years, so I'm not going to miss it.

[davy51]

You might try avast anti virus
It works great for me and its free

http://www.avast.com/

[chorleydave]

Hi davy.  

Yes, I've tried Avast on my "test" computer and I liked it.  At my next format of this PC I will definitely be using it as my anti-virus, as it isn't full of silly gimmicks designed to do nothing but restrict your use of your computer.

On a brighter note, I posted in another thread that following a session of firewall nightmares I had downloaded and installed a very old version of Zone Alarm (version 2, in fact) on a young lasses PC.  I can now advise that it is doing it's job well, and isn't full of these stupid popup blockers and ActiveX blockers that any decent web browser will already have built in.  Anyone who is currently using a modern, ruinous firewall might want to consider uninstalling it and going to Oldversion.Com, getting ZA v2, and taking back control of their own computer.

http://www.oldversion.com

[davy51]

Hi davy.  

Yes, I've tried Avast on my "test" computer and I liked it.  At my next format of this PC I will definitely be using it as my anti-virus, as it isn't full of silly gimmicks designed to do nothing but restrict your use of your computer.

On a brighter note, I posted in another thread that following a session of firewall nightmares I had downloaded and installed a very old version of Zone Alarm (version 2, in fact) on a young lasses PC.  I can now advise that it is doing it's job well, and isn't full of these stupid popup blockers and ActiveX blockers that any decent web browser will already have built in.  Anyone who is currently using a modern, ruinous firewall might want to consider uninstalling it and going to Oldversion.Com, getting ZA v2, and taking back control of their own computer.

http://www.oldversion.com

something else you might look at for a firewall is sygate personal.I think its better than zone alarm and more configurable.
You decide what you want to block
I have used it for over a year and never had a problem with it and program compatibility.

http://smb.sygate.com/products/spf_standard.htm

[chorleydave]

Hi again, davy.

I used Sygate until twelve months ago.  They updated the program and caused many users a serious problem with a component they introduced called TEEFER.SYS.

From what I understand, TEEFER.SYS is meant to stop a connection being made to the internet before Sygate is fully loaded, which is sound in theory.  However, in practice TEEFER.SYS actually stops you from even starting your computer.  You get a Windows Protection Error and can only use the PC in Safe Mode.  If you read the thread I started "The Pure Evil Of The Firewall", you will see that even twelve months on, TEEFER.SYS is still causing problems for those running Windows 98, 98SE, and ME.  Interestingly, Sygate recognise that TEEFER.SYS is a problem for those using these operating systems, but have done sweet FA about it.  Do they expect everyone to use 2000 or XP just so they can use their product?  To my way of thinking, this is yet another classic example of security software producers thinking they can determine what you can run on your computer.  Well, I have a surprise for them.  This computer belongs to me, not to Sygate or AVG and I'll run the operating system I want to run on it.

There are numerous references to the problem TEEFER.SYS causes if you type the words "Sygate" and "Teefer" into a Google search.  The link below (relating to Longhorn, with a mention of ME in this case) explains it very well.

Nevertheless, thanks for the advice.

http://www.hardwaregeeks.com/board/archive/index.php/t-7789.html

[davy51]

Im sorry i use xp so i never had the problems.
I hadnt heard anyone i knew personally that had any problems with it

[chorleydave]

No probs, Davy.  To be honest, until Sygate messed it up with the upgrade, their product was the only firewall I was prepared to tolerate.

However, as I posted earlier in this thread, I have downloaded and installed Zone Alarm version 2 (around circa 1999) on a friend's nieces machine and, having called at her's to check on it a couple of times, I have now put it on my main machine.  It does just what I think a firewall should do (puts the PC in stealth mode and only lets applications access the internet that YOU have allowed) and nothing more.  It doesn't have popup blockers, cookie managers, content managers etc. that any decent web browser will allow you to configure yourself, nor does it control and quarantine e-mails, which any decent email checker will allow you to do yourself.  I could go on and on but, to put it simply, it allows you to take back control of your computer, control that you surrendered when you installed a modern software firewall.

As I have said before, this computer is mine, not Kerio's or Sygate's or Outpost's.  If I want it to be controlled by someone else, I might as well leave it open to hackers and save myself a lot of faffing about.

[davy51]

No probs, Davy.  To be honest, until Sygate messed it up with the upgrade, their product was the only firewall I was prepared to tolerate.

However, as I posted earlier in this thread, I have downloaded and installed Zone Alarm version 2 (around circa 1999) on a friend's nieces machine and, having called at her's to check on it a couple of times, I have now put it on my main machine.  It does just what I think a firewall should do (puts the PC in stealth mode and only lets applications access the internet that YOU have allowed) and nothing more.  It doesn't have popup blockers, cookie managers, content managers etc. that any decent web browser will allow you to configure yourself, nor does it control and quarantine e-mails, which any decent email checker will allow you to do yourself.  I could go on and on but, to put it simply, it allows you to take back control of your computer, control that you surrendered when you installed a modern software firewall.

As I have said before, this computer is mine, not Kerio's or Sygate's or Outpost's.  If I want it to be controlled by someone else, I might as well leave it open to hackers and save myself a lot of faffing about.

I agree with you 100% sometimes the simpler a program is the less it causes problems.And like you i wont give up control of my computer to any other company if it wont let me set it my way i wont use it.