Virgin Media Security Total

[atg]

Hello everybody!

So I just signed up for this, the full works; AV; firewall; ad blocker; anti-spyware etc. The question is, do I have to actively run scans, or is it all automatic? How do I manage the settings? Should I uninstall AVG too? It's a big leap of faith.

I'm not a tech advisor but I do use this security myself and used to use AVG, I uninstalled it before I ran the install program. I downloaded it first. You can set it to automatically scan if you want or you can do them manually if you prefer. Got to say, I'm impressed with it and the cost - FREE is brilliant

[martyh]

i'm giving it a try ,i was using ms essentials but that did let a particularly nasty trojan through despite being updated regularly which led to a full reinstall of my laptop .Up to now i am happy, not a hog and seems to do the job well


i would always recommend a scan once a week any way

[badhairday]

Depending on your computer OS most functions work automatically after you initially set them up. Search here or Google for info on the subject . Don't worry... if they are going to get ya they'll get ya even with a real firewall, so many scare tactics out there,too many to shake a stick at! Don't click anything your unsure of unless its not your computer hahahaha then click anything. And I agree with Fionin... free AVG in the dogs Bollx

[atg]

Well, just when I thought I had it done, there was something else to click on, and I now have downloaded InstallShield too.

[badhairday]

I did not have Installshield ONE !!!!!!

[atg]

Ok, so now I might be regretting this. My laptop's performance has been destroyed. I am often sitting for up to 10 minutes looking at little blue circles going round and round, little windows saying pages are unresponsive, plug ins crashing, and my wireless network popping in and out.

I ran a full scan and there were no viruses or spyware at all.

Does anybody else have this problem? Is it the wireless router, although this too was supplied by VM?

Should I turn bits of VM security off?

[footslog]

Was running AVG 8.5, got fed up with the nags to update to 9.0, tried to install that but got a 'conflict' warning msg - unfortunately the msg didn't give a program name, but something that looked like part of a registry key (I searched the registry for clues, but didn't find it). Uninstalled AVG8.5 and decided to try Microsoft Security Essentials - oh dear. Got the dreaded 'no icon in the tray' problem, so you can't open the interface. Applied Microsoft's own 'fix' for this - had no effect. Uninstalled MSE, ran AVGRemover (AVG's own 'get rid of every last trace'), reinstalled MSE - still no tray icon. The only way I could get into the interface was to uncheck it from Startup programs in Msconfig, re-boot and start it manually. Lived with this for a couple of days, meanwhile the PC's performance had dropped off a cliff - found in Task Manager that Explorer.exe and MSSCES.exe were between them using 100% CPU almost continuously. Scheduled virus scans did not take place, unless it had been started manually.
Tonight, uninstalled MSE, signed up and downloaded VM's total security package. Attempted to run the install exe, and got 'Internal error' msg box, with a serial number (not the same as AVG...!).
Re-ran the AVG 9.0 install, clicked OK to ignore the conflict error, and everything now appears to have returned to normal.
Not sure what the lessons in all this are, but I'm disappointed MSE didn't work for me, as a lot of others seem to think it's pretty good.

[badhairday]

atg can you let us know what operating system you use, is it mac or windows.

If your using windows maybe its time to chill and restore your system back to a previous condition.
I believe the mac has a similar program, time machine I think its called not sure
Something is amiss and we will do our best to fix it but please let us know what you got first.

[atg]

I am running Vista Home basic.

[badhairday]

ok I would suggest using system restore to go back to before everything went bad for you.
If you have not used SR before then please follow these steps.
Go into your control panel and click system and maintainance then go into Backup and Restore and click Use System Restore to fix problems etc. Then click next and choose a time before everything wents bandy. Then follow onscreen instructions.

If you can't find a time then you can try this.
Control Panel/Programs/uninstall programs and select one after another the programs that have been giving you trouble and uninstall them. Only take out those that you can put back if need be. Those you have a copy of on your hard drive etc or the CD . Once everything is as it should be you might want to re install them so don't remove anything you can't put back.
Reset your machine afterwards.

I don't have an extensive arsenal of protection to be online, as most infections are user initiated, going to dodgy sites,clicking unknown links in emails etc etc. All I have is Free AVG(Anti Virus Group) and the regular windows firewall/defender that came with Vista.
Occasionally I use Spybot search and Destroy again free and nothing else really. A site I use a lot for help outside VM is http://www.howtogeek.com/ and http://www.techguy.org/.

I hope this helps let us know if it does not.

---------- Post added at 23:21 ---------- Previous post was at 23:14 ----------

It is quite safe to turn all your security off just to see if your system works ok. If it does then its just a process of trial and error to find out which gremlin is screwing things up.
The only security you must keep on is your wireless router apart from that..let it all hang out

[frabe]

dont bother with it

i was using it and i managed to get a nasty rootkit and 31 viruses. took me 5 days to get rid of them

avast is much better av software and its free

[badhairday]

as I said user initiation causes most infections. If you got a rootkit it was not caused by installing AVG unless you got it from an unautherised location, a click through perhaps.

However at the end of the day its ATG we are trying to help, it really does not matter which Anti Virus software has the biggest balls

[broadbandking]

Originally Posted by atg

Hello everybody!

So I just signed up for this, the full works; AV; firewall; ad blocker; anti-spyware etc. The question is, do I have to actively run scans, or is it all automatic? How do I manage the settings? Should I uninstall AVG too? It's a big leap of faith.

Did you uninstall AVG?

[moon_t]

Originally Posted by frabe

dont bother with it

i was using it and i managed to get a nasty rootkit and 31 viruses. took me 5 days to get rid of them

avast is much better av software and its free

Total scaremongering, there is no way a security suite has let through 32 pieces of malware / viruses if used correctly unless you are deliberately accessing sites that install this stuff and ignoring the advice of your security suite, or running executables from untrusted sources.

I previously used Kaspersky Internet Security but when my subscription was up for renewal I decided to give VM's free suite a try first. I'm happy with the levels of protection provided and have seen no impact on system resources in Windows 7 Professional 32/64 bit or Vista business. The suite just lacks fine tune control and an advanced feature-set. But for a free suite that is exactly what would be expected and is indeed similar to many of the freely available suites that also have a professional paid for version.
Parental control settings are very good and I am confident they are providing decent protection for my kids when I am not around.

If basic security is what you want I'd recommend giving VM Total Security a try, for more advanced features and better control options go with a purchased suite or free firewalls with advanced functionality, i.e. commodo or zone alarm free versions that have reasonable control of ports at a more detailed level than VM Total..