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Pc-Cillin. Help please.
Okay, I've had unbelievably terrible luck with the two computers i've had. Both of them had Norton Antivirus, Service Pack 1(i think?) and I used Adaware. I still got viruses. I just received a new dell computer and I spent alot of money, so I'm not even going to attempt to get online and start up again without asking this. The computer came with Pc-Cillin, and I bought Service pack 2 with it, please, someone tell me, is Pc-cillin going to protect my computer? I don't really trust norton anymore, and I was just wondering if I should even bother with pc-cillin? And the computer came with a whole bunch of stuff that i dont want.. such as that jukebox and stuff, if I take all of that stuff off, will it harm my computer? I probably sound like I don't know what I'm doing, but thats probably because I don't. Hehe, any feedback is greatly appreciated. :smileytongue:
corruptivelogic
2 Posts
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December 15th, 2005 14:00
thyde
280 Posts
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December 15th, 2005 14:00
By all means install Ad-aware it does a different job from an antivirus program, for more details go here:
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/
T.Hyde
thyde
280 Posts
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December 15th, 2005 14:00
madpashon
20 Posts
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December 15th, 2005 22:00
I know everyone and their mother says that PC-Cillin is the best. I describe PC-Cillin with three words:
THE BIG LIE !!!
I switched to PC-Cillin because Symantec's customer service people left me very p.o.'ed. I checked around, and read reviews in different places, and a lot of people were saying that Trend Micro's product was the best. In March, i went out and bought the PC-cillin Internet Security 2005 package. It seemed ok. It kept my personal data safe; i was always getting boxes whenever something or someone was trying to get my info. I thought that was very cool. The security check feature never once picked up that i didn't have SP2 installed, and it was supposed to based on the review i'd read in a PC magazine. The spyware feature is a real yawn..i got better results back from Ad-Aware, Spybot S+D, and SpySweeper.
The REAL problems i've encountered is WORM_RBOT.RH, SOBER.AG, The PC-Cillin anti-virus scanner, and tech support staff who genuinely want to help you, but don't seem to be able to do so.
I found the RBOT worm by mistake when i went to selective startup to make some changes. I saw 'specialfile.exe' just sitting there checked off. I didn't know what it was, but i knew it didn't belong there. I checked PacMan's startup list, and there it was. It even included a link to the Italian Trend Micro site for the solution. I went in and found the info in English. Trend Micro was aware of this worm back in '03 (i think), yet not only did the directions they gave to remove the worm not work, THEIR SCANNER NEVER PICKED IT UP !!! Then, SOBER.AG came in. PC-Cillin caught and quarantined it twice, but two or three things that weren't quarantined could not be found. Their scanner never picked them up again after the first time.
Trend Micro offers free tech support. I'm telling you, i've been dealing with them by e-mail and over the phone since 10/31/05. Over a month later, the only thing that's been totally resolved is RBOT (i think, lol). SOBER.AG is still lurking in here somewhere. At one time, the tech i've worked closely with thought we'd gotten it out, but one day, the 'boxes' were sitting right back in selective startup. I've seen them and removed them from the registry at least 3 times since then. Once again, THE SCANNER ISN'T PICKING IT UP ! Mind you, i've uninstalled and reinstalled the software twice. At one time, the firewall wasn't working. MSN still doesn't detect an antivirus software present on my PC when i sign on using their safety check. In the meantime, the Trend Micro techs will discourage you from using Zone Alarm, Ad-Aware, etc. to protect yourself while their software isn't working the way it should.
By the way, i was elevated to (i believe) level 3 escalation tech support. We've done a LiveMeeting, but my PC is running so slowly because of the damage done, it couldn't be completed. The last thing we discussed was me running a tool to get a log, and to send it to them so that their designers could make a patch just for my PC. Problem is, so much damage has been done, i can't send the ding-dang log to them. Just so you know..i've used the System Cleaner and the 'tsc' before we even got to this point.
I've figured out that the best thing i can do at this point is to uninstall and reinstall the OS altogether. At least, that was a guess i made, and their tech person said it would get rid of the problem. Frankly, i don't know enough about this stuff to really know one way or the other. Even more frankly, I don't completely trust what they tell me. Mind you..their tech people really do want to help; that much i do know. It just seems like they can't, at least not in this case. To let you know just how badly it's gone, and that they know it, they're giving me a free year of service. I don't have to pay a subscription renewal in March 2006.
thyde
280 Posts
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December 17th, 2005 07:00
I sympathise with Madpashon but I suspect that his(?) experience is very unusual. I have had a microcomputer since about 1998 and I can only recall one virus infection in seven years. But I have always kept the anti-virus software and spyware up-to-date and run them 3 or 4 times each week. Incidentally, since Microsoft can and will up-date their software automatically if you run Windows XP, SP1 and SP2 included, there is no reason to have an out-of-date operating system.
We now have three computers, (see the information below), each has a different antivirus program installed, two of them are protected by the Microsoft XP firewall and all of them are protected by the firewall in the Netgear router, together with individual firewalls. Recently the licence for the Norton Anti-virus program (version 2002) expired and this is no longer supported by Symantec who suggested I purchase their 2006 version. I declined their offer after reading the reviews I quoted in my earlier message and have installed BitDefender which scours the memory when it is run. The NAV program used to find about 140000 files on the Dimension 4500 when it was run but BitDefender finds about 230000, this seems very thorough to me.
I repeat the advice I gave earlier, you must have an antivirus program and a firewall installed.
T.Hyde
Dimension 4500, 2.53GHz processor, 512Mb DIMM, Windows XP, 20Gb hard disk, 80Gb hard disk, Roxio CD R/RW, HP Deskjet 820 Cxi, Blueyonder Broadband & LAN. BitDefender antivirus program.
Dimension 4100, 1GHz processor, 256Mb SDRAM, Windows ME, 20Gb hard disk, Adaptec CD R/DW, HP Deskjet 840C, Scanjet 3300c, Blueyonder Broadband & Lan. CA antivirus program, free offer from Microsoft replaced out-of-date Norton AV.
Inspiron 8600, 1.4 Ghz processor, 512Mb SDRAM, Windows XP Home, 40Gb hard disk, Philips CDRW/DVD disk drive, Dell Photo All-in-one printer. McAfee antivirus program, Microsoft installed.
Netgear RP614 v2 router.
Message Edited by thyde on 12-17-2005 09:17 AM
madpashon
20 Posts
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December 17th, 2005 15:00
Thyde,
I agree..always keep your antivirus software updated, and use it. Use a good firewall. The point i made was not about whether or not to use antivirus software or firewalls. It was regarding the Trend Micro product, which is what i believe this question was regarding. Go back and read the original question carefully.
The experience i've had is indeed, very unusual. In 5-6 years of using a PC, i've never once had a virus/worm infection before my experience with Trend Micro's product. The Dell i have (Dimension 4300) came installed with Norton Antivirus. After my 6 month trial was up, i purchased the key and kept my subscription going. I not only kept it updated, i scanned my system at least twice a DAY, because i am on the Net so much. I used free Zone Alarm as a firewall, and never had a problem with it. I left Norton the same way you did..i didn't like the idea of being forced to upgrade and spend more money simply because they decided to stop providing tech support for what i had. At that time, i didn't know that was the status quo for the industry.
I purchased Trend Micro's product after reading the reviews about it, using the free trial of it, and using free trials of other antivirus products as well. Although Trend Micro slowed my system down considerably, i figured they all pretty much did, and i went out and purchased PC-Cillin Internet Security 2005. It was one of the worst decisions i've ever made. I set it up to scan all e-mail (webmail too) 5 layers deep, among other things. Once again, i did a full scan on my system at least twice daily, as well as once daily security checks and spyware checks. PC-Cillin let this stuff right on through. Like i said, the RH.BOT was in their Knowledge Base at least 2-3 years ago, but their scanner never caught it. I mean..NEVER caught it, well after i found it.
Unfortunately, with all of the confusion of trying to get this mess straight with Trend Micro's techs, and trying to finish the semester (i also take some classes ONLINE) despite the problems with my PC, i forgot my extended warranty with Dell was about to run out. When i did remember to check into it, i was told that Dell couldn't help me because the PC was purchased through QVC (it was a gift). When i contacted QVC, they couldn't figure out why i was even contacting them. They spoke in a tone that suggested that it was ridiculous that i was contacting them at all, especially seeing how the PC was purchased back in 2001, and the order number was no longer in their system. In the midst of all of this confusion, the warranty ran out on the 10th of this month. Yeah..a week ago.
In the meantime, the Trend Micro techs are so clueless, they sent me an e-mail yesterday asking me to use the attachment that came with the e-mail to gather information from my PC, create some logs, and send it back for their designers to look at. Problem is..there was NOTHING ATTACHED TO THE E-MAIL !!! This is the second time this exact same situation has happened. So..i'm about to try to uninstall and reinstall the OS with no more than the directions here at Dell, and the ones in the Solutions Guide that came with my PC. Please pray for me. If i don't get this right, i can kiss next semester goodbye. I'm on disablitity, so this is it for me, and i certainly can't afford a new PC at this time.
BTW..i'm a 'she' :womanwink:
--madpashon
thyde
280 Posts
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December 18th, 2005 06:00
thyde
280 Posts
0
December 18th, 2005 06:00
To corruptivelogic: I have just found this comprehensive article about Computer Security on the website of PC Magazine:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1618797,00.asp
madpashon
20 Posts
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December 19th, 2005 17:00
Thyde,
There was no offense taken. Sorry if you thought so. Thanks for the link; it will help me too. I'm currently looking for new security. Frankly, i don't know who to believe anymore re: the PC magazines and their ratings and recommendations. Everyone says TM is the best, but my experience says otherwise. I considered Zone Alarm's suite until i saw the recommendation by a particular magazine that recommended TM last year. Also, the users in the ZA forums are very vocal about just how bad ZA Pro is. I'm glad i read that, because i wouldn't have known if i hadn't. I've always used free ZA, and assumed they were the best..once again, because the leading magazines say so. I'm sure not all of the magazines recommend bad products. I wonder if it's based on who buys advertising space..hmmmm... Anyway, do you know of any PC magazines (besides Consumer Reports) that do NOT accept advertising of products? I think i could trust that more than i now do the major PC magazines out here.
I uninstalled and reinstalled based on Dell instructions in the book as well as Dell online info. I think i did it right, but i'm not sure; i can't seem to load MSN, and their techs aren't sure why. Also, i have to contact Microsoft re: trying to get SP1 installed because i'm having problems. I'm too scared to try to even deal with SP2 with everything i've heard. Other than that, things seem to be OK.
--madpashon
ramtuff002
6 Posts
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October 16th, 2006 21:00
I have had my xps 410 now for 6 days and have had freeze ups, blue screen errors, shut downs, anything you can imagine. I have been on the phone with dell support for 6 days now. I have let them take over my computer to see if they could do something. I actually dumped my computer of everything and re-installed. Finally they were able to tell me it was my pc-cillin program making all the errors etc. Even after we re-installed and updated there was a problem. Finally I got rid of it and everything is fine. Gotta say the Dell support was very good when it came to calling me back when they said they would but you would think they would have found the problem earlier.
ramtuff002
6 Posts
0
October 16th, 2006 22:00
Actually I just found out my problem is not totally resolved. I get the blue screen message..nv4_disp.dll and apparently it is all about my nvidia graphics card. So far I haven't been able to get any solution.
madpashon
20 Posts
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October 16th, 2006 22:00
madpashon
20 Posts
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October 16th, 2006 22:00
ramtuff002
6 Posts
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October 17th, 2006 00:00
madpashon
20 Posts
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October 17th, 2006 01:00