Shield your PC against cyberattacks with FREE* Antivirus and Firewall Software

From etrust help;e-mail checking

eTrust EZ Antivirus’s Real-Time protection checks and cleans any infected e-mail attachments when you open them. You can also Save the attachment to the hard disk and scan it using the main eTrust EZ Antivirus program. To check that Real-Time protection is enabled, move the pointer over the eTrust EZ Antivirus symbol in the system tray (located in the bottom right of the taskbar near the clock).



And the firewall is easily configured. If in doubt, download the free trial and check it out. You can always uninstall it if you're not satisfied.

 

Shielding

Yes, but is it useful for MSN, specifically?

 

Queuedecoton,

You sound as if you would prefer to just uninstall antivirus software and depend on MSN to catch and filter any and all infected emails. I repaired a computer just two days ago on which the boot.ini file was completely wiped out and over 400 files erased and unrecoverable, that was relying on AOL's claim to filter infected emails. OK, it's AOL, not MSN. Is either one an AV software writer? Would either one of them be able to identify a new virus before anyone was infected and reported it? Can they detect one on your system and remove it if one gets by?

Useful? Yes. Any AV that can scan an attachment is useful.
As in dedicated? No. And I know of none that are. And until MSN becomes an AV software writer, there probably won't be a dedicated one.
As for XP's firewall. Relying on it alone is better than no firewall at all, but with the number of security issues there have been and are continually being found in Microsoft operating systems, do you really feel confident in its ability to protect your computer?

 

Shield your computer

No, I don't, and that's what's bothering me. So many AV programs and firewalls don't work with MSN, that I don't want to install something only to find out, as I did with AVG, that I have wasted my time and/or money. But I do believe in good protection.

 

I get few emails and even fewer with attachments, but if you would like, send me one and I'll try to verify that eTrust's Real-time Protection scans the attachment and post back. My username @msn and/or hotmail.

 

Use Eicar as a test. It's safe.

Johanna
ps It makes Norton kick into gear, for sure!

 

Thanks Johanna.

As quickly as I clicked on one of those files it was identified by eTrust as Eicar's test file. Problem is, it's not an MSN email attachment, so won't help with Queuedecoton's question.

 

So you guys email it to each other? It's not a big file.

Johanna

 

My previous post was made in haste (late for work) and obviously without much thought.

Of course it does. It tells us that eTrust's Real-time Protection is actively scanning anything I try to open from the net.

 

Yep.

Johanna

 

This is wrong. Your antivirus program, no matter what it is, is always watching everything. It may not be covered by it in the sense that it's not screened as it comes in but you can bet it's getting checked when you try to open it. This is true no matter how the attachment comes, whether downloaded, emailed, or from MSN Messenger. Some people like the extra screening of email that Norton and AVG provide but as for myself, I think its totally redundant and unnecessary. I never used it myself when I used Norton.

Seems to me a lot of the virus paranoia is way over blown. Use some common sense when recieving attachments and you'll be fine. When I used Norton several years ago, I was using it on a P2 233mhz system. With autoprotect running Norton would slow things down to the point of it being unbearable (at least for me). I turned it off and didn't have any realtime protection running at all for a couple years until I came across InnoculateIt which is now Etrust. There wasn't any drain on the system with it so I then used the realtime protection. My point here is that, after two years of no realtime protection, I managed to stay clean. I would save every attachment that came in an email and then scan the attachment manually before opening it. In that time, I can only think of a couple worms I recieved and they were caught when I scanned the file manually. I don't recommend this for everybody and I realize it's not possible for everybody when you have kids, friends etc. thrown into the mix. I did it with my kids around but they knew what they could do and not do. Anything they wanted to download had to go through me first. No exceptions. It was a rule I had and they followed it ( I know, I was probably lucky ). Their fear of Dads wrath was evidently much greater than their curiosity about that game was.

So.... when you recieve something in your email or through MSN Messenger or whatever, turn off the curiosity bug in your head. A little common sense will go a long way toward keeping your computer bug free!

 

"Pin" this thread to the top?

Am I late on this thread, or what???

Arie,

Thank you for the 'heads up' on this one, my friend !!

This is really a great offer @ an exceptionally great price. Certainly the best offer of any software maker so far in 2004, to be sure.

I have sent the link to this thread to everyone in my Address Book smart enough to understand today's need for protection in the form of a good AV program and a 'firewall'.

I even sent it to some people who don't have a clue about the 'nasties' lurking about on the Internet. Someday they, too, "will learn "! Albeit the hard way.

Do you have any idea how long this offer will last? Is it "time-based" or does eTrust have a specific # of 'free' downloads in mind? I'd like to pass this offer on to absolutely everyone I know who owns a computer with anything "MS" installed because I'm sure it won't happen again any time in the near future.

Without sounding like a "suc*-up ", Arie, I want you, and anyone else who comes to WindowsBBS to know, that I have trusted virtually all of the advice offerred on this site and learned more about my computer here than on any other site I have ever seen.

The 'experts and gurus' @ WindowsBBS are, without a doubt, in this old man's humble opinion, the "Best that ever Was" !!!


Thank you ALL and Happy Valentine's Day, you big 'Sillies'.



Mike

 

indutch
The free offer lasts until June 30, 04. See the fine print in Arie's first post at the beginning of this thread. That fine print will always get ya.

 

But if you click on the download link it says good till 2/1/05.

 

shielding

Unfortunately, one week after I paid for and installed eTrust I began receiving messages to the effect that my trial period had expired and I am no longer protected. I went to the CA site, and found my acount recrods showed that indeed I was paid up for a year, and that my subscription would expire Feb 5 2005. But I haven't heard back from them what to do. I am still waiting.

 

Queuedecoton,

I remember seeing something about that in their knowledge base. I'll see if I can locate some info for you too. Just out of curiosity, the package is free for a year with a $29.99 renewal. Why did you purchase already?

 

shielding

I tried their knowledge base and got nowhere.

Why did I pay for it? I didn't see the free-for-a-year offer. . .

 

Dave
I checked out the download link and I see you're right. I would assume that it's correct and you have until that date to take advantage of it.

Queuedecoton
Did you ever enter your registration key in the program? If so, have you tried to re-enter it?

 

shield

I entered my ID number, and redownloaded as the eTrust eventual response instructed. After that I was told in later email from eTrust to go to their Knowledge section (Knowledge # 49) but could not follow those instructions because they didn't really apply.

Now I have the AV working - I hope, and the Firewall, but the RealTime Firewall is marked with a big X, although I do keep getting notices which indicate protection is operative; I was also able to download new Firewall updates manually.

I have written AGAIN to eTrust to find out why the X and how I can get rid of it. And I still get the Expired notice.

P.S. I see I am described as a Senior Member. Ha! I'm about as senior as a new-born lamb. Or does the term refer to how long I've been a member? In any case, I'm always in need of more help than a Senior Member should be!

 

SHIELDING

Sorry - I meant the AV icon is X'd out. So I don't get automatic downloads. When I try, I get the Expired message.