XP questions I [Controling internet connections]

I appreaciate any and all replies. This XP adventure is getting very very very old... however, I stilll need to get this up and running and secure.

Q1 Read in the security section about "never being in admin mode and on the internet ". OK I can buy that.... but how then does one get all the updates etc... for the various software installation if not in admin? Doesn't one have to be in admin to install various downloads (like adobe, or netscape, or ad-aware, or java, or any number of other essencial downloads and updates?.

Q2 I also would like to know what protocals it can do without, the only network I do is through a Lan port from a stand alone to a satelite modem (wildblue's). I take it I can only have TCPIP and not install the client stuff/versions that windows seems to want to have....? I just do just web/internet use and thats most for mail and job search.

Q3 How do I control... at 100%... what Windows and others do behind the scenes over the internet? I get real nervous when the modem lights are obviously in two way com, the drives rattling like mad, and I haven't personnally told it to do anything! Is there any realtime monitor ( "stay on top" utility that shows exactly what communications are taking place... and which program or system is doing it, as well as the ability to ask my permission? Everything Nortons FW does is all after the fact or is always creating auto rules.

Q4 I have been trying to get this system rebuilt and stable several times with multiple new installtions of windows. Part of my troublehas been with bad hardware, and I think I've got that settled. I install all the updates and then turn the autoupdate to notify only. Lately... upon shut down ... at the windows closing down screen it comes up with a "installing update 1 of 1 ..." and keeps repeating, as well as drive activity, also stating "dont turn off the computer it will turn of automatincaly" or words to that effect...

Is this a real windows thing...even though auto update is in notify only? Or is it some kind of virus that Norton's AV can't see?

Q5 is Norton AV and FW any good or should I go with another? I've had symantec stuff for years and fairly satified. I will NOT do McAffe's since they will not support and fix install problems free.



There are more questions but this is enough for one thread. Thanks in advance.

Dave

 

Hello Dave,

To start answering some of your questions:

Q1 Read in the security section about "never being in admin mode and on the internet ". OK I can buy that.... but how then does one get all the updates etc... for the various software installation if not in admin? Doesn't one have to be in admin to install various downloads (like adobe, or netscape, or ad-aware, or java, or any number of other essencial downloads and updates?.

The answer is that XP is flawed in this respect and software makers are to blame for much of this as well. One way to handle this would be to enable fast user switching for this purpose. My understanding is that Vista will handle this better.


Q4 I have been trying to get this system rebuilt and stable several times with multiple new installtions of windows. Part of my troublehas been with bad hardware, and I think I've got that settled. I install all the updates and then turn the autoupdate to notify only. Lately... upon shut down ... at the windows closing down screen it comes up with a "installing update 1 of 1 ..." and keeps repeating, as well as drive activity, also stating "dont turn off the computer it will turn of automatincaly" or words to that effect...

To give you more control over this process: on the WU page in the left panel is Use Administrative Options > Update multiple operating systems
To select from updates issued for all Windows operating systems, including software updates for servers and driver (hardware) updates, search the Windows Update Catalog.

Windows Catalog allows you to download the updates as stand alone setup files. In order to do that, you have to know what the KB numbers are - allow MS to scan and tell you what you need. Out of that, you pick the updates.

I personally have AU disabled and operate this way in order to control the timing between updates and to identify better any potential problems with any update an example of which occured with April's MS updates.

Regards - Charles

 

Q3 How do I control... at 100%... what Windows and others do behind the scenes over the internet? I get real nervous when the modem lights are obviously in two way com, the drives rattling like mad, and I haven't personnally told it to do anything! Is there any realtime monitor ( "stay on top" utility that shows exactly what communications are taking place... and which program or system is doing it, as well as the ability to ask my permission? Everything Nortons FW does is all after the fact or is always creating auto rules.

Not a NIS user, so can't comment on it, but I think there is a way to change the auto rules. I use firewalls where I have control over what does want to connect: ZA Pro and Sunbelt's Kerio, even though both will create auto rules for MS processes like Generic Host Process which MS's Auto Update piggybacks out in the form of wuauclt.exe.

Here is a free Sysinternals utility to watch connections: http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/TcpView.html

Right clicking on any connection line allows closing the connection or ending the process.


Q5 is Norton AV and FW any good or should I go with another? I've had symantec stuff for years and fairly satified. I will NOT do McAffe's since they will not support and fix install problems free.

I think they are good, the question is how easy are they to control and how much resources they use to do their job. My answer to that is the fact I don't use them

Regards - Charles

 

get linux ... hehe

 

Thanks all

Been out of town for a few days and just now getting back to rebuilding/setting up the "machine from H ".

I appreciate your replies and I will definately be looking into the various ideas, the net monitor program, and concepts presented.

Note to the last post about linux. I've thought about it a couple of times and about setting up another machine (with older extra stuff I have around here) to learn a little about it. May go dual boot with it as an option on the new build, but at the minute I simply do not know enough... or at least know just enough enough to mess it up... (naw... we've never done that before!... nope... not me!!!)

Still need to have windows software for work activities though... unfortunately.

Thanks again.
Dave