Request for tech advice and announcement

[neadods]

Request for Tech Advice

What Windows OS virus-checker do you use, and are you happy with it? (I've gotten a bit fed up with ZoneAlarm and want to know alternatives.) Bonus if it's freeware, but does anyone rely on Spybot alone, with or without that annoying TeaTimer?


Announcement

My parents have been looking at retirement communities for the last couple of years, but they've been very unenthusiastic about anything they saw and very ambivalent about moving out of the house that we moved into when I was three.

So I was pretty gobsmacked last night when Mother called at a time when she's normally getting ready for bed to say they found a place they LOVE, the house is already on the market, and they move in January.

!!!!

(They say it's because we kids should have one last Christmas in the old house. However, later in the conversation, it started to sound a lot like "we need you kids to provide 4 extra hands and 2 extra cars to help us move stuff." I am amused.)

Comments

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

I bought Kaspersky (v.7.0), which worked out to free after a rebate, and it's mostly excellent. Its performance vis-a-vis intrusion is terrific. I'm still learning how to most easily allow what I want to work, to work without my prompting it. (75% of that was easy to set immediately, and another 20% within a week -- it's those last few things that it does that I'm working on, a few months in.)

[spiralsheep.livejournal.com]

How strong are you? If I pay your air fare will you come and help me move? ;-)

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I'm about weak as dishwater, but I'll take the airfare. :D

[jigglykat.livejournal.com]

My grandma was like that. She and her husband (he's not my grandfather, he's Husband #3) moved into a retirement center that has several levels of assistance. They're in their own apartment and don't require much assistance, but if it's necessary when they're older, they'll move into the section that has partial living assistance, then if needed, the nursing home section. She wanted to choose the place and not let her kids pick it out, which I totally admire.

But yeah, the year before they moved, it seemed like there was family there constantly to clean, organize, move and take away a lot of stuff. Which was nice for me, since Grandma is only an hour away and with other family members, it made Husband #3 more bearable. Plus, I'd get random free nice stuff. Last time I was there, I got one of those vanity brush and mirror sets with my great-grandma's initials on it!

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I have one of those, and my grandfather's entire bedroom set, but it's a bit much. My house unfortunately has all this built-in crap, which means there's nowhere to put my own furniture!

[j00j.livejournal.com]

Freeware antivirus programs I've heard good things about: Avast, Clamwin. AVG used to be good although now they make it very hard to find the free version. It's still somewhere on the site, though.

I wouldn't recommend just using Spybot-- that's only for spyware as far as I know. I don't think it offers much if any virus protection.

[ionlylurkhere.livejournal.com]

I like AVG a lot, but they have made it insanely hard to find the free version: you have to find the relatively tiny link on each of several pages trumpeting the benefits of the pay versions. It's the Diet Coke of evil.

So here is a direct link. (http://www.download.com/AVG-Anti-Virus-Free-Edition/3000-2239_4-10320142.html) (It's not on avg.com but it is where they send you.)

[shawan-7.livejournal.com]

I ended up going with the Verizon security set which for $4.95 a month does all the updating, etc. It saves a lot of time and angst, and (currently) I can afford it.

Well, cleaning out your house takes additional emphasis now if they're moving out of theirs. You're going to need room for more "stuff."

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Grisoft's AVG Free - checks for viruses and spam - and you can also get a rootchecker too.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I'll have to go check that out.

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Do. I've never had any hassle with it - unlike blinking Norton Anti-Virus!