Axel Slingerland
Wordy Blues Rocker
A lot of people don't, and I'd just like to remind everyone, PC Repair Techs Love It when you don't.
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Do You Use Internet Security Software?
- Thread starter Axel Slingerland
- Start date
Yvonne Smith
Well-known member
We just have our iPads, and so we don’t use any kind of security software. It really is not needed with an iPad. Back when I had a Microsoft cumputer, we always had to have anti-virus protection and keep it updated as often as possible.
The Chromebooks are good for this , too; because they come with google antivirus that is part of the Chromebook and updates as needed.
The Chromebooks are good for this , too; because they come with google antivirus that is part of the Chromebook and updates as needed.
Axel Slingerland
Wordy Blues Rocker
In my opinion, that's a sales tactic. Forbes Magazine seems to agree, at least partially.
I know it's rare, but it's not impossible like some people believe.
I use Avast security software it's been great so far.
Axel Slingerland
Wordy Blues Rocker
I do too. I usually just use the free version, but Cindy gave me a year of Avast Premium Security for Christmas and SuperAntiSpyware Professional in 2022, and I've been using them since then. But when Cindy signed up for them, I wasn't involved so I didn't know what the deal was. When it was time to pay again with Avast I explained to them that she died and I wanted to keep the service. No problem, they said and changed it to my name and CC and everyone was happy.
With SuperAntiSpyware it was just the opposite. I told them the same thing I told Avast, she passed away in January of 2023, I'm trying get all of our accounts straitened out, etc. They started in with the sales pitch, but a few minutes in I said I did not need a new account. I just wanted to change the account Cindy set up to me. They said the needed her ok to switch the account to me. Then they started up with the sales pitch again.
So naturally, wise ass that I am at heart, I asked them how they planned to do that. They started telling all of the procedures, etc. finally, after listening to them for ten minutes (intentionally) I said, you did hear me when I said she'd dead, right? So how are you going to get anything from her? Her CC's have been cancelled, her bank ATM has been canceled, etc., so where are you going to go from there? More nonsense...
So I said I guess you should close the account then. Oh, we can't do that... More BS, so I told them that since she'd dead and you can't or won't transfer the account, why haven't you suggested I sign up for a new account of my own? Yes, we can do that. I said yes you could. But you didn't, so I said you just lost a customer because of your stupidity. Goodbye. Oh, wait... Too late, I already hung up.
So a week later, I get an email in her name and it says the account is due, $43.60. So I logged in as her, as I knew all of her login information, etc., and changed the credit card from hers to mine and paid it. So then the program wouldn't let me change the customer information and that I would have to reinstall it. I downloaded the software for it and set it up again. There were two major differences. They sent me so much spam emails that I had to block their address, and the new version isn't what I had previously.
So now, the only benefit of having this is it can be set to auto-scan on a schedule instead of having to do it manually every five days. Which is not a problem, so when the license is due for renewal, I'm cancelling it. $43.00 to not have to do a simple two minute task? Not worth it...
With SuperAntiSpyware it was just the opposite. I told them the same thing I told Avast, she passed away in January of 2023, I'm trying get all of our accounts straitened out, etc. They started in with the sales pitch, but a few minutes in I said I did not need a new account. I just wanted to change the account Cindy set up to me. They said the needed her ok to switch the account to me. Then they started up with the sales pitch again.
So naturally, wise ass that I am at heart, I asked them how they planned to do that. They started telling all of the procedures, etc. finally, after listening to them for ten minutes (intentionally) I said, you did hear me when I said she'd dead, right? So how are you going to get anything from her? Her CC's have been cancelled, her bank ATM has been canceled, etc., so where are you going to go from there? More nonsense...
So I said I guess you should close the account then. Oh, we can't do that... More BS, so I told them that since she'd dead and you can't or won't transfer the account, why haven't you suggested I sign up for a new account of my own? Yes, we can do that. I said yes you could. But you didn't, so I said you just lost a customer because of your stupidity. Goodbye. Oh, wait... Too late, I already hung up.
So a week later, I get an email in her name and it says the account is due, $43.60. So I logged in as her, as I knew all of her login information, etc., and changed the credit card from hers to mine and paid it. So then the program wouldn't let me change the customer information and that I would have to reinstall it. I downloaded the software for it and set it up again. There were two major differences. They sent me so much spam emails that I had to block their address, and the new version isn't what I had previously.
So now, the only benefit of having this is it can be set to auto-scan on a schedule instead of having to do it manually every five days. Which is not a problem, so when the license is due for renewal, I'm cancelling it. $43.00 to not have to do a simple two minute task? Not worth it...
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Nancy Hart
Well-known member
I've had ESET Nod3 Antivirus since 2010, when a virus wiped out everything on my pc. I chose ESET at the time simply because it claimed to be written in assembly language and didn't slow down the pc like most others. Never had a problem since. Too lazy to look for something else. Pc's are more powerful now so that might not be a problem today.
Axel Slingerland
Wordy Blues Rocker
If a virus wiped out everything on your pc, that's like a flashing neon sign that you need a better Anti-Virus program. I used to use Norton and had a similar problem, though not quite as bad. Norton was the Big Kahuna back when Peter Norton owned his company, but after he sold it, the company and as a result, his famous AV software turned to garbage...
I switched to McAfee which was so bad I dumped in less than a month. I had to turn it off to do anything, which defeats it purpose. Then I tried the free version of AVG and used that for a couple of years. Later Gen Digital bought the AVG Technologies company and merged it with Avast, and for the next 7 years I used the free version of Avast.
Cindy gave a license for Avast Premium Security for Christmas, and while I am happy with it, it's too expensive now so when my license expires, so unless they make me a deal for a much lower price (Cindy got two years or $40) I'm going back to the free version. Gen Digital also owns Norton now too.
I remember the first time I ever got a virus. I was working on my company database on a 286/12Mhz computer which was deadly slow by nature (Pocket calculators are faster than that) suddenly it slowed down to a crawl. A minute later this message popped up on the screen "Your PC is Now Stoned."
My boss and I were good friends and I thought he was playing computer tricks on me, the rookie. So I called him and told him I had work to do and to quit playing games with my computer. His response was just four words. "I'll be right there."
He came into the warehouse with a 8" floppy disk (anyone remember those?) and killed the virus.
I switched to McAfee which was so bad I dumped in less than a month. I had to turn it off to do anything, which defeats it purpose. Then I tried the free version of AVG and used that for a couple of years. Later Gen Digital bought the AVG Technologies company and merged it with Avast, and for the next 7 years I used the free version of Avast.
Cindy gave a license for Avast Premium Security for Christmas, and while I am happy with it, it's too expensive now so when my license expires, so unless they make me a deal for a much lower price (Cindy got two years or $40) I'm going back to the free version. Gen Digital also owns Norton now too.
I remember the first time I ever got a virus. I was working on my company database on a 286/12Mhz computer which was deadly slow by nature (Pocket calculators are faster than that) suddenly it slowed down to a crawl. A minute later this message popped up on the screen "Your PC is Now Stoned."
My boss and I were good friends and I thought he was playing computer tricks on me, the rookie. So I called him and told him I had work to do and to quit playing games with my computer. His response was just four words. "I'll be right there."
He came into the warehouse with a 8" floppy disk (anyone remember those?) and killed the virus.
Nancy Hart
Well-known member
Axel, maybe I should clarify. (I was trying to be brief in the first post.) The virus infected the PC. It was the PC repair tech who told me I had to re-install Windows, and he wiped everything out.
I suspect he was doing the easiest thing for him, but I'll never know for sure. He also installed McAfee, which I agree was terrible, at least at that time.
Axel Slingerland
Wordy Blues Rocker
Well, the end result was the same. But in addition to better AV software, you should find a better repair tech. If he made you think he did what was easiest for him, as opposed to what would be best for you, that tells me he doesn't exactly inspire you to have any faith in his abilities. Which also makes me think he probably waaay over charged you too.Axel, maybe I should clarify. (I was trying to be brief in the first post.) The virus infected the PC. It was the PC repair tech who told me I had to re-install Windows, and he wiped everything out.
When my old boss opened his Computer Renaissance store in Flagstaff, he hired a private investigator to checkout the reputation of his competitors. I thought that was a bit overkill, but he found out the only big store there had a very bad reputation. One customer said that he had his PC for three days, never fixed it, and tried to charge him over $500. The guy refused to pay for nothing and had to sue the store to get his PC back.
After he got it back he took it to a store in Sedona and they told him up front what needed to be done, he agreed and they fixed it while he waited. They charged him $65 for a half hour labor (half of what the guy in Flagstaff wanted per hour with full hours only and no limit), and $75 for a new 500Gb Western Digital Hard Drive (which was obsolete by 1996 as 2Gb drive were the current HDs of choice) but it would have cost him much more in the end to drive to Phoenix to get it done.
Computer Renaissance stores primarily sell rebuilt PCs, but all repair work was done with new parts. The going rate for PC techs was $125 an hour in 1996. Dan offered it at $65 an hour full rate with a two hour maximum. He used that other store's customer reviews in his advertising, and his new store took off like a rocket...
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