[LM_NET] Tech: Antivirus & popup blocker

[Dawn Sardes <yayagoddess@SBCGLOBAL.NET>]

At home, I have a compaq presario PC running Windows XP.
   
  My ISP is AT&T (formerly SBC) Yahoo.
   
  The ISP offeres a free security package from CA (which, i believe, stands for 
Computer Associates).  The package includes anti-spyware, antivirus, a pop-up 
blocker, parent control (which I do not need as I have no little kids or grandkids 
as my 31-year-old son is NOT being cooperative regarding the whole settling down & 
getting married thing).
   
  I also subscribe to Webroot's Spysweeper and Window washer programs.
   
  This past Thursday I updated to Spysweeper 5.0 and ran into problems.
   
  To solve, I had to uninstall the ISP's anti-virus stuff as it was viewing 
spysweeper as a threat.  But weird things still keep happening.  For instance, 
while writing this, the browser window continually becomes inactive while I'm 
typing.  So I'm typing, but no letters appear unless I stop to click in the text 
box to reactivate the browser window.  It is annoying as Hades, but not fatal.
   
  The webroot tech person told me to do a Google search on free antivirus and just 
download some.  But I hate putting anything on my pc that I am not sure of.
   
  I had Norton (a few years ago) before but ran into many problems with it when 
trying to update.
   
  Can anyone here recommend a decent free or commercial anti-virus program that is 
NEITHER Norton nor from CA and a pop-up Blocker?  
   
  If it is a commercial software program, I would prefer to be able to go to a 
store and buy a CD-Rom than to do an online download, as I've never been able to do 
an online download of anything without needing extensive tech support in the 
aftermath.  
   
  Also, I will, most likely, be in need of a new high speed ISP soon as I just 
learned that my modem is one year and one week old and out of warrenty so AT&T 
Yahoo will not send me a free replacement because I have had it for more than one 
year, even though I have had continuing slow (from two to up to seven minutes to 
open a browser and get online) highspeed problems for months now.  My old Windows 
95 with AOL Dialup was faster than this.
   
  We have Direct TV satellite tv in the house (the above-mentioned 31-year-old, who 
moved back in after he got out of the Army, pays for it).  They offer a high speed 
internet service, but, the dang satellite TV goes out if the wind so much as blows 
over 10 MPH that I hesitate to go there (searching for satellite message 
displayed--I like to tell my son to get out there and help them find it, ha-ha).
   
  Thank you in advance; have a blessed weekend.
   


Dawn Sardes
Teen Services Librarian
Euclid Public Library
Euclid, OH
yayagoddess@sbcglobal.net.omit.this
Check out my Harry Potter Fan Fiction at
http://www.fanfiction.net
Pen Name: YaYa Goddess

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