"Reggie Smithers" wrote in message
...

"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

--
Reggie


Because I am currently bored, I tried that Microsoft SafetyLine link that
someone (JimH?) provided (thanks). I did the full scan doober (took a
while) and it reported my computer was fine, no viruses, no screwed up
files, no de-frag required. Everything is just hunky-dorey.

What's interesting to me is I have never, in all the years I've had a
computer and been on-line used any kind of anti-virus, anti-spyware,
anti-anything software. The only thing protecting this computer from the
cold, hard world is whatever firewall Microsoft uses in XP and whatever my
ISP firewall is. I tell people this and they are horrified - and they
advise me I am going to get hacked, mutilated, screwed and all kinds of
horrible things.
To date (knocking on wood) nothing has ever happened. In fact, the only
problem I encountered with this computer was after Microsoft did one of
those automatic updates, which I didn't know it was going to do until I shut
the computer off one day and it told me to wait while some updates where
installed. The next day I could not connect to our house Wireless router.
I did a "recover" back to a date just prior to the update installation and
everything has been fine ever since. After that experience, I shut off the
automatic update option as well.

My wife, the worry wart, has all kinds of anti-bad stuff installed on her
computer and she is constantly having crashes and problems. Norton seems to
be the biggest culprit.

The way I figure it, I just can't allow myself to worry and get paranoid
about a stupid computer. If I get a virus and it breaks - I'll take it to a
computer repair place and let them clean it up. If, in the unlikely event
the computer is totally trashed - I'll decide if I really want a new one. I
am very careful not to store anything of any importance on the computer.

So, has all this hacking and virus stuff been over emphasized to sell
protection software, or have I just been lucky for the last 15 years?

RCE