Don't worry about teaching me how to suck eggs - I need all the help and
advice I can get (clearly !!!) :-) - if there's anything I already know I
wouldn't care about reading it twice.

By your latest responses you've already raised two questions.

1) Text view for emails - I pick all my emails up through POP/SMTP
configured either on Outlook 2000 (ME) or Windows Live Mail Beta (Vista) -
aren't these text mails or have I completely misunderstood the point

2) Can I ask how you detect and close open ports on the router please


I've had a look around at firewalls and I've got Kerio 2.1.5 on standby -
looks like a later release of the one I had on my system before and I
remember it was pretty easy to configure and train. I'm going to try Jetico
Personal Firewall first, just to be different

"Mike M" wrote:

PS I've just realised I omitted the main tool in one's armoury in
protecting a PC from unwanted intrusion, malware, trojans, worms, adware
and the like and that is to practice "Safe Hex" at all times. Be aware
(which you are by asking your question). Keep your system as up to date
as far as is possible with a legacy system such as Win Me. Use text view
when viewing e-mails only switching to html/web view where you trust the
sender. Only open attachments if you know the sender and were expecting
the document. Don't visit strange web pages or follow hidden links. Be
wary of URLs that rather than containing a friendly alias and domain are
just an IP address, for example www.microsoft.com OK, whereas
http:\10.10.10.10\spoof_your_bank be VERY VERY wary.

Remember there are few genuine free lunches. If an offer seems too good
to be true then in all likelihood it isn't genuine.

My apologies if you feel I'm trying to teach you to suck eggs. That was
never my intention.
--
Mike Maltby



Mike M wrote:

I didn't make myself clear enough - sorry.

You did. However you seem to have missed the gist of my post where I
was trying to say that living in the UK isn't an excuse for users
having an unwanted AV solution imposed on them when they purchase a
new PC. This is standard practice world-wide. As for
Norton/Symantec their appalling track record over the last decade is
also pretty well documented in both newsgroups and web forums.

I've had advice from oops on suggested firewall/virus/spyware etc
protection but I'd really be interested in your own thoughts and
recommendations into protecting my ME environment.

I have no knowledge of how you connect to the internet but if using
ADSL or cable the very first thing I would do would be to use a
router even if only using a single PC. Enable NAT (Network Address
Translation) on the router and this will provide a very effective
firewall, so good in fact that this no longer becomes a major issue
with the OS however if you want both belt and braces suitable
firewalls commonly used that work reasonably well with Win Me are
early versions of Kerio, formerly Tiny, (v2.1.5 works well with Win
Me) and Zone Alarm (versions up to and including 6.1.744.001).

AV - AVG (from Grisoft), Panda, Trend, Computer Associates, NOD32 and
Kaspersky and Computer Associates AV (stick with just the AV
component of their internet suite). I wouldn't recommend McAfee
although this has improved and strongly recommend that you avoid any
product with the Symantec of Norton label as most cause major
problems with Win Me. Personally I'm currently using Atwill's Avast!
on Vista, XP64 and XP x86 systems, NOD32 on XP, CA on XP and Win Me
and have an old Win Me that uses AVG although have to admit I rarely
use that box nowadays. Note I multi-boot and have numerous operating
systems installed on the same PC, likewise I use Virtual Machines
(where an operating system such as Win Me can run in a window on say
XP) which is why I have so many systems
AntiSpyware - Lots of possibilities here but here again personally I
tend not to have anything actually running but do use AdAware SE and
Spybot Search & Destroy with Win Me.

Mike,

I didn't make myself clear enough - sorry.

It is when you go to the well know national PC/electrical stores that
you don't see, or get offered a wide range of firewall/virus options
presumably because there is some sort of incentive offered between
the companies to promote their software. Similarly switching ISPs, as
I have recently done tends to come with "free" 12 month subscription
to one of the big two. It's the typical marketing economy to the
illiterate PC majority. In the same way the best burgers are anything
but McDonalds but you rarely see those either advertised or promoted
by other means. Fortunately my lack of expertise in PCs is made up
for by my expertise in food

I know enough to know that when I have problems there are great
places to come on the web to get answers to problems and
recommendations as to future use.

Ad-Aware SE is only an educated guess when I was trying to work back
step by step to what I had done I came across a number of articles on
the web about people that appear to have had similar problems to me,
though there appears to be no CONSENSUS on whether this is a true
confirmed fault or just wild suspicions like mine.

This differs significantly from Norton where I've always been well
aware of how it slows down your computer and I'm now only too aware
of other issues it can cause.

I've had advice from oops on suggested firewall/virus/spyware etc
protection but I'd really be interested in your own thoughts and
recommendations into protecting my ME environment. I'm already pretty
tight on the Internet Options I permit through IE. but again your
insight would be appreciated