what is the difference between a firewall and norton anti virus. if i download a firewall will it cause problems on my pc
thanks

Hi
A firewall will stop people from attacking your computer. It stops people gaining access to your computer.
Norton antivirus prevents you getting viruses.
Both totally different.
Downloading a firewall will not cause any problems on your computer, dont worry, it is there to prevent them
steph
x

thanks steph. any suggestions for which one to download, easy to use
sue

are you running a mac or PC as this can make a diffeence in the soft ware you down load

its a pc.
someone says it will stop you using cookies, although i am not sure what they are. Will i still be able to pay for things on the internet and does it stop pop ups. Sorry for all the questions but i am pretty green about the technical side
Cheers
Sue

We have a firewall in our router (we are on broadband) and we also each (4 PCs here) have anti virus software. Cookies are controlled by your PC security zone and not your firewall or your anti virus s/w.

I use pop up killer HERE to get rid of pop ups ..but the firewall should stop the grey box pop ups that are becoming more common. You WILL need to configure the firewall to protect all unused ports on your PC to do this.

Yes you will still be able to buy things on the net :)

HTH

Melody :)

Thanks Melody
A few weeks ago I had to have a new hard drive as the old one packed up. It actually paacked up straight after I used that pop up stopper. I am sure this was entirely coincidental but you will understand I am wary of it. Has anyone else used this without problem
We are not connected to broadband in our area unfortunately

The pop up killer is 100% safe , Bayden , the company that distribute it are a well known and reputable company ...and it wouldn't have affected your hard drive anyway :D

The other alternative is to download the Google Toolbar ..the new version also has a pop up killer ....I actually have both on my PC :)

By the way , we have all used pop up killer for about 9 months now , with no problems :)

Hi I know this is an old thread, but with all the problems with computers i tried to download your link melody and sadly there was a virus attached to it, my virus catcher got rid of it thank goodness. Just thought i would warn everyone.

Can you recommend a downloadable firewall suitable for to stob these B****y grey pop ups that are driving me crazy :-)

Yup , there are a few ... Agnitum is the one I used to use before we got broadband. Have a look at the page ...:)

There is also Zonelabs

Both are good :)

Hi Mel
Sorry to sound really thick but the site you said says before you download to make sure you do nat already have a firewall else it can cause the system to crash
How can I check to see whether I have one? I don't think I have ever installed one but the computer is quite new so would it have come with one??
I did a search of fiels with key word "firewall" and about 20 different things were found but all small files.

All I would suggest is to do what you have already done , a search on your PC of firewall ........if nothing shows up then I would download one. If you had a firewall and it was running properly you wouldn't be getting the grey pop ups :)

Thanks Mel
I have downloaded the freebie and so far it has stopped the pop ups :D
When I restarted my computer and signed on AOL again I had to OK alot of settings hope I made the right choices! :-)

:) Best of luck .....I loathe and detest AOL though :( It is the root of all evil as far as I am concerned :D :D Mind you ..as long as it works for you eh?

Hope all goes well :)

Well Mel,
I have only had one grey pop up so far :-(
Can some get through still?
oops as I am typing another b****y one!

That means you still have ports open on your PC that they can get into ...you need to check all your ports to see which ones need closing. You can check how secure your PC is here Grc It is a secure site so you will get the normal Windows box asking if you want to go there...

Mel :)

Thanks Mel
I now know what port is open that I need to close but how do I do it??
God I did not ralise I was so useless :-(

If you read the FAQ on the grc site you've just been to ..it should have that question there ...yup , just checked that out ;) Have a look and see how you go

Mel :)

Thanks
I have looked but no details on my particular port but in saying that since I did some of the small downloads I have had NO MORE grey boxes YET :D
Thanks again for all your help Mel :-)

Just hope it keeps working ;) Grey boxes can only get through if there is a port open for them to enter by

Mel :)

If you mean the pop ups that are net send messenger adverts then a firewall won't stop them.

I presume you must be running NT, Win2k or XP?

If its 2k you can stop them by
control panel -> admin tools -> services
double click messenger and set the startup type to either disabled or manual

I guess it must be pretty similar for XP.
If you need extra instructions do a search for "blocking net send", you do not need to pay for or download any software!!

Yes a firewall does stop them :) And no one has suggested anyone pays for any software..all the links I have given are free :)

thanks all. I have tried none of these suggestions yet. Just want to be absolutely sure i am getting it right. I have windows M.E. I went to the control panel but could not find admin tools.services. Am i just thick:)
Going back to a firewall, I hardly ever get a grey box just the awful pop up ads.
Sue

Try this link for a free pop up stopper http://www.panicware.com

Won't stop them all but it helps