I will behave myself and refrain from commenting further.....Yeah, but it was worth it......ooops
Lynda
Free AVG and online banking ?
- Thread starter funkylyn
- Start date
Lynda
Ok I didnt click the links re the ubuntu post. So I see you can order a copy.
I have a duff old laptop. Think it needs a new hard disc.
How easy would this be to install on a new hard disc?
I have a duff old laptop. Think it needs a new hard disc.
How easy would this be to install on a new hard disc?
I use Microsoft Security Essentials which is free to download from the Microsoft site and is rated higher than most paid for versions by Which magazine. On my Windows 7 machine it's dead easy to use, isn't intrusive and doesn't slow my computer down.
I also use Malwarebytes and Super Antispyware (both free versions) every couple of weeks or so.
I use the Comodo Dragon version of Chrome for all my browsing except banking and use Internet Explorer 10 for banking and nothing else at all.
I also use Trusteer Rapport which is an anti key logger provided by my bank.
So far I have not had problems and as someone else said, the bank will (hopefully) take responsibility if you take reasonable precautions.
I have used various Linux distributions for several years and am a great fan though it's not for the faint hearted as the learning curve can be quite steep for someone who is used to windows or isn't really "in to" computers.
The best way to try it is to download a version to your computer and burn an image (not copy) to a cd or dvd having first made sure your computer will be powerful enough for that particular version of Linux.
You can then boot your computer from the cd or dvd and try Linux before installing it permanently though it will work very slowly from the disc.
If you are not happy with doing this Linux may not be for you.
If you feel confident then go for it, you can dual boot so you will still have windows.
I do wonder if a bank would consider using Linux for on line banking as taking reasonable precautions, my bank certainly isn't Linux friendly and will not give a definitive answer.
I also use Malwarebytes and Super Antispyware (both free versions) every couple of weeks or so.
I use the Comodo Dragon version of Chrome for all my browsing except banking and use Internet Explorer 10 for banking and nothing else at all.
I also use Trusteer Rapport which is an anti key logger provided by my bank.
So far I have not had problems and as someone else said, the bank will (hopefully) take responsibility if you take reasonable precautions.
I have used various Linux distributions for several years and am a great fan though it's not for the faint hearted as the learning curve can be quite steep for someone who is used to windows or isn't really "in to" computers.
The best way to try it is to download a version to your computer and burn an image (not copy) to a cd or dvd having first made sure your computer will be powerful enough for that particular version of Linux.
You can then boot your computer from the cd or dvd and try Linux before installing it permanently though it will work very slowly from the disc.
If you are not happy with doing this Linux may not be for you.
If you feel confident then go for it, you can dual boot so you will still have windows.
I do wonder if a bank would consider using Linux for on line banking as taking reasonable precautions, my bank certainly isn't Linux friendly and will not give a definitive answer.
Hi Lynda
Most online bank accounts also have their own security package they like you to run - this also adds to the safe feeling and alerts the bank if anything suspicious is happening
Most online bank accounts also have their own security package they like you to run - this also adds to the safe feeling and alerts the bank if anything suspicious is happening
D
Deleted member 4366
Guest
Linux will completely reconfigure your hard drive. I think it checks it first and will tell you if it has problems. A lot of Windows problems can render your hard-drive useless, so there may not be anything wrong with it. If you can set the laptop to boot from USB from the BIOS setup menu, my advice would be to install Linux to a pen-drive. You can then use your laptop without the hard-drive, and you can use Linux to check and diagnose any hard-drive problems. I've used this method to find and remove difficult viruses from Windows PCs. I've dealt with clever viruses that disable any anti-virus software, but they can't do anything against the Linux virus tools.Once you have Linux up and running on your pen-drive, you can use it to install Ubuntu onto your hard-drive.
To enter the BIOS setuprequires that you press a button at startup. If you're lucky, you get a message on the first screen that says,"To enter setup pres ..........."( i.e. a button - normally Esc, Delete, F1 or something like that). If you don't get that message, as soon as you switch on, with three fingers on Esc, F1 and F2 and another on the Delete key, keep rapidly pressing the keys until it enters the setup. If it doesn't enter the setup, try again, and then the F11 and F12 keys.
If it turns out that your hard-drive is scrap (unlikely unless you dropped it), it can be easy or difficult to fit a new hard-drive. Every laptop is different: Some have a panel on the back which you remove to get at it; on some you can pull them out from the battery compartment after you remove the battery; for others, you have to open the whole laptop case by undoing all the screws around the case.
To enter the BIOS setuprequires that you press a button at startup. If you're lucky, you get a message on the first screen that says,"To enter setup pres ..........."( i.e. a button - normally Esc, Delete, F1 or something like that). If you don't get that message, as soon as you switch on, with three fingers on Esc, F1 and F2 and another on the Delete key, keep rapidly pressing the keys until it enters the setup. If it doesn't enter the setup, try again, and then the F11 and F12 keys.
If it turns out that your hard-drive is scrap (unlikely unless you dropped it), it can be easy or difficult to fit a new hard-drive. Every laptop is different: Some have a panel on the back which you remove to get at it; on some you can pull them out from the battery compartment after you remove the battery; for others, you have to open the whole laptop case by undoing all the screws around the case.
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I have an old dell laptop (I think) with a duff hard drive, that I had forgotten about since getting my current one.
current one has recently been hacked and so like the idea of setting up a separate one for anything financial. Is ubuntu easy to install on a new hard drive?
current one has recently been hacked and so like the idea of setting up a separate one for anything financial. Is ubuntu easy to install on a new hard drive?
Yes, always the freebie Lynda. The Pro version anti-virus is no better, it just adds features, and of course stops the nagging to upgrade!Just the free version flecc ?
Lynda
D
Deleted member 4366
Guest
Yes, but not so easy to uninstall, so don't load it to your favourite Windows computer unless you know what you're doing. No harm will be done, but you'll have to boot to Windows through a menu rather than directly - even after you uninstall Linux. You have the option keep all your data and Windows on your PC. Linux will show that as a separate drive, and you can access everything just like when you're using Windows. The only thing that won't work is Windows applications, but Linux has it's own applications that can translate, convert and process nearly every file that you saved in Windows.
You also have the option to make a dual-boot system, so that at startup you get a menu asking if you want to use Windows or Ubuntu.
Whenever you get something new, it takes a while to acclimatise. Ubuntu is very intuitive, but slightly different to Windows. Stick with it, and you won't want to go back. No more will you be slowed down or locked out of your computer by anti-virus updates and lengthy scans. Browsing will be quicker because no virus checking is running in the background, and best of all, everything is free, which gives it a huge advantage over the Mac.
You also have the option to make a dual-boot system, so that at startup you get a menu asking if you want to use Windows or Ubuntu.
Whenever you get something new, it takes a while to acclimatise. Ubuntu is very intuitive, but slightly different to Windows. Stick with it, and you won't want to go back. No more will you be slowed down or locked out of your computer by anti-virus updates and lengthy scans. Browsing will be quicker because no virus checking is running in the background, and best of all, everything is free, which gives it a huge advantage over the Mac.
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Its ages since I have messed with any of this stuff.
So if I buy a new hard drive and install that, will the ubuntu load directly?
Or is it necessary to format and partition
Yes, I have several, and it would be an act of complete madness to park any of them in Swindon town center. The sight of a shiny £2k plus electric bike would quickly attract the attention of every thieving scrote hanging around on every corner in town. Add to that, unlike the rest of the borough, there is no safe cycling route into town center...a town well known for incredibly bad driving.
No points scored there old son, but you did increase your post-count by one. Well done!
OMG....what is a raspberry Pi ??
I have a sneaking suspicion it isnt the sort I would like to eat......
Lynda
It's a tiny core computer which can be used in a variety of ways for different functions:OMG....what is a raspberry Pi ??
I have a sneaking suspicion it isnt the sort I would like to eat......
Lynda
http://www.raspberrypi.org/
linux can still be attacked - but a virus on a PC cannot 'see' the picture on the TV even if it follows the keystrokes (sent from my PC) and mouse movement because it has no idea which O/S, application and screen resolution I run the pi. The pi itself can be made a lot more secure than your regular linux. The data exchange between the pi and the bank does not transit through other PCs in your house, it cannot be easily broken in and anyway, it's encrypted by https. The idea is to split the I/O streams to make sure that even part of the system is controlled by the virus, they still need other pieces of the puzzle to steal from you.
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D
Deleted member 4366
Guest
It does everything for you including options for partitions. Fairly simple to install. It's just like Windows installation
or try knoppix DVD Knoppix Linux Boot CD, Download Disk and Documents, Discuss, Get Help - no need to install anything. Download the image, burn the DVD and keep all your files on USB stick or the PC's hard drive.
C
Cyclezee
Guest
Macs need not be mega expensive, I just got my second iMac on Saturday, this one is for the unit to replace the cr@p Windows 8 laptop I was using.Ive never heard of Ubuntu but I will look into it. I quite like windows8 though and cant afford a Mac !
Lynda
Used, but less than a year old 21.5" 2.7Ghz in perfect condition for £600 from a dealer in north London with one year warranty.
apple manage to protect their customers in a way that microsoft can't: apple customers do not generally install 'free' a/v on their PCs. The most prevalent risks come from simple cons delivered by email, malicious web pages that require Java or tell you that you need a 'plugin' to see the rest of the page or free apps that do something useful plus a little more for their authors.
apple OS X can still be attacked, because it's linux based and its built in Gatekeeper cannot protect against tomorrow's viruses. Read the Pint-Sized backdoor story.
The best defence is to be paranoid about computers.
apple OS X can still be attacked, because it's linux based and its built in Gatekeeper cannot protect against tomorrow's viruses. Read the Pint-Sized backdoor story.
The best defence is to be paranoid about computers.
I have been a Mac convert for 5 years now and would never go back to Windows. I have managed to wean myself off Windows and all Windows based programmes now so computing life is free from updates, anti-virus software, lock ups, slow-downs and all the other misery which come free with Windows.
As an aside, why is it that Macs and OSX run so much better than Windows? Why don't Macs need the burden of anti-virus software slowing them down? Microsoft are a big company, why is it that they can't get the operating system right?