On 28 Nov 2005 at 10:16, Gary VanderMolen wrote:

> >> Scanning incoming email is redundant since the message is scanned
> >> again when saved or opened. On slower machines I turn email 
> >> scanning off, but I would never turn off real-time scanning.
> > 
> > What's the point of real-time scanning?   /bernie\
> 
> The primary purpose is to catch an infected file while the file is
> being opened, and before it can do any damage. This is a very 
> important function, IMO, and probably the main reason for
> having an antivirus program in the first place.

Seems excessive to me: you can do a manual scan on executables when/if 
you download them, and there's hardly a need to scan anything else [and 
of course, if you're not running as administrator the malware can't do 
*too* much damage-- so about the only thing you really need to scan are 
executables you're about to run as admin [which, basically, means 
"install files", and I barely install a new program once-a-month, and so, 
again, real-time scanning everything seems excessive].

[and indeed, if you're scanning manually, you can use one [or more] of 
the free online-scan services and get up-to-the-second scanning, without 
having to worry about updates or paying anyone for them].  So I continue 
to be skeptical about the real worth of paying [yet more] money into 
Symantec's or McAfee's coffers...

  /Bernie\
-- 
Bernie Cosell                     Fantasy Farm Fibers
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]     Pearisburg, VA
    -->  Too many people, too few sheep  <--       

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