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Thanks for the response CLiNT,

Are you talking about WinXP which is what I am using?

I went into ‘folder options’ then the ‘view’ tab and clicked every “show” option and unclicked every “hide” option and can’t find any boot folder.

Also, I see no file(s) by the name ‘bootmgr’

Mark.

OK, if a firewall never asks you if it is OK to allow a program to access the internet, how do you know: #1, it is working at all, #2, how does it know if a program is legit or rogue, and #3 even if it is working, why won’t it stop that virus you just downloaded in your email from getting more viruses?

Zone Alarm does ask you when a new program that ZA doesn’t know about tries to get out. You can select the “remember” box and it will only ask you once. Many times, the first indication I have of something going wrong is when Zone Alarm asks if a program I don’t know about is trying to get to the internet. Now, the free version of ZoneAlarm has nag screens asking you to buy, and that is a PITA, I agree.

I downloaded the install program for Quickbooks, and when I ran the program the install program just went and got the real program and updates and Windows Firewall just quietly let it happen. This is scarey because I could just as easily have downloaded a virus and ran it. Pretty sure Windows firewall would allow that too.

You say you don’t want to be bothered with all those pesky popups, While I do understand pesky popups, If you are not in the loop, things will get by you. But, I guess internet security isn’t all that important to you.

Microsoft Security Essentials, also, is a pretty quiet program. Problem is, Microsoft has never really been that savvy about security. Use MSE for a while, then go to an online virus checker like HouseCall, or the Symantec version and see how many Trojans and other crap MSE let slip by and didn’t even tell you.

Your computer, but remember, as far as security apps go, if it is too quite, it probably isn’t doing it’s job.
Mark.