I'm running TrendMicro Internet Security 2004. I am really happy with it so far.I leave the real time scanner enabled during all my games due to the fact I am on broadband, and 'always connected'.Yesterday, it stopped an attack while on FS2004, the pop-up from the AV caused FS2004 to minimize, and then I selected the course of action the AV recommended.When I switched tasks to FS2004, it was right where I left it. FS2004 always pauses when it's not the active window.-Chaz

>>>>>FS2004 always pauses when it's not the active window<<< General menu.That way, you can minimise and open up another progaram (like prepare that essay due tomorrow with MS Word) while you keep flying.But of course, that's entirely up to you...(hence the reason why its an option).

Ken,YES YES YES I do use Norton Firewall. And it is ALWAYS up. When I bought this PC last August, I downloaded the Norton Firewall and AV on the old machine and transfered the software on a CD then loaded and installed it on this PC. I became very sensitive to intrusions since a probable infection more than a year ago.I don't explain what happened but I just wanted to share my experience and I am curious to read other reactions to this subject.Roger

>>>>>>FS2004 always pauses when it's not the active>window<<<<>>FYI, you can disable that feature by unchecking the "pause on>task switch" button in the Settings > General menu.>>That way, you can minimise and open up another progaram (like>prepare that essay due tomorrow with MS Word) while you keep>flying.>>But of course, that's entirely up to you...(hence the reason>why its an option).thanks for the tip, I'll take note of that.-Chaz

Craig,I did get that virus while the Norton Firewall was up. But what is strange I got the AV message when all communications and applications were shut down for at least 5 minutes (depending the time it take to start and finish a pinball game - 5 minutes to 2 hours - this time around 5 to 10 minutes)Roger

The only thing I would and do download while flying is the weather from ActiveSky.Roger

Ken,As my PC is quite powerful I prefer to keep AV active (with Firewall). I limited the FPS to 26 and it stays there without much problem except in some clouds configuration where it will go down to 15-18 fps.Roger

Yes, I agree with the peopel above: EVERYBODY needs a firewall, even if it's the free ZoneAlarm software! I have used it for nearly four years ..... nobody has managed to breach it :)http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/home.jspThere's a free version .... use that initially, and then see if you want to upgrade! :)

Turning on the firewall for the time it takes to update is one strategy that works with already known aggressors, I give you that, but during the time it takes MS to issue an update to counter a new type, anyone without a firewall is on his own. Kind regards,

Sure, and like I say I've been "on my own" for over five years with no problems at all. Just this morning I got two emails that are obviously viral in nature. Both were from unknown senders and both had cryptic messages like "is this your account?" Do I open up the attachments? Of course not. I hit delete and they are gone...no harm done. Unless you are allowing files to auto download to your PC without yr permission and to auto install (not a very wise way to operate), you just aren't going to get a virus by simply sitting there looking at the screen with an open internet connection.

I had received an identical email to yours containing only the phrase "is this your account?" and there was a *.zip attachment called "topsellers". An F-Secure search reveals that this is a worm propagated via email address books of infected machines. While I immediately pegged this as potentially evil in the first place, even before visiting F-Secure and did not open the attachment, AVG, which runs in the background, immediately alerted me when I tried to "save" the attachment for curiosity's sake.What is really troubling about my particular encounter is that the "sender" address is a representative of an Ontario Government agency! I've never dealt with such entities, especially via email, and I find it incredible that _my_ address would find its way into said domain, other than a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend, etc.I wrote a note relating this to the "sender", hoping that they would take my advice and have their PC, including perhaps the office network, looked at by a tech or other responsible person for possible infection. I also asked that they reply to my concerns, if for no other reason than to let me know they had received my message. That was a few days ago, and so far, I've had no response.

that makes two of us! ;) Absolutly NO virus or trojans here for A VERY LONG TIME (read several years)!I have a home network with cable internet, allways two computers conected, ocasionaly three, with only the slave with an anti-virus runing 24/7.Whow come? Simple. The main computer has no junk sofware in it, no mails, no unknown websites, no unknown downloads, no mesenger, no irc, no auto downloads, only sofware I trust including games, FS, office. In the other one all the junk there is and the only thing the AV catches sometimes is some of those fashion mail viruses, that are promptly autodeleted.To sum it all the trick is to know your computer and all your software. that is the best antivirus, not the antivirus itself.

Hi,I used to run just Norton's Anti-virus. For years I never had any infection or even a wiff of anything suspicious. Other than I know I was getting port probed for trojans I didn't have. Quite a while back I installed WinXP and didn't install the Anti-virus program and ran trouble free, for a while. Then I got the Blaster worm. Now I run Norton's Personal Firewall and Anti-virus(put together equals Norton Internet Security), even while running FS2004. I do have a pretty fast system though. Anyway, I now take no chance at leaving my computer open to any mischievous activity at any time. The Blaster wasn't that hard to get rid of. But I hate to think of getting something worse, such as MyDoom or whatever future virus might be invented.Regards,Jim

RogerThere is a known issue with Norton A/V giving false positives for Backdoor Blarul. I believe this has been corrected in just the last day or two. On the other hand you may have been infected for real. It's a Trojan Horse that does wait to activate and doesn't care whether you are on or off line, and it carries a nasty payload. You're smart to leave A/V on all the time. I've known a number of people who insisted there was no need for A/V when off line until they found out otherwise the hard way. Someone on this forum uses the sig "Learn from the mistakes of others because you won't live long enough to make them all you're self." (or something like that LOL)David

My question would be why bother saving it for curiosity? Its obviously a fishy email. Just delete it and move on. THats what I meant when I said I am ruthless with the email delete key. If its not something I know to be from a friend or some other person I have dealings with (and has both a meaningful subject and a meaningful message in the body to show that it was actually intentionally sent by said person), I don't even give it a second thought - its gone.