Warning on Advent PC's for "home" users

Hello folks,

If any of your granny's/aunties etc get a PC from Advent (PCW) then please ensure you enable the default WinXP firewall and install decent AV software on them.

My mate got one a few weeks ago, had it one day and it had 2 viri and loads of spyware. There was no firewall and no AV software on it at all. Very shoddy IMHO for a company who sell PC's to n00bs. Or maybe they want it back in so they can charge £30 for a defrag, AV check and a clean with a brush... (Health check)

If the WinXP firewall is enabled, this will prevent the Sasser virus etc until the updates can be downloaded/installed.

Or he could just stop using IE ? :)

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Originally Posted by Agent

Or he could just stop using IE ? :)

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Won't do jack to stop the virus that come in via windows exploits.

Advent suck. Somebody brought an Advent laptop in wanting an upgrade to XP Pro and there are no drivers on the advent site. After a call to their tech support it'll cost £10 for a driver CD!

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Originally Posted by Agent

Or he could just stop using IE ? :)

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Originally Posted by Me

If any of your granny's/aunties etc get a PC from Advent...

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I would NEVER suggest Advent as a PC for someone I know to buy.

Generally, if a person buys an Advent PC, they will be using the shortcuts that are on the desktop. Occassionally going into the start menu. ;)

So giving them a non-standard browser which does not allow them to access certain sites (banking ones etc) and looks different from the one in their library wouldn't be a good plan. :p

I still use IE. It's updated via Win Update and I've only ever had the Sasser virus as I didn't have the Win2003 patch for it and went online on the 2003 box to download it. ( :rolleyes: ) (And that is nothing to do with IE)

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Originally Posted by Atomic

Won't do jack to stop the virus that come in via windows exploits.

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Yup, but it should stop most of the spyware :)

I sell PC's to anyone that wants them and they all get AVG installed as well as Adaware and the Google toolbar, all windows patches are installed as well and where applicable the XP Firewall is configured..
Other bits like messenger are turned off as well..
Even laptops are opened, fully charged and patched etc..

For the hour it takes u to do all of this is a lot of time saved for me and the customer, all system builders should do it, ok so maybe you loose out on a quick buck when it goes wrong from sasser/welchia or whatever and they have to bring it back for a reinstall but I'd rather sell a system that I never see again because it doesnt go wrong than sell a system that I'll never see again cos it went wrong and the customer went elsewhere cos they think that you sold them a lemon...
A PC is a tool to be used, IT isnt a black art where u have to be shut in a dark room to sort them out....

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Originally Posted by [GSV]Trig

A PC is a tool to be used, IT isnt a black art where u have to be shut in a dark room to sort them out....

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with pentagrams and chanting to install windows too :p

@ Agent -

and how is he meant to download firefox without going on the internet? :)

You connect to the net without protection and youll have blaster and sasser before you can say 'whoops'

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Originally Posted by funnelhead

and how is he meant to download firefox without going on the internet? :)

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What the heck are you on about ? ;)

I never said that anywhere ! :heckle:

re-read it buddy ;) :)

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Originally Posted by funnelhead

@ Agent -

and how is he meant to download firefox without going on the internet? :)

You connect to the net without protection and youll have blaster and sasser before you can say 'whoops'

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I am using no protection and have no viruses :P Also how would he mainly get viruses and spyware from sources which are not the internet?

Well windows pre service pack2 standard config was the firewall off, hardly a crime for mass produced pc's.
Though Advent pc's are generally targetted for people who do not want alot of preinstalled s/w. Though it would be down to the sales person who advised the customer. Any queries from that perticular retailer PM me ill see what i can do.

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Originally Posted by Shogun

I am using no protection and have no viruses :P Also how would he mainly get viruses and spyware from sources which are not the internet?

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You have no protection, as in no Virus scanner, no firewall? :heckle:

Officially.. Advent PC's are only just starting to be rolled out with SP2 pre-installed.. previous software builds were not set up with AV or Firewall set up.. and you know, for every person who complains about having to do this themselves, half a tonne would phone up to complain because they are getting messages about viruses and firewall thingies if we did it the other way around... can't have everything folks..

Yep - Fair point.
But considering the clientelle that usually buy these PC's - Enabling the firewall before shipping would save 60~70% of them coming back the next day with a viri riddled PC.

No AV software pre-installed would be OK as long as there was a free thing on a CD that was easy to install. But then definitions could not be downloaded without having the firewall enabled and first time PC Buyers wouldn't know to check the firewall settings.

It was more the point that yes, some peeps want a clean OS. But 70% of people who would buy an Advent PC, wouldn't know to enable the firewall, and would get a virus within 30 seconds of being online.

Causing them to need to take it back in again (more moneh for PCW?) and/or get a friend to fix it.

at the end of the day, you also have to consider that it's not the retailer at fault, if the manufacturer makes the computer system (and recovery media) and doesn't set up specific AV software or firewall, is it down to the retailer to correct this?