Random poor performance...

[tommchowat]

Hey chaps,
I'm getting some really random phases of poor performance with FS9 - I think the reason for this is that I'm at university and constantly connected to the internet, and everytime I run a spyware check there are about 20 new objects. How do I stop these coming through? Should I have Windows XP Service Pack 2? What do people do with their anti-virus software when they're playing flight simulator connected to the internet? Thanks in advance for your help.

[Qballbandit]

Hi Tom,
I am certainly not the reigning expert here, but will at least share some things that have helped me.
1) XP SP2 with auto update. My choice to have auto update on, but at
least I know I am always current with all security updates.
2) Go browse for and download a freeware utility called SpywareBlaster.
You do not have to have it running in the backround for it's
protection to do it's things. It provides protection for IE and
Mozilla Firefox (which I strongly suggest using as your browser)
The software is self explanatory once you download it.
3) As I just mentioned, Firefox seems to be a step ahead of the game
in terms of internet security features compared to IE. Try it, if
you have not already.
4) I keep Spybot and Adaware updated always, both free, and provide a
decent level of protection against the garbage. I also have on
another box a payware called EWIDO, which is a trojan/worm/virus
watcher-protector. It was suggested to me by geekstogo.com, a great
internet trash fighting force, who helped me eradicate some nasty
trojan horse crap I had last year. Search for it and read up on it
at least.
5) Keep a good virus protector running (except while flying, unless
online, of course). Too many opinions on which one, I will let you
answer that yourself, but keep it up to date always :) My McAfee
also has a firewall that runs always.
6) I also run behind a firewall router. Chuck got me into that last
year. Cheap, but effective offense against some levels of spy/add
intrusions, etc.

With all ther above, I am down to nothing evil but a few scattered
non-critical items from time to time.
Hope some of this helps, and I am sure the folks here will offer much more sound advice.

Good Luck!

Neil :7

[Captain America]

Also, In addition to the outstanding advice by Neil, my I suggest
you also try SpySweeper.

You have to pay for it.
On my machine it finds things that Adware, Spybot and Norton have
missed.

Also, get a good defragmentation program. I use Perfect Disk 8.0.
You can try it free for 30 days. It made a big difference for me.

[loki]

Definitely upgrade to SP2 as it fixes most of the worst security holes in Windows XP. After this you could install Microsoft's Windows Defender which is a pretty decent anti-spyware app like Adaware or Spybot. It's still handy to have more than one anti-spyware app around, but I try to only have one running in the back ground. If you're willing to pay for an anti-spyware app, Ewido is a good one to have.

What anti-virus program are you runnning? Norton and McAfee's programs are resource hogs but only catch about 80% (depending on the source) of viruses and spyware. Kaspersky's anti-virus app is much better at around a 95% detection rate while being much easier on your system's resources. NOD32 is another one that does better than Norton. Both Kaspersky and NOD32 are payware though. The free AVG and Avast anti-virus apps are lighter on the resources than Norton as well but have a lower detection rate.

loki

[navav2004]

I agree with all of the above statements...

But your not going to like my input: (I'm a bit "Blank" Retentive tough)

If you have been running without SPII on a broadband internet connection...*I Personally* would format and do a clean install of XP...Don't get back on the internet prior to installing SPII...And get it Patched/Updated the very first thing once you get online...

I personally slipstream all the latest service pack's onto my XP Installation disk prior to installing....Then I'm already patched up to date prior to accessing the Internet at all...I don't even like to wait on Window's Update...But again...The "Retentive" thing...

I just happen to live across the street from an Ex-Hacker/Network Guru and he has Showed me the light so to speak...

Definatly Mozilla Firefox as your browser...

I'll post some more when I get home..(at work right now)...

Chuck

[loki]

That's a very good idea Chuck. For slipstreaming, take a look at nLite. It allows you to create your own up-to-date XP installation CD with the latest service packs and patches, and it's pretty straight forward to use.

loki

[Qballbandit]

Hi loki, just curious. Are Norton and McAfee just not as thorough, or expediciously up to speed on releasing the detection rules, etc., or is it that they are just not a robust enough engine compared to Kaspersky for instance? I had always heard the knocks on Norton and McAfee, and heard great things about Kaspersky. Unfortunately, because I am getting the whole McAfee suite for free through Comcast, well not free, but as part of the Comcast contract package, I don't see me switching right now.
But lot's of folks in the virus fighting world hold Kaspersky in very high regard.

Thanks!

Neil :7

AMD Athlon-64 X2 4200+
Asus A8N5X nforce4 mobo
ATI Radeon X800gt 256mb
1gig Corsair XMS ddr400 PC3200
NZXT 500watt power supply
WINXP Pro SP2, dx9c

[tommchowat]

Hey chaps!

Thanks for all the awesome input! I've download XP SP2, and I've got everything up to date, and I got Norton Internet Security 2007, Spybot and Adaware, and I got PerfectDisk 8.0 and defragged. Now you would think that after all of this that everything would be peachy, but it's actually not... it takes my computer longer to start up now, and I just did a flight where my hard drive was pretty active all of the time, which was never an issue... The framerates are fine, but it took me about 25 seconds (!) to change from cockpit view to spot view whilst it loaded all the textures! And the framerates actually gradually deteriorated at the end of the flight... What should I do?! Has installing and running all this new stuff buggered something up? Everything is checked/on/defragmented... I just want things the way they were when I first got this laptop, peachy smooth and lovely to play :( :( :(

[loki]

Check your anti-virus settings. Many of them are default to scanning files when they are opened as well as doing a quick scan of the system when it starts. I usually disable the scan opened files option as I have my PC set to do a full scan once a week.

loki

[loki]

I don't have the links here at work, but every comparison I have seen between anti-virus apps has Kaspersky and NOD32 at the top (ie. 90%+ accuracy). Part of it is that they do put out updates a few times a day if need be. They also seem to have a better engines underneath doing the scanning. Basically they focus on finding viruses first, and adding new features second.

Norton and McAfee went the opposite route and add every feature they can. Norton, for example, integrates itself into every part of the system it can. While they aren't terrible scanners, they just take more resources to do it. Symantec, Norton's owners, do have a corporate anti-virus app that uses far fewer resources so it's not like they don't know what they're doing. I think they just got sucked into upgrading their consumer level app by adding lots of features instead of making the existing features the best they can be.

loki