Viruses and sl?

i just wonder about anti virus software and sl how many people turn off anti virus software when in sl and is this a bad thing to do? i often do but keep my fire wall up!

You cannot get a virus from SL.

Even though there is no way to get a virus through SL (yet, at least), I'm not sure why you would want to turn off your anti-virus software when using Second Life. Better safe than sorry.

(And if you click on a url inside Second Life, opening up a web browser, I would imagine you are opening yourself up to browser-based attacks.)

lag is the main reason when i start getting lag for whatever reason normaly coz of internet speed during peek times !

Look up AVG - it is free and not hard on the system.

The biggest reason you should never turn off your virus software is because is it just too easy to forget to turn it back on.

Why???

because of my post above!
a lot of data gets sent to your pc and if for whatever reason you are suffering masive lag this adds to it, well it seems to? thats why i asked!

I was told way back when I started SL that my anti-virus could slow it down. I don't turn off my anti-virus, however, BUT.....if it decides to run a security check while I'm in SL (or any other program for that matter) it will slow things down to a crawl......so I will pause it until I log out of SL.

But.....there's never a really good reason to turn it off....and I agree......remembering to turn it back on is probably the biggest reason NOT to turn it off.

The other issue I've heard of people having.....is a firewall blocking SL after it's been updated........I don't know how common this is, but I imagine it's easy enough to get around if it happens.

Can't you turn off some scanning options?

I use "Avast!" and "Spybot Search & Destroy".

I used to use McCaffee as it came installed, but i removed it.

I do not notice any sort of odd lag.

Are you sure you are suffering virus protection lag?

I would *NEVER* turn off my virus protection.

*misses Ubuntu*

only somtimes the internet in the uk at peek times gets very slow and i find if i turn of anti virus software it helps some, if you think av software has to compaire ever bit of data to its virus deffinition database and as these get larger as they do! also i dj and if i have my dj software running as well i have a lot of data going back and forth!
realy i wanted to know if there was a risk for sl and nothing else i dont go to websites etc and my anti virus software does get turnd back on i dont forget lol

If you are going to turn it off, do not click on any url to go to a website and do not watch any streaming media. The last Quick Time bug was patched, but it is a vulnerable spot, so why take chances.

Also, check your configuration - you may be scanning a whole lot more during "on access scanning" than you need to. Or possible your full system daily scan is kicking of at that time and that will definitely slow your system down.

What you can do is exclude the cache folder from the AV realtime scanning.

Can you be that naive? If you accepting packets on an open port, do you really know what is in that packet?

What is a packet? Do we really know what a packet is?

And where do these bytes really come from?

There is no spoon.

you didn't watch CSI:NY!

I leave AV on, but I keep auto scan off, do all scans manually. I disable just about everything else I can though, even Windows Explorer. It helps my little Dell cope with SL.

I hear a new episode is going to show you can get swine flu from SL.

I feel your pain Phoebe, I'm an avid flight simmer. Other than hanging out in SL, I also like to fly the virtual sky with MS Flightsimulator X, and it needs every bit of resources in order to perform well. And the onlytime I turn off my VP is when I'm flying offline. But this is what I do to reduce the laggys in both FSX and SL, It's called a Clean Boot, goto:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/331796

Just don't disable your Viruse program, and what they left out is that,,,,

When your PC restarts a window pops up saying:
You have used the System Configuration Utility ect. ect. ect.

Just check the box that says: Don't show this message or launch ect. ect.
than click OK and your good to go!

What a clean boot does is shut down all noessential processers, and only runs the ones needed to run the system. You should see a nice improvment when running SL. Be advised your internet connection plays a big part also. And one last tip, write yourself a post-it note to remind you to reset your msconfig back to normal when your done with SL. Hope this helps.

i just ended up reinstalling everything because of a virus..lag or no lag i'm not shutting it off..what a pain in the butt..i had to do the same thing like two months ago..

they are getting some very nasty bugs on the net now days that eat fast.

i think i got it from updating my quick time..

i think the risk of virii is overblown. i always turn av off for gaming. sometimes i may even leave av off for days and days, and i dont have virus problems.

That is because you don't have the bandwidth for virii.

aint that the truth

If you keep a firewall going, and navigate the internet safely (no untrusted downloads, browser security way up, use a vanilla e-mail reader), you are very, very unlikely to get a virus. It's been a log time since my anti-virus software has picked up anything on my computer.

However, I remember a few years back how Sasser- and I don't know how I got it- but it ravaged my computer, and I spent days dealing with it and getting rid of it and never restored my computer fully. Getting a virus is so unfun, it just can't be a lottery worth playing.

i think i am a bit cavalier about it because i keep my os separate from its data and do a few clean installs a year anyway.

I would advise against AVG / It will disconnect you a lot if on a network.. I have had to trouble shoot many people and their connectivity problems. each case they were using AVG.
I used it for 1 day and was disconnected from SL all day long..

thumbs down for AVG on SL. Unless you like re-logging every 30 minutes