For future situations (and for anyone that runs into a similar scenario), just have a second computer. It can be a piece of crap, just as long as you can get the required programs working on it. Once they are happy, use your good computer for regular use.
As for the legal issues, I'm sure they can refuse to turn on your internet port if you don't have the software installed that they want you to use. If you say you don't want it, then they shouldn't be able to force it on you, they should just be refusing to let you connect to the network. That would be my guess, anyway.
That's why the piece of crap computer mentioned above would work great (unless they check something like MAC addresses). You could also have multiple partitions to boot from, one of them being there just to have the "required" stuff, and another for real use. If you got another partition running on your computer, you could probably use that account to delete the files Symantec is using to run, since they won't be in use. You could also try the command prompt. I don't know if any of this stuff is helpful, but it sounds good as I am writing it.
Even if I delete it from the C:\Program Files\SAV folder, couldn't it still require a password? Along with leaving a lot of crap in my registry, which might be un-deletable?
Going to see if I can get a copy of the EULA/contract some time.
ThansalThe New ScumJoin Date: 2002-08-22Member: 1215Members, Constellation
ummm, first up that is one of the actualy decent AVs out there.
second up you aparently have never been ona network when a virus attack happened <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
If you had you would understand that just b/c YOU don't get virii dosn't mean some one else can't and then drop it into your computer <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
there are alot of security holes in an unprotected system (AV+Win updates) that virii take advantage of.
I was around for 2 major virus outbreaks at my old college (both last year when I wasn't actualy going there and thus not on their network).
Even the reasonably intelegent (but not stupidly paranoid) computer ussers got smacked around by it.
Also they have to enforce everytihng equaly, they can't say "oh your not a friken idiot you don't have to install these"
My college actualy went a step further and required EVERYONE to bring in any computer that was gona be on the network to have it scanned by CIT before it could go on <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
My Only recommendation for installing sp2 is that you should only do it on a fresh install of winXP. A friend, and others, have encountered ports on apps (seems to be a lot of p2p apps) being blocked, even if the xp firewall is shut off. Many of these users stopped having issues if they installed sp2 on a fresh winxp installation.
In the meantime, just grab any firewall. As for free soft firewalls, the free version of zone alarm is quite popular in this category, just keep in mind it seems to be quite a resource hog. Although, if you have a reasonably quick computer, this wont really come into play.
And then of course you can always turn on the sp1 firewall. That always works!
<!--QuoteBegin-Faust+Feb 3 2005, 02:11 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Faust @ Feb 3 2005, 02:11 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> My Only recommendation for installing sp2 is that you should only do it on a fresh install of winXP. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> This may or may not make a difference. In my instance I DID install SP2 on a fresh install of WinXP Pro and performance suffered.
You should most definitely install it. That being said (like with any major PC update), don't just slap things on without spending a couple minutes understanding what's being changed and how to make things go as easy as possible.
<a href='http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/sp2_whattoknow.mspx' target='_blank'>What to Know Before You Download and Install Windows XP Service Pack 2</a>
<a href='http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/preinstall.mspx' target='_blank'>Learn About Windows XP Service Pack 2</a>
<a href='http://support.microsoft.com/xpsp2swhw' target='_blank'>Using programs and hardware with Service Pack 2 (SP2)</a>
<a href='http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/howto/default.mspx' target='_blank'>How-to and Support for Windows XP Service Pack 2</a>
Thanks for all the good linx Mons... <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Comments
As for the legal issues, I'm sure they can refuse to turn on your internet port if you don't have the software installed that they want you to use. If you say you don't want it, then they shouldn't be able to force it on you, they should just be refusing to let you connect to the network. That would be my guess, anyway.
That's why the piece of crap computer mentioned above would work great (unless they check something like MAC addresses). You could also have multiple partitions to boot from, one of them being there just to have the "required" stuff, and another for real use. If you got another partition running on your computer, you could probably use that account to delete the files Symantec is using to run, since they won't be in use. You could also try the command prompt. I don't know if any of this stuff is helpful, but it sounds good as I am writing it.
Going to see if I can get a copy of the EULA/contract some time.
second up you aparently have never been ona network when a virus attack happened <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
If you had you would understand that just b/c YOU don't get virii dosn't mean some one else can't and then drop it into your computer <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
there are alot of security holes in an unprotected system (AV+Win updates) that virii take advantage of.
I was around for 2 major virus outbreaks at my old college (both last year when I wasn't actualy going there and thus not on their network).
Even the reasonably intelegent (but not stupidly paranoid) computer ussers got smacked around by it.
Also they have to enforce everytihng equaly, they can't say "oh your not a friken idiot you don't have to install these"
My college actualy went a step further and required EVERYONE to bring in any computer that was gona be on the network to have it scanned by CIT before it could go on <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
In the meantime, just grab any firewall. As for free soft firewalls, the free version of zone alarm is quite popular in this category, just keep in mind it seems to be quite a resource hog. Although, if you have a reasonably quick computer, this wont really come into play.
And then of course you can always turn on the sp1 firewall. That always works!
This may or may not make a difference. In my instance I DID install SP2 on a fresh install of WinXP Pro and performance suffered.
Massive amount of software installation = Massive amount of data fragmentation.
<a href='http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/sp2_whattoknow.mspx' target='_blank'>What to Know Before You Download and Install Windows XP Service Pack 2</a>
<a href='http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/preinstall.mspx' target='_blank'>Learn About Windows XP Service Pack 2</a>
<a href='http://support.microsoft.com/xpsp2swhw' target='_blank'>Using programs and hardware with Service Pack 2 (SP2)</a>
<a href='http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/howto/default.mspx' target='_blank'>How-to and Support for Windows XP Service Pack 2</a>
"Don't be a beeyotch, install that peeyatch!"