Will avast work ok with firefox or mozilla?

[stwils]

I am weary of internet explorer shutting down because of this or that.  Is there any danger of my downloading firefox or mozilla? Remember I have Windows 98 and the last thing I need is for my computer to crash.

Will avast and zone alarm work ok with either? Will I have to change any settings?

stwils

[polonus]

Hi stwils,

I'd like to encourage you to do this, also considering you use the obsolete Win 98 SE. Firefox or Flock as Mozilla type browsers are browsers that can be made more secure with some security extensions installed as well: NoScript, Adblock, MacAfeeSiteAdvisor, DrWeb anti-virus link checker would be the ones I think are providing good in-browser security. Update this browser regularly, as well as the extensions.
Combine this browser with one good resident av solution, like avast, install Ad-Aware, Spybot S&D, and SpywareBlaster as a free anti-spyware solution. You could also install the unofficial service pack for Windows 98 SE making your OS more stable, giving it the latest patches, and giving it full USB functionality for USB 2.0 tec. If you install RestoreIT if you have hd space for it, you can always return to a safe configuration whenever you need. These are some considerations you can make,

be safe and secure,

polonus

[stwils]

Hi Polonus,

I'm a little overwhelmed with all the things you said I need to do, but I do have avast, zone alarm, and spy sweeper. Also ad aware.

Will that keep me safe with Firefox?

stwils

[DavidR]

They will do in the interim and there is no need to feel overwhelmed, don't try to do every thing at once, take a little time to get used to things and bookmark or print this page for future use.

Firefox is less susceptable to adware and spyware than IE but not immune, these other tools will beef up that security.

If you haven't already got this software (freeware), download, install, update and run it, preferably in safe mode.
1. a-Squared free if using win98/ME.
2. Ad-Aware Which you already have, one down
3. Spybot Search and Destroy
4. Spywareblaster Don't install this until you are clean.

[fernando87]

I already had avast!, Firefox and Ad-aware running on Win98 without any problem... . The only thing I had to do was to set the proxy server in FF, due to Win98 
Web Shield Proxy Set-up for Firefox: http://www.avast.com/files/tutorials/ws_ffproxy.htm

Without these configurations, I had no Webshield with FF 

[stwils]

I just downloaded Firefox. It works fine.

But I called my internet server (cox) and asked about putting in the proxy name, etc. They said I did not need it.

My question is, especially to Fernando S, since I am running this on  Windows 98, how do I know if I have a web shield protection or not? Where do I look? Fernando said with Windows 98 I had to insert the information manually in the proxy setting for internet connections. My server said I did not need it. They also said they do not support Windows 98 anymore. :'(

I have avast, zone alarm, and spy sweeper. If I don't have web shield protection, does this mean avast can't protect me?

Puzzled. (But Firefox is fun. No pop ups!)

stwils

[DavidR]

Just click on the link FernandoS gave in his post, tutorials ws_ffproxy and watch the video presentation.

With win98, without manually setting firefox to use the web shield proxy, it won't be scanning web content, the tutorial shows how to set that up.

[stwils]

But David, I watched that tutorial. However my server says no to putting in a proxy.

Where can I go on Foxfire to see if I am covered by some sort of protection?  Will avast not do it? I see the blue ball turn round and round when I am on Foxfire, and Zone Alarm keeps asking permission to access the internet via Foxfire.

Is the whole world turning against Windows 98? 

stwils

[DavidR]

However my server says no to putting in a proxy.

Where is this saying that, if Cox don't use a proxy server which your original message basically confirms, then this shouldn't be a problem. Where are you trying to change the proxy details (see image) and at what point does it say no ? (if you can explain the steps you took when this happened as I've never heard of this before)

But I called my internet server (cox) and asked about putting in the proxy name, etc. They said I did not need it.

I doubt they have a clue what you require.

Allow firefox internet permission and tick the remember box.

[fernando87]

My question is, especially to Fernando S, since I am running this on  Windows 98, how do I know if I have a web shield protection or not? Where do I look?

To see if the webshield provider is running, left-click on the "a" icon in system tray. A window like the attached one must appear.

[stwils]

I just did that - left clicked on the A while I was using Firefox, and it says Webshield is running!

So I did not need to manually put in a proxy name which I guess does not exist for my server.

So I hope I am protected by avast, as well as spysweeper, and zone alarm.

stwils

[DavidR]

It might well be running but check the highlighted sections in the image and the scanned count, somehow I doubt there will be anything scanned as it is a requirement to manyally set-up the proxy when using win9x or winME OS.

[stwils]

Horrors, David.  Only the Standard Shield has any numbers of scanned things. Web Shield is running, but no numbers of scanned things.

That's in Firefox.

But I opened IE, and clicked on avast's blue ball, and the Web Shield is running, but no scanned object.

Do you mean I have no virus protection on the internet from avast using either IE or Foxfire?

What should I do?

stwils

[DavidR]

That's right no web shield protection, which I have been telling you all along.

What do you do, you need to do as we have been trying to get you to do and manually configure your browsers that you want to use the web shield. View the relevant tutorial.
For IE - broadband users: - Tutorial - Web Shield Proxy Set-up for IE
For IE - dialup users - Tutorial - Web Shield Proxy Set-up for IE (Dial-up)

Because you have win98 all proxy shields need to be configured as it doesn't happen transparently as with winXP. So you need to also run the Mail Protection Wizard to ensure that your email is also scanned.
You can go into the Help file within the Avast Scanner and look up Manual configuration.  It will take you through it step by step.  It is not hard to do.

Check the avast help file for Setting up mail Protection. Switch of your email client and run the Mail Protection Wizard - Or you can set it up manually.
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4 - look for, ashPopWz.exe - double click this and it will run the Wizard

Or see this thread for further information and advice User's FAQ - Mail Protection.

[Jarmo P]

It is also something one HAS to test! From time to time.
http://www.eicar.org/anti_virus_test_file.htm

I have sometimes made configurations, transparent proxy or manual proxy, switched. Sometimes when I tested on that site the first 4 links, the 4th one was only catched by Standard Shield.

You should always get an Abort connection message for all 4 of them for Web Shield to be working as it should!
It is a little worrysome why sometimes it was not so with me with eicarcom2.zip with standard http protocol link.
Still to this day I have no idea why only Standard Shield was picking it up sometimes???