XP Firewall and Antivirus VS Mine!

[15Y]

Why does Microsoft keep persisting on their software over mine that's already installed, have had VCOm for years and I'm not going to replace them with microsoft. How can I remove the icon, remminding me on how at risk I am(Security Alert)? Thanks.

[Statica]

Microsoft is not persisting on their software over yours .. it's just a harmless icon, (that can be disabled quite easily), but it's pretty important to let newbies know that they are unprotected or are using outdated antivirus packages. You'd be surprised by the number of people who think that just because they had an antivirus installed in 1999 that it protects them ad infinitum...

Anyway, enough of that .. to disable the icon go to control panel > security center. From the left (resources area) go to Change the way Security Center alerts me. You can disable any or all of the alerts for Firewall, Antivirus, Automatic updates.

[glc]

SP2's Security Center is aware of most modern up to date 3rd party security packages and will interface with them nicely - or will actually give you the choice on which will monitor - Windows or the 3rd party security center. If yours doesn't, then you have to do what Statica suggested.

From what I've seen, both Norton and McAfee full packages give you the choice, and AVG interfaces with Windows.

Microsoft is not in the antivirus business yet, by the way.

[Statica]

PCCillin takes it one step further from simply interfacing with security center. It has a vulnerability assessment/Security Check that cross checks your system with known MS vulnerabilities and if there are addressed through MS security bulletins and notifies you of them.

Just because XP gives you a message, no reason to feel that it is meant to threaten your choice of software .. these messages might actually be beneficial.

[15Y]

I have System Suite 5 and is up to date,every day. Everytime XP is updated I loose internet connection due to XP firewall become on , conflicts with mine and the G wireless router. have to reset router to get connection again.
is like any other software when installed, try to be your default or in your start up . Thanks.

[glc]

That's VCom's problem, not Microsoft's. VCom has to write the software properly.