My system kept freezing and a message came up from Norton telling me to go
to their page and download Active X controls. It went on about how this was
a big risk. Ther was lots of stuff warning me. Did I do the right thing,
should I get rid of it ? What are Active X controls anyway.

Things seem to be OK at the moment but have I made the system vulnerable?

Roz

rozronly wrote:
Although you didn't say, I assume you're using Internet Explorer.

ActiveX could cause problems. From
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ActiveX_Control :

"ActiveX controls are instead unsafe for users of Internet Explorer who
turn on the browser's ability to download and activate ActiveX controls
within a web page. The problems occur when a user surfs to a non-trusted
web page and that web page contains a malicious ActiveX control. This is
a very common means of distributing malware such as adware and spyware
to unwitting users of Internet Explorer; the easiest way to avoid it is
to not install ActiveX controls from untrusted sites."

If you haven't done so already, in IE click

Tools > Internet Options > Security > Internet > Custom Level > (Reset
to) Medium > Reset > OK

This way if an ActiveX Control is unsigned/unsafe,
downloading/initializing/scripting is disabled. You will still be
prompted to download a signed ActiveX control. If it is from a trusted
site such as Norton, it will probably be safe to download. But you will
have the option.

--
Dave

"rozronly" <roz.ronly@ntlworld.com> wrote:

Anytime you allow ActiveX you are vulnerable.

I have all activex functions disable'd and use Opera, Firefox or
netscape (long ago) as none of those browsers will run activex
(FireFox without extensions)

My outlook is if a site requires activex, I'll go elsewhere.

MS being an exception, but because ActiveX is disable'd I run the
program GenuineCheck (an option) and continue on with my download.

--

http://www.eglobe1.com/index.php/200...able-pictures/

rozronly wrote:
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/ActiveX_control.html

Just because you installed an ActiveX control does not mean it's a bad
thing. If you're talking about someone like Norton, then you would
expect that the ActiveX control to be safe. However, you shouldn't
install an ActiveX control from a dubious or unknown site, as that could
be trouble for you.

Duane

"rozronly" <roz.ronly@ntlworld.com> wrote in
news:_8dKg.2022$cx.615@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net:

ActiveX is Windows' "version" of Java, since nothing anyone else
makes is good enough for them (HAH) unless they take it over,
and they couldn't with Java, although they tried.

It only works in Internet Explorer which no one should be using
anyway as it is nothing more than a bloated cockroach-ridden
welcome mat for viruses, Trojans, etc.

Norton isn't so great either. Do some research.

Get Opera and forget about IE. Let it stay on the machine, but
NEVER use it. And get a real newsreader and mail program.