How Safe Is Firefox?

kittkatt

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You all probably know by now how "paranoid" I am about downloading internet programs, especially since the antivirus download fiasco.
I was fixin' to download Firefox a few minutes ago, b/c I think I'm more worried now about using IE than I am Firefox - especially since that serious flaw occurred, and also b/c of all the bad things I'm hearing about IE. But when I went to download it, I got that "warning" that downloading it might be potentially hazardous. Is that possibility really ligit, or is that just a precaution that automatically pops up whenever you download a specific program?


Also, when I was checking things out on their website, I noticed that they state having a built-in security system. I know that you're not supposed to have more than one antivirus program installed on your computer. Does that mean that they have a antivirus program that comes along with the package? Or do I still need to keep Avast as my antivirus program?

 

icklemiss21

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You still need your antivirus on your computer, it just has addons you can turn on and off for popup and script blocking etc, but IE has many of them too if you enable them.

I have never had a problem with firefox, apart from being addicted to downloading themes to make it look pretty which takes up far too much of my time
 

laureen227

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i think that's just your computer trying to 'protect' you. mine does that whenever i open a file i've downloaded from the internet.
 

audiocat

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As a person working constantly with computers, always online, and in the video game industry I also swear by Firefox over Internet Explorer.

You will definitely still need an anti-virus program. AVG has a good free one that you can download at:
http://free.avg.com/download?prd=afe
 
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kittkatt

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Well, peeps, I trust your judgment & advice, so I think I'll give it a shot. No one here has ever steered me in the wrong direction.
The only thing that really worries me is having to possibly change any settings in my computer - and that's a real concern when you're a computer dummy like me!


I reckon I don't have to use it if I don't like it.
 
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kittkatt

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Originally Posted by AudioCat

As a person working constantly with computers, always online, and in the video game industry I also swear by Firefox over Internet Explorer.

You will definitely still need an anti-virus program. AVG has a good free one that you can download at:
http://free.avg.com/download?prd=afe
I already have an antivirus program installed. I just didn't know if I had to uninstall it, if Firefox already had one of it's own.
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by KittKatt



I reckon I don't have to use it if I don't like it.
i actually have 3 browsers on my home computer - it came w/Safari, i downloaded Firefox - then another site suggested Camino, which i also downloaded. most of the time, i use Camino - but i had to switch to Firefox the other day to order my new TV, because their site didn't work correctly w/Camino.
btw - Camino & Safari are Mac browsers.
 
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kittkatt

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Originally Posted by laureen227

i actually have 3 browsers on my home computer - it came w/Safari, i downloaded Firefox - then another site suggested Camino, which i also downloaded. most of the time, i use Camino - but i had to switch to Firefox the other day to order my new TV, because their site didn't work correctly w/Camino.
btw - Camino & Safari are Mac browsers.
That's another thing I'm concerned with: compatibility with different websites.


If that happens, can't you just switch to a different browser?
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by KittKatt

Okay - thanks!
Now I gotta figure out what an add-on is..
Firefox has a bunch of themes - i have red cats/blue flavor as mine.

i wish Camino had themes...
 
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kittkatt

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Originally Posted by laureen227

Firefox has a bunch of themes - i have red cats/blue flavor as mine.

i wish Camino had themes...
Cool! Cat themes!
Another reason to download & use it!


I was trying to download it before logging on to TCS again, but it's gonna take awhile with dial-up.
I think I'll tackle it tomorrow, while I'm not using the computer and while doing something else.
 

strange_wings

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Leave it to download tonight? Once you have firefox installed and have downloaded any add-ons you want or themes go to Tools> Add-Ons. Click on it. Everything will be right there.
 

mrblanche

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FireFox does have some neat tricks. I especially like the add-on that makes it easy to download youtube videos.

However, for some reason, I cannot get FireFox to play the movie trailers on the apple web site. IE and Chrome do it just fine.
 

gailc

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I have dial-up and it didn't take too long to download at all.
I've been using Firefox for years and I notice esp with dial-up it loads pages much faster than IE. Firefox has automatic updates as well and those do not take long to load.
Lots of cool things with Firefox too!!
 
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kittkatt

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Oh, great!


I just downloaded Firefox, but didn't end up running it b/c when I got to the "Do you want to run the program" box, I got a message which stated, "Invalid digital signature".
What the heck is that supposed to mean?
The thing suggested running a virus scan - which I attempted to do - but I'm not familar with running scans and really don't know what I'm doing - so I didn't run one. Argh!


The "publisher's" (i.e. Firefox) address reads: yahoo_firefox_3.0.4._setup_us.exe -- does that sound valid to y'all?

I really don't know what I should do, b/c I obviously don't want to risk infecting or damaging my computer in any way. Call me paranoid, but...
 
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kittkatt

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Originally Posted by GailC

I have dial-up and it didn't take too long to download at all.
It took about half an hour, which wasn't as bad as I suspected it would be...

Sometimes things don't take too long to load - sometimes they do. It depends upon my internet provider at the time I'm loading something.
Last night the service was horrid, and I kept having to reconnect.
 
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