New Computer 2

[Christian]

Well the new machine is up and running. As yet I cannot get the Chrome browser to successfully download to replace the default Microsoft browser. It starts downloading and then simply stops uncompleted. Do any of you know of a solution to this? I am using the Mcafee security software furnished and suspect it is somehow blocking it.

[Randall]

Any particular reason not to use MS Edge?

[JohnH]

I'm interested in the answer to that question as well.  Any reason not to use MS Edge?  It looks like a drastic change from Chrome, but I like much of what I've seen thus far with Edge.

 

[Gail in Virginia]

According to Kim Kommando, Edge does not have any major drawbacks but lacks some of the security features and extensions of other browsers.   It does open quickly and is kind to system resources. Firefox is supposedly the safer browser, Chrome is more popular but may be sharing information with Google and is a resource hog.  I don't know anything much about Vivaldi (Opera) or Tor.  If Edge is doing everything you want it to, I would go with it.  I am not an expert on browsers however, so don't rely on this information as the final word. 

 

[Abby Normal]

Blocked downloads are usually the fault of security software. Either pause or disable security to download.

I recommend uninstalling McAfee. It and Norton are both notorious for causing problems and slow performance.

I use Firefox primarily, Chrome for persnickety sites and IE for US government sites.

[Lee B]

5 minutes ago, Abby Normal said:

Blocked downloads are usually the fault of security software. Either pause or disable security to download.

I recommend uninstalling McAfee. It and Norton are both notorious for causing problems and slow performance.

 

I totally agree. I would never use McAfee or Norton !

[Lee B]

6 minutes ago, Abby Normal said:

 

 

I use Firefox primarily, Chrome for persnickety sites and IE for US government sites.

I used Firefox for years. My SaaS Payroll and Accounting software from Accountants World no longer supports Firefox, so I have had to switch to Chrome.

[Abby Normal]

Microsoft is abandoning the original Edge and replacing it with a new browser based on Chrome.

https://www.microsoftedgeinsider.com/en-us/?form=M300SF&OCID=M300SF

 

[Abby Normal]

42 minutes ago, cbslee said:

I used Firefox for years. My SaaS Payroll and Accounting software from Accountants World no longer supports Firefox, so I have had to switch to Chrome.

I've had some sites stop working in FF but start working again in later versions.

[Randall]

39 minutes ago, Abby Normal said:

Microsoft is abandoning the original Edge and replacing it with a new browser based on Chrome.

https://www.microsoftedgeinsider.com/en-us/?form=M300SF&OCID=M300SF

 

Sheesh, what next?

 

[Lee B]

Actually, Microsoft is making a number of changes to become more compatible with Chrome, Android and Linux in order to compete with Google.

 

[Abby Normal]

7 minutes ago, cbslee said:

Actually, Microsoft is making a number of changes to become more compatible with Chrome, Android and Linux in order to compete with Google.

 

My understanding was it's a complete rewrite based on a different platform.

[Roberts]

I use FF most everything.

Opera for essentially social things. Since FF is always open, it is nice not having the social stuff open all the time and tempting.

Our brokerage flows through IE along with anything for the bank or IRS. I didn't like Edge and didn't see the point of using it. Yes I know Opera and Chrome are essentially the same thing.

 

I always delete Norton or McAfee and used to go with a free program but just used Windows Defender this time. I've never had a problem. CNET made it pretty clear in an article that it's likely as good as anything you could buy but the computer maker was paid to put a pay program on your computer.

[Christian]

I am going to delete McAfee as I actually prefer Windows Defender which has been getting great ratings for some time now. I formally used Zone Alarm which got so bad it blocked the ATX program.

[Catherine]

Try the new Dissenter browser; no personal-info tracking is built in to it.

[Medlin Software, Dennis]

For browser, I use FF for most, Chrome next, and the others when forced.  No particular reason.

For "security", I use only free, and for many years now, only what Microsoft provides.  Any "security" which has a paid element has job 1 of getting paid.  This means trying to prove to you it has value, which means they MUST give false positives so you do not forget it is "on" and protecting you from the boogie men and women.  This is mainly an issue with their WAG settings, what they call heuristics.  This WAGuessing  is why you will almost always see instructions to disable your security software when installing software...  I test our software using VirusTotal before upload, and will often get a false positive or two from some of the outlier "security" companies.  Even the "majors" give false positives from time to time,.  In the last six months, compressing a setup file for online use will nearly always trigger a false positive - so the result is wasted bandwidth due to the false positives, since I can no longer compress our setup files.  (The reason is many will believe the false positives, which means I lose customers since many "believe" the false positives.)

The only real safety is the nut at the keyboard not doing silly things, and making sure to have a good recovery plan.  No software can predict in advance (what heuristics tries to sell us) what someone will dream up.  McAfee made his fortune selling his "tonic", and has confessed that no paid "tonic" is needed nor can any "tonic" actually protect us.  Norton was good when it was Peter's company....

Interestingly, I recently changed routers, and it comes with an optional "security system".  The "security system" gives me a warning when reading a safe major newspaper site, as one of their ad services is being flagged as nefarious.  I will not be using the "security system" beyond the trial, but I was curious.