AboutCarolyn Meinel Expertise I cover Windows, Unix, TCP/IP and Ethernet security questions. I do not cover Mac, Palm Pilot, or other networking issues.
Experience Books by Carolyn Meinel: wrote a chapter for The Hacking of America book (see http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1567204600/happyhacker)
My article Code Red for the Web for Scientific American was reprinted in the book Best American Science Writing 2002 (see http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060936509/happyhacker). My book The Happy Hacker: A Guide to Mostly Harmless Hacking is now in 4th edition with a Japanese edition (see http://happyhacker.org/hhbook/).
Question Hi I'm a 63-year old retired school teacher in the UK not really computer literate. It seems to me that the security on my computer is overactive.....or something. I have Windows XP,a CA Security Centre, Windows Defender and a British Telecom device that operates when my computer opens. I am unable to establish a desktop connection with my BT Yahoo email account and other frequently used websites - banks, etc., but each time have to get to them through Google search. Even browsing them won't give me a connection. Also the Google menus don't respond to me. I have set the 'admit Cookies' at medium, the lowest possible. Apologies for what are probably neanderthal statements.
Answer Many people have been having problems just like yours when running CA Security Centre. So don't feel bad about your question -- you aren't a "Neanderthal."
Try this: click Control Panel --> add/remove programs --> CA Internet Security Suite. It will offer the option of just removing the firewall. Go ahead and uninstall the firewall but be certain that you have the Windows XP firewall enabled.
If this solves your problem, then I suggest that you install a firewall that is easier to use, as the Windows XP firewall isn't very good. I use Zone Alarm (zonelabs.com), which has an option that makes it easy for novices to use.
