HELP FILE

Q For me to get my e-mail in Outlook, I have to turn off Norton Internet Security. My Internet provider, Comcast, hasn't helped me, saying it doesn't "recognize" Outlook. Is there a way for me to get around this mess?

AThis reader was the victim of both malfunctioning security software and an under-informed help-desk representative. As a result, he left his computer in a dangerously insecure state for no good reason.

First of all, Comcast does "recognize" Outlook well enough to provide setup instructions for the past three releases of this Microsoft e-mail program on its Web site ( http://www.comcast.net/help/faq/ ).

Second, Symantec's Norton Internet Security -- or any other firewall program -- should not stop a legitimate program from checking mail. At some point, however, this reader's copy had gone astray.

The right response to that problem is not to shut off an entire security suite, but first to try different software -- in particular, firewall applications. If your firewall starts blocking innocent software and you can't fix the issue by editing its list of allowed programs, switch to the one in Windows XP's Service Pack 2. It will provide the same defense against incoming threats, though it won't stop malicious programs from sending data from your PC. (Free third-party firewalls are available for older releases of Windows; see, for instance, http://www.sunbelt-software.com/Kerio.cfm .)

In this reader's case, using the XP firewall with the rest of the Norton suite solved the problem. At other times, disabling an entire security suite while falling back to other firewall software may be necessary -- as some AOL users recently kicked offline by an update to Norton Internet Security have found out.

Unfortunately, some help desks will gladly send users into harm's way by telling them, "Shut off your firewall and see if that works." You can safely assume that anybody providing such "help" is more lost than you are; hang up the phone politely, then look elsewhere for assistance.

-- Rob Pegoraro

Rob Pegoraro attempts to untangle computing conundrums and errant electronics each week. Send questions to The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071 orrob@twp.com.