DEP (Data Execution Protection) & AMD64 chips have a known conflict in certain setups, and I feel better off with it disabled anyway. This is what I have in my start.cmd to disable it and it seems to work fine - is this the preferred way to do this?

ECHO Disabling Data Execution Protection (DEP)...
bootcfg /raw "/execute /fastdetect" /ID 1

Are you also one who doesn't buckle your seatbelt in your car because it takes too much time?

The only "known conflict" with AMD64 chips was with the Sigma Designs Hollywood Plus DVD playback software, and the reason for that was because of poorly written software. The only reasons ANY programs are having "known conflicts" with DEP is because they didn't write the programs to the Win32 spec in the first place. SP2 just chooses to enforce the spec rather than letting it slide like in the past. Not strictly enforcing the spec was one of the main reasons so many worms and viruses were able to exploit the system. By turning off DEP, you're putting yourself right back in that boat again.

I guess I should take time to explain myself better. This is a PC I built for my non-technical minded uncle. While I don't have the offending mpegport.sys, I don't think that's the only problem out there. On the AMD forums I've seen people report crashes from certain other programs - ZoneAlarm comes to mind. He's the kind of guy who'd buy a program and install everything on it even if it was a 2 year old version.

It's far easier for me to disable it now and tell him 6 months from now to enable it, than to risk him doing something stupid that might cause a conflict. I can just hear the phone conversation in my mind..."safe mode? ok I hit the F key then 8?" and it would probably go downhill from there...

OK, but I have to disagree. I think it's far better to deal with the occasional DEP issue when it comes up rather than have to deal with the hell he'll be likely to get himself into as a non-technical minded individual with DEP disabled. It leaves him far more open to threats out there.

I guess it's a pick your poison situation. Deal with cleaning his computer up from all the garbage that's likely to get on or deal with DEP issues from time to time (though I have to be honest, I've been using SP2 since Beta1 - build 2055 - and have yet to run into any DEP issues whatsoever with any of the programs I use).

Also, Windows Firewall works surprisingly well. You might give it a shot before putting ZA on (from what I've heard about ZA, it's had lots of issues since before SP2 came out).

Yeah, the built-in firewall is actually decent now...I'll agree with that. He's not using ZA but rather Norton Internet Security. I'm more thinking along the lines of the extra/demo versions of programs a lot of CDs have on them. I can just forsee him installing some 2 year old version of a program and I was trying to minimize any future conflicts. On the topic of firewalls, I'd like to use the built-in one that his K8N Neo Platinum MB has but it's a bit buggy now - maybe in a future driver update it will be worthwhile.

In any case, you bring up some valid points. I'll have to give it some thought. I was just trying to be cautious and keep him off the "bleeding edge" of technology.

Do nVidia's current platform drivers integrate their firewall into Security Center? If not, that'd be a nice update.

Meh, I'm sure it'll happen in the next release.