How do I make XP more secure?

[David Sherman]

I wonder how secure any user is when they get on the Internet.

Yesterday, I went on the Internet to check my mail account at
Netscape.I used v8.1 on Netscape. When I deleted 5 pieces of spam. I
noticed the Microsoft defender was telling me something.

It seems that some program installed and wanted to run once when I
rebooted.

Defender wanted to run ppupdstub.exe which XP search couldn't find.

Why did Pest Patrol load these files? Why did Netscape do this to me/

C: \ Program Files \ Common Files \ Scanner

Name Size Type Last Modified
langv5.dat 7,332 DAT File 1/6/2006 3:28 PM
lfinfo.dat 104 DAT File 5/29/2006 11:29 AM
ppclean.exe 439KB Exe File 5/29/2006 11:28 AM
ppctl.dll 757KB Application Extension 1/6/2006 3:28 PM
ppfile.dat 3,845KB DAT File 5/29/2006 11:29 AM
ppinfo.dat 908KB DAT File 5/29/2006 11:29 AM
pploc.dat 514KB DAT File 5/29/2006 11:29 AM
ppsrindex.dat 24KB DAT File 5/29/2006 11:28 AM
ppupdstub.exe 68KB EXE File 5/29/2006 11:29 AM

 

[DL]

the pp......files are pest patrol files, presumably you have that app.

 

[Yves Leclerc]

I wonder how secure any user is when they get on the Internet.

Yesterday, I went on the Internet to check my mail account at
Netscape.I used v8.1 on Netscape. When I deleted 5 pieces of spam. I
noticed the Microsoft defender was telling me something.

It seems that some program installed and wanted to run once when I
rebooted.

Defender wanted to run ppupdstub.exe which XP search couldn't find.

Why did Pest Patrol load these files? Why did Netscape do this to me/

C: \ Program Files \ Common Files \ Scanner

Name Size Type Last Modified
langv5.dat 7,332 DAT File 1/6/2006 3:28 PM
lfinfo.dat 104 DAT File 5/29/2006 11:29 AM
ppclean.exe 439KB Exe File 5/29/2006 11:28 AM
ppctl.dll 757KB Application Extension 1/6/2006 3:28 PM
ppfile.dat 3,845KB DAT File 5/29/2006 11:29 AM
ppinfo.dat 908KB DAT File 5/29/2006 11:29 AM
pploc.dat 514KB DAT File 5/29/2006 11:29 AM
ppsrindex.dat 24KB DAT File 5/29/2006 11:28 AM
ppupdstub.exe 68KB EXE File 5/29/2006 11:29 AM

Windows Defender is not Pest Patrol! Pest Patrol is a anti-malware program
published by Computer Associates. Do you have Pest Patrol installed?

BTW: Most malware removal/shielding tools tend to label their competitor
products as malware programs.

 

[David Sherman]

I have never instaled pest control on this machine.

 

[David Sherman]

No pest patrol.

I use Norton SystemWorks 2005, Zone Alarm Free, Microsoft defender.

 

[Davy]

Use anything but Internet Exploder and Outlook, Firefox an
Thunderbird from Mozilla are good and a lot faster

I can be on Exploder for 10 minutes and get around 120 cookies....
Can be on Firefox all day and just get around a dozen, that's on
reason why Exploder crawls along and it's the same with Outloo
because of all the added trash

Gawd even MS Word even isn't safe now, a gaping big flaw in that an
it still hasn't been fixed... abit like Symantec.... I has man
problems with NIS 2005... l problems with NIS2006 are just as bad
reason I mention Symantec is that they whinging about the flaws i
Mozilla,... lol, talk about the pot calling the kettle black...

Wonder how many patches Vista will end up with...

I used Exploder and Symantec (see the post's in News n' Stuff) and ha
nothing but problems... I switched to Mozilla and AVG... no problem
at all, mind you I do the washing up after the cooking....???

Everytime I log off I clean all the trash out with Privacy Guardian s
that nothing is lurking in RAM awaiting to be loaded to the hard driv
- and don't rely on MS Firewall use Sygate or something similar

Too many patches for my liking, far too many for an OS that cost a
arm and a leg, if folks got a fairer deal there would probably b
less virus writers

And oh...! I never use automatic updates and still on Sp1, you onl
need to look through the Windows XP and MS Office to see all th
hassle, which I never get

Internet Exploder and Outlook, Messenger being just as bad are all bu
bearers... and about time Billy Gates got it all sorted

Don't believe what I say....? Install Privacy Guardian & Firefo
and do the 10 minute test and see for your self

Dav

 

[DL]

Well if it aint there it cannot run, which as its running is somewhat
bizare, also as your running ZA nothing will be installed from the net
unless you agree it.
MS Defender is a beta, for malaware you should be running several apps, eg
Adaware & Spybot. Niether do you appear to have an AV

No pest patrol.

I use Norton SystemWorks 2005, Zone Alarm Free, Microsoft defender.

 

[David Sherman]

I am running zone alarm. Somthing got installed.

Well if it aint there it cannot run, which as its running is somewhat
bizare, also as your running ZA nothing will be installed from the net
unless you agree it.
MS Defender is a beta, for malaware you should be running several apps, eg
Adaware & Spybot. Niether do you appear to have an AV

 

[Davy]

ppctl.dll is a Pest Control File see-:
http://www.programchecker.com/file/8308.aspx

File Version Description Publisher
ppctl.dll 5.6.3.7 eTrust PestPatrol version 5 SDK Yahoo! Inc

pp are Pest Patrol related files as previously mentioned.

Davy

 

[David Sherman]

I realize that PP are "pest Patrol" files.

Problem is XP and Vista related as both OS's are totally leaky. No
OS's should allow this to happen.

 

[DL]

The o/s has little to do with it, its the user imput

 

[DL]

PS Free ZoneAlarm isnt an AV

I realize that PP are "pest Patrol" files.

Problem is XP and Vista related as both OS's are totally leaky. No
OS's should allow this to happen.

 

[Davy]

Have you tried doing a search for Pest Patrol or looking for th
folder in C drive..

These things don't just pop up thats the curious part about it, som
strange goings on thats for sure

Would suggest getting Ad-aware.... certainly lets you know befor
anything alters the registry

Dav