I keep my four Vistas on overnight al the time. There are certain
things MS servers must do to maintain your computer. Specifically,
updates are usually scheduled for 2 AM ad DEFAULT.
Defragmenting is performed during the hours when you are not actively
using the computer.
If you turn your machine on only when you need it you will be
surprised that as you turned it on the disks will run like crazy and
the CPU usage fill be above background normal as if the machine runs
some chores. It all can be done during night hours.
MS checks Vista installations when servers are not too busy and if
your system for instance lacks some drivers SP1 installation will be
delayed until those are found or made available by manufacturers.
The infestation by malware occurs mostly when you roam the web and
since your computer is not roaming there is NO additional risk, NONE.
If your machine is already infested with Trojans some of which have
been developed by individuals who try to ridicule me here then of
course, it is too late to worry but still perhaps some of the malware
may be removed although the chances for this are slim.
Leaving machines with Vista OS is in fact MS recommendation, not
mine. the idiots who are trying to ridicule me on the issue either
have malicious intent, ulterior motives or are simply stupid.
Leave your machine open overnight. I have had a number of experiences
before my Vistas stabilized when problems disappeared overnight and
boot time got shorter, etc.
Here is in addition my recommendations as to how handle malware with
MS software almost exclusively. this is what I do. No malware so far
have been detected.
All those so called troll hate MS, hate Vista, they are here to steer
trouble and create confusion. No Pasaran!
************
My policy is not to use any 3-rd party anti-malware except Spybot S&D.
Windows Vista offers sufficient protection against malicious software
writers some of them I am sure watch this forum very carefully.
Download Microsoft Windows Baseline Security Analyzer. It is Beta 2.1
for Vista and I think it is safe to download. Run it.
<
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...AF-9DBE-4DCE-889E-ECF997EB18E9&displaylang=en>
It will give you all your vulnerabilities, especially in your firewall
settings. You should read the report and if it suggests any changes,
you should consider them.
Your Windows firewall setting will be analyzed.
Download Microsoft® Windows® Malicious Software Removal Tool
(KB890830). It will want to run upon install. Choose the FULL scan
although it may give you a threatening message that it might take a
few hours. It will scan your entire computer in about half an hour or
less if you do not have a lot of stuff in it.
<
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...e0-e72d-4f54-9ab3-75b8eb148356&displaylang=en>
Some reassuring information: Malicious Software Removal Tool
<
http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx>
The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool helps remove
specific, prevalent malicious software from computers that are
running Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, or Windows
2000
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=890830
You can also go to Protection Center (Microsoft)
<
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-US/center/howsafe.htm?s_cid=mscom_msrt>
and click "Protection Scan." There will be a dropdown menu and a
button: "Launch Full Scan or Vista." You can do it if you wish.
Download and install Spybot Search & Destroy, a great piece of
software which is free for individuals but corporations pay fees. You
may be asked for donations but it is up to you. It is very up to date
and every week you will have to download new updates, sometimes even
more often. You should check for updates every time you run it. It
will give you all su*kers leached into your registry and ask you if
you wanted to remove them. Many of them have masqueraded themselves
under MS Windows names like Windows.something. Do not hesitate to
kill them all. You can trust SB S&D.
http://www.spybot.info/en/index.html
http://www.spybot.info/en/spybotsd/index.html
It also allows you to IMMUNIZE your system. It means that when you go
to a website and they try to download some kind of a Trojan to you SB
S&D will either kill it silently, or ask you if you want to do it or
will kill it and give you a notice. It is better to let it kill them
all in silence.
Exerpts from SB S&D website
<quote starts>
Spybot - Search & Destroy detects and removes spyware, a relatively
new kind of threat not yet covered by common anti-virus applications.
Spyware silently tracks your surfing behaviour to create a marketing
profile for you that is transmitted without your knowledge to the
compilers and sold to advertising companies. If you see new toolbars
in your Internet Explorer that you haven't intentionally installed,
if your browser crashes inexplicably, or if your home page has been
"hijacked" (or changed without your knowledge), your computer is most
probably infected with spyware. Even if you don't see the symptoms,
your computer may be infected, because more and more spyware is
emerging. Spybot-S&D is free, so there's no harm giving it a try to
see if something has invaded your computer.
To see a list of threats Spybot-S&D can remove, in the navigation bar
at the left click on Support --> Threats. For an introduction to
Spybot-S&D, please read the tutorial. If you fear incompatibility
with other software you are now using, although we can assure you
that there is no danger you can review our compatibility overview
which lists some software whose compatibility has been analyzed.
Spybot-S&D can also clean usage tracks, an interesting function if
you share your computer with other users and don't want them to see
what you have been working on. And for professional users, Spybot-S&D
allows you to fix some registry inconsistencies and extended reports.
A list of all the application's features is also available.
<End of quote>
After you installed SB S&D Windows IE will *****integrate***** it
into its Tools Menu. In the right upper corner of IE click Tools and
you will see Spybot Search And destroy configuration item. Click on
it and it will give you options to deal with the threats that are
being downloaded.
Listen to Mark Russinovich's (MS) webcast: Advanced Malware Cleaning
<
http://www.microsoft.com/emea/spotlight/sessionh.aspx?videoid=359>
Downloading any 3-rd party "free" anti-spyware program (with teh
exception SB S&D) is an invitation for a disaster.
The AV (antivirus industry) is on the way to the cemetery:
The slow death of AV technology:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/08/death_of_av/
Vista did it in.
Last note: it has been suggested around here by some unscrupulous
trolls that the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) and
SB S&D do not clean the registry. MSRT and SB S&D work on different
principles. MSRT in full mode reads RAM memory and detects patterns
in the files that match known viruses and other malware
configuraions. This is why it takes so long to run. If malicious code
is detected it is also quite likely that it has a representation in
the registry. The only way to remove a particular piece of malware is
to CLEAN the registry off of this key. SB S&D works by going thru the
registry and locating known names that
match its database of malicious software. After all culprits are
found the user is asked if he/she want to remove the malicious
software. If you say OK, then the registry IS CLEANED of this set of
malicious execs. The execs themselves are killed in the respective
folders. In this sense both tools do CLEAN the registry. They do not do
any
"housekeeping" which is absolutely superfluous and unnecessary. It is
NOT recommended by MS and most of the experienced users as well.
