Joe said:
Hi all,
thanks very much for all your help, i believe my pc has sped up
considerable, one thing i have noticed in regards to spyware programs
no matter how many i installed they all seem to find something the
others do not, i was running ms spyware remover which after a full
scan detected no spyware, after installing spyware doctor it found an
aditional 400 items, is this just a deception by spy doctor? Now i am
wondering what spyware to put on my machine as i dont really want
more than one, i noticed all the spyware programs i have tried none
have removed the spyware services in the startup in msconfig all they
do is uncheck the program and remove it which is annoying because
they still leave things such as bonjour sevices there even though its
not running, i would like to have it deleted from services altogether
fom msconfig.
Here is a link which will tell you which spyware programs to avoid.
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm
Unfortuneatlly at this time you DO need to run more that one program, as you
found out one will find something another may miss and visa-versa, you only
need one running in real-time just use the other(s) to double check your
primary one, say once a week depending on how often you use your computer.
As for as Spyware Doctor goes the current version is considered to be pretty
good the older ones are listed in the link I provided you with as having
false positives and deceptive advertising, so long as the version you
installed is the latest one you should be alright.
Here is something you really need to install, it will PREVENT infection of
almost 4000 parasites.(Free and uses no computer resources at all).
SpywareBlaster -
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
This is also something you should download and just save it somewhere just
in case you need it later.
LSP-fix-
http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm
Here is something else you might want to do.
Go to control panel and open "internet options".
Click on the security tab then custom level.
make sure these settings are as follows.
Download signed active x controls>set to prompt
Download unsigned active x controls>set to disable
Initialize and script active x controls not marked as safe>set to disable
Run active x controls and pluggins>set to enable
Script active x controls marked safe for scripting>set to enable
Java permissions>set to high
Launching programs and files in a IFRAME" > Prompt
Installation of Desktop items"> Prompt
Navigate sub-frames across different domains>prompt
The settings above provide decent security and still provide you with the
funtions IE was intended to give you.
I noticed all the spyware programs i have tried none
have removed the spyware services in the startup in msconfig all they
do is uncheck the program and remove it which is annoying because
they still leave things such as bonjour sevices there even though its
not running, i would like to have it deleted from services altogether
fom msconfig.
These entries may be orphaned (they may still be listed but are really
removed).
To remove these entries scroll down to "msconfig" at this link.
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_m.htm
As far as which programs you should use? you will get many different
opinions on this. All I can say is what I use (and I haven't had an
infestation in over three years).
Spywareblaster
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
Ewido-
http://www.ewido.net/en/
Spysweeper-
http://www.webroot.com/
This is really not a anti-spyware program but most spyware programs write to
your registry and this will notify you when when it is happening.(and it
will give you an option to block it).
WinPatrol -
http://winpatrol.com
I also use Ad-Aware SE as a backup every so often.
http://www.lavasoft.de/support/download/
This is along with my Anti-Virus program and Processguard.
http://www.diamondcs.com.au/processguard/index.php?page=download
No doubt this is overkill but what the heck my system can handle it and I
would rather help others remove the garbage from their systems than to
remove it from my own.
Good Luck!
P.S. Microsoft's anti-spyware program does not check for cookies (tracking)
perhaps some of those 400 entrys spyware doctor found where cookies and
really no big deal?
If you are using M/S firewall or none at all try this one.(Free).
http://smb.sygate.com/free/spf_download.php
Another anti-Spyware program you might consider.
Spybot S&D -
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
This is why I suggest that you do not use the inbuilt microsoft firewall.
From
http://www.spywareinfo.com
I promised myself a while back not to go on another anti-Microsoft rant,
that I would write calmly about any goofs they make. It has been a hard
promise to keep at times. And now, I must break that promise. If I don't
rant about this, I will burst at the seams.
The function of a software firewall is simple. It allows the user to control
the computer's access to other computers. To do that, it blocks attempts to
send unauthorized data out over a network, as well as the attempts of other
computers to send data to the protected computer. A proper firewall allows
data into or out of the computer, only when the user gives the firewall
permission to do so. I think most people will agree that this is an accurate
description of the proper function of a software firewall.
So I am left to wonder if the Microsoft programmers who designed the Windows
Firewall have lost their freakin minds. While the Windows Firewall will
block network access like any other firewall, the settings which determine
whether or not an attempt to access the network is permitted is stored in
the registry. Any piece of software is allowed to edit that part of the
registry and give itself permission to send or receive data over the
network.
There are several viruses, worms and spyware programs that edit the registry
settings for the Windows Firewall. Even if the user discovers a virus
infection and cleans it successfully, that computer can be reinfected at any
time, if the virus edited the firewall settings. Many network worms can
infect a computer if it discovers certain unsecured network ports. It
happened to me once, when I turned off my firewall and forgot to turn it
back on.
Changes to a firewall's settings should be possible only through the
firewall program's interface. Those changes should be saved into an
encrypted file, which cannot be altered by any other program. Those settings
should not EVER be written to the registry, where they can be altered by any
other program running on the PC. It takes only the smallest shred of common
sense to realize this.
Where was the common sense when they were creating the Windows Firewall?
This is like hiring security guards to keep gate crashers away from a party
but allowing the guests to write their own invitations.
But wait, there's more!
Someone discovered recently that the Windows Firewall interface won't even
tell the user about an opened port, if the registry entry granting it
permission has a malformed name. Not only can a malicious programmer give
his evil creation permission to bypass the firewall, he can hide the fact
that he's done it!
It is boneheaded mistakes like this which make it difficult to use Windows
safely. God help us all when Microsoft begins to make its own antivirus
software. The only reason Microsoft's antispyware program works well
probably is because Microsoft didn't write it.
Confused and overloaded? That is just what the SOB's want!. Don't let them
Win.
Mike Pawlak
