Spybot-S&D, Ad-aware, HijackThis, CWShredder

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
r said:
I noticed that download links for some of these programs do not work.
Please feel free to get all these applications and Malware, Spyware, Adware Removal Instructions from my site:

http://www.fixyourwindows.com/windowsxpsolutions.htm

Also, visit this page for Startup and Temporary Files Cleanup:

http://www.fixyourwindows.com/optimizewindows.htm
Click to expand...

WARNING!!!!!!!!!!

Be very very careful about implementing the suggestions on this page.
While some of them are okay others are somewhat ill-advised at best
and could in fact be dangerous if implemented.

This includes the suggestions re:
- converting FAT32 drives to NTFS
- Shutting off System Restore
- Disabling the virtual memory paging file.


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."
 
Ron; Some MVPs here, as well as other "Mentors" advise turning off system
restore to clear possible corrupt restore files (But then turning it back
on)...Are you saying this is incorrect advice, and it would be dangerous
under any circumstances to do?(As you seem to state in your list of 3
"Dangerous" suggestions)...Or did I interpret what you said wrong?

Willie
 
----------------------- 1 -----------------------

Providing a mirror for all these files is a public service (I pay for the bandwidth from my own pocket, and the site is add-free).
That’s what this post was about.

----------------------- 2 -----------------------

Benefits of NTFS:

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/winpreinst/ntfs-preinstall.mspx#XSLTsection124121120120

Disabling System Restore is a standard part of virus/spyware removal procedure. See example:
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/[email protected]

Virtual Memory is a bit controversial, but I posted it as “Optional†with a loooooong list of prerequisites.

Did you miss some days @ your “Microsoft MVP†school (?)
 
"r"; Thanks for your input. I believe in, and recommend to people that
ask, to disable system restore at times, and I was starting to wonder if I
was giving the wrong advice. Your comments helped a lot. Keep up the good
work.

Willie



r said:
----------------------- 1 -----------------------

Providing a mirror for all these files is a public service (I pay for the
Click to expand...
bandwidth from my own pocket, and the site is add-free).
That's what this post was about.

----------------------- 2 -----------------------

Benefits of NTFS:

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/winpreinst/ntfs-preinstall.mspx#XSLTsection124121120120

Disabling System Restore is a standard part of virus/spyware removal procedure. See example:
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/[email protected]

Virtual Memory is a bit controversial, but I posted it as "Optional" with
Click to expand...
a loooooong list of prerequisites.
 
Willie said:
Ron; Some MVPs here, as well as other "Mentors" advise turning off system
restore to clear possible corrupt restore files (But then turning it back
on)...Are you saying this is incorrect advice, and it would be dangerous
under any circumstances to do?(As you seem to state in your list of 3
"Dangerous" suggestions)...Or did I interpret what you said wrong?
Click to expand...

Turning off System Restore and then immediately turning it back on
again after a reboot is a legitimate technique used for certain
specific situations such as when a virus/trojan has been included in
the restore data and the owner wants to clean up the system completely
rather than waiting until the restore point containing the virus is
eventually dropped from the system.

Windows XP has an alternative procedure in the Disk Cleanup utility's
more options window which deletes all but the most recent restore
point while still leaving System Restore active and functioning. It
is perhaps a preferable option for the virus cleanup scenario I
described above.

With Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me) it is perhaps more common
to encounter the recommendation to turn off system restore, reboot,
and then turn it back on again. This is because the system restore
function in WindowsMe is a more recent implementation and it is more
susceptible to problems, such as one caused by Norton System Doctor.

But the suggestion that a user should just shut off system restore,
without including the additional comments about immediately rebooting
the computer and then immediately turning system restore back on
again, is foolhardy at best and could be dangerous.


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."
 
Thanks, Ron...Now that is a great, full explaination, which clarifies your
blanket statement earlier. Have a good day.

Willie
 
r said:
----------------------- 1 -----------------------

Providing a mirror for all these files is a public service (I pay for the bandwidth from my own pocket, and the site is add-free).
That’s what this post was about.

----------------------- 2 -----------------------

Benefits of NTFS:

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/winpreinst/ntfs-preinstall.mspx#XSLTsection124121120120
Click to expand...

I am not disagreeing about the benefits of using NTFS, What I am
concerned about is the suggestion that existing FAT32 volumes should
be converted to NTFS with no additional warnings about the possible
pitfalls.

In particular there is a partition alignment issue. NTFS partitions,
in order to use the standard 4K cluster size, must begin on a 4K
boundary. FAT32 partitions almost always do not begin on a 4K
boundary. The result is that FAT32 partitions converted to NTFS end
up using a 512 byte cluster size which is highly inefficient and which
has a noticeable negative impact on overall performance.

Before converting a FAT32 partition to NTFS it is imperative that the
partition first be modified so as to put it onto a 4K boundary.
Utilities such as Partition Magic or BootItNG have the ability to do
this.

Disabling System Restore is a standard part of virus/spyware removal procedure. See example:
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/[email protected]
Click to expand...

Nothing on your page says anything about *temporarily* disabling
system restore. The technique is to disable system restore,
immediately reboot the computer, and immediately enable system
restore.

Your comment about "If you would like to be able to undo the described
changes, please use System Restore utility (see Windows Help and
Support (Start -> Help and Support)) to create a restore point first."
is a bit contradictory since disabling system restore results in the
deletion of all existing system restore points, including the one just
created per your suggestion.

Virtual Memory is a bit controversial, but I posted it as “Optional” with a loooooong list of prerequisites.
Click to expand...

Virtual Memory is only controversial to those who do not really
understand it, especially with regard to how Windows copes with the
unused portions of memory allocation requests.

Using RAM for these items, which can easily aggregate to several
hundred megabytes on a heavily used computer (278mb on my machine at
this moment), is just plain foolish.



Did you miss some days @ your “Microsoft MVP” school (?)
Click to expand...

Nope.


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."
 
Back
Top