Spyware in XP

G

Guest

It took 2 weeks to type this letter.

Spyware, also known as adware or malware, are programs that can cause
problems. These include: pop up advertisements on your computer, browser
hijacks, search engine hijacks, website redirections, website restrictions,
computer problems (like slowdowns, lockdowns, etc.), personal information
being logged in without your permission, preventing you access to certain
sites or the whole internet, etc. Some spyware are worst than viruses, in my
opinion. This section was created to help you detect and remove any
suspicious activity that may be going on your computer. Also included is a
section on how to prevent future spyware installations. Please read and
follow the steps below to help make this process much faster and easier.

Before running any spyware programs, please run an online antivirus scan at
one of the below sites to make sure that you don't have a virus. It is
recommended to run a scan online because there are some viruses that can
disable or make themselves invisible to the antivirus programs you have on
your computer. If any viruses are found, write them down and remove them.
Before running any of them, first disable System Restore if you have Windows
ME/XP. You may use more than one:

BitDefender Virus Scan
Online Trojan Scan
Panda ActiveScan
RAV Virus Scanner
Symantec Security Check
TrendMicro Online Scan

1. To get rid of spyware programs, you will most likely need to install a
third party program to remove them effectively. The first program that I
recommend installing is CWShredder. Unzip the program to your Desktop.
Double click on it to open up the program. Click on Fix and let it remove
any traces found. When you click Fix, it will ask you to close all browser
windows, so make sure you don't have Internet Explorer, Netscape or any
other browser running. Click OK. It will scan and remove any files found. If
a window pops up asking you if you want to delete a certain file, write down
the whole path to post at the forums (ex: C:\Windows\some_program.exe) and
choose NO. After that's finished, click Next and Exit. Continue to the next
step.

2. Download Ad-aware SE and install the program. Reboot into Safe Mode.
Double click on Ad-aware SE to run it.

Look in the bottom right corner and click on Check for updates now link and
download the latest reference files.

Next, we need to configure Ad-aware SE for a full scan. Some of them should
be enabled by default, while others you will need to set yourself (see
below).

Click on the Gear icon (second from the left) to access the
preferences/settings window

1. In the General window make sure the following are selected:
--> Automatically save logfile
--> Automatically quarantine objects prior to removal
--> Safe Mode (always request confirmation)
2. Click on the Scanning button on the left and select :
--> Scan within archives
--> Scan active processes
--> Scan registry
--> Deep-scan registry
--> Scan my IE Favorites for banned URLs
--> Scan my Hosts file
· Under Select drives & folders to scan, choose:
--> Select all of your hard drives that are not selected already
Click on the Advanced button on the left and select:
--> Include additional object information
--> Include negligible objects information
--> Include environment information
Click the Tweak button and select:
· Under the Scanning Engine:
--> Unload recognized processes & modules during scan
· Under the Cleaning Engine:
--> Let Windows remove files in use at next reboot
Click on Proceed to save the settings.

Click Start and on the next screen choose:
--> Use custom scanning options
Click Next and Ad-aware will scan your hard drive(s) with the options you
have selected.

Save the log file when it asks and then click Finish. Do NOT post this log
file unless the experts has requested it. These files are usually very big
and we won't need it in most cases.

When finished, mark everything for removal and get rid of it. (Right-click
on any of the entries and choose Select All from the drop down menu and
click Next).

Reboot your computer.

3. Download and install Spybot S&D. Run Spybot and choose Spybot S&D - easy
mode.

a. Close ALL windows except Spybot S&D
b. Click the button to Search for Updates and download and install the
updates.
c. Next click the button Check for Problems.
d. When Spybot is complete, it will be showing RED entries, BLACK entries,
and GREEN entries in the window.
e. Put a check mark beside the RED entries ONLY.
f. Choose Fix Selected Problems and allow Spybot to fix the RED entries.
g. After removing those files, close Spybot and go to the next step.

4. You had to perform the first three steps to narrow down the list a little
so that it could be easier to sort out the problem. By using CWShredder,
Ad-aware SE, and Spybot, most of the usual spyware/adware programs/entries
will be caught, which leaves less work for HijackThis. Before running HJT,
go to msconfig (Start->Run and type in msconfig and hit OK - then go to
Startup tab -- Note: some version of Windows don't have msconfig so you can
just skip this part) and make sure EVERYTHING is checked.

a. Close any applications you have running currently. Go to
Start->(Settings)->Control Panel->Folder Options->View and select Show
hidden files and folders. Also make sure to uncheck Hide file extensions for
known file types. Now download and install HijackThis (make sure that you
have the latest version if you downloaded this a while ago by going to
Config->Misc. Tools->Check for update online). Do NOT put HijackThis in the
Temp folder. Create a folder called, HJT, on your C: drive and move
HijackThis.exe to that folder (ex: C:\HJT\HijackThis.exe). Now run HJT and
click on Scan. This should take a few seconds. Now click on Save Log and
give it a filename. Once saved, open up the file and post the WHOLE log file
in one of the two forums: KRC Forum or Tech Support Forum. DO NOT remove/fix
anything in there since more damage may be done if you removed it
improperly. Most of those entries listed are not harmful.

b. When posting at the HJT Forums, make sure to indicate what problem you
are having. Also post any viruses if you have one detected and any CWS
entries removed or detected. If you don't have any problems but just want to
see if your log file is clean, then just give the call the subject HJT.
Please do NOT post your log file in another person's thread. Create your own
new thread to avoid any confusion. Checking these log files take time, so be
patient if you don't get a response immediately.

c. If you use Windows ME/XP, then you MUST disable System Restore. This is
to make sure that the system restore feature won't reinstall the spyware
back. To disable System Restore, follow the steps below for your Operating
System:
i. XP - Turn off system restore by right clicking on My Computer and go to
Properties->System Restore and check the box for Turn off System Restore.
Click Apply and then OK. Restart your computer. After we are finished with
your log file and verified that it's clean, you may turn it back on and
create a new restore point.
ii. ME - Go to Start->Settings->Control Panel and double-click on the System
icon. On the Performance tab click File System. Click the Troubleshooting
tab, and then check Disable System Restore. Click OK. Click Yes, when you
are prompted to restart Windows. When we have confirmed that your log file
is clean, you may enable System Restore again by following the same steps as
above except you should uncheck Disable System Restore.

d. Wait for a response on what to remove in HijackThis. After your log is
clean, you may turn System Restore back on by following the same steps but
uncheck the box on top. Make sure to recreate a new restore point by going
to Start->All Programs->Accessories->System Tools->Create a new restore
point. This is for Windows XP, but I'm sure WinME has a similar process.

e. For those using Windows 98, after you clean you log file, go to
Start->Run and type in scanregw and hit OK. Choose to scan the registry and
then make a backup. Repeat this procedure for four more times (total of five
times) so that you have a clean registry (prevents accessing an older
spyware registry).


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Spyware Prevention

There are many ways to prevent spyware from installing in the first place.
The most obvious is to make sure to read the fine print on some "free"
programs that are available online. While some say that they will collect
information in the End User License Agreement (EULA), there are others that
will install it without you knowing it. These are considered spyware
programs themselves. There are also other ways you may have spyware
installed. This includes something as simple as visiting a site that has a
piece of code that will download the spyware on your computer (behind the
scene). To prevent this, there are different methods that are currently used
to do this. Before doing this though, it's recommended that you check to
make sure you don't have spyware installed currently by following the
instructions in the top section. After that, you may follow the steps in
this section. Remember, these methods only prevent the spyware from being
installed and not remove them.

1. Get SpywareBlaster and SpywareGuard at JavaCoolSoftware. Running these
two programs should prevent most of the common and current spyware programs
from being installed in the first place. These two programs should most of
the work already. Just make sure to get the updates if they are available.

2. Download IE-Spyad. IE-SPYAD is a Registry file (IE-ADS.REG) that adds a
long list of sites and domains associated with known advertisers, marketers,
and crapware pushers to the Restricted sites zone of Internet Explorer. Once
this list of sites and domains is "merged" into your Registry, most
marketers, advertisers, and crapware pushers on the Net will not be able to
use cookies, ActiveX controls, Java applets, or scripting to compromise your
privacy or your PC while you surf the Net. Nor will they be able to use your
browser to push unwanted pop-ups, cookies, or auto-installing programs on
you. This only works for Internet Explorer.

3. Download the HOSTS file to block ads, banners, cookies and most web
hijackers. This only works for Internet Explorer.

4. The best protection now is to steer clear of using Internet Explorer as
your internet browser. You shouldn't use any variations of it also (ex:
MyIE2). Use some other browsers like Mozilla or Firefox instead. They have
less security issues than Internet Explorer. If you get one of these
browsers, you should only use SpywareBlaster since it's the only one that
will work with them. The others are meant for Internet Explorer only.

None of these methods are full proof, but by using them together it will
help prevent most spyware programs (not to mention stopping constant popups)
from being installed. Get the updates if they are available because it will
prevent newer spyware programs that are discovered.

That's it for now. Everytime you have some problems, especially after you
install some new programs, you should follow the steps outlined above. By
doing them in that order, you will get this done faster. Just make sure to
update the software if they have updates available for the program. You
should also upgrade (to a newer version) if any of the above programs have
one available.
 
S

Shenan Stanley

CTLouisiana said:
It took 2 weeks to type this letter.
That's it for now. Everytime you have some problems, especially after
you install some new programs, you should follow the steps outlined
above. By doing them in that order, you will get this done faster.
Just make sure to update the software if they have updates available
for the program. You should also upgrade (to a newer version) if any
of the above programs have one available.

Why two weeks?

Microsoft has these suggestions for Protecting your computer from the
various things that could happen to you/it:

Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/


Although those tips are fantastic, there are many things you should
know above and beyond what is there. Below I have detailed
out many steps that can not only help you clean-up a problem PC but
keep it clean ,secure and running at its top performance mark.

I know this text can seem intimidating - it is quite long and a lot
to take in for a novice - but I assure you that one trip through this
list and you will understand your computer and the options available
to you for protecting your data much better - and that the next time
you review these steps, the time it takes will be greatly reduced.

Let's take the cleanup of your computer step-by-step. Yes, it will take
up some of your time - but consider what you use your computer
for and how much you would dislike it if all of your stuff on your
computer went away because you did not "feel like" performing some
simple maintenance tasks - think of it like taking out your garbage,
collecting and sorting your postal mail, paying your bills on time,
etc.

I'll mainly work around Windows XP, as that is what the bulk of this
document is about; however, here is a place for you poor souls still
stuck in Windows 98/ME where you can get information on maintaining
your system:

Windows 98 and 'Maintaining Your Computer':
http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/usingwindows/maintaining/

Windows ME Computer Health:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsME/using/computerhealth/articles/

Pay close attention to the sections:
(in order)
- Clean up your hard disk
- Check for errors by running ScanDisk
- Defragment your hard disk
- Roll back the clock with System Restore


Also - now is a good time to point you to one of the easiest ways to find
information on problems you may be having and solutions others have found:

Search using Google!
http://www.google.com/
(How-to: http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/basics.html )


Now, let's go through some maintenance first that should only have to be
done once (mostly):

Tip (1):
Locate all of the software you have installed on your computer.
(the installation media - CDs, downloaded files, etc)
Collect these CDs and files together in a central and safe
place along with their CD keys and such. Make backups of these
installation media sets using your favorite copying method (CD/DVD Burner
and application, Disk copier, etc.) You'll be glad to know that if you
have a CD/DVD burner, you may be able to use a free application to make a
duplicate copy of your CDs. One such application is ISORecorder:

ISORecorder page (with general instructions on use):
http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/beta.htm

Yes - it is BETA software - but very useful and well tested.

More full function applications (free) for CD/DVD burning would be:

DeepBurner Free
http://www.deepburner.com/

CDBurnerXP Pro
http://www.cdburnerxp.se/

Another Option would be to search the web with Pricewatch.com or
Dealsites.net and find deals on Products like Ahead Nero and/or Roxio.


Tip (2):
Empty your Temporary Internet Files and shrink the size it stores to a
size between 128MB and 512MB..

- Open ONE copy of Internet Explorer.
- Select TOOLS -> Internet Options.
- Under the General tab in the "Temporary Internet Files" section, do the
following:
- Click on "Delete Cookies" (click OK)
- Click on "Settings" and change the "Amount of disk space to use:" to
something between 128MB and 512MB. (Betting it is MUCH larger right
now.)
- Click OK.
- Click on "Delete Files" and select to "Delete all offline contents"
(the checkbox) and click OK. (If you had a LOT, this could take 2-10
minutes or more.)
- Once it is done, click OK, close Internet Explorer, re-open Internet
Explorer.


Tip (3):
If things are running a bit sluggish and/or you have an older system
(1.5GHz or less and 256MB RAM or less) then you may want to look into
tweaking the performance by turning off some of the 'resource hogging'
Windows XP "prettifications". The fastest method is:

Control Panel --> System --> Advanced tab --> Performance section,
Settings button. Then choose "adjust for best performance" and you
now have a Windows 2000/98 look which turned off most of the annoying
"prettifications" in one swift action. You can play with the last
three checkboxes to get more of an XP look without many of the
other annoyances. You could also grab and install/use one
(or more) of the Microsoft Powertoys - TweakUI in particular:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx


Tip (4):
Understanding what a good password might be is vital to your
personal and system security. You may think you do not need to password
your home computer, as you may have it in a locked area (your home) where
no one else has access to it. Remember, however, you aren't always
"in that locked area" when using your computer online - meaning you likely
have usernames and passwords associated with web sites and the likes that
you would prefer other people do not discover/use. This is why you should
understand and utilize good passwords.

Good passwords are those that meet these general rules
(mileage may vary):

Passwords should contain at least six characters, and the character
string should contain at least three of these four character types:
- uppercase letters
- lowercase letters
- numerals
- nonalphanumeric characters (e.g., *, %, &, !, :)

Passwords should not contain your name/username.
Passwords should be unique to you and easy to remember.

One method many people are using today is to make up a phrase that
describes a point in their life and then turning that phrase into their
password by using only certain letters out of each word in that phrase.
It's much better than using your birthday month/year or your anniversary
in a pure sense. For example, let's say my phrase is:
'Moved to new home in 2004'
I could come up with this password from that:
'Mv2n3whmN04'

The password tip is in the one time section, but I highly
recommend you periodically change your passwords. The suggested time
varies, but I will throw out a 'once in every 3 to 6 months for
every account you have.'


Tip (5):
This tip is also 'questionable' in the one time section; however -
if properly setup - this one can be pretty well ignored for most people
after the initial 'fiddle-with' time.

Why you should use a computer firewall..
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/viruses/fwbenefits.mspx

You should, in some way, use a firewall. Hardware (like a nice
Cable Modem/DSL router) or software is up to you. Many use both of
these. The simplest one to use is the hardware one, as most people
don't do anything that they will need to configure their NAT device
for and those who do certainly will not mind fiddling with the equipment
to make things work for them. Next in the line of simplicity would
have to be the built-in Windows Firewall of Windows XP. In SP2 it
is turned on by default. It is not difficult to turn on in any
case, however:

Enable/Disable the Internet Connection Firewall (Pre-SP2):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/283673

More information on the Internet Connection Firewall (Pre-SP2):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320855

Post-SP2 Windows Firewall Information/guidance:
http://snipurl.com/atal

The trouble with the Windows Firewall is that it only keeps things
out. For most people who maintain their system in other ways, this is
MORE than sufficient. However, you may feel otherwise. If you want to
know when one of your applications is trying to obtain access to the
outside world so you can stop it, then you will have to install a
third-party application and configure/maintain it. I have compiled a
list with links of some of the better known/free firewalls you can choose
from:

BlackICE PC Protection (~$39.95 and up)
http://blackice.iss.net/

Jetico Personal Firewall (Free)
http://www.jetico.com/index.htm#/jpfirewall.htm

Kerio Personal Firewall (KPF) (Free and up)
http://www.kerio.com/kpf_download.html

Outpost Firewall from Agnitum (Free and up)
http://www.agnitum.com/download/

Sygate Personal Firewall (Free and up)
http://smb.sygate.com/buy/download_buy.htm

Symantec's Norton Personal Firewall (~$25 and up)
http://www.symantec.com/sabu/nis/npf/

ZoneAlarm (Free and up)
http://snipurl.com/6ohg

You should find the right firewall for your situation in that
list and set it up.

Every firewall WILL require some maintenance. Essentially checking for
patches or upgrades (this goes for hardware and software solutions) is
the extent of this maintenance - you may also have to configure your
firewall to allow some traffic depending on your needs.

** Don't stack the software firewalls! Running more than one software
firewall will not make you safer - it would possibly negate some
protection you gleamed from one or the other firewall you run.


Now that you have some of the more basic things down..
Let's go through some of the steps you should take periodically to
maintain a healthy and stable windows computer. If you have not
done some of these things in the past, they may seem tedious - however,
they will become routine and some can even be automatically scheduled.


Tip (6):
The system restore feature is a new one - first appearing in Windows
ME and then sticking around for Windows XP. It is a useful feature
if you keep it maintained and use it to your advantage. Remember that
the system restore pretty much tells you in the name what it protects
which is 'system' files. Your documents, your pictures, your stuff is
NOT system files - so you should also look into some backup solution.

I have seen the automatic system restore go wrong too many times not
to suggest the following.. Whenever you think about it (after doing a
once-over on your machine once a month or so would be optimal) - clear
out your System Restore and create a manual restoration point.

'Why?'

Too many times have I seen the system restore files go corrupt or get
a virus in them, meaning you could not or did not want to restore from
them. By clearing it out periodically you help prevent any corruption
from happening and you make sure you have at least one good "snapshot".
(*This, of course, will erase any previous restore point you have.*)

- Turn off System Restore.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310405
- Reboot the Computer.
- Review the first bullet to turn on System Restore
- Make a Manual Restoration Point.
http://snipurl.com/68nx

That covers your system files, but doesn't do anything for the files
that you are REALLY worried about - yours! For that you need to look
into backups. You can either manually copy your important files, folders,
documents, spreadsheets, emails, contacts, pictures, drawings and so on
to an external location (CD/DVD - any disk of some sort, etc) or you can
use the backup tool that comes with Windows XP:

How To Use Backup to Back Up Files and Folders on Your Computer
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308422

Yes - you still need some sort of external media to store the results
on, but you could schedule the backup to occur when you are not around,
then burn the resultant data onto CD or DVD or something when you are
(while you do other things!)

A lot of people have wondered about how to completely backup their system
so that they would not have to go through the trouble of a reinstall..
I'm going to voice my opinion here and say that it would be worthless to
do for MOST people. Unless you plan on periodically updating the image
backup of your system (remaking it) - then by the time you use it
(something goes wrong) - it will be so outdated as to be more trouble than
performing a full install of the operating system and all applications.

Having said my part against it, you can clone/backup your hard drive
completely using many methods - by far the simplest are using disk cloning
applications:

Symantec/Norton Ghost
http://www.symantec.com/sabu/ghost/

Acronis True Image
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage


Tip (7):
You should sometimes look through the list of applications that are
installed on your computer. The list may surprise you. There are more
than likely things in there you know you never use - so why have them
there? There may even be things you know you did *not* install and
certainly do not use (maybe don't WANT to use.)

This web site should help you get started at looking through this list:

How to Uninstall Programs
http://snipurl.com/8v6b

A word of warning - Do NOT uninstall anything you think you MIGHT need
in the future unless you have completed Tip (1) and have the installation
media and proper keys for use backed up somewhere safe!


Tip (8):
Patches and Updates!

This one cannot be stressed enough. It is SO simple, yet so neglected
by many people. It is especially simple for the critical Windows patches!
Microsoft put in an AUTOMATED feature for you to utilize so that you do
NOT have to worry yourself about the patching of the Operating System:

How to configure and use Automatic Updates in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306525

However, not everyone wants to be a slave to automation, and that is
fine. Admittedly, I prefer this method on some of my more critical
systems.

Windows Update
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

Go there and scan your machine for updates. Always get the critical ones
as you see them. Write down the KB###### or Q###### you see when
selecting the updates and if you have trouble over the next few days,
go into your control panel (Add/Remove Programs), insure that the
'Show Updates' checkbox is checked and match up the latest numbers you
downloaded recently (since you started noticing an issue) and uninstall
them. If there was more than one (usually is), uninstall them one by one
with a few hours of use in between, to see if the problem returns.
Yes - the process is not perfect (updating) and can cause trouble like I
mentioned - but as you can see, the solution isn't that bad - and is
MUCH better than the alternatives.

Windows is not the only product you likely have on your PC. The
manufacturers of the other products usually have updates. New versions
of almost everything come out all the time - some are free, some are pay
and some you can only download if you are registered - but it is best
to check. Just go to their web pages and look under their support and
download sections. For example, for Microsoft Office you should visit:

Microsoft Office Updates
http://office.microsoft.com/
(and select 'Check for Updates' and/or 'Downloads' for more)

You also have hardware on your machine that requires drivers to interface
with the operating system. You have a video card that allows you to see on
your screen, a sound card that allows you to hear your PCs sound output and
so on. Visit those manufacturer web sites for the latest downloadable
drivers for your hardware/operating system. Always get the manufacturers'
hardware driver over any Microsoft offers. On the Windows Update site I
mentioned earlier, I suggest NOT getting their hardware drivers - no matter
how tempting.

How do you know what hardware you have in your computer? Break out the
invoice or if it is up and working now - take inventory:

Belarc Advisor
http://belarc.com/free_download.html

EVEREST Home Edition
http://www.lavalys.com/products/download.php?pid=1&lang=en

Once you know what you have, what next? Go get the latest driver for your
hardware/OS from the manufacturer's web page. For example, let's say you
have an NVidia chipset video card or ATI video card, perhaps a Creative
Labs sound card or C-Media chipset sound card...

NVidia Video Card Drivers
http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp

ATI Video Card Drivers
http://www.atitech.com/support/driver.html

Creative Labs Sound Device
http://us.creative.com/support/downloads/

C-Media Sound Device
http://www.cmedia.com.tw/e_download_01.htm

Then install these drivers. Updated drivers are usually more stable and
may provide extra benefits/features that you really wished you had before.

As for Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP, Microsoft has made this
particular patch available in a number of ways. First, there is the
Windows Update web page above. Then there is a direct download site
and finally, you can order the FREE CD from Microsoft.

Direct Download of Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP
http://snipurl.com/8bqy

Order the Free Windows XP SP2 CD
http://snipurl.com/8umo

If all else fails - grab the full download above and try to use that.
In this case - consider yourself a 'IT professional or developer'.


Tip (9):
What about the dreaded word in the computer world, VIRUS?

Well, there are many products to choose from that will help you prevent
infections from these horrid little applications. Many are FREE to the
home user and which you choose is a matter of taste, really. Many people
have emotional attachments or performance issues with one or another
AntiVirus software. Try some out, read reviews and decide for yourself
which you like more:

( Good Comparison Page for AV software: http://www.av-comparatives.org/ )

AntiVir (Free and up)
http://www.free-av.com/

avast! (Free and up)
http://www.avast.com/

AVG Anti-Virus System (Free and up)
http://free.grisoft.com/

eset NOD32 (~$39.00 and up)
http://www.eset.com/products/products.htm

eTrust EZ Antivirus (~$29.95 and up)
http://ca.com/store/home/us/hp2/

Kaspersky Anti-Virus (~$49.95 and up)
http://www.kaspersky.com/products.html

McAfee VirusScan (~$11 and up)
http://www.mcafee.com/

Panda Antivirus Titanium (~$39.95 and up)
http://www.pandasoftware.com/
(Free Online Scanner: http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/)

RAV AntiVirus Online Virus Scan (Free!)
http://www.ravantivirus.com/scan/

Symantec (Norton) AntiVirus (~$11 and up)
http://www.symantec.com/nav/nav_9xnt/

Trend Micro (~$49.95 and up)
http://www.trendmicro.com/en/home/us/personal.htm
(Free Online Scanner:
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp)


Most of them have automatic update capabilities. You will have to
look into the features of the one you choose. Whatever one you finally
settle with - be SURE to keep it updated (I recommend at least daily) and
perform a full scan periodically (yes, most protect you actively, but a
full scan once a month at 4AM probably won't bother you.)


Tip (10):
The most rampant infestation at the current time concerns SPYWARE/ADWARE.
You need to eliminate it from your machine.

There is no one software that cleans and immunizes you against
everything. Antivirus software - you only needed one. Firewall, you
only needed one. AntiSpyware - you will need several. I have a list and
I recommend you use at least the first five.

First - make sure you have NOT installed "Rogue AntiSpyware". There are
people out there who created AntiSpyware products that actually install
spyware of their own! You need to avoid these:

Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware Products & Web Sites
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm

Also, you can always visit this site..
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
For more updated information.

Install the first five of these: (Install, Run, Update, Scan with..)
(If you already have one or more - uninstall them and download the
LATEST version from the page given!)

Lavasoft AdAware (Free and up)
http://www.lavasoft.de/support/download/
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/atdn )

Spybot Search and Destroy (Free!)
http://www.safer-networking.net/en/download/index.html
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/atdk )

Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner (Free!)
http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate3 )

SpywareBlaster (Free!)
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/sbdownload.html
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate6 )

IE-SPYAD2 (Free!)
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/ehowes/www/resource.htm
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate7 )

CWShredder Stand-Alone (Free!)
http://www.intermute.com/spysubtract/cwshredder_download.html

Hijack This! (Free!)
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html
(Log Analyzer: http://hjt.iamnotageek.com/ )

ToolbarCop (Free!)
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/toolbarcop.htm

Microsoft AntiSpyware BETA (in testing stages - Free!)
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/fqur )

Browser Security Tests (Free Tester)
http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/

Popup Tester (Free Tester)
http://www.popuptest.com/

The Cleaner (~$49.95 and up)
http://www.moosoft.com/

Sometimes you need to install the application and reboot into SAFE MODE in
order to thoroughly clean your computer. Many applications also have
(or are) immunization applications. Spybot Search and Destroy and
SpywareBlaster are two that currently do the best job at passively
protecting your system from malware. None of these programs (in these
editions) run in the background unless you TELL them to. The space they
take up and how easy they are to use greatly makes up for any inconvenience
you may be feeling.

Please notice that Windows XP SP2 does help stop popups as well.

Another option is to use an alternative Web browser. I suggest
'Mozilla Firefox', as it has some great features and is very easy to use:

Mozilla Firefox
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/


So your machine is pretty clean and up to date now. If you use the sections
above as a guide, it should stay that way as well! There are still a few
more things you can do to keep your machine running in top shape.


Tip (11):
You should periodically check your hard drive(s) for errors and defragment
them. Only defragment after you have cleaned up your machine of
outside parasites and never defragment as a solution to a quirkiness in
your system. It may help speed up your system, but it should be clean
before you do this. Do these things IN ORDER...

How to use Disk Cleanup
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312

How to scan your disks for errors
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265

How to Defragment your hard drives
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314848

I would personally perform the above steps at least once every three months.
For most people this should be sufficient, but if the difference you notice
afterwards is greater than you think it should be, lessen the time in
between its schedule.. If the difference you notice is negligible, you can
increase the time.


Tip (12):
SPAM! JUNK MAIL!
This one can get annoying, just like the rest. You get 50 emails in one
sitting and 2 of them you wanted. NICE! (Not.) What can you do? Well,
although there are services out there to help you, some email
servers/services that actually do lower your spam with features built into
their servers - I still like the methods that let you be the end-decision
maker on what is spam and what is not. I have two products to suggest to
you, look at them and see if either of them suite your needs. Again, if
they don't, Google is free and available for your perusal.

SpamBayes (Free!)
http://spambayes.sourceforge.net/

Spamihilator (Free!)
http://www.spamihilator.com/

As I said, those are not your only options, but are reliable ones I have
seen function for hundreds+ people.


Tip (13):
ADVANCED TIP! Only do this once you are comfortable under the hood of your
computer!

There are lots of services on your PC that are probably turned on by default
you don't use. Why have them on? Check out these web pages to see what all
of the services you might find on your computer are and set them according
to your personal needs. Be CAREFUL what you set to manual, and take heed
and write down as you change things! Also, don't expect a large performance
increase or anything - especially on today's 2+ GHz machines, however - I
look at each service you set to manual as one less service you have to worry
about someone exploiting.

Configuring Services
http://snakefoot.fateback.com/tweak/winnt/services.html

Task List Programs
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm

Processes in Windows NT/2000/XP
http://www.reger24.de/prozesse/

There are also applications that AREN'T services that startup when you start
up the computer/logon. One of the better description on how to handle these
I have found here:

Startups
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php


If you follow the advice laid out above (and do some of your own research as
well, so you understand what you are doing) - your computer will stay fairly
stable and secure and you will have a more trouble-free system.
 
P

PA Bear

<yawn>

(Oh, geez, he's back! Maybe you should take a typing course, too, in
addition to your computer courses.)
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE) & Security

CC: Kath

It took 2 weeks to type this letter.
<snip>
 
B

Bruce Chambers

It took 2 weeks to type this letter.


Pity you didn't spend the time learning a little about computer
security, instead.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH
 
P

Phillo

CT - this is an excellent compilation of some basic intermediate
instructions needed to help keep computers clean. Obviously, you put a lot
of care and thought into your contribution, and I want to offer you a
heartfelt 'thankyou' for it. Many people who run windows are not
technically proficient, and need a lot of coaching and specific 'hands-on'
direction to help steer them through a restoration of their system
integrity.

thanks for that...

Phil
 
W

Will

Gee, being the helpful person that you are, why don't you point him in the
right direction?Too busy pointing out MS's EULA to everyone and anyone? Now
that's helpful.
 

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