I'm going to start this section with a statement of the blatantly obvious, rather like always wearing your seatbelt ( sorry, not always, in fact very rarely :Banghead ) Dont go online without some form of virus protection. I have just spent a couple of hours trying to erradicate a virus that my sons girlfriend downloaded last night No she is not 5yrs old, more than a teenager and had no protection on her new ( at Christmas ) laptop. The installed protection was on a couple of months free trial and she had not got around to upgrading. :bash
Protection: Check this out, it's the real Geek Squad web page... it's rather humours...LOL http://www.geeksquad.com/main.asp OCR...
For antivirus, I use AVG free. For spyware there's a whole bunch of options. Ad-aware, Spybot Search and Destroy, and Malwarebytes are some of the ones I've used. There's enough good stuff out there for free that no one should be paying for anything anymore, so there's no reason to be without it. Here's trick I recently learned with a nasty piece of spyware. It had built in protection that prevented you from installing or updating your anti-spyware software. The solution was to download the program and definitions on a different computer. Then rename them to something boring and move them to the problem computer with a flash drive or cd. Then the spyware wouldn't block their installation.
I've used Kaspersky in the past and it works great....if you know how to deal with it's eccentricities. Right now I'm using AVG free and it works great and for the price, you can't go wrong. Too funny!
I have a paid version of McAfee but I don't really like it. I have Windows Vista and windows defender is part of its program. McAfee keeps shutting defender down. I don't mind that but every time I start the computer this annoying pop up comes up stating an application cannot start(windows defender). I start defender again and McAfee shuts it down. I wiped out McAfee and tried AVG pay version (free trail) and that sucked. The e-mail scanner worked poorly and would freeze everything up and it wouldn't update. Sooo out the door went that. Just loaded AVG free and giving it a try. Malware protection is not available in the free version, so I have to stare at the little icon with the white x in it saying I'm not protected:Banghead God, I'm glad we got this geek squad section so I can rant! Thanks Steve..very much appreciated!
I use ZoneAlarm security suite. The e-mail junk mail filter it has is something I couldn't live without. I've used ZA for several years now and I am very happy with it. Very user friendly, very effective firewall, virus, and e-mail programs. Another program I suggest you folks to look at is PC Tools Registry Mechanic. It fixes all the discombobulation that happens in your registry with constant changes to your hard drive from internet use and download changes. It keeps my computer running like a top.
Protection: This is a good one too, it's free, and I use it... I use to have the free version of AVG, but it took out part of my satellite modem (StarBand)... http://www.avast.com/index.html Here's another nifty tool... free also... and it might not be quite as rough on your registry as Registry Mechanic. http://www.piriform.com/ http://www.ccleaner.com/ I actually saw it first on Wikipedia, when I was reading about some computer stuff. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CCleaner Any way, you can read up on them, and go from there. Especially, take a good look at Avast, it's got some good features and is very highly rated. OCR...
ccleaner is great. I run it every time i close my browser. For registry I use registry repair pro by 3b software. It is an old program but works well.
I used to run the Zone Alarm firewall(free version) on my Windows XP and it worked well. I just tried it on my Windows Vista and it wasn't compatable. So what I have now is AVG Free, Lavasoft adaware, Malwarebytes and just the windows firewall. I downloaded that and it found all kinds of problems. In order for these problems to be fixed you have to get the paid version. Remember...I'm cheap here.
The problem I ran into with Avast is it uses a lot of memory and can slow your computer way down if you're marginal. I maxed out the memory in the computer and that solved the issue.
Rob, When I read your post I could not get this picture out of my mind, try it http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2456/226/70/514111152/n514111152_2613226_3243.jpg I'm sorry that was so random but I figured i'd get a few laughs out of it lol
You're not the only one Dirtman!!
Man, that's just so not right! :lmao
Oh jeez a computer section >. all programs -> accessories -> system tools -> Disc Defragment). When you run this the red area are Fragmented files . . These are files that aren't bad but kinda picture it as a messy room . . They are like clothes on the floor instead of in the dresser. The blue is Contiguous Files. Picture these as clothes that were on the floor that are now put back in the dresser. The green files are Unmovable files. They are well . . Unmovable haha. The white space is the free space on your hard drive =] Run a Disc Cleanup (Go to your start menu -> all programs -> accessories -> system tools -> Disc Disc Cleanup). With the Disc Cleanup make sure all the boxes are checked so the Disc Cleanup will actually delete something =] I am running Windows XP so this may be different for people using Windows 95/98 or Vista Hope I helped out a little >.<
HEO Girl, thanks for all the great information! What would you recommend for a firewall?
I don't use fire walls either =P All I got on this baby for protection is AVG: Free Ad-Aware Spybot - Search & Destroy Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware a-squared Free I rarely get a virus and I probably surf the web and download a whole lot more then the average person. I'm lookin at makin my computer into a raid. Either havin 2 500gig hard drives or 4 320gigs . . Hehe I need more storage and with that it will boost me up to a Terabyte of it which is 1,000gigs >.< So I can't really say much for firewalls. I know Windows XP comes with it's own little built in firewall. I really don't here much talk about it in the shop either. But that doesn't mean that they aren't good. I'm sure some one on here can suggest a good one to use.
I think it must be a digger driver thing, great minds think alike Great info from a member of the generation that was brought up with these darn things, thank you very much. My son had found AVG free and downloaded it :yup thanks for the recommendation. I run Norton 360, I know many hate them but it works for me Ad-Aware :yup Spybot :yup the others I will investigate, thanks :thumbsup
No problems here There is a solution to spyware and virus problems, run a Mac. I've been involved in Mac sales service and used them for approx 20 years. Viruses and spyware just don't work on the Mac platform. Unlike Windows, Apple rebuilt the whole Mac Operating System using a solid and secure Unix core nearly a decade ago. Building security into the System instead of paying an ongoing tax to virus and spyware companies was a priority. And in the long run a Mac is a more cost effective investment too, they are built to last and not become obsolete. If you need to you can run all versions of Windows on a Mac now but there is now a lot of excellent software on a Mac that won't run on Windows. My only problem is if there is a network glitch that takes the Internet down in my area when I want to get my HEF fix. Man, that burns me up Feel free to ask any Mac related questions as I can answer most queries. Regards Dave
Is there any way to filter out the distracting symbols I find in some posts? They kind of look like animal whiskers or something along that line and seem to be inserted randomly. To me their just a distraction and make reading some posts difficult.
Geek Patrol??? Did I miss something (not unusual)... or has the name of this sub-forum been changed?... OCR
A little bit of training and discipline are required for most of these programs to work: Anti Virus programs really protect you for the KNOWN things that are in the wild. They play catch up when something new is let loose in the wild - several hundred every day, most days. A good antivirus program ( whichever you are comfortable with), that is kept updated - each day is the best, is a good defensive wall around your system. But, if you click on everything that is attached, go to off the beaten path web sites or download everything you see - you are leading the intruder right past all of that good defense and into your computer. If you are using more than one computer at home use NAT (Network Address Translation) for your IP addresses, behind your router. NAT uses a group of IP addresses that are non routable. These addresses are never seen by the world that is on the WAN side of your router. FIREWALLS are great. But take a lot of work to get to the place where you can do what you want to. Once you have them where they are working and let you do what you want, you have pretty much turned off most of the features of the FIREWALL. One thing that can help a lot have a system or systems that adults can use that kids cannot. Set them up as you need and use them. Have another system for kids. Without a lot of care, they are going to get things that you do not want on your "good" systems. When they do - REFORMAT the system and start from scratch using an image disk to rebuild the system. After they loose their files a few times the idea of being careful will begin to sink in. All the security programs in the world can be defeated by the hand - keyboard interface. If it looks funny - scan it. Or better yet delete it before you click on it. Pay attention to scams in email - you are probably not going to receive $12,345,678,90 from your long lost Nigerian Uncle - DELETE it! Look at the links you get in emails. There are lots of attempts to get you to give out information to places that look legitimate but have a URL like: www.bank.com.what.is.this.biz That is not going to get you to your bank and will probably cost you a LOT! Hal
Nope...you just missed something....maybe breakfast...your meds....the 70's
Actually, I got an advertising email from Best Buy last week and noticed the little "R" next to "Geek Squad" so rather than wait for their attorneys to find us and make exorbitant threats, I change the name slightly.
That's smart. But I took Sqizzy's advice anyway...and ate breakfast!
Avira Free version and Windows Defender. Windows Firewall. As long as you don't download a bunch of crap from dubious places you should be safe. If you do need to download a program I recomend C-net.
Steve are you talking about the ones that I put in my posts usually?? Or used to until I guess you blocked them . . . ^ . ^ or = ] those? but closer together? and if you are talking about them they aren't random . . . They are my version of smiley faces. . . . . . .
This post is spot on what I can add most Linux distros fit into the same explanation, dare I say Microsoft platform is a continuing cost not only did you pay a premium for the platform you add virus protection at your expense. Ever bought a new machine without warranty? Regards Uffex
Most stationary plant that I've had to be part of has no warranty.