Spyware............. WTF!!!!!!!!!

[toejam]

Re: Spyware............. WTF!!!!!!!!!

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get Norton Anti Virus

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Oh yeah, and watch your computer's performance drop to a crawl. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

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Yeah, really! I had Norton on my new computer... removed it from the system immediately. I hate Norton. I use McAfee's anti-virus and firewall with great results. My computer also came with Service Pack II that gives you Windows Firewall, but I disabled that. Supposedly my Linksys cable router and USB adapter for my roommate's computer also has a firewall built in. And I pretty much stick with the AOL spyware protection or Spysubtract Venus Spytrap that came with my computer. Another good program for cleaning up your system that I like to use is www.ccleaner.com

[mhalsey]

Re: Spyware............. WTF!!!!!!!!!

I run Norton Internet Security/Antivirus. I have it set to start when I boot up. Takes the PC a lil' longer to start but it's protected me so far. I also run on a weekly basis Adaware and Spybot. I understand what you're sayin', Tim, about the license agreement if I download a program from the web, which is very rare. I'm talkin' about the ones that are covert, and you KNOW they're out there.

BTW, Newc, how do you configure Spybot to alert you when spyware is trying to be uploaded to your PC?

[hippietim]

Re: Spyware............. WTF!!!!!!!!!

Mark - I know they're out there.

I also know that the overwhelming majority of all nefarious software running on anyones computer got there via user consent.

And you would be VERY surprised at how much seemingly legitimate software that you download AND buy in a nice shrinkwrap package at the store comes with gotchas in their license agreement that enable spyware. Don't think that just because you bought it at your favorite chain store that it won't have spyware on it.

Look at it this way, anytime you get software for free or extremely cheap there has to be a reason why.

a) there is legitimate freeware written by a hobbiest or some community of folks that are just doing it for fun. Probably nothing to be afraid of here.

b) a media player, document viewer, animation viewer, etc. for free. Well, if it's from one of the big boys then you are probably ok as well because the reason you are getting it for free is because the vendor is selling streaming servers and authoring tools and making the rendering plugins and players free.

c) free music downloader, 200 games for $4.99, on-line service, skins, browser add-on, audio codec, media player, search helper, 3-D surround video viewer, etc. Hmmm... This software is not easy to write. Hmmm... There must be a reason it's free or extremely cheap. Hmmm... Well, you better read the fucking license agreement for these. Better yet, just say hell NO!

Seriously, a massive percentage of all crashes that all users experience on their computers are from 3rd party plug-ins running in your browser, e-mail program, media player, etc.

[Newc]

Re: Spyware............. WTF!!!!!!!!!

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BTW, Newc, how do you configure Spybot to alert you when spyware is trying to be uploaded to your PC?

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I dunno - it seems to have done that automatically.

If you want to test it to see if yours is set that way, go to www.codebreaker.com and click around some of the game pages and see if it asks if you want to block a given download (be sure to read the message, as everyone is used to clicking "No" on a popup because the popups usually ask if you want to ACCEPT the download, this one asks if you want to BLOCK the download).

If you don't see any messages, run a scan, and poke through your S&D settings. I looked through mine but didn't see one right away that said to prompt me for anything.

[Newc]

Re: Spyware............. WTF!!!!!!!!!

The first pic shows the page being stopped to ask me if I want to block the Spyware "Avenue A":

http://autumn-frost.com/jcf/Spybot1.jpg

The second pic shows the page as "Done", but it's blank because I blocked the Spyware:

http://autumn-frost.com/jcf/Spybot2.jpg

Sometimes I have to Refresh the page several times to get it to load, but mostly I have to View Source and Copy/Paste the contents into a new file and remove the Spyware link myself before I can view the page.

[mhalsey]

Re: Spyware............. WTF!!!!!!!!!

Thanx, Matt. BTW, got enough programs runnin' there bub? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Newc]

Re: Spyware............. WTF!!!!!!!!!

Actually it's only 6 open folders and 6 programs, plus the Audio Control Panel [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Unless you meant the stuff in the Junk Tray? 3 icons for my network stuff, the one for my Trackball which I have to reconfigure every time I reboot, M$ Me$$enger which has to be active to use XP (Capitalist Nazis), the program that manages the SmartMedia Floppy adaptor I don't use any more, Micro$loth's AntiSpyware Beta, the Audio Control icon that comes and goes, the Printer control icon, Norton, InCD (which I don't use), Winamp's Quick Access thingy (which I don't understand because WinAmp starts when I double-click an MP3 anyway), Quicktime's Quick Access thingy (which I don't understand because QT opens whenever I click on a MOV anyway), and the Safely Remove Hardware button that I don't understand because I have all my USB stuff set for Quick Removal, which doesn't need the Safely Remove Hardware feature [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I tell ya, XP is the pinnacle of modern convenience - everything I don't need right there at my feet [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[hippietim]

Re: Spyware............. WTF!!!!!!!!!

Hey Newclehead, you don't have to run MS Messenger to run XP. Who told you that? In fact, there is an option in the UI to remove it from system startup. I never run it myself.

As for those "quick access" thingy's, kill them. All they do is needlessly suck down your CPU resources and RAM.

You have WAY more than 6 open folders and 6 programs running. That may be all that have active windows but you've got probably a dozen apps running doing you no good at all. Hit Ctrl+Shift+Esc and look at the Processes tab. I suspect you've got a lot of shit running there my friend.

I can walk you through removing apps from your startup (and hence spamming the notification/junk tray area). Just let me know.

[OnlineStageGear]

Re: Spyware............. WTF!!!!!!!!!

Newc, Clean up that damn Taskbar [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] Wholy un-needed Icons Batman.

Hey Newc, you could really cut down your resource usage by doing the following: Go into setting for your MSN IM and tell them not start when windows starts. Also go into your settings for Outlook Express and tell it not to start IM when opening Outlook Express. Also tell Quicktime not to show in Taskbar. You also probably don't need ethernet status shown in taskbar unless you are losing connection here and there, especially for your unused port.

For Spybot: Switch to "Advanced" under "Mode" menu. Then click on Tools in the lower left and then Resident. Make sure SDHelper is clicked and you are all set.

[OnlineStageGear]

Re: Spyware............. WTF!!!!!!!!!

Oh Ya, with a few of the *Cough* not-so-legal version of XP floating around, there is a problem with pulling up the "Add-Remove Windows Components" in Add-Remove Programs. Here is a command to remove Windows Messenger completely. You can always re-install it later is for some un-godly reason you want to.

To remove Windows Messenger manually, click Start, Run and enter the following command:
RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %windir%\inf\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove

Copy and paste it since you will need the 2 spaces in there.

Matt