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* 30 Years with Computers *
The Things You Need To Know
Bulletins & Updates
The Internet: There Be Dragons Here !
Yes, the Virus is here to stay. Known by various names, such as
Conficker and Koobface, it seems one of the most irritating forms is a popup window called
"Anti-Virus 2010". How's that for irony?
These programs are themselves, adware viruses!
Other viruses get in by offering you something 'Free'.
Associated mostly with sites such as Facebook.com and MySpace.com, there
are many other sites on the Internet distributing these attacks. Any 'search' within Google or other search sites can
quickly land you on a site poised to add things to your computer - such as Trojan Horse 'doorways'.
Once even ONE of these gets in, your front door is open for other viruses to have a party in your computer.
It's pretty easy to spot trouble when popup windows keep showing up displaying Emergency Warnings
about your computer - wanting you to try or buy their fix-it
products - and then they refuse to take NO for an answer.
This is usually accomplished by giving you a 'No' click which responds *exactly*
the same way as the 'Yes' click. Finding yourself on a site you didn't
even ask for is another obvious indication. If your 'Home' (opening) page
changes in your browser, you are definitely in Trouble.
Learn below how to close those unwanted Windows.
Why are sites like Facebook & MySpace More Dangerous
?
I get asked this quite often. The answer is simply the Login.
Whenever you look at
a page such as CNN.com, you simply browse to that website without further requirements. When you go
to 'community' sites, many times you are required to Login. To get your EMails
in GMail.com, you must Login. Likewise, to make a comment on a
political or news site, you must first Login. That's the major difference
because whenever you Login, you 'introduce' yourself to the Internet and open
'doors' which nasty people can go through.
So, Rule #1:
There is no such thing as Free.
Free wallpaper, virus-scans, screensavers, and EMail graphics
usually come at a cost - at the very least slowing your computer down as the new software
connects with its owners. Ads will be added to your outgoing EMails
without you even being aware of it.
Even those 'Toolbars' from well known companies such as Google
and Yahoo trade away both your display area and your computer speed - and the worst toolbar
attack of all is one called MySearch. Those automatic Weather Scanners will share
and split up your connection speed, as well !
Rule #2:
Use [Alt]+[F4] to Close Unwanted Stuff.
This keyboard 'trick' actually works for whatever Window is
currently selected (active) on your computer. Please note this keyboard combination works
for any window or popup - so if you do it while reading this, you'll close THIS
window! 
Also note, Closing a popup may STILL lead you to an
unwanted website (because just as we programmers have an [Upon CLICK] command, there is also
coding for [Upon EXIT] ! ). This simply means you'll need a SECOND press of this special
keyboard combination.
Anywho - To close Any Selected 'Window' on your computer just
hold down
[Alt] and then press
[F4] .
This Keyboard Combination works in
'98, 2000, Millennium, XP, Vista, Windows 7,
or any other version of Microsoft Windows, & regardless of which Browser.
Rule #3:
Use Safe Mode for Maintenance & Scanning.
Most of the Virus 'Scans' or 'Fix' programs
(such as 'DeFrag') run FAR more efficiently and quickly if
they are executed using 'Safe Mode'.
This 'Safe Mode' is a method of starting your computer with only a minimum of hardware
drivers and programs running in the background. Because of this,
when you are in 'Safe Mode' your screen will look somewhat odd
(no video drivers means minimal colors) and you will not
be able to connect to the Internet. However - with so little
going on behind the scenes, scan or fix programs run MUCH
faster. Also, a virus, worm, or trojan-horse which would
start up in 'Normal Mode' should not do so when in 'Safe Mode' -
making it easier to remove them. If you are going to do a
virus scan, remember to first open the program in 'Normal Mode' and
get the latest Updates. Without an Internet connection, in 'Safe Mode' you
will not be able to do so.
Starting up your computer in 'Safe Mode' is a little tricky.
You MUST catch it BEFORE it starts loading Windows - or
immediately after it powers up. This is done by
bouncing on either the:
[F5] Key (old) or the
[F8] Key (new).
The 'trick' is to catch it immediately before it gets the
chance to load Windows normally. If you do it correctly,
depending on your version, you will either go to a black screen
allowing you to 'select' the 'Safe Mode' startup, or you
will go directly there. Windows will take a while to load,
and you'll eventually get a Windows message warning you are using 'Safe Mode'.
If you missed it, you will have to restart and try again.
After running your defrags, virus scans and fixes simply restart
your computer in 'Normal Mode'. Note also; If you are
'Uninstalling' a particular Program - removing it while in
'Safe Mode' is sometimes more efficient - though some programs will
not allow you to do so.
Hassler's Law:
Backup Means TWO Copies.
All too often, when a computer has been badly attacked, the only way
to fix it is to wipe the hard drive clean and reinstall whatever
Windows version is required. The amazing thing is nearly every time
this happens, my other job is an attempt to first make a copy of their documents and
photos on the computer before I have to erase them (and Please Note, with some viruses
this is impossible so they are lost forever !).
This is (quote) "amazing" because another copy should have existed
long before the virus problem came up. It is a perfect
example of 'ONE COPY' - the best way to LOSE ALL your
valuable photos, letters, Excel spreadsheets, videos, and bookkeeping documents.
There are other, not so obvious, ways to lose your data but all
of them BREAK our simple 'Two Copy Law'. Today, there are 'external'
hard drives and keychain flash drives with enormous capacity. These are fantastic
for backing up everything from text files to entire movies.
Why has the 'Floppy Drive' disappeared? Well - the other day I saw a 'Flash' drive
the size of my house key that equaled _ 2,000 floppies. It was $9.95
Now _ consider _ if someone copies their photos from their computer (or camera) to one
of these 'external' drives - then that is the (SAFE!) definition of 'Two Copies'
and their stuff is totally protected. Unfortunately, most of the time -
after moving those photos and/or documents to the 'external' storage device (and this
applies equally to 'burning' a CD or DVD disk)
people will then delete the original from their computer.
Okay - WHOA-up here. Use your head now. How many 'copies' do
you then have? Right. That means you once again have only
ONE COPY. 'External' drives fail too (especially today, as hardware gets
even cheaper - and/or junkier). CDs and DVDs can easily get scratched -
and even that new copy should be tested in a different drive if at all possible
(Odd as it may seem, "success" in one computer does not always equal "success"
in another one).
One Copy - regardless of where you put it, is a HUGE mistake.
Period. If something on your computer is AT ALL important to
you -
and you have only ONE COPY?
well - then, you should simply get a good spankin' !
[LOL]
This is a Good Place to also Remind You !
Recently, I've also noticed too many people who are not making
the conversion to thinking 'digitally'. In the days of
'film' our precious photos were simply converted to a 'printed' version.
Once we had a photo we could look at and slide into an album
the 'film' which produced it was destroyed. The 'important'
piece was the photo we held in our hands. Please note that
this is no longer true and then make this little 'modern' adjustment.
In today's world every photo, sound, or movie
we treasure is on a 'film' we now call "digital storage". It is that
strange 'JPG' or 'TIF' file with our photos, or that 'MOV' and 'MPG' we see with
videos, or even the MP3 or WAV file for sound - - on all our cameras, IPODs, and computers
this is now the invaluable - and irreplaceable - piece. Whenever you are applying the
'TWO COPY' rule I was so bullish about above? You should also remember that
'digital' copy of your new grandchild is actually the important 'copy'.
The 'printed' versions are (comparatively) worthless. That 'digital'
copy can be used to reproduce it any time your inkjets are full -
SO _ two copies of it is the rule to never lose it.
Oh !!! and every time you have a problem with these cheap printers (which should
carry a label of PlaySchool these days instead of HP or Epson) keep in
mind they are well aware of the above - and the actual importance of
what you're printing and holding in your hand today. "Worrying about
a photo fading"? - has become ancient history.
The Internet: There Be Dragons Here !
and This Is How They Fly:
Using a totally new install, after doing every update,
and then running every scan using the programs available
below, another supposedly efficient package was downloaded
then executed. Certainly, the tag of PCtools seems
legitimate. Now note what happens when this totally clean
computer is scanned by this service (Click the thumbnail for a larger
snapshot). Isn't it interesting that it found "critical items"?
Isn't it also interesting this program then wants you
to BUY their LIVE program which will (surely) Fix ALL
these problems? I'll let you draw your own conclusions.
Perhaps those quite well-known two letters - 'BS'
will come to mind ?
Please take note:
According to reliable
techie
sites, the program you see advertized on TV called, '
FinallyFast
.com' is simply another Spyware that fixes a few
things - then spys on you just like the other stuff
- for a small fee, of course. There are now several
of these 'offers' out there.
It is important to note, here - there are many things on the Internet
that want to attack your computer. On one end of this
spectrum there are nearly
invisible 'attachments' that do nothing more than 'reporting back'
which Internet ads you click on. You'll get some form of these
'cookies' from most News sites. While these
aren't "destructive" - they
DO slow your connection speed. At the other end - and FAR
worse are destructive attacks
that will immmediately disable every tool or
Scan (such as 'System Restore'
or 'RegEdit') you would need to kick the attackers out! If
this happens, there is little choice but to wipe your computer clean
and reinstall an original Windows setup.
By the way - before I forget, there IS a new extremely dangerous
virus now on the loose. It's called the 'OneBornaMinute'
worm. But don't worry. Just send me $29.99 immediately
and I can guarantee you will never ever get it.
UPDATE! I am now
EXTREMELY willing to settle for $19.99 ! Don't delay! Rumor has it the
'OneBornaMinute' worm has dramatically multiplied and could
attack you at any moment ! Your $20 payment will save you simply
- well - at least minutes of your time and you won't even have
to install anything. I'll wave my magic wand from here!
But seriously, below you will find several programs - all free - intended to
protect your computer from these virus/trojan/adware/worms. One
program will also greatly improve your computer's performance by
finding and repairing errors in your all-important 'Registry' file.
Which of these you wish to install is certainly up to
you. If you already have some of these installed
they are constantly being updated. You should tell
each one to 'search for updates' within them, or uninstall
the old version then reinstall from the new.
Please
Contact [<=-Click!] me if you have *any* questions or contributions.
and Remember _ There be Dragons Here!
* * NowSites FREE Downloads * *
Geez. I've already Got It !?!
Malwarebytes (3624) is the only utility I found (free) on the Internet that
actually removed the 'Antivirus2009' trojan virus on a computer
already infected. This particular laptop computer looked like it was going
to have to be completely wiped & reinstalled, until this 'Scan' was
done and it destroyed the virus. After you download and install
it, allow it to do any 'updates' it wishes - as the entire virus
thing is a *constant* ongoing war. This
Download is 5 Meg. After the Scan, be sure you "Review"
the Results - then direct it to "Remove Selected" (see the snapshot above ^ )
if it finds anything.
Keeping it installed is up to you -
but as with many virus protection programs, you will need to
TELL it to 'scan' now and then (at least once a month).
Spybot System Registry Protection
Spybot is easily the best free program to watch over your 'Registration'
file. As I've told most of you, that Registration file is
the most important file on your system. Everything is stored there -
from your Video, network, & sound drivers, to the last item you
'searched' for - the Registration file manages your entire computer.
That portion of
Spybot
called 'TeaTimer' will stop and notify you
whenever a critical change is requested. If a spyware attempts to
change your 'Home' page in your browser - for example - TeaTimer notifies
you and allows you to abort the hijack. If YOU are the one changing
your Desktop Wallpaper or installing a new program, you can tell
'TeaTimer' it's Okay.
If you have Spybot installed
already, don't forget to Click 'Check for Updates' at least once a month.
Please remember, while 'TeaTimer' should be running in the
background protecting your Registry, Spybot itself does not.
You will need to open it then request updates and scans - at
least once a month to insure your computer is clean.
This
Download is 16 Meg.
The DEEP-Scan Program, Fraudfix:
This is easily the most intense scan in the collection,
but it comes with a few more costs. It is SO powerful,
in fact, McAfee will identify it as a virus. You
may have to tell the McAfee guard dogs it's Okay. This
program will literally shut Windows down as it does its scan,
and should be run in 'Safe Mode' (See explanation above)
for its super-scan. Save it to your Desktop or 'My Documents',
Restart your computer in 'Safe Mode', then Double-Click it.
Please take note: Many of the worst worms and viruses hide
in a folder called 'Temp'. Because of this, the only way to
really be sure you're 'clean' is to also empty out that 'Temp'
folder. Unfortunately, some other things are stored
in that folder including your Desktop picture setting, your
'Home Page' when you open the MSIE Internet browser, and your
'Time' display settings. After running
FraudFix
(and then restarting in 'Normal Mode')
your Desktop picture will be blank (easily reset), your Internet homepage will
be the Windows original setting, MSN.com - and you may have to go to
Control Panel, Regional/Language settings if you don't like
24 hour military time.
This
Download is less than 2 Meg. but I recommend this program in
only the most extreme (last resort) cases.
"My PC is Slow !" Well THIS Program DOES Help!
If you frequent any of the news sites such as FoxNews.com or MSNBC.com
you've seen the ads recently appealing to the fact your computer isn't
as fast as it used to be. This is all because of that
Registry file on your computer we've discussed above.
Because it stores EVERYTHING, it just gets bigger and bigger - as well as
filled with little errors. These errors can be something as
simple as a 'Shortcut' that points to a photo you've already deleted.
Obviously, every one of those errors in your Registry file SLOW
your computer down! The program available here is one of the best
I've seen for cleaning up most of those Registry file problems.
It is truly a miracle worker at times. I purchased license
for the
Advanced Registry Optimizer
to distribute amongst my clients.
Download
is only 3 Meg. Execution is fairly easy and
self-explanatory, but
Contact
me if you need help.
You don't have to Pay for Norton/McAfee
The truth is, you don't have to pay for some darned good (maybe even
better?) free anti-virus protection. Until recently I
recommended the popular "AVG" software to those
who sought a 'free' solution - but I never stop exploring as the Internet
'world' constantly changes. Recent updates to "AVG" have
come under fire as slowing down computers now like it never did
before. For this reason, I now recommend the "AVAST" anti-virus
software. The Free Version has a number of features you'll like
(and not just the pretty female voice that reports both updates and
attacks), and - more importantly - it seems to be catching
even the attacks normally spotted when you run the MalwareBytes
software referenced above.
If you install 'AVAST', be sure to tell it to do a 'new install' or initial "Full
Scan" - just to make sure you start out 'clean'.
For Free Anti-Virus these Links will take you to their Download sites:
http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download
free.avg.com/us-en/download-avg-anti-virus-free
toggle.com/lv/group/view/kl33909/Panda_Antivirus.htm
More Free Downloads You'll Like :
{- A Much Better Disk Defrag Program!
Every time you delete a file, you leave a temporary blank
space on your hard drive. The next file you save will often
be larger, so Windows fills the hole then moves to the next
hole to save the rest. This is called fragmentation
and it can seriously slow down re-getting that data (as the
hard drive's head has to jump all over the place).
The 'De-Frag' utility that came with your Windows ("Accessories",
"System Tools") tries to 'fix' those files and does okay.
But it does not 'move' all files toward the front of the
disk, which can also speed up your access. Simply put,
the less you have stored on your hard drive, the faster it will
be - but if your 40 Meg of data is spread out over an 80
Meg area, you may as well have 80 Meg of data (just picture
the head 'reaching' out for the data). Auslogics Defrag
is a much better de-frag utility as it also optimizes
the drive.
Whether you use this download, or the program that comes with
Windows - remember that any program or data currently in use
(open) cannot be manipulated or 'fixed' as it is locked down.
For this reason, De-Frag is *far* more efficient if it's
run in 'Safe Mode' (see above). This Auslogics Defrag program free
Download/Installer is only 2 Meg.
{- Convert your files to Adobe PDF !
This is a Great utility for converting Word or Excel
documents (or anything you can 'Print') into the Adobe PDF format.
The PDF file has become one of the most popular
'cross-platform' (Windows, Apple, whatever) formats for
document sharing. After this utility is installed
it becomes one of your selectable 'Printer' options. So
simply selecting it as your Printer you will then be
asked where to put your new PDF file - and what
you want to name it. Once the file is created, it's
easy to 'attach' to any EMail. The free
Download/Installer
is only 1 1/2 Meg.
{- Paintshop Pro 4 Photo editor
If you need a great JPG (photo file) editor for
resizing or changing your pictures, Paint Shop
Pro Version
Four does most everything you need.
Because it's quite old (they're on version X3/13? now) - it also
has the advantage of not growing to the point it
needs a two inch thick manual.
*L*
This free
Download/Installer
is 3 Meg.
{- Very 'Cool' Sound file (WAV) editor
If you need a great WAV (sound file) editor this is it.
The free version simply allows two 'options' when you open the
program, so just make sure 'Save File' is one of them.
Depending on your 'Sound Card', this program can sometimes be
used to record 'What-You-Hear' on your computer - allowing you
to swipe any sound track you can hear and burn it to disk.
The
Download/Installer
is 2 Meg.
{- Extremely Handy Desktop Clock
This desk top clock and calender is actually pretty cool. It allows
you to put it anywhere you want on your desktop, and you
can even alter its size, color, sounds, and the info it displays.
It is more versatile than the SideBar options now included with
Windows Vista and Windows 7.
The
Download/Installer
is less than 1 Meg.
{- Core File Transfer Program (FTP)
FTP is the program you'll need for uploading or downloading
files to and from your website. If you don't own a
dot-com, you won't need it - but this is the best or easiest
Free version
I've ever worked with. It's also here because there
are times when it needs to be uninstalled then reinstalled.
Download/Installer
is less than 3 Meg.
NEW! Please Click Here for Comprehensive FTP program Instructions
{- Convenient Photo Slideshow Program
This program is quite good for displaying your photos (and even
MPG movies) in a slideshow. You can set it to move when you
click or with an automatic timer, and it will size everything to
your screen size. It is also capable of creating a
self-running EXE file you can save or send to friends.
The Download/Installer
is less than 2 Meg.
{- Taming and Controlling DOS
The only reason to install Tame is if you're running
POWB (NowSites) Inventory and Accounting Software.
This module controls Printer Delays and other snaffoos when
running software based on POWB Command Line execution. Remember
- while Microsoft claims they "killed DOS" - all they really did
was rename it to Command.
The Tame Download
is less than 1 Meg. - but it is only here to
make sure we don't lose it.
FUN Downloads You'll LOVE ! : _
