Computer Security Question

self ^ | January 16, 2015 | knarf

[Kirkwood]

Often it helps to manually check under the hood, so to speak to see what is going on. Run msconfig and then look under the startup tab to see what is actually starting when you boot. If there are weird, unidentifiable things starting, you can turn them off temporarily or permanently. Also check under the services tab. Usually things with no manufacturer name raises a red flag.

[knarf]

We need to do a post on flash players & Java updaters. Those are the two "nags" that really get people into trouble.

Oh please, PLEASE do

We whom are not necessarily stupid but occasionally don't have security as an ongoing priority REALLY need that

And if you do ... develop a ping list and put me on it

I didn't know flash had recently put out an update

Some of us don't frequent the sites that alert / inform us about these things

[nascarnation]

I turned off flash via the browser and only use it for YouTube.
So many of these sites have a sh!tload of embedded flash adverts. Now everything runs so much better!

[Mears]

Ping me if you start one.

.

[W.]

No. 1 rule, never allow a popup to install anything on your computer. Make note of what company's product it is and go to the software's homepage to verify the need. Once at the software's website, they can check the version on your computer, or show you the number of the latest version you might need to update.

And any website that says you need some video player to view their content--run, you can find that content elsewhere.

Just my 2¢ for folks clicking in here.

[dennisw]

scumware is right.

[knarf]

thanx dubya

[Eric in the Ozarks]

4 years with an iMac.
Zero problems.

[LonePalm]

I installed Ghostery and don't have any problems with ads, pop ups/unders.

"Ceterum censeo 0bama esse delendam."

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[LonePalm]

I will contribute to that thread as best I can. Ping me.

"Ceterum censeo 0bama esse delendam."

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[bicyclerepair]

Linux Mint 17.1 “Rebeca” just upgraded.

Sweetest OS I have ever used. And I have MacOSX, XP, 7, 8.1 (blah). The Linux and 3 windoze boxes are on a kvm switch.

The Linux box running on half the hardware of the windoze boxes, does circles around them. No problems with malware either. It is literally the sweetest OS I have ever used.

[Billthedrill]

Linux Mint 17.1 “Rebeca” just upgraded.

Thanks for that - I'm overdue for an upgrade but I just haven't had the time. Mint is easy.

I'm becoming reconciled to the fact that CP/M may not be the OS of the future after all (sigh!)...

[RckyRaCoCo]

bfl

[ErnBatavia]

I use the free MalWareBytes as well as Avast.....for awhile on another computer, a computer whiz former neighbor had installed Crap Cleaner, but given the long menu of what/what-not to clean and remove confused the hell outta me - so I finally quit using it.

Each time I'd run it, all my logins and passwords got wiped away.

[ConservativeMind]

CCleaner does nothing for cleaning malware.

[ConservativeMind]

Your best bet is to go to a different computer to download two or three different free emergency antivirus CD/DVD bootable disk images. Go through the process to write them to disks. Make sure your system can boot directly from CD/DVD and load them.

They will be running Linux and will therefore not allow any Windows virus to interfere with your system getting cleaned.

I favor Avira as at least one of the choices.

Once your system is clean, choose your antivirus from reviews on this site:

av-comparatives.org

Happy cleaning.