very helpful. bookmarking this.
My past experience with Norton is horrible. I consider it a virus and was very frustrated with the trouble it caused me interfering and slowing down my computer. I wouldn't use it if they paid me.
The only issue I have with what you write is Norton. I have no faith in them, nor in McCaffee. I use Zone Alarm for my firewall and Avast! for my anti-virus. Both are free as well. And, I also use Malwarebytes. No issues.
My kids like to get their computer full of this stuff. I just wipe the computer clean and tell them to download the updates. The last time I did this one of the restore discs would not work. I called gateway and they told me they no longer support this computer because it is older than three years. Now the oldest one wants to use my computer to “just check her Facebook page.” Haha, she will have to wait on that one.
Allow me to be the first to say this...
And I know I’ll get trashed — but it HAS to be done... ;)
Get a Mac!
Glad you’re back up and running; take care and thanks for sharing the issues you had.
Hoss
I can get norton free from my employer.
I won’t use it.
It is a resource pig and acts as much like a virus as the viruses themselves.
I used it once and was so unhappy with it I removed it. And I had a devil of a time removing it. It had its tentacles all over the registry.
I was able to find a special norton removal tool and that finally got rid of the nuisance.
Use Linux and be done with it. Right now, I have a dual boot system. I may go to all Linux in the not too distant future.
Ubuntu has a great desktop, and even the Fedora desktop has come a long way.
I use Avast anti-virus and Malwarebytes
I have never gotten a virus on my computers.
I think Avast is the best.
The worst virus I did see (on a friends computer) was one that offers to scan your system for errors and then reports infections and offers to fix them if you go to theor site (for a $39.99 software download)
This piece of $hit was a virus iteself and it took over the browers and so many things I swear I will kill the bastards that wrote this if I eve find them.
It required something from Microsoft to fix too, but its been so long i forget what
If you ever go to a site and it offers to do a virus scan turn off the power if you have to, to avoid letting it complete the process.
Also install Avast and Malwarbytes.
Get Carbonite, you’ll never lose anything.
One of the best things you can do to prevent getting viruses is to quit using Internet Explorer.
I had a similar issue. I used Stopzilla and it fixed everything.
I use Linux. What is this malware you speak of?
I don’t understand how you acquired these viri, except by downloading some files, or allowing a website to run a “scan”, which some of they try to do. It is to my knowledge not possible to catch a virus by merely looking at a site. And Avast is so good in that regard that it immediately warns you of suspected websites.
Malwarebytes only gets rid of viruses temporarily, and it’s not strong. It doesn’t protect your computer from new viruses. It’s worth paying for an anti-virus program. I had to reinstall windows a few months ago, and I paid for the help. The virus would shut down Internet Explorer. A message showed up saying, a problem has caused internet explorer to stop working. I got it after I downloaded something.
1. Restart computer
2. F8 while Windows boots and select safe mode.
3. Download Malwarebytes and Startup Mechanic
4. Use Startup Mechanic to clean any malware off your startup menu, use Malwarebytes to kill the virus.
5. Download WOT for firefox, it will stop scripts for bad sites.
Norton is what most hackers use to hack.
The virus had erased the anti-virus information files, so my Norton was helpless. I cured it all by downloading updated info files (also free)and running a full scan. Way at the end of the hours-long scan, it identified and destroyed the PDF file with the Trojan.
The report said the Trojan was a high risk one that read keystrokes and at least tried to connect with some outside source. Fortunately I did not have to worry about keystrokes because Norton has encrypted all my account signons and signs me in without keystrokes. All is back to normal now.
The lesson for me is to run full scans every once in a while because the limited background scan did not pick up on the Trojan.
I know this sounds like a commercial for Norton, but it sure felt good to get my old computer back.