Posted on 10/31/2004 10:16:57 AM PST by quidnunc
Thank you both for your info. How come Drudge can't specify no pop-us or spyware from his advertisers? I don't get them from everybody - many come from his site until I don't want to visit it anymore. At any rate, I have Ad-aware but it doesn't seem to zap it on contact. That's what I want. I'll try installing another program.
There's a program called CleanCache that's very useful. If you have a lot of IE junk in folders, both AdAware and AVG will take years to go through there. Run this program, clean up temporary internet files, and it will fly through there.
For some reason, you can't go into Windows explorer and delete these files.
Try Spybot Search and destroy, or Win Patrol both are free both have the kind active defense you're looking for.One bit of caution though if you don't have a decent amount of memory or if you have a pretty old system the advanced features of these programs could lock up your machine.I think Win Patrol may have the smallest system requirements of the two.
That's something you'll have to ask Drudge. Probably got something to do with $$$.
I have Ad-aware but it doesn't seem to zap it on contact. That's what I want. I'll try installing another program.
(((pssst -- http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/)))
ping
This is NOT true with AVG with most e-mail clients. The user must scan manually on most clients. However, Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Outlook Express are far more at risk from viruses in attachments than other e-mail clients. For example, I use Opera browser and its e-mail client, and I "get sent" many viruses not picked up by AVG in real time, and I save them to my desktop and then scan them by right-clicking...and sure enough they are viruses, but could never execute because Opera's e-mail client is not at risk of executing attachments just by viewing the message.
If you use a version of Outlook, AVG will assist you in real time, and if you use another client then your risk from Viruses is far less and you can scan manually with AVG. Either way, AVG is a great anti-virus that is WAY less invasive to your system than the "big two" and is free! I have used many virus scanners and I have found that if AVG is kept up to date, that it detects everything the big boys detect, and is a lot faster in manual scans.
As to AVG's "repair capabilities:" by being reasonably careful, despite a network of 6 computers at home (wife, 4 kids, and me) plus controlling a desktop and two laptops at work on a major network (using Norton Corporate there--not my choice), plus college kids bringing in computers and hooking them up here, and running servers on both home and work computers, I have never in my 35 years of computing (started 1969) been infected by even one virus. However, using AVG (and its supplemental programs they have on their web site) I have disinfected many viruses from the computers of family and friends, and it always worked great.
Nothing is perfect, but I think that users should feel nicely protected using the Freeware version of AVG and should not worry that they should buy one of the "big boys."
for later reading
How does my XP Home PC keep turning the MSNMessenger box ON in the startup menu at msconfig? I keep turning it off, and it keeps reappearing, along with a message that I changed my configuration? Anyone?
Amen to that brother !!!
The first thing to understand is that the Windows Messenger Service is completely different from, and not in any way related to, "MSN Messenger", "Windows Messenger", or any other well-known instant messaging system. Therefore, disabling the Windows Messenger service will have no effect upon your use of any other instant messaging applications. They will continue to work without trouble.
Sorry if I caused you any grief.
My goodness people. buy a Mac. Problems solved.
jellybean- ad-aware won't do this without it asking, and you giving it permission to do so, and then only if it needs to remove something it has found but can only do so during reboot (very rare in my experience).
backhoe- good list of anti-spyware/security stuff there. My own use of Zone Alarm as a firewall has been complemented with taking note of reviews, and watching development of, the different software firewalls available. Zone Alarm appears to consistently come out on top in these comparisons and tests.
copycat- aside from appearing in msconfig as "on", does MSNMessenger actually start when you start Windows? Assuming it does, this can be turned off under the Tools -> Options -> General tab in Messenger itself.
Anyone needing a very good Registry cleaner will find an excellent one in
Thanks you! It's another great thing about FR, there are LOTS of knowlegable FReepers on hundreds of subjects :)
Hmm, I guess this thread is as good as any to post a problem Ive been having lately. My computer has been running extremely slow lately, and checking the task manager showed that a program called playdrv.exe is eating up ~60-90% of my system resources. I have no idea what this is, googling playdrv.exe reveals nothing, ditto for searching my harddrive to find out where the file is located. I tried running AVG, spybot, and adaware to no effect. Anyone have an idea what playdrv.exe is?
Thanks for pointing out RegSeeker-- great catch. I do support work- that'll be one for the flashkey drive.
If you google playdrv (with no .exe) you'll get 4 returns. The first and the 4th look like they're related to your problem. Good luck, it looks like you're gonna have fun. Sorry.
I tried to update AdAware last night, and the file wouldn't download.
Forgot about that, thanks.
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