Here's my "best of Links"--
Misc.
IE Spyads SpywareBlaster Spyware Guard
Windows Update- you must keep updated, it is the start of a secure system-
get all CRITICAL Updates
Things you want(Still Free)
I use Firefox. Click the link and give it a try. | Browser Wars, take two various FR links | 12-22-04 | The Heavy Equipment Guy http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1306815/posts ...and let your compiler of links drop out of Lurk & Link mode for comment and advice: Ditch IE. Honest to God, almost anything else will give you fewer problems. Try and compare- use IE, then run Ad-Aware and Spybot Search & Destroy... then try another browser and repeat. You will be stunned at the garbage IE attracts. Keep your OS updated & patched. Run a hardware firewall-- with today's LAN's, it's easy. You need a hardware firewall. Use a software firewall, too-- if you don't, you'll never know how many times your PC is trying to "phone home" and send your info across the web. |
The SWI forum listed above is very good at helping disinfect your PC, but be advised you have to register, learn what they need you to do first in the "pinned" posts at the top of the forum... and they are badly overloaded. It helps to use a cute female screen name. They have links to similar forums if you are so inclined to try a different one.
It may be faster to fdisk, reformat, and reinstall, provided you have backups of cookies, data files, etc.
All the stuff I have on this subject is here, go to the last & work back to get the latest:
A sample excerpt:
Re: Updating my address book - Virus alert
To Brad's Gramma | 03/08/2005 2:19:05 AM EST sent
Nancy, the two best free antiviruses that I have used and suggest others try are AVG and Avast! You can always try having a friend with a CD or DVD burner download & burn a copy if you have technical problems getting online, or are reluctant to DL online yourself. ( also see "PS" at bottom )--
http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_index.php
http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home2.html
One or the other ( it is not recommended running more than one at a time ) is about as good as the store-bought programs like McAfee or Norton. Some claim they are better, and I am inclined to agree. Smaller, less intrusive.
In addtion, it is not a bad idea to check occassionaly with an online scan- sometimes one will catch something the others miss.
The most thorough is Trendmicro ( virus, trojan, spyware and security holes )--
http://housecall-beta.trendmicro.com/en/start_corp.asp
Some other good ones:
http://security.symantec.com/ssc/home.asp?j=1&langid=us&venid=sym&plfid=22&pkj=CUXVBXUQIZQVMUYTACD
http://www.rav.ro/scan/indexn.php
http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/com/activescan_principal.htm
http://www.bitdefender.com/scan/license.php
Also, most antivirus software ( except for trend ) does not detect spyware, so you need something on the HD that does-- Microsoft's Antispyware ( search their homepage ) is very, very good. Ad-Aware SE by Lavasoft is well thought of:
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/
Be sure to use the "full system scan"-- you need to check everything.
Do not use MS Internet Explorer, except for the sites ( like MS! ) that won't accept anything else-- get FireFox, or Opera, or even Netscape. IE is a popup and virus magnet.
You need a hardware firewall, too. How? Set up a home network, either wired or wireless. Even if you have only one PC, put it behind a modern Ethernet router-- all the new ones have a NAT firewall, and it filters out a load of garbage. Every hour, my router's log show dozens of "unrecognized attempts" by random port scans. You won't know how many intrusions are tried until you get a LAN ( local area network ) and see the logs. It's awful out there in 'netland nowadays.
No, I'm not really a Geek- Just an old Keyboard Cowboy ( going back to vacuum tubes ) who learned a lot from others while Ridin' the Trakball into the Dawn of the Information Age.
John R
PS-- regrading this:
"THIS one I'm using..........the D drive doesn't work.
The laptop? Doesn't have a CD writer program on it worth a dip....yes. I already tried. "
One workaround is to get a jump drive ( a RAM stick that plugs into a USB port ) and download software to it-- when you start a DL, you can specify where you want it saved, so just enter D: or whatever your PC "sees" the jump drive as. Jump drives are dirt cheap nowadays- look for a closeout or special.
Good luck-- the people who write ot propagate viruses, spyware, and spam should be triple fined, jailed, and publically horsewhipped-- they are wrecking the 'net for everyone else.