How Do You Protect Your PC???

[reeshy]

<p>How much protection is too much protection??? I have a firewall, Norton Anti-Virus, etc.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Today, I went to use IE (I almost always use Firefox) and found that my homepage was hijacked by some asshole software company selling their anti-spyware software...If I threw some money at them, they'd &quot;help&quot; me romove the spyware ( sounds like a mafia protection ring!!)</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I got the crap off eventually...but what do I do in the future to keep thios from happening again???? I'm an idiot when it comes to computers!!!!!!....and some other things too!!!!!!&nbsp;</p>

[Death Metal Moe]

<p>I use Ad-Aware to scan for spyware on my comp.&nbsp; The personal home version is free.&nbsp; Some use Spybot but it stopped finding anything on my computer to I got rid of it.&nbsp; If you Google both those names you'll find their websites where you can download them.</p><p>I'm sure there are people who will tell you to use another browser like Firefox.&nbsp; I personally don't like it but a lot of folks seem to.&nbsp; There's a lot of plug in problems associated with the that program.</p><p>Of course there are programs out there you can purchase.&nbsp; I don't buy software......ever.&nbsp; So I have no experience with purchased stuff.</p>

[reeshy]

See, the thing of it is...Im afraid to download anything since I really dont know where this stuff comes from....evidently I downloaded something that had this crap bundled to it.....<br />

[Death Metal Moe]

<p>Well I can personally say that Ad-Aware hasn't crashed any of the comps I use.&nbsp; I use it at home on my comp, my laptop, my mother's laptop, my grandma's computer and at work on my office comp.&nbsp; That one is safe.</p><p>Also, I'd download the Google Toolbar.&nbsp; It has a pretty good pop-up blocker in it. I like the thing and it puts a search engine right there in your toolbar.</p>

[feralBoy]

<p>Ad-Aware is ok.&nbsp; But spybot is MUCH better.&nbsp; You can get if for free off of download.com.&nbsp; It has something that will actually prevent your homepage from being&nbsp;hijacked and it catches alot more shit than ad-aware catches.&nbsp; Couple that with an antivirus program and you should be fine.&nbsp; Just remember to update frequently</p>

[Death Metal Moe]

<p>I'll try Spybot again.&nbsp; It was working great for me, then there was this VERY LONG break in them releasing ANY definition updates, and as I said, scan after scan of my computer brought back nothing.&nbsp; So I figured the programmers had found ways around Spybot's protection and dropped it.</p><p>I'll download it again.</p>

[FUNKMAN]

<p>i have a linksys router and have never used any anti-virus protection</p><p>i'll run ad-aware and spybot every so often...</p>

[furie]

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y178/furie1335/pics/logo_apple.jpg

[Death Metal Moe]

I was wondering when furie was gonna get back from the bath house.

[SatCam]

let me get this out of the way...

http://www.jollyjohns.com/img/product/large/47.gif

Be careful of what you download. Also, if you do happen to get your browser hijacked, do not download the removal tool that they offer.

A simple solution would be to get Firefox. As Moe likes to point out, there are bugs, but it's more difficult to get Firefox hijacked.

In IE, make sure that you use the zones in the Security tab of Internet Options. Keep high restrictions on general internet activity, and lax some of these restrictions for trusted sites. Then, you can add sites you visit frequently (ronfez.net, google.com, manonman.net, etc.) to the trusted list. This makes your browser less vulnerable

[Tenbatsuzen]

<p>Firefox, AVG, Spybot, Ad-Aware, Zonealarm.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

[Don Stugots]

<strong>furie</strong> wrote:<br /><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y178/furie1335/pics/logo_apple.jpg" border="0" /> <p>same here, plus i try to use firefox as much as possible.&nbsp; </p>

[moochcassidy]

<p>i had a few spware problems until i did all this...http://mywebpages.comcast.net/SupportCD/OptimizeXP.html#WindowsUpdate</p><p>takes a good few hours but is a pretty complete XP check and remove list.</p>

[reeshy]

<p>Thanks for all your help, guys!!!</p><p>I downloaded Spybot, already had ad-aware and Firefox....the problem is fixed!!!!!!!</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Thanks again....BTW....this is the first place I turned to for help....knew I would find it!!!!!&nbsp;</p>

[Death Metal Moe]

<p>HA!&nbsp; He fell for it guys!</p><p>GOOD WORK!!!! </p><p>Enjoy your gay animal porn Reeshy!</p>

[reeshy]

What...this was a joke????....well the joke's on you.....I like gay animal porn....and I knew YOU would know how to find it!!!!!!!!!<br />

[badorties]

<p>&nbsp;</p><p>behind a router ... mcaffee security suite (free with PC) ... computer associates etrust pest control (free with ISP) ... windows XP firewall ... and windows defender</p><p>i'm sure most of it's rendundant, but for the last six months, with heavy downloading, rarely any problems</p>

[Death Metal Moe]

<strong>badorties</strong> wrote:<br /><p>&nbsp;</p><p>behind a router ... mcaffee security suite (free with PC) ... computer associates etrust pest control (free with ISP) ... windows XP firewall ... and windows defender</p><p>i'm sure most of it's rendundant, but for the last six months, <font color="#ffffff"><strike>with heavy downloading</strike></font>, rarely any problems</p><p>Ixnay on the ownloading-day.</p>

[FUNKMAN]

<p><strong><font size="1">How Do You Protect Your PC???</font></strong> </p><p><img height="332" src="http://www.humorhour.com/pictures/h180.jpg" width="318" border="0" /></p><p>oh i'm sorry, i thought you meant 'peeshy'...</p>

[Death Metal Moe]

<img height="347" src="http://img.getactivehub.com/act2/custom_images/indefenseofanimals/ComputerGun.jpg" width="491" border="0" />

[Clutch]

I'm pro- adaware.... remember to run that and your Anti-virus software in safemode (as your computer starts booting up, keep pressing F8 on your keyboard and choose safe-mode). This will get rid of anything that would be considered spyware. It could take awhile considering how much software/files you have installed, but it will get rid of everything. Alot of trojens are registry-related where when you start your web browser (IE i assume) it will activate pop-ups and all that crap...<br />

[MobCounty]

<p>Ad Aware</p><p>Spybot</p><p>Jimmy Norton</p>

[PapaBear]

<p>Along with the usual antivirus, firewall, and adaware stuff, I've recently been using <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,22728,00.asp" target="_self">WINPATROL</a>.</p><p>It alerts you any time something wants to be put in your startup menu, and lets you decide if you want it there. Not only does it it work well, it puts a cute little dog in the startup menu named &quot;Scotty&quot;, who gives a short little &quot;woof&quot;, as an alert sound.</p><p><img height="72" src="http://www.technoworries.net/images/link_winpatrol.gif" width="120" border="0" /></p><p>Every house needs a watchdog to warn you when something nasty is at the front door. And your PC is no different: it needs something that is ever-vigilant, keeping an eye on the programs running on your PC and making plenty of noise when something seems out of place. WinPatrol does this guard job, keeping tabs on programs running on your PC (including the hidden ones) and alerting you if a program tries to install something unexpected, sets itself to run on startup, change your home page or install something it shouldn't. You can delete the offending programs, block their automatic startup or just monitor them to see what they do. This version of WinPatrol is fully functional and free, but BillP Studios offers a $25 Plus version that has more features, including an online database of applications that provides more information. The database is very useful if you find a program running, but you don?t know what it is. It also contains details of many of the major spyware programs that you want to avoid </p>

[JustJon]

Unplug you pc.&nbsp; Throw it into a box.&nbsp; Put the box in the closet.&nbsp; Now your pc is protected against everything.<br />

[reeshy]

Watch it, Laddy....you're getting close to being my new nemesis!!!!!!!!<br />

[UnknownPD]

<p><font size="2">I only use my computer inside the cone of silence</font></p>

[LordJezo]

<p>Have you installed the <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx" target="_self">Microsft Windows Defender</a>?</p><p>It's really good, gives you real time protection.&nbsp; Everyone who uses Windows needs to put that on their system.</p><p>Besides that, no matter how much stuff you have installed, virus checkers, spyware blockers, firewalls, it wont mean jack if you don't use common sense when downloading and installing things.</p><p>Are you current with all of the Windows updates?&nbsp;</p>

[Mangoat]

<p>&nbsp;</p><strong>furie</strong> wrote:<br /><img border="0" src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y178/furie1335/pics/logo_apple.jpg" /><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>ding ding ding</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Though this forum doesn't work with Safari.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

[FUNKMAN]

<p><strong><font size="1">How Do You Protect Your PC???</font></strong></p><p><img src="http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A9G_RtpOPZxE2ZEArb6jzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTA4NDgyNWN 0BHNlYwNwcm9m/SIG=12ajvm7to/EXP=1151176398/**http%3a//www.dyeshop.co.uk/catalog/images/scotchgard.jpg" border="0" /></p>

[PapaBear]

<p>I have a dilemma. Every so often, I rebuild old computers for people who can't afford a new one. When I do, I put Windows ME on them, as I have a disc, and there's no problem putting it on mulltiple computers. Windows is stopping updates for ME in July. That's not much of a problem, but I always put Zone Alarm and Ad Aware on them. </p><p>I was working on one last night, and found out that Zone Alarm and Ad Aware no longer are available for ME. Anyone have any suggestions?</p>