I had a problem recently wish some spyware/ adware that was just kicking my ass. I tried everything to remove it without any luck. I got a 30 free trial of RogueRemover Pro which I will buy when it's up, especially since it is only $14.95.

After I launched it, it cleaned everyting of on the first scan and I've been problem free since. I don't recommend things often, but this is AWESOME if you are having problems with pop-ups and other crap like that.

http://www.malwarebytes.org/rogueremoverpro.php or

http://www.download.com/3120-20_4-0.htm ... o&tag=srch

Spyware/Malware/Adware is a growing problem, and have gone from pests to major headaches. My advice

1) get a very good anti virus and keep it updated. Buy it from a known vendor and not from some email that happens upon your box. Updates itself and check on its own.

2) get two very good anti spyware and keep it updated. A few good ones that i know of are ... Spyware Terminator (its free), Adaware (NOT adware which is malware) YOu have to update it and run the software. Webroots Spyware sweeper. Note it is better to have at least one allready installed before trouble comes because after words crap ware is a bitch to get rid of.

3) be very careful when downloading software off the net, espically free software! They often come with unfriendlies.

4) Backup all your files! or at least the ones you do not want to potentially lose. Do so at least once every month or two.

Very good advice Perv!

Also, if you put your data on to CDRs, DVDRs or something similar make two copies of each disk! One time I was very careful in backing up my data on to disks. I checked them with two different programs and both said they were fine. A couple of months later my hard drive died! over night. I went back to the most recent backups and some files were not recoverable due to a checksum error. If I had made two copies originally I could have pulled the bad copy from the 2nd copy.

Also, store your data on your newest drive and put your programs on the older drive. On occasion make a copy of your address book, bookmarks, and email folders. Once a copy is made you can delete the previous one. Then make cd/DVD backups from the data drive.

Remember, Every piece of computer hardware has the potential for failure, and all you can do is to be prepared for it so you can lessen the impact.

I recently installed AVG's trial of their antispyware, and it promptly found a trojan in a "save as complete web page" folder I'd saved for references for my book. Both Adaware and Spybot have been overlooking this high risk thing for months...

I agree with Huevon. AVG free is popular in Australia. They swear by it. But then they swear by anything.

Or swear at any person, place or thing.

AVG free version and Spyware Terminator(free) has taken care of my computer and laptop for 2 years without one problem.

I used to pay for Norton, Panda etc.

Panda failed,just like Alfredo Gonzales.H.

Norton is the most evil satanic curse of all computing.

And every "hacker" figures out how to screw with it FIRST

mrt (imported) wrote: Thu Aug 30, 2007 8:03 pm Norton is the most evil satanic curse of all computing.

And every "hacker" figures out how to screw with it FIRST

According to MSNBC.com this is the 25th anniversary of the first computer virus

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032118/

Also, hackers will attack the most popular software on the market at the time. If 95% of the computers were Mac's and only 5% were PC then the Mac's would be having all the virus and security problems.

In 1985, we inadvertently wrote a virus in the computer lab running an IBM system 32 running RPG2 language. I think that was it...the challenge was to make a program that counted. That's all it did.

1

2

3

4

...

and then show the time when you hit STOP. We wanted to see who could make the computer count faster.

The problem?

It ate the system alive with putting a number with a time into memory. It ate up every drive it could find, even floppies. It was NOT what we expected.

The results?

This was the system they were teaching us on that ran the whole damn school corporation at the time.

Paychecks were printing. Cafeteria receipts were open. Account payable were open. So were receivables.

In short, it all crashed and it wasn't pretty. You could literally hear breakers throwing in the system when it went under.

They wanted to expel us, but then it was found that we were the only ones that knew the name of the "virus" and how to get rid of it. So our "in school suspension" consisted of helping the teacher restore the system. Took all day. We really nuked that sucker.

Funny, the next year, when paychecks were printing when cafeteria receipts opened, it all crashed again...but we were safely miles away in college by then...

They also didn't see the humor in us putting ourselves into the employee database and having checks mailed to us for minimum wage at 40 hours a week. We figured it wouldn't hurt if they paid us to go to high school. Then Ricky (name changed) got stupid and decided to give us all a raise...the bank sort of balked at THOSE checks and he got busted. Of course, we returned the money but KEPT the interest on the savings account!