Regarding infections and threats on computer-spy doctor picked up some, spyware detector others, and ad-aware heaps. AVG free download didnt pick up any. Which one is right? And when spydoctor picked up infections, to remove them meant purchasing it. Do these free spyware checks quarantine the infections for free or are they still on my system? I am new to all of this! Should I worry? AVG virus only is meant mostly for Trojans
name is little off I know
In today's computer world, a Trojan horse is defined as
a "malicious, security-breaking program that is disguised as something benign". For example, you download what appears to be a movie or music file, but when you click on it, you unleash a dangerous program that erases your disk, sends your credit card numbers and passwords to a stranger, or lets that stranger hijack your computer to commit illegal denial of service attacks like those that have virtually crippled the DALnet IRC network for months on end.
(Note: Many people use terms like Trojan horse, virus, worm, hacking and cracking all interchangeably, but they really don't mean the same thing. If you're curious, here's a quick primer defining and distinguishing them. Let's just say that once you are "infected", trojans are just as dangerous as viruses and can spread to hurt others just as easily!)
as for spyware, mal-ware and rootkits they take completely different porgams to remove them:
SIMPLE STEPS TO
DOWNLOADING
VIRUS & SPYWARE PROTECTION
(& steps for protecting PC)
For XP
Use the programs twice once without internet on, and once with it running. The only program that will work in safemode F8 is AVG anti-spy ware.
Also go to control panel, internet options-privacy tab-make sure the popup blocker box is checked.
Move the slider bar to med-high-click apply-OK
Also on control panel-system-Remote-make sure both boxes are unchecked-click apply-OK (this will keep hackers from getting into computer when left on and no one is around or home)
(all other virus programs and spyware programs should be deleted)
AVG FOR VIRUS PROTECTION
AVG anti FOR SPYWARE, MALWARE, ROOTKITS
BOTH FOUND AT http://www.grifsoft.com or go to yahoo and enter in search box -
AVG
VIRUS PROGRAM
1. FIRST STEP GO TO YAHOO AND TYPE IN: AVG FREE DOWNLOAD
2. CHOOSE THE ONE THAT SAYS :AVG FREE ADVISOR - FREE ANTIVIRUS AND ANTI-SPYWARE DOWNLOADS (should be about the 3rd one down) CLICK IT
(avg-anti spyware is also for mal-ware and root kits)
3. ONCE THAT PAGE OPENS YOU WILL SEE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF PAGE FREE BASIC PROTECTION AND A ORANGE BOX THAT SAYS DOWNLOAD, CLICK IT
4.NEXT PAGE OPENS YOU WILL SEE PRODUCT COMPARISON, GO TO THE ONE ON THE FAR RIGHT AT THE BOTTOM, SEE WHERE IT SAYS FREE AND ANOTHER ORANGE BOX, CLICK IT
5. CLICK CONTINUE TO DOWNLOAD ANTI-VIRUS DOWNLOAD ONLY, CLICK THOSE WORDS
6. NEW PAGE OPENS WITH DOWNLOADS ON IT, SEE THE ORANGE BOX AGAIN SAYS DOWNLOAD NOW AT DOWNLOAD.COM AND YOU ALSO SEE 5 RED STARS, CLICK THE BOX
7. LAST STEP, NEW PAGE OPENS, CLICK THE DOWNLOAD NOW BOX AND WHEN THE NEXT BOX OPENS CHOOSE SAVE TO DESKTOP AND LET THE DOWNLOAD BEGIN, SIZE IS 31.45MB
ONCE YOU DONE WITH THIS FILE MOVE IT TO A FOLDER IN MY DOCUMENTS IN CASE YOU NEED IT AGAIN
Now for your next layer of protection download the following also but remember you can only run one program at a time, but each of these will fine things the other didn鈥檛.
Spybot search & destroy found at www.safer-networking.org
DOWNLOAD
SPYBOT
SEARCH & DESTROY
ONCE YOU HAVE TYPED www.safer-networking.org THE YOUR SEARCH BAR IN YAHOO
1. IT WILL LOOK LIKE:
SpyBot Search and Destroy (S &D) CLICK
2. CHOOSE YOUR LANGUAGE - EXAMPLE ENGLISH
3. AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE WHERE IT SAYS DOWNLOAD - CLICK
4. LOOK DOWN THE PAGE TO WHERE DOWNLOADS START, YOU NEED THE FIRST ONE IF YOU HAVE VISTA AND WORKS FOR XP AS WELL SpyBot-Search and Destroy 1.5.2 CLICK DOWNLOAD
***NOTE
(For those who are looking for version 1.4 it鈥檚 the 5th one down, it does not work on Vista, but does on XP) click download
5. NEXT PAGE OPENS CHOOSE A MIRROR SITE I TEND TO USE SAFER-NETWORKING LTD CLICK DOWNLOAD HERE
6. BOX OPENS CHOOSE SAVE AND DO SO TO YOUR DESKTOP OR TO YOUR DOCUMENT FILE AND OPEN AND RUN FROM THERE
FILE IS 9.27MB
Superantispyware found at http://superantispyware.com
SUPERANTISPYWARE
DOWNLOAD
ONCE YOU HAVE TYPED http://superantispyware.com YOUR SEARCH BAR IN YAHOO
YOU WILL SEE:
SuperAntiSpyware.com- AntiAdware, AntiSpyware, AntiMalware CLICK
1.LOOK FOR BIG BLUE BOX ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PAGE SAYS DOWNLOAD FREE VERSION HOME USERS - CLICK
2. NEXT PAGE SCROLL DOWN, AGAIN LOOK FOR THE BIG BLUE BOX SAYS DOWNLOAD FREE VERSION HOME USERS - CLICK
3. NEXT PAGE DOWNLOAD SHOULD START AUTOMATICALLY
5.64MB VERSION 3.9.1008
****NOTE
(if it doesn鈥檛 start at once look at the top of the page for a light yellow bar, its basically a security bar, click and choose allow, it usually has to do with Active X)
If still does not open look on the page under the words Download progress:
If the download does not begin shortly please (click here is in blue)
Click it
4. DO SO AND A BOX OPENS, SAVE TO DESKTOP OR MY DOCUMENTS, OPEN AND RUN FROM THERE
And finally go to this web site for this program to clean up your internet history, cookies, browser history, recycle bin, IE Explorer, etc all the boxes can be preset and basically in 4 steps you can clean computer. It does so well that disc clean usually only will find 32-100MB after its done
http://www.snapfiles.com go to the freeware section, look for Internet Cleanup, then look for the software called IE Privacy Keeper
IE PRIVACY KEEPER
DOWNLOAD
WHEN YOU TYPE WWW.SNAPFILES.COM IN YOUR YAHOO SEARCH BOX THIS IS WHAT YOU WILL SEE WHEN IT OPENS
Snapfiles - software reviews, download freeware and trial programs - CLICK
1. WHEN THE PAGE OPENS LOOK FOR A TAB AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE THAT SAYS FREEWARE - CLICK
2. WHEN PAGE OPENS SCROLL DOWN AND FIND INTERNET CLEANUP TOOLS - CLICK
3. WHEN PAGE OPENS SCROLL DOWN TILL YOU SEE THE PROGRAM SHOULD BE LIKE ABOUT THE 14TH ONE DOWN - CLICK THE BLUE DOWNLOAD BUTTON FILE SIZE IS 1128kb
4. NEXT PAGE OPENS IF DOWNLOAD DOESN鈥橳 START LOOK FOR A LIGHT YELLOW BAR AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE, CLICK THE OPTION TO ALLOW TO OPEN, USUALLY HAS TO DO WITH ACTIVE X
***NOTE
If for some reason still doesn鈥檛 start click the blue words click here they are in the middle of the page in tan box.
5. WHEN THE BOX OPENS SAVE TO DESKTOP OR MY DOCUMENTS, OPEN AND RUN FROM THERE.
Last but not least do Defrag at least 2 times in a row even if program says not needed, as XP Defrag program isn鈥檛 the best and needs to be run more often.
And also go to http://www.glaryulitilies.com for free registry repair programs
GLARYULITILIES
DOWNLOAD
GO TO www.pcworld.com
1. WHEN PAGE OPENS TYPE IN THE SEARCH BOX - REGISTRY REPAIR PROGRAMS - CLICK GO
2. LIST WILL OPEN, SELECT THE SECOND ONE - GLARY REGISTRY REPAIR (ITS FREE) CLICK IT
3. NEXT PAGE, YOU WILL SEE A RED ARROW AND DOWNLOAD NOW IN BLUE WORDS - CLICK 1.30MB
4. NEXT PAGE BLUE BOX DOWNLOAD FREE REGISTRY REPAIR NOW- YOU CAN CLICK HERE BUT REAL SLOW
(works on 98, XP, ME, 2000, 2003, Vista) just not 64 bit supported
5. For a faster download click where it says - mirror here
6. NEXT PAGE IF IT DOES NOT START IN 5 SEC LOOK FOR A SECURITY BAR, WHICH IS LIGHT YELLOW AT TOP OF PAGE, CLICK THE OPTION TO ALLOW
IF FOR SOME REASON IT STILL DOESN鈥橳 USE THIS OPTION:
LOOK FOR THE LINE THAT READS
CLICK HERE IF IT DOES NOT
7. BOX OPENS SAVE TO DESKTOP OR TO MY DOCUMENTS AND OPEN AND RUN FROM THERE
or to http://www.snapfiles.com and to their freeware section to find them also.
(can only run one virus program at a time on a PC but you may have as many spyware programs as you wish as long as you run only one at a time, and only one firewall)
A GREAT FREE ONE IS ZONE ALARM FOUND AT www.snapfiles.com under the freeware section, personal firewalls. it doesent matter i is low Well, each program is bound to find different things. That's why it's a good idea to have a nice array of protection programs. You can read my guide on the matter which includes recommended programs, their recommended settings, and a step by step instructions: http://prometechus.blogspot.com/2007/09/...
Best of luck. Also, remember that Spyware Doctor will only remove things if you've purchased it, or if you've downloaded it from the Google Pack. Stick with AVG. It finds the harmful stuff whereas Spyware Doctor picks up on everything, even things you might need such as files / reg entries written by games, media players etc Plural of "Genius" is "Genii".
Also, I suggest sticking with Spyware Doctor; it generates certain false alarms, but if you check your results carefully, you can often prevent a legitimate item from being quarantined.
AVG is pretty good; but to be sure, you can download a good version of Spyware Doctor (and Norton Security Scan as well) from the Google Pack at http://pack.google.com They all detect different threats.
AVG is an anti-virus and detects viruses.
AdAware is mostly an anti-adware/anti-spyware that detects lots of harmless MRUs and mostly harmless tracking cookies.
SpyDoctor and Spyware Detector are poor-quality anti-spyware apps that detect...you guessed it...spyware.
Different threats...different protections needed.
-------------------------------
My suggestion is to keep AVG anti-virus, and AdAware and uninstall SpyDoctor and Spyware Detector because those two are very poor.
I would then replace SpyDoctor and Spyware Detector with
SUPERAntiSpyware (Free Version):
http://www.superantispyware.com/
It is excellent and will remove the threats that it detects.
Good luck. Well, I think the reason AVG didn't pick up any infections is because the free version is menat only to track viruses and not trojans and adware. I suggest you to get rid of other spyware detectors and install Spybot in combination with AVG free edition. Both are compatible with each other, freewares and very effective in their duties. AVG can lookout for viruses and remove them effectively and Spybot can take care of adwares,spywares and trojans. Spybot also uses its secure shredder to remove the infections so that they do not return.I have been using these two freewares in combination for over three years without any trace of infection on my system. |
