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Spyware Pages: 12

brickmason on Wed August 18, 2004 2:50 AM User is offline

How many of you have been getting spyware on your computers? This has been happening on a regular basis here.

-------------------------
Just another brick in the wall

Had a little mule I fed him castor oil and every time he jumped the fence he fertilized the soil

Bigchris on Wed August 18, 2004 3:07 AM User is offline

If you're talking about real spyware (not cookies) the answer is none since I switched to Linux. The web is getting to be an ugly place for Windows users.

NickD on Wed August 18, 2004 8:44 AM User is offline

Windows and spyware have been very good to a personal friend running a PC repair business, started off with two guys and now have over 40 in my small neck of the woods. My youngest kid hates Windows, but Windows gave him a part time job that paid practically all of his college bills.

With this new law against SPAM, I deleted over a thousand e-mails from my blacklist, in the last couple of months, my blacklist only has five entries, not sure how they got thought but no longer an annoyance. Switching to Mozilla Firefox has given me a lot more confidence in browsing the web. Won't browse with IE anymore as you can hit what appears to be a legitimate site and download all kinds of crap before you can hit the power switch. I really appreciate that law against telemarketeers with those constant phone calls and automatic dialing, phone was ringing constant.

I would actually enjoy being contacted from someone that would offer me a good deal on something I need, that has never happened yet, just someone trying to screw me. Spyware is yet another marketing scheme to sell you something you really don't want nor need and at an outrageous price. I wouldn't buy a ten dollar bill from these people if they sold it to me for 50 cents.

The latest scheme on the net is that you have spyware on your computer and they try to sell you a program to remove it when that source is what put the spyware on your computer. You can run "msconfig" that shows your startup programs and delete the programs that don't have a name and find even more under windows explorer under Folder Options and view File Types for no name programs, remove those. Or you can run Linux as Bill suggested.

Yes, spyware is a problem.

TRB on Wed August 18, 2004 10:45 AM User is offlineView users profile

I run adaware and spybot once a week and have no problems with spyware on all our windows machines.

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When considering your next auto A/C purchase, please consider the site that supports you: ACkits.com
Contact: ACKits.com


Edited: Wed August 18, 2004 at 10:46 AM by TRB

JJM on Wed August 18, 2004 11:45 AM User is offline

Not the way I like to make money, but as NickD pointed out, spyware/adware/malware is good for the PC repair business (though it isn't all that good by any measure). Virtually every PC that comes in is clogged with spyware. It IS a BIG problem. A number of machines are so bad they're unable to boot-up. Some of the machines that are able to boot-up are so bad they're unusable, because the HDD is continually churning hitting the swap file - this on machines with 256 MB of RAM!

Funny thing is clients download programs from the Internet they think will remove the spyware, when those programs are spyware themselves. Some clients even bought the new versions of Norton (which is horrible) and McAfee which they think will remove spyware. Problem with spyware is the licensing issue, which is likely why the scanners from these big names are so weak - they don't want to get sued.

I still get machines without anti-virus protection, but viruses are small problem now compared to spyware.

Gone are the days where we could complete repairs for the flat-rate diagnostic fee. Now we tell clients because of the spyware epedemic, repairs will charged hourly. Problem is, clients tell us to go ahead with the repairs (with the idea in mind if it's too much they'll just buy a faster and cheaper new one) and if it's too much, they tell us to keep the machine. With brand new systems from Dell at $499 including monitor and all, who's gonna pay $200 or $300 to fix a three year old machine? Needless to say, a lot of our work is done for nothing. The only "clients" who always keep their machines are my friends - because they don't get a bill!

Joe

TRB on Wed August 18, 2004 11:49 AM User is offlineView users profile

If that is the case why do I not have all the problems so many seem to have with their computers?

-------------------------

When considering your next auto A/C purchase, please consider the site that supports you: ACkits.com
Contact: ACKits.com

HerkyJim on Wed August 18, 2004 2:48 PM User is offline

Spywareblaster. Freeware. I use this in addition to AdAware and Spybot. Avast antivirus---free and updates just about daily. Of course Firefox vice MS browser. Zonealarm also free. They all catch something every once i a while. Get one or two spam on one of my Yahoo mails. I just tyrasnfer to inbox and report as spam, but they keep coming---one or two every day for Xanax, etc. what the hell is so good about Xanax? As far as I can tell it just turns you into a zombie. My $0.02

NickD on Wed August 18, 2004 6:35 PM User is offline

"I run adaware and spybot once a week and have no problems with spyware on all our windows machines.

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Tim R. Bohringer "

" If that is the case why do I not have all the problems so many seem to have with their computers?

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Tim R. Bohringer "

Just wondering Tim, and not even trying to be a smart six, but if you ain't having problems why do you even have Adware and Spybot installed in your box?

TRB on Wed August 18, 2004 10:12 PM User is offlineView users profile

Spybot blocks spyware programs and it is recommended by some "professional" techs to use both to prevent future issues. My computers don't need to be formatted every other day like so many seem to post here! I don't need to call my tech because my system is slow or loaded up with viruses. I just don't have the problems you all seem to have with operating a computer, I'm not trying to be a smart A**! I just don't have the problems that so many seem to want to rant about. Not going to get into the OS debate again but I don't think Windows/IE is the prefect program. But it does a hell of a lot of things other OS can't straight out of the box. If I have to spend time trying to make something work its just as easy to run the updates for windows when they come out.

Anyway you guys use what the hell you want as I never cared in the first place!

-------------------------

When considering your next auto A/C purchase, please consider the site that supports you: ACkits.com
Contact: ACKits.com

NickD on Thu August 19, 2004 7:29 AM User is offline

Brickmason asked if others are getting spyware, I replied by saying yes but learned where they are storing the downloads and manually delete it, I am not reformating every other day. I only used Spybot for a couple of days and found it more annoying or just as annoying as the spyware itself so I took it off. Also took off Nortons firewall as another pain in the butt as it wasn't blocking spyware, but using a hardware firewall.

I am using IE extensively as my preferred browser, but only on bookmarked sites, such as this one that I know are safe, but use Firefox when searching for new sites, so far no problems and both browsers are running fine on the same box together.

I also tried using Systems Mechanics ad blocker, another pain in the butt so I took that off and considering taking off Norton's Anti-Virus as well as it hasn't found a virus nor blocked one in the last couple of years since I installed Mailwasher to delete all this crap before it enters my box. I just added another e-mail program to my box and had to play with it for a couple of hours as Norton's was giving me problems finding that e-mail program and blocking it.

If I take the news literally, should be wearing a bullet proof vest, a gas mask, helmet, and a bunch of other stuff whenever I get into my car or walk down the street. All of these safety devices are driving me nuts more so than the threats themselves. Considering removing my antithief and steering wheel lock in my cars as I have to play with the key just to start the damned thing and play again to try to remove the key.

I am keeping my 35 year old lawn mower running, I pull the cord, it starts and I cut the grass, something in me tells me not to put my hand under the mower while its running, don't want a zillion levers on these new things just to start the damn thing. I have decided that motorcycles are suicide devices and prefer to drive an old semi tractor around town.

Other nasty things I have been doing is clipping off the tabs on these child proof lids that drive me nuts as well as the tabs on these two prong plugs as I am getting tired of fooling around trying to plug something in to an outlet in a dark corner. I spilled a half a can of acetone trying to fight with that damned cap. I raised eight kids and had to fight with all of them to take their medicine, they never went out to my cabinet and tried to drink a can of denatured alcohol or a gallon of anti-freeze, and besides that, if I couldn't remove a lid, would give it to my four year old where they could take it off in seconds.

Getting a bit tired of watching the DIY channel where you have to wear ear protection to operate a 3 volt screwdriver and full face protection and they repeat that over and over. Wonder why OSHA doesn't make kids where ear protection when going to a rock concert, now that hurts.

I am all for safety, it hurts if you stick your hand in a fan or in a pot of boiling water, but feel that these devices are more of an impediment than doing any good. The same way in using a computer, have more problems in getting this protection junk to work than what it is worth, plus it really slows down the box.

MrBillPro on Thu August 19, 2004 9:18 AM User is offlineView users profile

Well since i am an optimist I will give this a chance, In the coming months Windows will announce Service Pack 2 for Windows XP. It will make dramatic and welcome changes to the security of your computer (in you're using Windows XP) and make it easier for you to identify and and prevent the hijacking of your browser by spyware and scumware companies. It will enhance the built-in firewall and button-down your Outlook Express. It's almost a new version of Windows with some really great features. Windows XP SP2 will be a great tool in your fight for privacy and security on the Internet and we'll be keeping all our readers informed as we get closer to the release date, now expected to be June 2004.

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Don't take life seriously... Its not permanent.

Bigchris on Fri August 20, 2004 1:21 AM User is offline

Go slow Mr. Bill! SP2 was supposed to ship last Wednesday but was delayed because of bugs. There have already been three significant security holes found in it and Microsoft has identified more than 50 programs that will be broken when it is installed. Good luck!

NickD on Fri August 20, 2004 10:45 AM User is offline

The last major worm came from the Russians, before that, Latin America, would be nice to have a modem where you can switch off entire countries. We may have laws to prevent these trash from entering our boxes, but it is still the world wide web.

I was working on a wormed computer that was so bad, a reformat was the only solution, being not that familiar with Outlook, it took me some time just to find where they were burying the data files so I could get that off first that the person wanted to save, MSN messenger files are equally buried. Would be so nice if they gave the option to store these files in another partition like Eudora permits. But the way it is, all that crap that comes in is on the same partition as the OS. Would also be nice if each program kept all of it's junk under it's own directory name, but it's scattered all over drive C.

I like things clean and organized, but can't do that with MS, Adobe, and Nortons to name a few. Nortons clean sweep is a nice program for dumping old programs, but you can't use Clean Sweep to clean up Nortons as it wasn't installed yet.

TRB on Fri August 20, 2004 10:57 AM User is offlineView users profile

Not sure if this is the case for all countries but when an employee opened that fake Microsoft email stating it was an update it loaded the Klez virus on our network. This let a Mexican porn outfit relay through our server which they used for spam. As soon as we noticed it we removed the Klez virus and did a simple block of I believe the 204. IP address. Since we do not do business in the Mexico market we had no need for any email contacts. So maybe your provider can block out the incoming IP addresses of the countries you do not want email from.

I also have heard and read that service pack 2 for XP may have some troubles to be worked out. Our account program MAS 90 has sent us an email stating it will not currently run with the SP2 installed. No problem here as our office systems are 2K anyway.

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When considering your next auto A/C purchase, please consider the site that supports you: ACkits.com
Contact: ACKits.com

Bigchris on Sat August 21, 2004 4:51 AM User is offline

If the MAS 90 folks got tripped up by SP2 I sure hope they're planning better for Longhorn which will be even more restrictive. And Win2K support goes away too at that time.

NickD on Sat August 21, 2004 8:10 AM User is offline

The world is getting more impersonal, at least when door to door salesmen came over with his foot jammed in your doorway, you could chop it off with an ax. With telemarketeers, could hold the phone to the outlet of a loud vacuum cleaner or other super loud noise, but with computers, can't really hit your modem cable with 50,000 volts as these pests are well protected.

Spyware could be lots of fun, if only you could find a way to shoot back.

TRB on Sat August 21, 2004 12:39 PM User is offlineView users profile

Quote
Originally posted by: Bigchris
If the MAS 90 folks got tripped up by SP2 I sure hope they're planning better for Longhorn which will be even more restrictive. And Win2K support goes away too at that time.

We will just have to shut everything down if that happens!



-------------------------
When considering your next auto A/C purchase, please consider the site that supports you: ACkits.com
Contact: ACKits.com

TXAB on Sat August 21, 2004 1:41 PM User is offline

I don't know where this came from or who to attribute it to, but read on.


Does anyone remember Abbott and Costello - "Who's on First?"
Here's an update!

Lou Costello Tries to Buy a Computer from Bud Abbott

ABBOTT (behind the counter at: Super Duper computer store): Can I help you?

COSTELLO: Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den, and I'm thinking about buying a computer.
ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: No, the name's Lou.

ABBOTT: Your computer?

COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou.

ABBOTT: What about Windows?

COSTELLO: Why? Will it get stuffy in here?

ABBOTT: Do you want a computer with Windows?

COSTELLO: I don't know. What will I see when I look in the windows?
ABBOTT: Wallpaper.

COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.

ABBOTT: Software for Windows?

COSTELLO: No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business. What have you got?

ABBOTT: Office.
COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?

ABBOTT: I just did.

COSTELLO: You just did what?

ABBOTT: Recommend something.

COSTELLO: You recommended something?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: For my office?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for my office?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yes, for my office!

ABBOTT: I recommend Office with Windows.

COSTELLO: I already have an office and it has windows! OK, lets just say, I'm sitting at my computer and I want to type a my proposal. What do I need?

ABBOTT: Word.

COSTELLO: What word?

ABBOTT: Word in Office.

COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.

ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.

COSTELLO: Which word in office for windows?

ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue "W."

COSTELLO: I'm going to click your blue "W" if you don't start with some straight answers. OK, forget that. Can I watch movies on the Internet?

ABBOTT: Yes, you want Real One.
COSTELLO: Maybe a real one, maybe a cartoon. What I watch is none of your business. Just tell me what I need!

ABBOTT: Real One.
COSTELLO: If its a long movie I also want to see reel 2. 3 & 4. Can I watch them?

ABBOTT: Of course.

COSTELLO: Great, with what?

ABBOTT: Real One.

COSTELLO; OK, I'm at my computer and I want to watch a movie. What do I do?

ABBOTT: You click the blue "1."

COSTELLO: I click the blue one what?

ABBOTT: The blue "1."

COSTELLO: Is that different from the blue "W"?

ABBOTT: The blue "1" is Real One and the blue "W" is Word.

COSTELLO: What word?

ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.

COSTELLO: But there's three words in "office for windows!"

ABBOTT: No, just one. But it's the most popular Word in the
world.

COSTELLO: It is?

ABBOTT: Yes, but to be fair, there aren't many other Words left. It pretty much wiped out all the other Words out there.

COSTELLO: And that word is real one?

ABBOTT: Real One has nothing to do with Word. Real One isn't even part of Office.

COSTELLO: Stop! Don't start that again. What about financial bookkeeping, you have anything I can track my money with?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: That's right. What do you have?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?

ABBOTT: It comes bundled with your computer.

COSTELLO: What's bundled to my computer?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: Money comes with my computer?

ABBOTT: Yes. No extra charge.

COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?

ABBOTT: One copy.

COSTELLO: Isn't it illegal to copy money?

ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.

COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copy money?

ABBOTT: Why not? THEY OWN IT!

COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off??

ABBOTT: Click on "START".........

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"Don't get stuck on stupid!"
---- Lt. Gen. Russel Honore

NickD on Sat August 21, 2004 3:56 PM User is offline

Now, that is funny. Thanks.

TXAB on Fri August 27, 2004 10:43 AM User is offline

Quote
Originally posted by: MrBillPro
Well since i am an optimist I will give this a chance, In the coming months Windows will announce Service Pack 2 for Windows XP. It will make dramatic and welcome changes to the security of your computer (in you're using Windows XP) and make it easier for you to identify and and prevent the hijacking of your browser by spyware and scumware companies. It will enhance the built-in firewall and button-down your Outlook Express. It's almost a new version of Windows with some really great features. Windows XP SP2 will be a great tool in your fight for privacy and security on the Internet and we'll be keeping all our readers informed as we get closer to the release date, now expected to be June 2004.

Anybody downloaded the upgrade yet? Any problems noted?


-------------------------
"Don't get stuck on stupid!"
---- Lt. Gen. Russel Honore

MrBillPro on Fri August 27, 2004 7:44 PM User is offlineView users profile

I did download SP 2 today on one of my guinea pig computers but to be honest I just got in from work and I have not had a chance to see if it has done any damage or not. I did go online just a few minutes ago on it "I am networked on cable Internet" and all seemed fine I have not tried to use my cd/rw or any other programs. It did take a while to after the download to install it not long to download it maybe 14 minutes but it had to check my system, archive files and then finally it started installing it probably took twice as long to install as to download if not longer. I am going to be checking it out over the next few days before I download and install it on my everyday personal computer I guess sometimes it is a good thing to have a few guinea pig PC's sitting around.

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Don't take life seriously... Its not permanent.

TRB on Fri August 27, 2004 10:28 PM User is offlineView users profile

Downloading it now. Slow even with a broadband connection.

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When considering your next auto A/C purchase, please consider the site that supports you: ACkits.com
Contact: ACKits.com

MrBillPro on Fri August 27, 2004 10:37 PM User is offlineView users profile

Tim, I downloaded mine at 9:00 am this morning probably when 3/4 of Houston was at work or School and i was downloading at
396 kilobytes per second if i were to do it now it would probably be at maybe 185 or 200 max.


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Don't take life seriously... Its not permanent.

MrBillPro on Sat August 28, 2004 9:45 AM User is offlineView users profile

If you can figure how to keep that dang security balloon from popping up upon startup let me know worst thing i have found yet with SP 2, I went to run, msconfig, start programs and it's not there.

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Don't take life seriously... Its not permanent.

TRB on Sat August 28, 2004 12:16 PM User is offlineView users profile

I only got that the first time I rebooted. Checked out okay on the firewall, updates but had to check I will have my own anti-virus program as I run Symantec's corporate version at home. So far I have not noticed one problem or have onee complaint. Update went smooth as silk with just two reboots. I did notice office also needed updating after SPK2 was installed, might have forgot to update it before. Still running in classic mode as I hate all the icon crap when running in XP mode. Might try changing modes just to see if there was a change.

-------------------------

When considering your next auto A/C purchase, please consider the site that supports you: ACkits.com
Contact: ACKits.com

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