Forum help.
Zap-o
Posts: 452
Is there a way that I can make it so that when my mouse hovers around while I read the text on the web site that the boxes wont pop up? Its frustrating in so many ways!
Comments
I have use this in the past and it work real good and it free
http://www.lavasoft.com/single/trialpay.php
-Phil
I deal with clients who fall into software traps like the ones your are describing every day..
Here's a checklist of tips that you may be able to use:
1) Change your web browser. If you are using Internet Explorer, switch to either Firefox or Chrome
2) The AdAware software isn't bad, but lately Malware bytes seems to do a better job
3) Check for installed toolbars in your "Add & Remove Software" under control panel.
4) If using Firefox, check the installed plug-ins and remove any you don't recognize
5) The software site: http://www.filehippo.com is a decent place to download any of the programs mentioned.
OBC
That doesn't always help.
We have guys at work who downloaded free games off the internet because they like to play during their lunch. Part of these games agreement is that you can't sue for having your privacy violated. I tell them, "Look, this computer may no longer be secure" and they say, "I don't care."
Some of these games or malware take advantage of java on your system so it is a good idea to have it turned off. In order to get rid of a lot of malware, don't give your email address out or allow yourself to be solicited in the first place. Change your email and passwords so they can't keep following you on the internet.
Another thing you can do is buy a second hard drive for your computer and if you have a software re-installation CD then you can install another copy of Windows on that hard drive. You need to have a copy of your drivers. Some computer manufacturers like Dell have a service tag number of the computer and you can use that number on their website to download your drivers or order a Windows re-installation CD for free. The reason we did this was to get malware off our computer because Norton 360 allowed it to get there in the first place and I've seen people complain they had a virus because they downloaded the virus from the internet because they were trying to get something for nothing and it usually comes in the form of illegal file sharing. You can't expect virus software to remove a virus if you are downloading the virus.
What you can do is put your old hard drive in an external case. Most drives are SATA and 3.5 inch but if you have a notebook then it might be 2.5 inch. The older drives may be ATA or older but you have to identify them. The reason I'm telling you this that unless you buy a case with a second hard drive, you are going to be paying one of these companies $100-200 for virus removal. You need a second working computer to rescue your data but if you install the operating system on a second hard drive, all you have to do is change the hard drive. Just make sure you unplug your computer so you don't get shocked and make sure you are grounded and don't touch the electrical connections on boards or chips inside the computer. But if you don't feel comfortable in doing this, don't because you will need someone who can do it. It is also a good idea to take a few digital pictures if you are a newbie and don't know exactly how things go back as some things require a little "finesse".
Another thing I did was remove the coin battery and put it back into the motherboard. I cleans the bios out of some of the older models and you have to make sure you have a battery with enough of a spark in it or else it won't hold a charge and your computer won't work. For some reason the computer operates better when you have these settings cleared.
So basically, you need a backup to be able to switch computers. In order to rescue your old hard drive, you need an external case to put it in and if you have a second copy of Windows installed, you can rescue your computer by switching hard drives..
If you have spyware or a virus, clicking on your old files might re-install it.
It is important to have security that is proactive and not reactive. Security with a sandbox like Malwarebytes.org has is good. They have a free (reactive version) but it is best to pay $25 for their proactive version and make sure you download the updates every day or you aren't protected.
The vulnerabilities come from free offers, cheap software, google searches, some news sites and inappropriate pictures on the internet. You need to have some rules put in place, you have to keep your system updated and you have to be careful with whomever uses your computer.
It really should have been added to the end of the list, as it's one of those avoidance items that tends to help stay clean after the cleaning is done.
@Zap-o: If you wind up at the possibility of simply re-loading, there is one more very agressive tool that I can recommend that will likely remove the malware. It's a little risky, so I'll encourage you to make a backup first and then ask me about it via PM. It won't hurt your hardware, but it has a 1 in 1000 chance of causing you to reload anyway.
OBC
Yes. it's annoying and I believe Phil made a comment about it a while ago.
The one's I'm thinking of would occur on more than just the Parallax forums site and are quite annoying.
I guess we'll have to see which ones he describes when he gets back here.
OBC
Here's how to do it in Firefox:
Internet Explorer? Who cares?
-Phil
This solution works in Firefox. (Just tested it)
http://browsers.about.com/od/aboutconfigentries/a/browser_chrome_toolbar_tips.htm
If you find a solution for Chrome, I'd love to know about it.
Edit: Phil beat me to the punch with an easier method to toggle the exact same thing.
OBC
-Phil