Help keep your computer clean and safe - the cheap way!

[draggar]

Let's all post our little secrets (some not so secret) little programs that help people keep their PCs clean, efficient, and safe!

Anti-Virus:

AVG (free): http://free.grisoft.com/

Housecall: http://housecall.antivirus.com
Runs in your browser for a thorough, accurate, and current scan. It takes a long time but picks up many threats that a lot of others miss


Malware / Spyware / Spam removal:

SpyBot: Search and Destroy (free) http://www.download.com/3000-2144-10122137.html

(also available at many other sites)

Ad-Aware (free): http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

Use both of these programs for the best results, one will pick up some threats that the other will not.

Pop-up stoppers:

Pop-up stopper (free): http://www.panicware.com/

Firewall:

Zone Alarm used to be free, I'm sure you can find some links around that still hae the free version.

[volatile]

I also recommend these:

HiJackThis!
http://www.trendsecure.com/portal/en-US/threat_analytics/hijackthis.php

Crap Cleaner
http://www.ccleaner.com/

AVG's Anti-Rootkit
http://www.download.com/AVG-Anti-Rootkit-Free/3000-8022_4-10662685.html?tag=lst-0-5

[ArenaBoy]

Can you find folk suggest anything for a Mac user please? :D

[draggar]

Can you find folk suggest anything for a Mac user please? :D

Eh, people who write malware don't bother writing them for macs, what do you think they use? :)

Hijack-This, I forgot about that one.

I can also recommend Black Ice (for a firewall), but it's not free and last I heard their prices went up a bit.

Also, some routers have hardware firewalls built into them (LinkSys), if you network look into those and the more security for a wireless network, the better.

DO NOT LEAVE THE DEFAULT PASSWORD. Even my mom knows how to get into those now. At the bare minimum, change the password in the router for wireless access, maybe even change the name and once you're set up, turn OFF SSID broadcasting.

Let's just say this, if someone has the password to your wireless router, they can change it and lock you out of your own router (you'll have to reset it and re-set up everything to fix that).

[volatile]

One more utility I forgot to add:

LSP-Fix
http://cexx.org/lspfix.htm

If you have internet connectivity issues that you can't seem to fix or you are getting re-routed this can help you. Just be sure to research the process before you delete them, otherwise you could FUBAR your system.

[LostMyMind]

I find Comodo to be very good and very free ;) Also they don't support Win 9x only NT and XP. They're working on Vista versions.

Firewall - http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/

Anti-virus - http://www.antivirus.comodo.com/

The firewall is better than zone alarm. You can really lock down the internet access. I can't really comment on the anti-virus because I don't get virus to "test" the strength of the anti-virus :lol:

They have quite a bit of free stuff - http://www.comodo.com/products/free_products.html

Comodo makes their money with products for servers and corporations. So they don't charge anything for quite a bit of stuff.

[Der Cute]

Also try AutoPatcher - especially if you're doing a new install from CD!
http://www.autopatcher.com/whatsautopatcher/

Download this stuff onto other PC, open, burn to CD and then deal w/ new PC's updates this way.

I've also used this:
EBCD (emergency boot cd)
http://ebcd.pcministry.com/

Everyone else has the tools I use already posted :)

Cutenoob

[Naaman]

I also recommend these:

HiJackThis!
http://www.trendsecure.com/portal/en-US/threat_analytics/hijackthis.php



Once you have a HiJackThis log you can get a reliable explanation of what the processes are at http://hijackthis.de

[Der Cute]

Autopatcher has now been taken down by Microsoft.

if you google around you MIGHT find a version somewhere, but don't bet on it.

[lordlundar]

Firewall:

Zone Alarm used to be free, I'm sure you can find some links around that still hae the free version.

Still is free:

http://www.zonealarm.com/store/content/catalog/products/sku_list_za.jsp?dc=12bms&ctry=US&lang=en

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I swear on this one . . .

http://www.avast.com (http://www.avast.com/)

Works on pretty much every version of Windows. No Mac version, but there is one for Linux.

It's free and all you do is re-register once a year. I've been using this for well over a year now and have had no issues. :D

[The Gatekeeper]

Our license for Symantic is expiring and we are looking at other options. This is for my company. What are your thoughts on Network Anti-Virus? Does this also include protection for the individual computers (I don't know much about this stuff).

Thoughts?

[It's me]

Another excellent cleaner:

EasyCleaner http://www.toniarts.com/products/?PHPSESSID=119b2503b12041914ae5363d83001da2

I invariably find that the "Registry" and "Unnecessary" scans find things that CCleaner, Spybot, and AdAware miss (and yeah, I run all four!)

[gunsage]

While I'm not necessarily recommending this for anyone else, this is more of a "Is this a good idea?" type deal. Sometimes when I run Spybot and whatever else I may be using (I alternate between different crap as I don't really have a favorite, per se) there will be instances where a number of things are not only persistent (meaning they just keep coming back), but still others can't seem to be deleted by the program.

As a result, here's what I typically end up doing. First, I document what exactly Spybot, etc. is having a problem with. Next, I research to see if there are any permanent fixes that DON'T involve me "DOWNLOADING OUR OMG GR8 SOFTWAREZ!!!" That simply annoys me.

If there is a recommendation, great. If not, there are two other things I do. One, REGEDIT. Yes, I know it's supposed to be for advanced users, etc. I go in there and RIP OUT the exact file(s) that are supposedly causing the problems. Then, just in case, I go into HiJackThis (LOVE that tool) and find anything malicious involving that file or anything resembling it.

Yes, most of this probably isn't very good for my system. However, even with constant updates, regularly running scans, defragging just about every week, etc., I can't help but feel like there's more I should be doing for my computer. Any suggestions?

[Knightmare]

Has anyone here heard of Gizmo Richard's Support Alert? I subscribe to this, and he always has excellent information on just about anything you can think of. And things you never thought of!

Read it, try it out.. then pay the $10 a year for the premium edition. It is definitely worth it.

http://techsupportalert.com/issues/al_current.htm

[sms001]

Let's all post our little secrets (some not so secret) little programs that help people keep their PCs clean, efficient, and safe!

Just some quick pulls from my last "fixit" CD. (Thanks BartsPE!)
Note: I've been out of this game for a while and it changes VERY quickly.
Exercise due care and common sense.

Also, CoolWebSearch seems to still be around and I didn't see its nemisis on my CD, so tack on CWShredder.

*Avast Antivirus
a2
Absolute Shield
AVG Antivirus
*CCleaner
CounterSpy
Ewido
*Hijack This
Kerio Firewall
*Lavasoft Adaware
Microsoft Defender
Pest Patrol
*Spybot Search and Destroy
Spysweeper
Spyware Blaster
Winpatrol
*Zone Alarm

Online Info:
http://www.antirootkit.com
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/
http://castlecops.com
http://forum.ccleaner.com
http://noahdfear.geekstogo.com/
http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/mailbot_az.shtml
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html
http://www.malwarecomplaints.info/index.php
http://forums.spybot.info
http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?
http://msdn.microsoft.com/archive/default.asp
http://process.networktechs.com/
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
http://www.adwarereport.com/
http://www.spywareinfo.com/


Online Testing:
http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/
http://www.rexswain.com/httpview.html
http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/default.asp?langid=ie&venid=sym
http://us.mcafee.com/root/mfs/default.asp?cid=9435
http://www.bitdefender.com/
http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/solutions/activescan/
http://www.pcpitstop.com/antivirus/AVLoad.asp
http://www.ca.com/us/

[NightAngel]

I'll go with Zone Alarm and Ad-Aware. I usually use Zone Alarm's Internet Security Suite and System Mechanic but I haven't been able to renew my subscription yet this year. Right now I'm using the Windows Live One Care trial. Which seems to be okay but not really quite as good as Zone Alarm.

[lordlundar]

I always say the best means to fight viral infection is to do the following:

1. Have one AV program at a time. Having none does no good but having more than one causes more problems than it solves.

2. Keep the program and virus database up to date. Viruses, worms, etc are always coming out and having an out of date scanner is about as useful as not having one at all. Keeping them up to date won't get all of them, but 1% risk is a heck of a lot better than 50% risk.

3. Be smart about being on the net. The best AV program in the world is not 100% secure and if you are constantly opening unknown attachments, visiting questionable sites and getting questionable files, you're going to be infected, usually a lot. Most viruses and such rely on social engineering to get in and do their damage. If you're smart about your online activity and avoiding questionable content, you might get infected once or twice in your lifetime. You'd have better odds in the lottery.:D The best rule of thumb on that is if you are unsure about a file, don't get it.

If you do find yourself infected, do the following steps:

1. Don't panic! Like any critical situation, panicking only causes mistakes, which is more problematic. Take a step back and calm down. At this stage, take notes on what you did before this happened. Sites visited, files opened, etc. You don't want to repeat the problem by making the same mistake.

2. Pull the plug. To prevent it from spreading or putting yourself at more risk (some block the AV's capability to work), disconnect yourself from the net by physically removing the connection. Software can be over-ridden so you can't just disable the card through the OS.

At this point you can either have it done professionally by taking it to a tech or to resolve the problem yourself. If you choose the latter, read on.

3. Research. Find out what file(s) are infected and by what. Using a scanner running from a CD or DVD is the safest means to do so. Once you know that info, look up on another computer the files and viruses. Symantec's online database is usually the best means for finding out what to do.

4. Elimination. Often times, removing the infected files will work. Sometimes a special cleaning program is available to remove the virus, usually if the infected files are key operating files. In the rare case, you will need to reformat your system completely. Unfortunately, if removing the files or formatting the system are your means of removing the virus, then the files are lost. Don't try and retain any potentially infected files, as you will simply continue the problem. It sucks, but those files are more of a threat than a benefit at that stage. After the files are removed, shut down and unplug the machine for about 10-15 minutes to purge the RAM. Viruses are known to quickly get in there and stay there for a reboot, which allows them to reinfect.

5. Avoidance. Remember the notes I told you to make in step one? Now you get to analyze them for what what's questionable and to avoid them in the future. Once again, be smart about your online activity.

[Evil Queen]

I second the Bitdefender.com online scan.

[Mr. Rude]

Here's one that my techs use at the shop.

http://www.malwarebytes.org/

I find it to be pretty good ;)

Just click the cnet download thing-a-ma-bobber.

[Broomjockey]

Decided to run the Trend Micro Housecall on my system. Didn't work. Am currently running bitdefender. Says it's going to take.... 16 hours. That seems very wrong.

[Slytovhand]

After my recent bout of computer suckage, I went to the local netcafe to check email, and I was chatting to the owner about my issues.

He recommended Hiren's bootable cd (http://www.hiren.info/pages/bootcd) with a whole stack of freebies programs - partition tools (like Partition Magic pro), Disc tools (eg, Norton's Disc Doctor), Anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti- other stuff, backup tools, recovery tools - etc etc. In short, probaby the one disc you'd ever need (for free, at any rate!)


(and a big YOU ROCK to said netcafe owner for even burning me the cd!)

[Plague*Star]

I second most of the suggestions I've seen. One thing I didn't see is
secunia (http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/online/) online scanner. Since XP SP2, most Windows update the OS automatically. So, the writers of assware ("Antivirus 2009") target other software that doesn't get updated. Java, Flash, Adobe Reader, etc. Secunia checks for common programs that have known security flaws. Try it and you'll be surprised at the old, exploitable software hiding on most windows boxes! And ferreting it out and removing it can be *much* more involved than using appwiz.cpl It's easier to keep the crap from boarding, than making it walk the plank after it gets onboard.
P*S

[MrSmiley]

http://www.sysresccd.org/ - Downloadable System Rescue CD. So many powerful tools in one burnable ISO file. On the downside though, it's a little overwhelming to use at first and even among techs there seems to be a whole lot of keys, commands on the screens and stuff that people just overlook and didn't know was there.

There's also a lot of tools to utterly mess up whatever you're trying to fix if done incorrectly.

Despite that, the cd is still a very good thing to have. If for no other reason than you have a copy of gParted lying around *spits on other hard drive/partition managers*

[Alephcat]

if anyone brings me an infected machine I whip the harddrive out bung it in one of my machines, which are running linux and run clamAV on it.

[Eisa]

I like using Malwarebytes and Rising Antivirus...

[fireheart]

I use avast! and COMODO on my laptop and my parents use Trend Micro Pro on the PC.

Neither program has any problems, although with a few games you're required to disable Comodo and Trend.

[barcode]

Bumping things up, as requested by Raps...

For anti-virus apps, my favorite has been Avira (@ avira.com (http://www.avira.com)). The free version (you can pay for it if you like, and part of the fee goes to charity!) is good for about a year, and they update the scanning engine (called "Luke Filewalker") every fall, giving you another year, which kinda makes it a perpetual re-licensing (been using it since ~2004, and have never had to pay, though I really should). It installs quickly, updates automatically, and has one of, if not the, best go/no-go indicators ever - the umbrella is open when it's active, closed when disabled (the viruses are raining down on you). It now features rootkit and browser-plugin modes. The only (mildly) annoying thing about it is that it pops up an ad every time it grabs the updates (it can be turned off with some tweaking, but all you need to do is close the window).

Now, the free version of Avira doesn't do malware/spyware (unless it's really nasty), so for that, I use...

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware (MBAM (http://www.malwarebytes.org/)). I used to use TWO different malware scanners (AdAware and Spybot S&D) - if one didn't catch something, the other would. After a couple of months playing with MBAM, I no longer needed to, as I could not find one single infection that either of the old ones could find that MBAM hadn't already found and eliminated. Also, MBAM folks are dedicated to their mission: it is not uncommon for them to have as many as 8 (eight) updates per day! In fact, they've recently switched to a new format to list the reference file(s): year/month/day/update#, e.g., 2012-01-13-4 would be the fourth update today.

Now, if something sneaks by all this (and it can, even with an updated system - these are called "Zero-day exploits"), then the technique I use runs something like this:

-Pull the drive out, and hook it up to a known "clean" machine using an internal connection (desktop) or an adapter (laptop). Update the scanner(s), and run them on the drive(s). Since you're booting off a good drive, the viruses aren't loading from the infected one, so any really bad ones should be found. Once disinfected, just throw the drive back in, and Windows Vista/7 should run the "Startup Repair" (XP will just "think/throb" a bit longer when starting up, or display a blue screen with text).

-or-
Download a "rescue" CD from Avira (http://www.avira.com/en/support-download-avira-antivir-rescue-system), or grab an entire utility suite from UBCD (http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/download.html), which has Avira on it, along with dozens of other helpful (and harmful!) programs. This may be the only method if you don't/can't remove the infected drive. Burn the image (ISO) to a CD-R(W), boot, and select your poison. Note: If you boot the PartEdMagic from UBCD, then you can also use F-Secure or ClamAV from a terminal window (I haven't used F-Secure, but you start ClamAV by using the command "clamscan").

UBCD also has the advantage of being able to unlock missing passwords to user accounts, check memory, diagnose drives, install/copy/clone/wipe drives, and by running PartEd Magic, which is really a version of Linux, you can even browse the web looking for help on your particular problem (handy if you don't have a second computer lying around).

And, yes, you can also install these utils to a flash drive if you wish (1GB will do fine).

Since I happen to be a big Linux fan (since RedHat 5.2), I'm not afraid to call sucky programming... well... "sucky". Yet, since Vista, Microsoft has offered "Microsoft Security Essentials" for free, and will even enable it if you don't have an anti-virus program installed. The best part? It doesn't suck! Really! They actually programmed something right for once... errr... twice (DirectX is way cool!). No, I'm not the only Tux fanboy that's seen MSE prevent some major disasters from happening, and we're actually liking it (less work for us to clean up those messes). So, all you'd need to do is open your control panel and do some clicking in the Security Center to enable it.

Note: Do NOT run more than one anti-virus program at a time! If you use MSE, and try to install Avira, Avira will give you an error message, and close without installing. Why? Well, a scanner will keep a file with all the "signatures" of the bad files it's looking for. This is known as a "Virus Definition File (VDF)" by Avira. Since it looks like the actual virus to another scanner not using it, the two scanners will keep "pinging" on each others VDF, and they'll each have hundreds of thousands of viruses filed, so... Yeah, a real mess that will slow down your system. Just don't do it. Malware/spyware scanners, on the other hand, are okay to have installed. If you think MBAM is missing something, go ahead and install Spybot S&D to use as a double-check (some systems I've used do not like SSD's "TeaTimer" mode - use carefully!).

Not exactly anti-virus or malware related, but useful, is CCleaner (http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner) (the first "C" stands for "Crap"). Once you have a clean system, with all your programs installed and working, give this little guy a spin. It'll clean out all the... crap... the main programs leave lying around (cookies, downloaded files, etc.). It also has a registry cleaner that will clean up tidbits left behind when uninstalling or updating programs and settings (it backs up the entries before changing anything). Normally, you'd only need to run it about once a year, maybe six months if you use your machine heavily.

Lastly (about damn time!), I'd like to impart some wisdom about how not to get infected in the first place:

-Win Vista/7 is actually pretty secure. It's the user that needs a good re-programming. Use a limited-access account (non-Admin), password protected, and keep it updated with Windows or Microsoft update (two different updaters).

-Use Internet Explorer only if you have to. The most common way a virus gets through is by an ActiveX exploit. Only MSIE uses ActiveX, so install and use another browser for the main stuff (Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari), and use IE for sites that require ActiveX (banks and such). Most sites, like this one, have no problem with any browser. I'm currently using FF on Linux. Oh, and there are some amazing plug-ins for browsers that help with privacy and Flash issues (AdBlockPlus, NoFlash, BetterPrivacy, etc.)

-It's not just MS - it's everybody! Recent exploits have plagued Adobe (Flash and Reader/Acrobat), Java (Sun/Oracle), Javascript (not Java), and Apple (iTunes, Quicktime). Keep these updated, too! We're kinda stuck with Flash, as you can't do squat on the web without it being installed, but there are alternatives for the rest. I use Foxit Reader for viewing PDFs in Windows, for example.

-Keep backups! As soon as Thailand factories start pumping out hard drives again, bringing the cost back down, a little 300-500GB external USB drive is fantastic to have. Most Seagate, Maxtor, WD, (et. al.) drives even have auto-run utilities that'll do the backing up for you. Just plug in and go! You don't have to backup the entire drive, just the important things. If you do this one thing, then when (if) everything goes to hell in a handbasket, you can just Nuke-&-Pave® and copy the data back. Also, even if you don't get any viruses or malware, drives can, and do, crash.

barcode
For the latest in infections, check out bleepingcomputer.com (http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/)!