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  • #16
    Quoth draggar View Post
    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/d...d=ie&venid=sym
    http://us.mcafee.com/root/mfs/default.asp?cid=9435
    http://www.bitdefender.com/
    http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeuse...ns/activescan/
    http://www.pcpitstop.com/antivirus/AVLoad.asp
    http://www.ca.com/us/

    Comment


    • #17
      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.
      "I don't want any part of your crazy cult! I'm already a member of the public library and that's good enough for me, thanks!"

      ~TechSmith 314
      HellGate: London

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      • #18
        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. 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.
        Last edited by lordlundar; 01-23-2009, 03:20 AM.
        I AM the evil bastard!
        A+ Certified IT Technician

        Comment


        • #19
          I second the Bitdefender.com online scan.
          Ridiculous 2009 Predictions: Evil Queen will beat Martha Stewart to death with a muffin pan. All hail Evil Queen! (Some things don't need elaboration.....) -- Jester

          Ridiculous 2010 Predictions: Evil Queen, after escaping prison for last years prediction, goes out and waffle irons Rachel Ray to death. -- SG15Z

          Ridiculous 2011 Prediction: Evil Queen will beat Gordon Ramsay over the head with a cast-iron skillet. -- FireHeart

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          • #20
            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.
            "I reject your reality and substitute my own"....Adam Savage-Mythbuster

            Must remember to stop using "brain of death" on slower morons.... I meant customers.

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            • #21
              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.
              Ba'al: I'm a god. Gods are all-knowing.

              http://unrelatedcaptions.com/45147

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              • #22
                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 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!)
                When I said "From my research", what I actually meant to say was "Made shit up" - from a thottbot thread

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                • #23
                  I second most of the suggestions I've seen. One thing I didn't see is
                  secunia 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

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                  • #24
                    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*
                    Shop Smart. Shop S-Mart!

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                    • #25
                      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.
                      "My experience has taught me one thing. A shaved cat is much angrier than an unshaved cat."
                      Chester Holiday Apartment

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                      • #26
                        I like using Malwarebytes and Rising Antivirus...
                        "And so all the night-tide, I lie down by the side of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride!"
                        "Hallo elskan min/Trui ekki hvad timinn lidur"
                        Amayis is my wifey

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                        • #27
                          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.
                          The best professors are mad scientists! -Zoom

                          Now queen of USSR-Land...

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                          • #28
                            Bumping things up, as requested by Raps...

                            For anti-virus apps, my favorite has been Avira (@ 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). 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, or grab an entire utility suite from UBCD, 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 (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-&-PaveĀ® 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!

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