Another Day With My PC

Malware could be very unforgiving when it decides to strike. While some unwanted programs would already be contented in creating small shanties for themselves inside your hard drive and just monitor everything that you do, others are not so passive and will pillage your system until they are the only applications left in it.

Of course, antivirus and anti-spyware programs are always there to save the day. But what if the carnage happened before you installed your security suites?

The Easy Step / Solution

Before anything else, let me just make it clear that anti-malware programs will still work even if you install them after your PC gets infected. Antivirus programs do not just prevent unwanted apps from entering into your system, but they also remove those which have already injected themselves therein.

The most common solution to an infection is to run a thorough virus or anti-spyware scan over your entire system. The security suites would automatically do the detection and removal of the malicious programs. Most of the time, the detection and removal will be successful. However, things will become a little bit different and complicated when the infection is so severe and it already involves vital system files.

It Doesn’t Always Win

There are times when security software cannot safely remove a virus from a file. Even if it can, doing so might render the file useless as the removal process could damage the data. In cases like this one, what the antivirus program usually does is to just leave the file as it is and recommends that you replace it with a new but similar one. This may seem easy, but I’m telling you that it isn’t. Take note that many programs come from zipped or compressed files. This means that you can’t just look for the infected program’s installation disk and get the needed file therein. You won’t find it in the disk. What you’ll probably see is just a few compressed files that need to be decompressed or unzipped first.

The Final Solution

If the infection is extremely severe, such as when a variety of malware have already nailed a “home sweet home” sign in your computer, then opening your antivirus to extract a cure may already be futile. The infestation in this case is already so serious that you cannot anymore remove the unwanted programs without damaging the whole operating system.

If your antivirus cannot remove many of the malware found in your system and you can’t also delete the infected file because it is vital to your system’s operation, then the only viable and effective solution to the problem would be to reformat your hard drive and reinstall your OS. This may seem a very tedious task that but a pandemic definitely requires the most extreme solution.

Fresh Start

Reformatting your hard disk and reinstalling your operating system would give you a fresh start in your effort to keep your system free from malware. A reformat would wipe out all programs, good or bad. As with all fresh starts or second chances, make sure that you won’t have to go into that situation again where you have to go back to the drawing board. Before you go online or introduce other programs aside from your OS, make sure that you install an antivirus and a registry cleaner first. This would ensure that no malicious program would get in your way when you surf the Web or run any application.

Have you ever come across a spam mail that bore your e-mail address?

A friend of mine did and she was so aghast by it that she immediately e-mailed all of those in her contact list to clarify that she was not the one who sent the e-mails. I could very well understand her shock and embarrassment since the spam mail that had been distributed to all her contacts contained indecent photos and links to pornographic Web sites.

You might think that the tale that I’ve just told you is fictitious. Indeed, one would wonder how a virus could log in to your e-mail account and compose various types of messages and even attach images and documents thereto. But it is possible. The malware need not log in to your account. All it has to do is publish or post your e-mail address as the sender so as to add a semblance of legitimacy to the mail. It would really thus appear that it came from you. But a close perusal of such spam mails would reveal that it had been sent through another account and is just being masked by your e-mail address.

Save yourself from such an embarrassing situation by building an impregnable virtual gate around your PC with an antivirus as your steel bars and a registry cleaner as its padlock. Your tech-savvy friends may immediately know or realize that the e-mail purportedly coming from you is just the handiwork of a malware that infected your PC. However, those who are not well-aware of the deception might think that you’re promoting illegal or indecent sites. Protect your reputation by protecting your PC.

There was a time when computer jargon was understood by bespectacled persons only. Those days are definitely gone. At present, everybody knows what OS means or what AV stands for.

The computer will undoubtedly beat sliced bread as the most common item known to man in a few years time. When that point comes, don’t be surprised if the United Nations adds Assembly Language, Visual Basic, or C++ along with Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish as one of its official languages.

A working knowledge of computers is unquestionably indispensable. It’s not that hard to learn how to use one. You don’t have to buy a dozen Dummies book about PCs in order to learn how to operate them. All you have to do is devote a few hours of your day on a daily basis in pounding that keyboard and see what happens on the screen. Trust me, the method may seem to be designed for Neanderthals, but this was how many computer geeks learned their favorite pastime.

Make sure that your PC is safe from external threats so that you won’t be disturbed in trying to find out what those F keys are for. System file or Windows registry infection could surely hamper your effort in trying to get to know your unit more intimately. Invest in an antivirus and a registry cleaner before you do anything with your PC.

Have you noticed that it’s been quite a while since Microsoft has released a new browser? Whenever I see IE 7’s icon on my desktop, I sometimes feel that it has been installed there for almost a decade already.

Everybody wants to see something new on their computer. Why do you think people mobbed the stores when Vista was first released? The fact that the first program that we always see on our computer is the operating system makes us all the more eager to try new ones in order to break the monotony. Many indeed decided to change despite the fact that many analysts stressed at that time that XP is more secured than its successor.

The second most used program in your PC would most likely be the browser. Naturally, you would want a new one to spice up things when you teleport yourself into cyberspace. Seeing the same old interface day after day would, after all, cause undue fatigue to your eyes.

I think the guys at Redmond have already noticed that they’ve been using the same old browser for Bill knows when. Hence, the release of Internet Explorer 8.

But don’t jump to Microsoft’s download site just yet. The fact that it’s free doesn’t mean that it’s ok to try it out without giving other things a thought. Take note that while the browser is your primary portal to the Internet, it is also the door most commonly used by hackers to take control of your PC.

IE 8 is still in its beta stages. Although Microsoft has already released a copy of it, it’s still far from being the finished product. The fact that it’s a beta version should clip your eagerness in trying the application. You could be sure that there are a variety of issues that are hounding the new browser, foremost of which is security.

If you’re bent on introducing the new Microsoft browser in your system, make sure that all your security apps are up and running. Be sure to have RegCure installed so that your Windows registry will not be compromised. Of course, an antivirus is also indispensable. Although it might be ok to try IE 8 beta, you shouldn’t use it as your primary browser. Doing so would be like putting up a door with a broken lock.

When somebody tells you that your old neighborhood hacker took the weekend off to go fishing, don’t be surprised when you see him bringing a laptop instead of a hook, line, and sinker. You could bet your hard drive’s last kilobyte that he will not be looking for his next meal or a new addition to his aquarium. Unless he’s really fishing with an “F,” what he’ll probably do is phish for data rather than fish for, well, fish.

Phishing is the term used to describe the illegal or fraudulent act of acquiring personal information through deceptive means. Hackers usually do this by sending deceptive e-mails or other electronic messages that ask users for certain information about themselves. Many have already been deceived and victimized as criminals use methods which lead people to believe that the sender and the message are legitimate ones.

Not Just by e-mail Alone

While e-mail service providers have already rolled up their sleeves and took on the challenge of putting a scarlet letter on bogus or fraudulent e-mail senders or addresses, hackers have found another way of phishing passwords, account numbers, and other sensitive details from unsuspecting persons.

e-commerce is growing at a tremendous pace, and thousands or even millions now send out credit card numbers, bank passwords, and other financial details on the Internet. These information are usually asked for by and entered into e-commerce Web sites, such as e-Bay, Amazon, and other businesses or institutions, such as banks. Criminals are aware of this and have built numerous Web sites which replicate the ones where people usually go to shop or do financial transactions. As a result, a good number of people unsuspectingly types in sensitive data that the bogus site asks for, practically giving it to hackers on a silver platter.

Seemingly Unimportant Questions

Pop ups are also used as phishing instruments. PCs infected with spyware, adware, and other forms of malware are usually prone to phishing activities since hackers already have a hold on the unit. Pop ups might ask you for certain personal details. Some of the questions may seem harmless and you might not suspect it to be malicious, especially if it’s not asking for your social security or credit card number. However, be very wary on the questions that you answer, whether they come from dubious pop ups or seemingly legitimate e-mails. Questions asking you as to your favorite food, the name of your pet, or your mother’s maiden name might seem inconsequential. However, take note that these questions are usually the ones that are also being asked by e-mail service providers or e-commerce sites in case you’ve forgotten your username or password.

Nip the Problem at the Bud

Keep your PC safe and secure at all times. Malware oftentimes monitor Web surfing activities. If the malicious software detects that you’re a frequent user of online banking services or an occasional customer of e-shops, then you’ll probably be subjected to all sorts of phishing tactics or methods. Keep your PC from being infiltrated by installing security tools, such as registry cleaners and antivirus programs. These applications will ensure that everything that you do or send on the Internet will not be made known to anyone.

Many computer users who are looking for anti spyware programs on the Internet may end up with a product that claims to be anti spyware… but in actuality, it’s actually spyware itself. Instead of removing the unwanted items from your computer, which is what true anti spyware software does, these bogus software programs actually install more spyware on your system, usually so the developer can profit from taking control of your computer system and web browsing abilities. Anti spyware programs are not the only ones being exploited, fakes also masquerade as anti virus and registry cleaner software as well.

Before purchasing, downloading, or installing any anti spyware software, do a little bit of research. Never install software on your computer unless you are positive you understand exactly what the software will do. Research some of the reputable anti spyware titles, and find the software which is verified and recognized as an actual anti spyware program, instead of just choosing the first anti spyware program you find online. Software which is one type and pretends to be another type is called rogue software, and that is what the fake anti spyware programs are.

If you are looking for a good reputable anti spyware program to keep your computer safe, there are some products that you should avoid, because they are rogue software instead of actual anti spyware programs. WinFixer and WinAntiVirus Pro 2006 are both spyware programs which masquerade as anti spyware software, and these programs try to pass themselves off as official programs from Windows just by the name of the product. Users believe they are installing a legitimate anti spyware or virus program from Windows, and instead spyware is installed.

SpyProtect, SpyShredder, SpyDawn, SpyLocked, Your Privacy Guard, AntiVirus Gold, PAL Spyware remover, and SpyAxe are all products which claim to be anti spyware programs but these products are in fact spyware instead, and these are just a small fraction of the true number of rogue software programs which pretend to be anti spyware. All of these software titles have been verified as spyware, and are known offenders who install their software under false pretenses for malicious purposes, without the informed consent of the user.

Fake anti spyware programs have become so common that there are banner advertisements all over the web for these products. Secure Computer was the first rogue software developer to be sued, and this was done in the beginning of 2006, in a suit filed by the Washington state attorney general and Microsoft over the product Spyware Cleaner. By the end of the year Secure Computer had settled with the state of Washington for a one million dollar sum, but Microsoft was not included in this settlement and their case is still pending.

Ad-Aware is a anti spyware program which has a free version available, and this software is a legitimate anti spyware program. This program and hundreds of others actually do what they advertise. Unfortunately, because of the rogue software out there pretending to be anti spyware when it is not, you should be cautious and verify the anti spyware that you choose before you install it.

We have all had a problem with our PC speed becoming slow, and not working very efficiently and effectively, bu there are some tips that can help you to optimize your computer performance and increase your PC speed. The very first tip to increase your PC speed, and the easiest one to implement, is to avoid running multiple programs at the same time. When more than one program is running at the same time, PC speed decreases because of multiple tasks. If you only open and use one program at a time, you will be amazed at how much your PC speed increases.

Minimize the number of programs and services on your startup menu, and your PC speed will increase substantially. Many users have programs on the startup menu that are very rarely used, but these programs are started and running every time your computer starts up or boots. This uses valuable resources which could be used to help improve the PC speed and performance instead. Remove any items and programs which are not needed every time your computer is started, and keep only those programs which must be opened at every single start up. This will give you a faster PC speed and minimize your frustration.

The easiest and best way to increase the PC speed of your machine is contained in two specific program types, and these are anti-spyware and anti-virus programs. Spyware especially can really clutter up your hard drive, and drastically affect your PC speed. Most spyware programs take over your PC and install other undesired software programs without the user being aware of this. All of these programs running may end up taking most of the resources, and this results in a very slow and sluggish PC speed.

Installing anti-spyware and anti-virus software is not enough by itself to keep your PC speed at optimum levels, because new malware and spyware versions are appearing regularly. Updating the definition directory of your anti-spyware and anti-virus software regularly, preferably once a day right before the scan is done, will guarantee that you are protected against all threats which may slow down your PC speed, even the newest ones. Without updates, you could have a number of electronic infections which may slow your PC speed, without the security programs even being aware of those specific infections as a risk.

Using a registry cleaner or manually editing the Windows Registry may help to improve your PC speed, but the results may vary widely, depending on how large your registry is and how many entries in the registry should be removed. Manually editing the Windows registry to improve PC speed may be a huge risk, because if the wrong items are altered or removed it can affect the Windows operating system and all of the functions of your computer. Delete the wrong entries and you may end up with an expensive piece of useless junk. If you are not sure, never erase an item in Windows Registry just to improve your PC speed, or you may be very sorry that you did.

How do I turn off my computer? Let me count the ways…

While there may be a dozen means by which you could shut your PC down, there’s only one method by which Microsoft recommends on how you should do it – by clicking on the “Turn Off” button in the Start menu.

You may wonder why your operating system’s manufacturer insists that you put your PC to rest by clicking on the said button. You may surmise that Microsoft programmers are emphasizing on such method simply because they don’t want you to waste their effort in creating the red button. Surely there are other ways by which you could accomplish it. However, the textbook technique is the preferred one since it ensures that all programs would also shut down in the manner intended by their own manufacturers.

What Lies Beneath

There are many processes that transpire or run but lay hidden whenever we put our computer to life. The fact that you don’t see these programs running behind your operating system means that you also have practically no direct or immediate control over them. Hence, turning them off might be too complicated a task for you, if that’s even possible.

One of the reasons why control or management of these processes are directly delegated to the supervision of the operating system is that they are either too many or seem too insignificant for human attention. Imagine if you’re required to turn all of them manually. That would be a nightmare. Operating systems spare you from such dilemma or any needless intervention by executing those processes or applications automatically.

Already Taken Cared Of

Unsurprisingly, it is also the OS that shuts them down. However, as with the process of breathing life to your PC, a degree of human intervention is also needed in order to turn them off. By clicking the “Turn Off” button, you’re prompting your computer to end what it is doing and giving it ample time to execute the necessary steps in order to close all the programs running on your computer. This is the reason why it takes several seconds or even a few minutes before your PC shuts off.

The prescribed procedure is obviously long, especially if there are many programs that need to be closed. Resorting to faster techniques, such as pressing the power button for a few seconds, may spare you a few seconds, but it might not spare you from multiplying those saved seconds to the hours that you’ll need in order to restore important data or system files that got damaged or corrupted due to improper termination.

Follow the Rules

There are reasons as to why you should follow proper procedures, and most of these reasons have your welfare in mind. If you have a habit of just pulling the power plug in order to turn off your computer, then you’d better cut it. You might refute the dangers or consequences that I’m presenting here by attesting that not a single file in your hard drive got damaged by your improper shutdown practices. But I’m telling you, it’s only a matter of time when you’ll surely wish that you’ve clicked on that red button to turn your system off.

Programming is not that esoteric. While applications are made up of ones and zeroes, modern programming tools or languages already allow us to create software using words that do not compete with Morse codes as far as understandability is concerned.

Many of today’s viruses or spyware infect programs by inserting seemingly meaningless words or series of characters into the lines that make up the application. If you want a hands-on experience in removing malicious codes, then you could do so by opening up the program into its bare essentials. All you have to do thereafter is to look for the line that is not included in the original make up of the software. This may seem easy if the lines or codes are just a page long. However, most applications nowadays contain kilometers of programming sentences.

Malware that strikes Windows registries also perform their pernicious act in similar fashion. You may remove the malicious line or instruction by yourself without the aid of any tool, but this is very dangerous as any erroneous alteration could lead to a system crash. This is the reason why you should leave Windows registry cleaning to RegCure. RegCure eliminates unwanted instructions inside your system’s registry, thereby enhancing your PC’s performance and ensuring the integrity of your operating system.

If you have a Flash Player plugged in to your browser, then you’d better read this.

Adobe has recently announced the release of an upgrade/patch for its graphics and video player. The company advises all Flash users to immediately shift to the latest version, 9.0.124.0, in order to avert possible malware attacks.

The patches plug the security gaps that make the player vulnerable to banner advertisements that are infected with spyware or adware. A PC that gets infected with this type of malware through the Adoble player defect could be susceptible to control by unauthorized third parties.

There have been increasing reports of bogus ad banners that are exploiting Flash’s security lapse. Infection immediately takes place once the user clicks on the malicious advertisement.

Download the upgrade immediately. Don’t be too complacent or confident simply because you have a wide range of security tools or software in your arsenal. It’s definitely better if all your bases are covered.