How to Eliminate Spyware, Adware, and Random Popups
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amanoffewwords - I don't think any rational person would claim that Macs are 100% perfect, just that they suffer from from far fewer problems than PCs. Even if things were reversed and Macs had 90% of the market, they still wouldn't have as many problems as Apple does put some thought into security and not just randomly including new "features" into the operating system. Most of the recent security/virus issues with Windows took advantage of one of the many bundled programs and not the core operating system itself, but the end result is the same, thousands of annoyed users and thousand of dollars wasted.
Up until the last year, Microsoft has constantly refused to even consider the consequences of the new features they add. For example, can someone give me a legitimate reason as to why you would want an email program that automatically ran or opened any attachments it received? MS Outlook and Outlook Express are the only programs that I know of that did this. Most email programs force users to download the file first. I know this won't stop everyone from opening files that they shouldn't, but as the many virus writers found, it made for an easy way to propagate a virus.
I have a PC at home because I like to play with the hardware and software (I have Linux and WindowsXP on it). When I want to get work done though, I would rather use a Mac as it lets me just get on with the job I'm trying to do, and doesn't force to think about the computer or operating system.
goates
Up until the last year, Microsoft has constantly refused to even consider the consequences of the new features they add. For example, can someone give me a legitimate reason as to why you would want an email program that automatically ran or opened any attachments it received? MS Outlook and Outlook Express are the only programs that I know of that did this. Most email programs force users to download the file first. I know this won't stop everyone from opening files that they shouldn't, but as the many virus writers found, it made for an easy way to propagate a virus.
I have a PC at home because I like to play with the hardware and software (I have Linux and WindowsXP on it). When I want to get work done though, I would rather use a Mac as it lets me just get on with the job I'm trying to do, and doesn't force to think about the computer or operating system.
goates
Last edited by goates; 28th Jan 2004 at 03:39.
Title? What title?
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Of course, if this is turning into a discussion on the merits of operating systems, I should take a few minutes off from knitting my yoghurt to sing the praises of Linux. Ok, its a disaster waiting to happen for the average end user, but its free(ish) and pretty damned good. Makes an old Pentium 1 fly along.
Now, IBM MVS, that was a real OS !!!
Now, IBM MVS, that was a real OS !!!
Kaffir Lime Leaf Junkie
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How disapointing!
We have a basically good thread here.
(I'll remind you,)
"How to Eliminate Spyware, Adware, and Random Popups"
which is being hyjacked by the pro/anti Mac lobby.
Can we not start a seperate thread on that instead of distroying this one?
(New) PC users need the "how to eliminate"info in this thread, including E-Liam's comments.
But our Right Honourable 'Dep Chief PPRuNe Pilot' vs Goates crusade for Mac does not help anyone looking for the "Eliminate" answers.
Can we dump/delete some of the responses please?
Yours sincerely,
IFTB, struggler with Popups & TheLike
We have a basically good thread here.
(I'll remind you,)
"How to Eliminate Spyware, Adware, and Random Popups"
which is being hyjacked by the pro/anti Mac lobby.
Can we not start a seperate thread on that instead of distroying this one?
(New) PC users need the "how to eliminate"info in this thread, including E-Liam's comments.
But our Right Honourable 'Dep Chief PPRuNe Pilot' vs Goates crusade for Mac does not help anyone looking for the "Eliminate" answers.
Can we dump/delete some of the responses please?
Yours sincerely,
IFTB, struggler with Popups & TheLike
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IFTB,
The point is safe, usable software and operating systems.
The point is making this stuff digestable for ordinary users.
The point was first made gently by Richard.
Show the initial, so called worthwhile part of this thread to the member of your household who doesn't fix things but actually uses a computer. Review this thread and so many others through their eyes.
The help being offered is daunting and thus useless to the vast majority of computer users. Comparisons to other way's of achieving a safe and useable computer at home are entirely valid.
Finally, it was pointed out clearly that the thread can be edited to provide a useful addition to FAQ's. This forum will not, I repeat, not turn into a techie paradise frightening away those who need actually help and ends up only encouraging and nurturing hobbiests, anoraks and IT people.
While we truly appreciate your help you will have to accept the criticisms and opprobrium of the linux, unix and Mac community. Your system of choice is responsible for all the viral attacks around the world and their propagation. Your system of choice is also responsible for problems on this forum running at over a thousand to one - wintel versus all other systems. Not even Bill Gates will suggest this resembles the reality of market share.
I trust I make myself clear. A glance back through this thread will indicate I still work on a daily basis with wintel and deal with the problems it brings both here at the Towers and professionally. As with the rest of PPRuNe if there is a better way of achieving something it will be pointed out.
Regards
rob
The point is safe, usable software and operating systems.
The point is making this stuff digestable for ordinary users.
The point was first made gently by Richard.
Show the initial, so called worthwhile part of this thread to the member of your household who doesn't fix things but actually uses a computer. Review this thread and so many others through their eyes.
The help being offered is daunting and thus useless to the vast majority of computer users. Comparisons to other way's of achieving a safe and useable computer at home are entirely valid.
Finally, it was pointed out clearly that the thread can be edited to provide a useful addition to FAQ's. This forum will not, I repeat, not turn into a techie paradise frightening away those who need actually help and ends up only encouraging and nurturing hobbiests, anoraks and IT people.
While we truly appreciate your help you will have to accept the criticisms and opprobrium of the linux, unix and Mac community. Your system of choice is responsible for all the viral attacks around the world and their propagation. Your system of choice is also responsible for problems on this forum running at over a thousand to one - wintel versus all other systems. Not even Bill Gates will suggest this resembles the reality of market share.
I trust I make myself clear. A glance back through this thread will indicate I still work on a daily basis with wintel and deal with the problems it brings both here at the Towers and professionally. As with the rest of PPRuNe if there is a better way of achieving something it will be pointed out.
Regards
rob
Last edited by PPRuNe Towers; 28th Jan 2004 at 22:13.
Kaffir Lime Leaf Junkie
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PPRNT,
"It's your site so you can do what you want"
Maybe I expected this forum's aim to be different.
Your description, not turn into a techie paradise frightening away those who need actually help, is exactly what I had in mind when I wrote the above response. In my view the pro/con Mac discussions went way over my head and confused, not helped.
Anyway, I will not make such naive remarks again on your forum.
You can, indeed, trust that you made yourself clear.
IFTB
non-paying participant
"It's your site so you can do what you want"
Maybe I expected this forum's aim to be different.
Your description, not turn into a techie paradise frightening away those who need actually help, is exactly what I had in mind when I wrote the above response. In my view the pro/con Mac discussions went way over my head and confused, not helped.
Anyway, I will not make such naive remarks again on your forum.
You can, indeed, trust that you made yourself clear.
IFTB
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Adware removal
Symantec instructions for removal of adware
The instructions are a little confusing, but after a little frustration I was able to repair my registry.
The instructions are a little confusing, but after a little frustration I was able to repair my registry.
Plastic PPRuNer
Not a techie paradise, but it can't be a Dick & Jane reader or the IT people won't visit.
Hmmm. I don't love BillG and M$'s monopolistic rapacity but let's not get lost here. Spam affects _all_ computers - the OS is irrelevant. Even in an all Mac world there would be spam. You can hardly blame Wintel for that or expect Gates to fix it.
".....I've built approximately 130 PC's" - how many Macs? (unless you had an Apple I)
It's easy to have system stability and no driver/BIOS/etc. problems if you are the only source for the OS and hardware and most of the software - in fact, you have no excuse not to!
And it's easy to have security when you have a UNIX based OS which has seen four major releases in three years all with added security patches. And OS 9 had plenty of security holes and opportunities for whoopsies since you were automatically at root level, even when working on a Word Document. Every single process in Mac OS 9 and earlier had root capability.
If there had been/were as many hackers targeting OS 9 (and below) then it would have been nearly as virus-beleaguered as Windows 9.x
XP is, in my experience, a very stable platform - I guess I've had two hard lockups in the last six months, both from tinkering at levels that ordinary user would not. Sure, you can wreck the OS if you try, but you can do this just as easily in OS X.
But I see Micro$oft as Full Government Control and very expensive at that which is why I am moving everything over to Linux. The Mac package is lovely, but still still costs too much.
What would I suggest for a complete beginner who could afford it and didn't want to have to learn anything? Perhaps indeed a Mac for the moment, but Linux is getting better and better (the new Suse 9 is superb) and in a couple of years.....
Mac - Linux User #302442
rm -rf /bin/laden/
Hmmm. I don't love BillG and M$'s monopolistic rapacity but let's not get lost here. Spam affects _all_ computers - the OS is irrelevant. Even in an all Mac world there would be spam. You can hardly blame Wintel for that or expect Gates to fix it.
".....I've built approximately 130 PC's" - how many Macs? (unless you had an Apple I)
It's easy to have system stability and no driver/BIOS/etc. problems if you are the only source for the OS and hardware and most of the software - in fact, you have no excuse not to!
And it's easy to have security when you have a UNIX based OS which has seen four major releases in three years all with added security patches. And OS 9 had plenty of security holes and opportunities for whoopsies since you were automatically at root level, even when working on a Word Document. Every single process in Mac OS 9 and earlier had root capability.
If there had been/were as many hackers targeting OS 9 (and below) then it would have been nearly as virus-beleaguered as Windows 9.x
XP is, in my experience, a very stable platform - I guess I've had two hard lockups in the last six months, both from tinkering at levels that ordinary user would not. Sure, you can wreck the OS if you try, but you can do this just as easily in OS X.
But I see Micro$oft as Full Government Control and very expensive at that which is why I am moving everything over to Linux. The Mac package is lovely, but still still costs too much.
What would I suggest for a complete beginner who could afford it and didn't want to have to learn anything? Perhaps indeed a Mac for the moment, but Linux is getting better and better (the new Suse 9 is superb) and in a couple of years.....
Mac - Linux User #302442
rm -rf /bin/laden/
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Your starter pack could be a very good idea Mac.
All Apple computers come with X11 and all the libraries and tools to run X windows applications. I'm exploring the possibilities myself and welcome recommendations for stable programs that cover most peoples' needs.
There's a growing movement, initially at local government level, here in the UK to simply opt out of the software juggernauts' world and into open systems.
Interesting also that the latest worm appears (from some reports) to be directed at SCO. Many of you might be more familiar with them through the older names of Caldera and before that Santa Cruz.
Regards
Rob
All Apple computers come with X11 and all the libraries and tools to run X windows applications. I'm exploring the possibilities myself and welcome recommendations for stable programs that cover most peoples' needs.
There's a growing movement, initially at local government level, here in the UK to simply opt out of the software juggernauts' world and into open systems.
Interesting also that the latest worm appears (from some reports) to be directed at SCO. Many of you might be more familiar with them through the older names of Caldera and before that Santa Cruz.
Regards
Rob
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I agree that moving to Linux would solve many of the problems experienced by Windows, however that won't be an option for the majority of people for a few years yet. With some luck the various Asian and European governments' moves to Linux will speed this up. Right now this looks like the only way to break Microsoft's dominance, unless Apple can pull something off.
While the classic Mac did give everyone root access, you didn't have email programs automatically running viruses when received and you didn't have web browsers with the ability to install software from a website automatically through ActiveX controls. Microsoft has also had more than a few years to tighten security in Windows 2000 and XP, but they didn't. XP is very stable, and 2000 isn't far behind, but that doesn't matter if they can be so easily over run with viruses. Microsoft has had 4 years to fix these problems int the NT series (Windows 2000 and XP are really just NT 5 and 5.1 respectively) but didn't and didn't seem to care about it either.
It does look like someone is either really annoyed with SCO (most of the Unix and Linux communities) or some one is trying to give open source users a bad name. Can't say that I have any sympathy for SCO though.
goates
While the classic Mac did give everyone root access, you didn't have email programs automatically running viruses when received and you didn't have web browsers with the ability to install software from a website automatically through ActiveX controls. Microsoft has also had more than a few years to tighten security in Windows 2000 and XP, but they didn't. XP is very stable, and 2000 isn't far behind, but that doesn't matter if they can be so easily over run with viruses. Microsoft has had 4 years to fix these problems int the NT series (Windows 2000 and XP are really just NT 5 and 5.1 respectively) but didn't and didn't seem to care about it either.
It does look like someone is either really annoyed with SCO (most of the Unix and Linux communities) or some one is trying to give open source users a bad name. Can't say that I have any sympathy for SCO though.
goates
Over 1000 posts and I bought this Personal Title to try and tell my mother the embarrassing news that I am a closet Jazz fan.
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I just ran ad-aware 6 with the latest dat file before and after loading Pprune. Second time around with a clean system brought up two dodgy cookies... Can anyone else reproduce this?
The Oracle
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Rob,
I was just trying to keep the thread within your parameters when Liam made a long, detailed post.
Since this thread now has a life of its own, I figure we could let this thread go on, but I will start a new thread with just the info from the first post which we can use as a sticky till the current virus/malware attacks die off, then we can delete it and make the next sticky to meet the needs of the PPRuNe Members when that time comes.
Richard
P.S. As you know, we will always poke a little fun at the PC/MAC rivalry.
I was just trying to keep the thread within your parameters when Liam made a long, detailed post.
Since this thread now has a life of its own, I figure we could let this thread go on, but I will start a new thread with just the info from the first post which we can use as a sticky till the current virus/malware attacks die off, then we can delete it and make the next sticky to meet the needs of the PPRuNe Members when that time comes.
Richard
P.S. As you know, we will always poke a little fun at the PC/MAC rivalry.
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Prevention is better than cure...
I run my PC with Black Ice set to paranoid and never open e-mail attachments unless they are from myself. I have NAV with auto-updating and use Folder Guard to lock my personal data files and private folders. Despite all this I also use Adaware and The Cleaner regularly and still find spyware and trojans aboard my PC. Presumably they come in through web pages, suitably disguised within images etc. so as to avoid detection and then operate through the browser - which of course has permission to access the internet.
Does all this Spam really sell enough Viagra to be worth the effort? Are all those pimply faced youths really sporting 18" penises from the pills they buy on the internet? Has anybody eliminated all their debts, got a cheap mortgage, won a huge prize in a competition they never even entered or helped Emperor Bokassa's widow get her millions out of Africa? Are there enough gullible computer users out there to make all this crap profitable? It seems so - my SPAM reception rate is already over 120 a day.
Now we only have to wait two years for Uncle Bill to fix it. Thats it? M/S rides to the rescue? I despair of there ever being foolproof protection against the advertising industry. Apart from boycotting the advertised products and publically exposing the perpetrators as the fraudsters they are that is...
Thank you to all the Techies here who try to help the rest of us less gifted mortals to keep our machines running and useable. I for one appreciate the advice I find here...
Does all this Spam really sell enough Viagra to be worth the effort? Are all those pimply faced youths really sporting 18" penises from the pills they buy on the internet? Has anybody eliminated all their debts, got a cheap mortgage, won a huge prize in a competition they never even entered or helped Emperor Bokassa's widow get her millions out of Africa? Are there enough gullible computer users out there to make all this crap profitable? It seems so - my SPAM reception rate is already over 120 a day.
Now we only have to wait two years for Uncle Bill to fix it. Thats it? M/S rides to the rescue? I despair of there ever being foolproof protection against the advertising industry. Apart from boycotting the advertised products and publically exposing the perpetrators as the fraudsters they are that is...
Thank you to all the Techies here who try to help the rest of us less gifted mortals to keep our machines running and useable. I for one appreciate the advice I find here...
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One interesting idea that I heard recently for stopping spam was to have everyone respond to every spam message they got. This would overload the spammers systems and make it very unprofitable for them.
The only method I have seen that would stop you from getting spam is to set up your mail server or client to drop any mail from an address not in your address book. The user would have to enter someone's email address before they received any email though which could get to be a pain.
Too bad we couldn't round up all of the spammers and make them pay for what they're doing to the internet. Maybe send them to war ravaged countries to clear mines.
goates
The only method I have seen that would stop you from getting spam is to set up your mail server or client to drop any mail from an address not in your address book. The user would have to enter someone's email address before they received any email though which could get to be a pain.
Too bad we couldn't round up all of the spammers and make them pay for what they're doing to the internet. Maybe send them to war ravaged countries to clear mines.
goates
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Mailwasher, gives you the chance to preview email and decide whether to accept/blacklist or bounce the email, although increasingly, due I think to spammer using non existing email address, it doesnt bounce all
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More than happy with that suggestion Richard. You initial post was perfectly pitched for what we are after.
Regarding revenge on the spammers: bounce backs and so on. Anyone care to put in their knowledgable thoughts for the average Joe on why it is ineffective, and their opinions as to why legislators on both sides of the Atlantic seem to have studiously ignored the facts regarding 'from' addresses.
Regards
Rob
Regarding revenge on the spammers: bounce backs and so on. Anyone care to put in their knowledgable thoughts for the average Joe on why it is ineffective, and their opinions as to why legislators on both sides of the Atlantic seem to have studiously ignored the facts regarding 'from' addresses.
Regards
Rob
The Oracle
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Blacksheep,
For the average Spammer to make enough money to live on, they have to send out over 1 million Spam emails a day! It is easy to figure out the number of gullible people out there is extremely low.
To answer Rob, most of the email addys are spoofed, so bouncing does not always work. (I still prefer to bounce personally though.)
Take Care,
Richard
For the average Spammer to make enough money to live on, they have to send out over 1 million Spam emails a day! It is easy to figure out the number of gullible people out there is extremely low.
To answer Rob, most of the email addys are spoofed, so bouncing does not always work. (I still prefer to bounce personally though.)
Take Care,
Richard
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Hi,
I saw that there is now a sticky for this subject. Here's a useful, and techie free link to a post by Tony Klein, a renowned expert on spy/ad/malware...
http://forums.net-integration.net/in...showtopic=3051
I thought that I'd post it on this thread and Mr. Towers
can decide whether to move it to the sticky thread or not.
Hope it's useful.
Cheers
Liam
I saw that there is now a sticky for this subject. Here's a useful, and techie free link to a post by Tony Klein, a renowned expert on spy/ad/malware...
http://forums.net-integration.net/in...showtopic=3051
I thought that I'd post it on this thread and Mr. Towers
can decide whether to move it to the sticky thread or not.Hope it's useful.
Cheers
Liam
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Go ahead and cut and paste it over to Richard's thread Liam. Looks very good to me. I read your link to the tech guy forum last night. Read all five pages and loved the post where the semi guru admitted to opening a nasty attachment.............
Additionally I've stickied Mac the Knife's tyro's intro to Linux - looks an ideal taster for those who might want to dip their toe in the water with a dual boot system or a superannuated Mac.
I think there are three widely available distros for linux with adequate or better support. It would be nice to get some feed back on how they stack up for someone wanting to have a go for the first time.
Regards to all
rob
Additionally I've stickied Mac the Knife's tyro's intro to Linux - looks an ideal taster for those who might want to dip their toe in the water with a dual boot system or a superannuated Mac.
I think there are three widely available distros for linux with adequate or better support. It would be nice to get some feed back on how they stack up for someone wanting to have a go for the first time.
Regards to all
rob
The Oracle
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Rob,
The Screen Savers has a great:
Linux FAQ
For anyone thinking about getting their feet wet with Linux.
If anyone wants info on the new Kernel then:
How to Install the Linux 2.6 Kernel
Take Care,
Richard
The Screen Savers has a great:
Linux FAQ
For anyone thinking about getting their feet wet with Linux.
If anyone wants info on the new Kernel then:
How to Install the Linux 2.6 Kernel
Take Care,
Richard
