Spyware recommendations
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion: Archive August 2008:
Spyware recommendations
I need a few recommendations please ladies. I am going to have to buy spyware. I do not want to spend a fortune but I have to get something that will work.
I have a dell laptop. Nothing fancy just bill paying and some online games, then net surfing. That is all we really do on here. Plus I have all of our pictures from our cameras on here for the last 2yrs. (I need to back them up too!!)
Anyways can you ladies give me some pointers on what is good and what to get.
I have trojans and viruses that I know of a free search I have found a ton so now I have to kill them and quickly.
Thanks ladies.
Adaware Ad-aware Download (free)
AVG anti-virus Free AVG download
Zone Alarm - Zone Alarm free download
This is what is on my computer and I don't have problems. We pay for a 5-site license for AVG, since we have 4 desktop computers and a laptop, but I only use the free versions of ZoneAlarm and Ad-Aware. For just one computer, the free AVG would be fine.
Tonya - what you want is anti-spyware. Both Spybot and AdAware are very highly recommended, very reliable, free, and easy to download and to use.
Now, with AdAware and Spybot, the first thing you have to do with each program is open the program and download the updates. Then, in Spybot, in the menu, click Immunize. You'll see a page that will show you how many spy programs you can immunize against. Click the green cross at the top right of the menu bar to immunize. Do that at least monthly. Then run both Spybot and AdAware. Each will pick up spy programs the other misses so yes, it is worth having both. Additionally, the latest version of Spybot will tell you if someone wants to, for example, change your home page, and ask if you want to let that happen.
Finally, if you are using IE Explorer, go to Tools\Internet Options\Privacy\Advanced. You'll see a window with some check boxes. Check Override automatic handling, check Prompt in both lists, and check OK for session cookies (such as your Momsview cookie).
Also, check out the antivirus program on your computer. It may also have a cookie blocker that you haven't used, and a popup/ad blocker. Check to see if you have access to those functions.
Here's what will happen. Each of these programs will, at first, frequently pop up a window asking you if this or that program is OK, and you'll have to tell it yes or no and, if I remember, whether this applies to every time this program wants to do whatever it wants to do (acess your computer, acess the internet, etc.). As you build the program's memory you'll see those popups less often. For cookies, you'll get an IE Explorer popup telling you a program wants to put a cookie on your computer - check yes or no and whether you want it to do the same thing each time that program/site wants to put a cookie on your computer. (If you find that you said no and you really want to say yes - for example, to make a purchase at a web site - go back into Tools\Internet Options\Advanced\ go to Sites, and type the name of the site or go down the list and find the site. You can then change the cookie setting from disallow to allow.
Note, if you are using some version of Microsoft software on your computer, it may have it's own firewall, and you will have to disable that before you can use the ZoneAlarm firewall. I don't remember how to do that, but if you go into Help and type Firewall in the search window, you'll probably see what you need in the menu. Your anti-virus program may also have a firewall, and that might not be compatible with ZoneAlarm. ZoneAlarm's firewall is better than Microsoft's because it blocks outgoing as well as incoming programs, and Microsoft only blocks incoming. That means that if you did somehow allow a program onto your computer, ZoneAlarm won't allow it to talk back to the website it came from, but Microsoft will. If you already have an anti-virus program with an outgoing as well as incoming firewall, you may not need ZoneAlarm and ZoneAlarm might not be compatible with it.
If you have a lot of trojans and viruses, your anti-virus software is not doing its job. Have you downloaded updates lately? Have you run the anti-virus program lately? I can't imagine a Dell computer coming without anti-virus software. If you decided to not buy the anti-virus software, the free AVG program has good reviews and high recommendations. And note that just because you clicked on a popup window that promised to check your computer for viruses and it told you that you have lots of viruses, that doesn't mean it is so. Some of those popups that tell you they can protect your computer will just put another trojan or virus on your computer. Never, never, never click on popups offering to "check your computer". They are always sales pitches and often scams.
Be aware that most online game sites will put cookies and spyware on your computer, and decide if you want to play at those sites.
Oh, here's the link for Spybot: Spybot I really recommend that you use Spybot as well as AdAware.
Tonya, I recently had a mess of virus's, trojans, spyware, on my laptop. I tried cleaning it up myself and it was too far gone. ha So I took it to a guy that cleaned it up, installed the AVG program and also something called IObot defrag?? Maybe I should look up what that is doing for me, because I couldn't tell you.  Anyway, I lost hundreds of pic's and videos!!!  But the laptop has been running great since I have had the new programs on it.
I am sorry you are having to deal with this. It is a real pain in the patoot!
BTW, a friend of mine is from Michigan (like you). She has been living here for about 6 mos and is already moving back. lol I don't think she loved the south so much. She was always teasing us about how we talk, the cowboy hats, boots, etc... haha Fun girl, tho!!! I will miss her. I guess she met Michael Phelps one day and wasn't all that impressed. I think he was rude to her. (the olympic swimmer) lol
You haven't posted pics of the kids in awhile??? How has your summer been?
Everytime my hubby works on a computer that is riddled with viruses, he puts on AVG and we never seem to hear from them again! LOL!
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