So you wanna know what's wrong with your computer hunh?

Yvsa

Yvsa

Joined
May 18, 1999
Messages
15,395
Late last Thursday afternoon I purchased and downloaded the paid version of Webroot's SpySweeper in order to get the extra protection the paid version has after getting rid of several similar and overlapping programs that was eating up my CPU.
Much to my chagrin and, the unwell being of my mental state, Webroot had just released an upgrade and shades of Microsoft it evidently had some bugs in it.:mad: :rolleyes:
My CPU went to 100% and stayed there!!!! I wound up having to shut my unit down with the button on the tower at least three times!!!!
I called SpySweeper's support division and was told what to do, it didn't work.:rolleyes: :grumpy:
Out of disgust as well as anger I uninstalled the software and started checking around.
I did a search on Google asking about trouble with SpySweeper 5.0 and I got a ton of information!!!!

I installed the software again and tried several things that was suggested and nothing worked so I uninstalled it again.
The next morning I had an epiphany so I went to where I keep my downloaded files and thought to install the free version I had that worked so well for so long.
When I got there I noticed a 4.5 version that had never been there before and from what everybody was saying that version worked so I started installing it and it refused unless I accepted the upgrades so I did.
The wizard downloaded the 5.0 version yet again but I figured I could always uninstall it agin if need be but to my amazement after a short time it settled down and my CPU went back to nearly what it had been before I downloaded the program.:thumbup: It has been working in acceptable limits ever since.:D :cool:

And why did I tell y'all all of that for? Just a warning that if you're thinking about upgrading Webroot SpySweeper if you have it that it might be well to wait a few days until everyone is sure the bug has been fixed and to tell y'all about THIS Wonderful Set of Forums that I found. In many instances I imagine a person can find and read about how to fix a problem they might have without having to register and post.:thumbup:
The url is well worth saving in your favorites or bookmarks... http://www.castlecops.com/forums.html

The helluvit is that when I ran a full scan yesterday morning SpySweeper found a hidden file that is a potential rootkit with the key word being potential. I'm a bit concerned but not rushing out to change account numbers and get new credit cards since if it was a *real* rootkit it has to have been on my computer for quite some time and there has been no evidence of any identity theft or unauthorized use of any credit cards.
I should have an answer from the Spyware report I logged in with Webroot in a few days but I am ready to act if whatever it is is suspicious at all.
And whatever *It* is it is in quarantine now and not causing any further information loss.:thumbup: :)
 
I am glad all your upgrades have not destroyed your computer completely . L:O:L

Ah technology .A bounty of bits and bytes , boon and bane of our existence .
 
Good info indeed! I have several online resources where stuff like this is listed and warnings given. For Spyware, I have used Spybot Search & Destroy with great results. Far better than Ad-Aware IMO.

One warning I can give, at least for Win 98 SE and XP users is to avoid the newer versions of ZoneAlarm Pro like the plague. So far it has nuked Outlook 2000 completely on my main host system, preventing complete removal and reinstall without hacking the registry, caused severe performance problems on my second notebook (crippling Outlook at that crucial time when I am hitting "send" to Yangdu :)) and has disabled my son's new XP system to the point where it will not auto-detect the dynamically assigned IP address from a new modem/router combo on the LAN, which means he no longer has internet connection sharing access and can't connect to the other 3 computers in the house. I am going to have to completely reinstall the OS on his system, and possibly reformat if the registry is not correctly overwritten. What a POS. The message boards at Zone Labs are full of the same type of reports.

I started with ZA Pro 2.0 and it worked well for a several years, but when I dropped $50 to "upgrade" to the 6.0 version I didn't know what I was in for.

It made sense when I had a wide open ADSL connection to the world, but with the NAT hardware firewall in the routers I have used subseqently it's just a waste of money and a system crippler. I was just looking for a belt and suspenders approach to data protection and overdid it.

I have been in SW QA long enough to know that many of the claims for new products are just marketing hot air, but it's still tempting to try and always go one better and "improve" things. :(

Norm
 
Svashtar said:
Good info indeed! I have several online resources where stuff like this is listed and warnings given. For Spyware, I have used Spybot Search & Destroy with great results. Far better than Ad-Aware IMO.

One warning I can give, at least for Win 98 SE and XP users is to avoid the newer versions of ZoneAlarm Pro like the plague.

I have been in SW QA long enough to know that many of the claims for new products are just marketing hot air, but it's still tempting to try and always go one better and "improve" things. :(

Norm
Click to expand...

Norm when you get time I'd love to have some of your informational websites. I glean a little bit from one place and then another and by doing so I can then go back and understand things I didn't have a clue about before.

I've got Spybot S & D as well as the Lavasoft AdAware and use them both to good effect. In addition I also have HijackThis and SpywareBlaster, which helps to keep the crap off your unit to begin with.
Also I don't play games and I don't download music and that's another reason I'm only a little concerned and not downright worried about the *potential* keylogger.;) :D

And I really appreciate the info about ZoneAlarm Pro!!!!:thumbup: I was seriously considering upgrading next month when our checks come in.
However since I found the CastleCops Forums and they have a Kerio Firewall Forum I'm gonna check it out.
I've been told that the Kerio is the best free firewall around and the paid version was only $20.00 when I looked the other day and that's a helluva lot better than what ZoneAlarm wants for their paid version.

And you're spot on about wanting the hottest, latest, and most secure programming you can get and the majority of it being hot air and hype but we fall victim to knives the same exact way.:grumpy: ;) :o

A friend sent me a router last week but the USPS box he sent it in took one helluva hit and the adapter transformer box got its prongs pushed in. One so that it just rattles inside and the other too short to plug into a socket anyway and there's no way to take the dayumed thing apart too fix it.:rolleyes: :grumpy:
I'm gonna send it back to him tomorrow so he can file a claim on it. I can buy a brand new Linksys BEFSR41 EtherFast Cable/DSL Router with 4-Port 10/100 Switch from Amazon for $35.00 so I can't see giving Radio Shack $26.00 for the adapter!;)
 
i bought webroot last week myself-so far no glitch's

this aol security stuff i have dont look half bad if it works-comes free with the 25$ month hih speed service
 
Geez, do you PC guys really have all that stuff installed and running? What a freaking nightmare!:eek:

Way to much work and too complicated for me.
 
I love Spybot Search and Destroy (http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html ) It's so good that some spyware programs actually check to see if it's installed before trying to install themselves, and try to block its installation if they are installed first. It is also supported by donations, which says something about the quality of the software. :thumbup:

Personally, I don't touch microsoft products with a ten-foot pole whenever I can avoid it.

James
 
There are only two anti spyware programs to trust and use. They are both free.

AdaWare
Spybot SD

Most other so called anti-spyware programs will remove some spyware but actually infect you with their own spyware.
 
Yvsa said:
Late last Thursday afternoon I purchased and downloaded the paid version of Webroot's SpySweeper
...
My CPU went to 100% and stayed there!!!!
...
When I got there I noticed a 4.5 version that had never been there before and from what everybody was saying that version worked so I started installing it and it refused unless I accepted the upgrades so I did.
Click to expand...

sometimes that new software is scanning all your porn and illegal software ;) er files and it's going to max out your computer for some time until it's done, so .. let it. sometimes. it's hard to tell.

to prevent that auto upgrade thing, if you've already got the kit on your machine, unplug from the net, and try installing. often, the kit will attempt to connect, fail, and go ahead with whatever. be sure to turn off "auto upgrade" and check for updates.

people have put in their plugs for zone alarm basic/free, lavasoft's ad-aware, and SB:S&D, but there's a bunch more.

i also like mike linn's "startup" utilities - i've posted about those before - it warns you if something is trying to install a startup-vector.

and remember, NOTHING satisfies like a good backup of your data to a clean place...

a best practice for windows boxes:
make a golden version of your setup:
install a totally clean version of your OS onto a new HD, WITHOUT being on the net. rip everything off it you don'twant. trialware, demos, everything. install your apps, firewall software, anti-trojan stuff., hopefully from other media that you've downloaded and burnt to CD-R, purchased, and whatever. do a quick check to make sure nothing is running... *behind a firewall/NAT box* plug into the net, install all the appropriate updates from microsoft and all that.

so hopefully now you have a box that's clean, installed, and ready... unplug from the net again. take that HD out and CLONE it to a fresh HD of the same size (or bigger) using ghost or whatever... bag and shelf the copy. that's your golden install. go forth, play on the net. make backups of your user data. keep a log of things you install, or weird stuff.

periodically: make a backup of your data/etc, copy the golden setup over your working set, apply updates if needed, restore data, go forth, clean again.

less perodically: update the golden master with latest security updates/etc.

always operate behidn that NAT box :)

OR you could buy a nice apple/osx box, and "forget about it" ;) the new intel macs have some software from parallels that emulates a windows/pc. it very easily allows you to install XP (etc), do your updates, installs as above in a "container" and just copy the container as a file to make a really simple golden update. then you can run windows at will, restore anytime you like, as simple as "copy"... yay. when XP crashes, and it does, "rebooting" is virtual and fast. yar.

the above is useful if you HAVE to run something in windows, but by and large, you don't, really, and otherwise you can operate fairly safely and well from apple/osx :)

bladite
 
Well it's been an interesting few days. I put in for and received a refund from Webroot SpySweeper and from a bud's advice I dropped the Snortin Norton and picked up AVG Pro, $38.** and change for a 2 year, yep a 2 year license!!!!
For a spyware program I went with CounterSpy that has a 15 day free trial and a 30 day money back guarantee for a whole $20.00, permanently down from $45.00 a year!
I didn't realize what a resource hog the Norton was either!
By dropping several objects off of my Startup program and going to the AVG and CounterSpy my CPU runs happily along from 3% to 15% with an occasional jump to around 80% and my PF usage is down to 495 MB's with 37 processes running!!!!
And that's with Outlook, 6 tabs in one Firefox page and 3 tabs in another Firefox page!!!!
So needless to say I am once again a secure, faster, and less expensive happy camper with considerably more speed than I had.
Now if I'll just go down to one of the computer shops and buy another 512 MB's of memory and install that I might be really fast!!!!:thumbup: :D :cool: :foot:
 
Yvsa said:
Well it's been an interesting few days.

...

And that's with Outlook, 6 tabs in one Firefox page and 3 tabs in another Firefox page!!!!
So needless to say I am once again a secure, faster, and less expensive happy camper with considerably more speed than I had.
Now if I'll just go down to one of the computer shops and buy another 512 MB's of memory and install that I might be really fast!!!!:thumbup: :D :cool: :foot:
Click to expand...

well, interesting indeed. good :)

but there's more to do... you're NEVER secure :) oh yes :>

o do you have a NAT box? that's probably a linksys/dlink firewall/router - keep many things out... they even sell portable ones now - would never leave home without one, if i travelled, i mean really, hook up to the net raw? eek. even with my apple computer. no no no. (i have a spare one... but it's 3-4x as big as the $50 "travel" ones now - which are just fine for a smaller home user; hell, i rarely have more than 3 computers online (only have 2 now ;>))

o you're still using outlook. ptui. that's your #1 vector for bad. if you can move yourself to drop it, and run thunderbird (from mozilla.com)... do it. oh sweet baby steve gates, do it. really. it'll auto-open attachments and let the bad buys script you so fast... speaking of. avoid attachments if you can :>

o backup backup okay! backup all your import files, this means your user data especially, pictures, letters, saved web pages, anything you downloaded that isn't software. for the software, i recommend you come up with a good naming scheme, keep software install kits in another directory for a bit, make a practice of putting them onto cd-r/dvd-r, so you have the kit you want (and paid for - some of these are only downloads now). bought software from a store? copy that too. copy everything :> now, find a safe place to put those copies on cd-r/dvd-r. zip lock bag. then a wee box. safe deposit? yes. perhaps a second copy in a GOOD non prying friends sock drawer (or a lock box you can leave with them). "offsite is foresight" :) course, i'm a bit slow on that front - need to do updates.

o backups - media. use all of them as you can at the same time. cds, dvds (buy the GOOD ONES), a large HD (those are cheap these days - for a good khukri, you can score a 200-350 HD internal or external for a wee bit more); backup to the disk and put it somewhere safe. oh yeah. if you're a geek, mirror your boot drive too.

o burning dvds - if you have a pc, and DON'T have a dvd burner yet, what's stopping ya? a new drive costs around $35 and is sooo worth it. NEC-3550A or something like that. 16x everything or better. if you have firewire/usb2 available, for a bit more, you can get an external dvd unit which means you can move it around systems, use it on laptops, and in many cases, now you have TWO drives - makes copies easier :>

which reminds me, it's been a busy and fraught last couple weeks. i try to archive and backup when i've made a lot of changes/updates every 2 weeks or so, but now i've added software/accounts/etc... should do that THIS weekend. definitely.

and extra ram is always a good thing. http://www.dealram.com - might cost as much as oh, 1/2 as less online - dealram is good stuff.

bladite
 
You know, I always had these problems, too. I'd have to think of my computers as termite-infested houses or fortresses under siege. Not a very settling feeling, as you all well-know.

Then I got a mac.

No need for virus software or spysweepers. It just doesn't need it because it's so innately secure. Mine has NEVER crashed, frozen, or anything like that. NEVER! Never a virus or spyware, ever! The pinnacle of reliability and security, right out of the box! And when you throw in more intuitive software and the best customer support of any product short of HI, you have a dream computer, my friend!

Well, there's the rant of a true convert. I'm so sold on it, I'm considering working at an Apple store. I rave about it all the time, why not get paid?

Seriously, guys, if you're thinking about a new computer, just go try out a mac. Just a try can't hurt. Once you get used to how it works, you can do everything easier than before. And to have a computer that doesn't ever break or give you trouble? Priceless. Just keep an open mind. :)

Chris
 
Best resource I've ever found in the 10+ years I've been searching the net is at Major Geeks Malware Removal forums. Go there, register (it's free) and check it out. It is manned by some extremely informative experts (and I DON'T use the expert word very often) and they do this for FREE. Well versed in spyware, malware and browser hijackers and very easy to understand. If you see Wraith there, say hey to him as it is my name on that board! The link is Major Geeks and once you get there you want to go to the Support Forums and then to the Malware Removal Forums. This is of course AFTER you register there. Be sure to read the Sticky's before you start to diagnose and post there. If you need more information just email me.

Jack
 
namaarie said:
You know, I always had these problems, too. I'd have to think of my computers as termite-infested houses or fortresses under siege. Not a very settling feeling, as you all well-know.

Then I got a mac.

No need for virus software or spysweepers. It just doesn't need it because it's so innately secure. Mine has NEVER crashed, frozen, or anything like that. NEVER! Never a virus or spyware, ever! The pinnacle of reliability and security, right out of the box! And when you throw in more intuitive software and the best customer support of any product short of HI, you have a dream computer, my friend!

Well, there's the rant of a true convert. I'm so sold on it, I'm considering working at an Apple store. I rave about it all the time, why not get paid?

Seriously, guys, if you're thinking about a new computer, just go try out a mac. Just a try can't hurt. Once you get used to how it works, you can do everything easier than before. And to have a computer that doesn't ever break or give you trouble? Priceless. Just keep an open mind. :)

Chris
Click to expand...

ah, you switcher you :) desktop? your experience is lucky and rare. just goto an apple store and look at the people lined up at the pro-bench for warranty, apple care, and the apple expert advice. it's sad. especially for ipods and laptops. apple has not had so good luck there.

so, before i go on ;) my motto is "all computers suck". if not now, then sooner or later, they will. totally. a lifetime's experience in the field working with everything from consumer to prosumer to pro to specialty has convinced me of this. all. computers. suck :> i've owned and used pc/windows, pc/linux, 68k machines running stuff, apples from 15 years ago, up to now with modern windows xp and appple powerbook osx; and not fogetting pdas - the most best stable computing object i ever used was a psion 3 and 5 series pda - that was awesome. otherwise, well, you get the idea. got a major in it, do it for a living.

suck. suck suck suck :) it's always something. apple's are no different. i've seen them failed out of the box, i've seen pictures of current models on fire, but that's no different than for other computers, cars, cows, and stuff. nothing is perfect. get used to that ;)

i have a friend that does high level computer security. she is a goddess in her field. hell, *I* don't get half the stuff she does or why. she has a powerbook. she used it WITH a firewall at a hacker/security conference. someone wanted to demonstrate apple osx vulnerabilites and chose her machine. they hacked in, made a few changes, got out. if you think you are secure, you're ... wrong. there's a worm too now. there's bluetooth exploits as well. a world of fun. so... it IS the best you can hope for as a user, it's just not 100% - be warned.

so. computers (even apple), are just machines, and they break. if you've had 100% experience and never crashed, blue screened, etc, you have a VERY unusual experience. enjoy it!

bladite
 
This is true of old Apples. I was a diehard PC user (with great luck) until a couple years ago. They got virtually all of the bugs out of OSX by the time I was forced to use an Apple. I was dreading it, but they had improved 10,000% over the old apples. Conversely, PCs were working about 1/500th as well as they had for me in the late 90s or early pre service pack xp. I've used linux (but early linux in fairness, 1996-1998) with mixed luck. As per Apple, it's not perfect, but in the reliability area, I suppose it actually is perfect. And flawless. There is no spyware. There are no viruses. There are no freezes or crashes. or errors. Or problems. You get the idea.

My ipod and apple airport are about the same age as my mac (two years) and they're all perfect.

I'm just as skeptical of apple as the next guy, but they really seem to have gotten it right the last few years. It's a whole different game than OS9, which I hate passionately. They need to be rejudged by the people unfortunate enough to have used them in te 90s.

(written on my PC)

I'm sure there was some trick with the haxx0r story, but no, not a real world issue.

The real world truth is that you don't ever have to worry about anything if you're on OS-X. Don't use a firewall. Don't use antivirus. Don't look for spyware. It's not going to happen.
 
I go back to DOS on the PC. I still have a copy of Windows 486 on 4 1/2" floppy disks somewhere. It was before Widows 1. The graphics looked like they were done on an IBM Selectric (which the might have been, since IBM X86 was the main platform). I was a firm believer in the superiority of Windows over Mac. Which was true back in the '80s and 90's (the infamous Scully years at Apple, when they raised prices absurdly and took their loyal users for granted) A Mac Quadra cost twice what a Dell or Gateway 486 or Pentium did - and just wasn't all that great.

Eventually, I found myself surrounded by Mac users at work, and when I finally got around to trying one, I was converted. Every OS upgrade has been an improvement as far as I can see, but OSX (10.4) is by far the most stable, glitch-free system I've ever used. I have forgotten about viruses, spy-ware, downloading drivers, system crashes, hang-ups, screen freezes and above all - the dreaded "blue screen of death." Like it was all a bad dream.

There is a column in the local paper where people write in for advice about their various PC headaches, and I always smile and think to myself, "Doesn't happen with a Mac."
 
Bladite said:
well, interesting indeed. good

but there's more to do... you're NEVER secure oh yes :>

o do you have a NAT box? that's probably a linksys/dlink firewall/router - keep many things out... they even sell portable ones now - would never leave home without one, if i travelled, i mean really, hook up to the net raw? eek. even with my apple computer.

o you're still using outlook. ptui. that's your #1 vector for bad. if you can move yourself to drop it, and run thunderbird (from mozilla.com)... do it. oh sweet baby steve gates, do it. really. it'll auto-open attachments and let the bad buys script you so fast... speaking of. avoid attachments if you can :>

o backup backup okay! backup all your import files, this means your user data especially, pictures, letters, saved web pages, anything you downloaded that isn't software.

o burning dvds - if you have a pc, and DON'T have a dvd burner yet, what's stopping ya? a new drive costs around $35 and is sooo worth it.

which reminds me, it's been a busy and fraught last couple weeks. i try to archive and backup when i've made a lot of changes/updates every 2 weeks or so, but now i've added software/accounts/etc... should do that THIS weekend. definitely.

and extra ram is always a good thing. http://www.dealram.com - might cost as much as oh, 1/2 as less online - dealram is good stuff.

bladite
Click to expand...
I have a Linksys coming one of these days pretty soon. A friend sent me one but when it got here the adapter had gotten busted in the mail by USPS. Radio Shack wanted $26.00 for a new one and for just a few dollars more you can buy a new unit. I've done pretty well with the free version of Zone Alarm so far, knock on wood.;) :)

I'm not locked in to Outlook and I might like the Thunderbird. But I've never had Outlook open an attachment by itself and I don't open attachments from folks I don't know, had that happen maybe twice since I've been on a computer.
Since I downloaded Firefox this time I've been a right happy camper so I might do okay with Thunderbird as well, I will take a look at it, just never gave it any thought since I haven't had any trouble.:rolleyes:

As to backup.:grumpy: HP Pavilions and Compaq Presarios with XP Home installed doesn't come with the Utility Backup installed.
At the urging of my bud who recommended the AVG I finally got around to visiting the forums at "My Presario Club" and found out how to do it, pretty simple really but didn't work exactly like the instructions said. I had to do a search for the file so I could install it.:rolleyes: :grumpy:
Then come to find out it only works with floppies and something like NSTF program or something.:mad:
I'm still pretty computer illiterate but I'm learning, albeit slowly. I'm not done with it yet and I will check around on the web to see if I can get the utility to work on my E:\\ drive, the CD/DVD Burner I have. It works just fine but I'm not just real sure how to download any files to it, that's on my list of things to learn and do if I can't get the utility to work on it.:grumpy:

I'd like to get another 512 MB of RAM and I might just do that when my Barbie wins our allotment at the Cherokee Casino again. I understand it's pretty easy to install.
And I'd also like to get an add on hard drive bigger than the 80 GB I have now but the same thing applies about Barbie winning our allotment.;)

If I were buying today I would look at the Mac's real good but when I bought my computer I thought a computer was a computer and I wasn't totally aware of the different operating systems although I was vaguely aware that they weren't interchangable.:o
 
The September issue of Consumer Reports has a section devoted to spyware, antivirus software, etc. Just got it in the mail today.

Eric
 
Eric006 said:
The September issue of Consumer Reports has a section devoted to spyware, antivirus software, etc. Just got it in the mail today.

Eric
Click to expand...

That should be an interesting read. Webroot still hasn't got SpySweeper fixed but is supposed to have something coming out tomorrow.
From what everyone has said about past upgrades and Webroot's customer service I'm glad I went with CounterSpy.:thumbup: :)
 
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