Data recovery is a tricky thing, and if you've somehow deleted or had your important files corrupted or lost due to human error, business espionage, faulty hardware or software or any other reason; the good news is that your lost data is probably recoverable. This article will show you a few things NOT to do when an event such as this occurs.
Don't run the drive anymore, or use the device. (MP3, portable storage, camera card, whatever) If you think it won't hurt to even just poke around the internet for a solution to this mess you've made/found, you're wrong! Don't install or run anything on the drive you hope to recover data from. Only access this drive again from a healthy PC with the software solution you're going to use. Since files are overwritten in the order they've been deleted, the last files that have been excised from your drive will be the first to be lost permanently. Even just surfing, with all the cookies and temporary internet files that are always being generated will often doom the process without you even knowing about it.
Don't use tools that may reside on your computer, such as Scandisk, or a boot record utility, as these will probably overwrite exactly the files you're seeking to get back.
In short, be careful! Your data may very well be recoverable, as long as you don't do something to erase it forever! Find a good data recovery software solution, and then follow the instructions to the letter, and you'll more than likely live to see your lost data return!
Keith Thompson is the webmaster at Data Recovery Service a site cenetered around helping you get back your lost data!
Wednesday 13 August 2008
Data-Recovery: What You Need
by: Noel Matthew
Data recovery is something we hope that we will never need. Whether you simply make the mistake of deleting important software or you lose it all in a computer crash, that valuable asset of information may seem like it is lost forever. But, if you have complete and quality data-recovery software on your computer or through your system, you can be confident that it has a backup and it is there even though these things will happen to you. This can be so important when it comes to safeguarding your business or your personal information. What people do not realize is that there are a number of ways that things can go wrong on their computers. Whether you are responsible for the computers of a large corporation, a small business or even just your own personal computer, having a way to restore information when things go wrong is quite important. Here are some things that could happen to you, well, anytime, even right now. Your computer could be running slowly or be loaded with powerful spyware that can destroy files, transmit personal data or, even worse, cause the computer to crash. All of a sudden, it’s gone. Or, you could be working along nicely without a care in the world and bam! A power surge, an electric storm or something else electrical happens and it’s all gone. There are many more ways in which you can lose all of the personal data that is stored on your computer. You don’t even have to have the programs running to lose it. Nevertheless, many people mistakenly believe this will not happen to them and therefore do not do anything to prevent this total loss. Data recovery is necessary for this not to happen. The strange thing is, it takes only minutes to install and use and it virtually and it takes care of itself. It is not overly costly either. So, why don’t more people use data recovery? They just don’t realize its importance. And that is one mistake we don’t want to make. Data recovery is a need all computer users have.
Data recovery is something we hope that we will never need. Whether you simply make the mistake of deleting important software or you lose it all in a computer crash, that valuable asset of information may seem like it is lost forever. But, if you have complete and quality data-recovery software on your computer or through your system, you can be confident that it has a backup and it is there even though these things will happen to you. This can be so important when it comes to safeguarding your business or your personal information. What people do not realize is that there are a number of ways that things can go wrong on their computers. Whether you are responsible for the computers of a large corporation, a small business or even just your own personal computer, having a way to restore information when things go wrong is quite important. Here are some things that could happen to you, well, anytime, even right now. Your computer could be running slowly or be loaded with powerful spyware that can destroy files, transmit personal data or, even worse, cause the computer to crash. All of a sudden, it’s gone. Or, you could be working along nicely without a care in the world and bam! A power surge, an electric storm or something else electrical happens and it’s all gone. There are many more ways in which you can lose all of the personal data that is stored on your computer. You don’t even have to have the programs running to lose it. Nevertheless, many people mistakenly believe this will not happen to them and therefore do not do anything to prevent this total loss. Data recovery is necessary for this not to happen. The strange thing is, it takes only minutes to install and use and it virtually and it takes care of itself. It is not overly costly either. So, why don’t more people use data recovery? They just don’t realize its importance. And that is one mistake we don’t want to make. Data recovery is a need all computer users have.
Does Your PC Have Worms?
by: Joel Walsh
Worms aren't just for dogs anymore. Find out how to inoculate your computer against these nasty parasites.What Are Worms?Worms are descended from viruses and are even nastier. Just as ever stronger doses of pesticide breed ever more resilient locusts, better and better anti-spyware software bred ever more devious viruses.Finally, some virus designers stopped having their creations infect and take over files the way real viruses infect and take over cells. Instead, they created programs that could stand on their own and cause plenty of trouble without the help of any other software applications. Just worms are independent organisms that can infect a host directly, so do computer worms infect computers directly.What Do Worms Do?Worm designers are often even more sinister than virus designers, since worm designers are not just vandals. Worm designers often use their creations to achieve specific goals:• Backdoor creation. Worms often try to set up another kind of malware, a backdoor. A backdoor is a hidden opening in your network connection that lets the worm send data out and take data in. Practically speaking, the data it's sending out are often spam emails, and the data it takes in are instructions on spam emails to send.• Denial of service attack. Some worm designers really are vandals rather than profit-hungry con artists sending spam. But their vandalism can be more targeted. They use worms to send out numerous requests to remote computers, such as web servers, in order to overwhelm them and therefore shut them down. This is called a denial of service attack.• Spyware, Trojan, adware, and virus installation. Worms are often used simply to unleash other forms of malware on a computer that might otherwise block them.• Information theft and fraud.Worms can multitask in order to set up spyware that gathers sensitive information--often financial information--and then set up backdoors, Trojans, viruses, or dialers to disseminate the stolen data.How Do Worms End Up on a PC?Worms enter PCs just as viruses, spyware and other malware do: any way they can! Some favorite points of entry for worms:• Websites can actually download software to your computer without you realizing it. This software includes not only worms, but also spyware, adware, viruses, and other malware. These malware programs find their way into websites either by the deliberate design of the site owner or because hackers have installed the software on the website's server.• Peer-to-peer file-sharing networkscontain many nice-enough-looking files that are really worms. One of the sneakiest disguises is a filename that indicates the spyware is really a video of a beautiful actress.• Email, the favored route of viruses, can still be exploited by Spyware. But since new email programs usually block the automatic opening of file attachments, this is less of a problem than it used to be.• Any internet connection inevitably lets data flow both in and out, and so is vulnerable to attacks by worms.How Do You Get Rid of Worms?There's really only one good way to make sure your computer is rid of worms: scan it with multiple antivirus and anti-spyware programs using a full-system scan. Worms are tricky, so anything less than a full-system scan might let them escape. Worse, with new worms coming out all the time, some antivirus and anti-spyware packages may not even know about a new worm until after its wreaking havoc on your machine. That's why you should try using more than one antivirus program and more than one anti-spyware program to increase your odds of successfully detecting the malware.Don't have more than one anti-spyware and antivirus software? You'd better start downloading. After all, worms won't take excuses.
Worms aren't just for dogs anymore. Find out how to inoculate your computer against these nasty parasites.What Are Worms?Worms are descended from viruses and are even nastier. Just as ever stronger doses of pesticide breed ever more resilient locusts, better and better anti-spyware software bred ever more devious viruses.Finally, some virus designers stopped having their creations infect and take over files the way real viruses infect and take over cells. Instead, they created programs that could stand on their own and cause plenty of trouble without the help of any other software applications. Just worms are independent organisms that can infect a host directly, so do computer worms infect computers directly.What Do Worms Do?Worm designers are often even more sinister than virus designers, since worm designers are not just vandals. Worm designers often use their creations to achieve specific goals:• Backdoor creation. Worms often try to set up another kind of malware, a backdoor. A backdoor is a hidden opening in your network connection that lets the worm send data out and take data in. Practically speaking, the data it's sending out are often spam emails, and the data it takes in are instructions on spam emails to send.• Denial of service attack. Some worm designers really are vandals rather than profit-hungry con artists sending spam. But their vandalism can be more targeted. They use worms to send out numerous requests to remote computers, such as web servers, in order to overwhelm them and therefore shut them down. This is called a denial of service attack.• Spyware, Trojan, adware, and virus installation. Worms are often used simply to unleash other forms of malware on a computer that might otherwise block them.• Information theft and fraud.Worms can multitask in order to set up spyware that gathers sensitive information--often financial information--and then set up backdoors, Trojans, viruses, or dialers to disseminate the stolen data.How Do Worms End Up on a PC?Worms enter PCs just as viruses, spyware and other malware do: any way they can! Some favorite points of entry for worms:• Websites can actually download software to your computer without you realizing it. This software includes not only worms, but also spyware, adware, viruses, and other malware. These malware programs find their way into websites either by the deliberate design of the site owner or because hackers have installed the software on the website's server.• Peer-to-peer file-sharing networkscontain many nice-enough-looking files that are really worms. One of the sneakiest disguises is a filename that indicates the spyware is really a video of a beautiful actress.• Email, the favored route of viruses, can still be exploited by Spyware. But since new email programs usually block the automatic opening of file attachments, this is less of a problem than it used to be.• Any internet connection inevitably lets data flow both in and out, and so is vulnerable to attacks by worms.How Do You Get Rid of Worms?There's really only one good way to make sure your computer is rid of worms: scan it with multiple antivirus and anti-spyware programs using a full-system scan. Worms are tricky, so anything less than a full-system scan might let them escape. Worse, with new worms coming out all the time, some antivirus and anti-spyware packages may not even know about a new worm until after its wreaking havoc on your machine. That's why you should try using more than one antivirus program and more than one anti-spyware program to increase your odds of successfully detecting the malware.Don't have more than one anti-spyware and antivirus software? You'd better start downloading. After all, worms won't take excuses.
Why You Need To Clean Your Windows Registry?
: Matt Garrett
Registry is the database where data of programs and windows is stored. Registry cleaner is software, used to run your computer faster and smoother. Registry cleaning is very important for a smooth running of your computer system. Whenever you delete a file form your system, the registry does not remove this data. Thus, a reference to the deleted file remains in the registry. Gradually as the registry gets filled up with these databases, the computer gets slower and slower in its functioning. If the registry is not cleaned up regularly, severe damage can be caused to your computer.A registry cleaner scans the windows and finds out the outdated and incorrect information stored in your computer’s registry. The software fixes this improper information enabling your system to be error free and run faster. The software is enabled with advanced features that make your computer run smoothly and efficiently. Registry cleaning makes your computer run very quickly and also safely.There are many advantages for registry cleaning. Your computer will have a cleaned up registry and no information in the registry will be cluttered. You can regain the lost disk space and use this for installing new software. Registry cleaning will also block the installation of spyware and adware in your computer. If your computer was having any application errors, you can see that this has been fixed after you clean up your registry. Your system will be maintained as it was in its initial stages and you can also understand your computer much better. If you do not clean up your computer’s registry timely, you can face different types of problem while using the computer. When you are in the midst of doing important work related activity, your computer can suddenly crash or the system can get stalled all of sudden. This can have damaging impact on your work. Timely cleaning up and fixing of the registry will prevent you from facing such crisis.There are different kinds of registry cleaner available. You can use the best registry cleaner available in the market to maintain the registry of your computer. Keeping your PC clean is very important if you want it to run efficiently all the time. The registry cleaner software will help you in repairing some applications that are not working in your computer. The software uses speed detection techniques to very quickly identify the missing and invalid reference from your windows registry. After identifying the problems, the software with the use of its advanced technology can easily clean your registry. After this your computer will start functioning, like a new PC. After installing the software you can customize its different options according to the requirements of your computer.Many online sites provide registry cleaner software for its customers. Before you buy a registry cleaner, make sure that you are aware about its different features. This will help you in customizing the features of the software according to the needs of your computer. Buy the best registry cleaner that is available for your computer.
Registry is the database where data of programs and windows is stored. Registry cleaner is software, used to run your computer faster and smoother. Registry cleaning is very important for a smooth running of your computer system. Whenever you delete a file form your system, the registry does not remove this data. Thus, a reference to the deleted file remains in the registry. Gradually as the registry gets filled up with these databases, the computer gets slower and slower in its functioning. If the registry is not cleaned up regularly, severe damage can be caused to your computer.A registry cleaner scans the windows and finds out the outdated and incorrect information stored in your computer’s registry. The software fixes this improper information enabling your system to be error free and run faster. The software is enabled with advanced features that make your computer run smoothly and efficiently. Registry cleaning makes your computer run very quickly and also safely.There are many advantages for registry cleaning. Your computer will have a cleaned up registry and no information in the registry will be cluttered. You can regain the lost disk space and use this for installing new software. Registry cleaning will also block the installation of spyware and adware in your computer. If your computer was having any application errors, you can see that this has been fixed after you clean up your registry. Your system will be maintained as it was in its initial stages and you can also understand your computer much better. If you do not clean up your computer’s registry timely, you can face different types of problem while using the computer. When you are in the midst of doing important work related activity, your computer can suddenly crash or the system can get stalled all of sudden. This can have damaging impact on your work. Timely cleaning up and fixing of the registry will prevent you from facing such crisis.There are different kinds of registry cleaner available. You can use the best registry cleaner available in the market to maintain the registry of your computer. Keeping your PC clean is very important if you want it to run efficiently all the time. The registry cleaner software will help you in repairing some applications that are not working in your computer. The software uses speed detection techniques to very quickly identify the missing and invalid reference from your windows registry. After identifying the problems, the software with the use of its advanced technology can easily clean your registry. After this your computer will start functioning, like a new PC. After installing the software you can customize its different options according to the requirements of your computer.Many online sites provide registry cleaner software for its customers. Before you buy a registry cleaner, make sure that you are aware about its different features. This will help you in customizing the features of the software according to the needs of your computer. Buy the best registry cleaner that is available for your computer.
Your Hard Drive is Going to Explode – Why a UPS is Essential
by: Kevin Souter
It's most peoples worst computing nightmare. You wake up in the morning, flip on the computer, and it doesn't boot. Sometimes the problem rears its ugly head as a horrific clacking noise. Other times it simply gives a read error.At this point, most people panic. The first thing you wonder is whether or not the data is recoverable. There is no universal answer to this. In some cases, a simple scan with some data recovery software is all that it takes to retrieve the contents of the drive. In other cases, if you want it badly enough, it will take thousands of dollars and a shipment of the drive to a clean lab where they will pull the platters inside of the drive and access them that way.Now you're probably wondering if there's a way to prevent this from happening. Well, you're in luck. Getting a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) is the very best and most effective way to prevent your data from pulling a disappearing act.While it is not fool-proof, having something that regulates the electricity flowing into your computer can reduce the risk of a drive failure by up to 70%. This figure goes up to around 90% if the computer is being used while in an electrical storm. (My computer repair business always gets a little boost after a thunderstorm, courtesy of the lightning wreaking havoc on people's hard drives.)Don't just run out and get any UPS. You want to get an intelligent one. The "intelligent" UPS will regulate the power without having to hit the battery every time the voltage takes a dip which greatly improves battery longevity. They also include options to hook the power supply up to your computer via a serial or USB port so you can monitor what the power is doing. This also gives the option to allow for a soft shut-down if the power goes out and you are away from your desk.You can get an Uninterruptible Power Supply at most computer stores. Best Buy carries a fairly wide selection of them.As for brands, I've personally used APC with much success. Opti-UPS is another excellent brand. In fact, I have an Opti that is 6 years old and still works fine, although the batteries now have no life to them. (That's to be expected. Rechargeable batteries only last so long)Now that you know of the importance of a UPS I would strongly encourage you to invest in one. It is far better to spend $100 now on some preventative maintenance than having to spend much more later on data recovery.
It's most peoples worst computing nightmare. You wake up in the morning, flip on the computer, and it doesn't boot. Sometimes the problem rears its ugly head as a horrific clacking noise. Other times it simply gives a read error.At this point, most people panic. The first thing you wonder is whether or not the data is recoverable. There is no universal answer to this. In some cases, a simple scan with some data recovery software is all that it takes to retrieve the contents of the drive. In other cases, if you want it badly enough, it will take thousands of dollars and a shipment of the drive to a clean lab where they will pull the platters inside of the drive and access them that way.Now you're probably wondering if there's a way to prevent this from happening. Well, you're in luck. Getting a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) is the very best and most effective way to prevent your data from pulling a disappearing act.While it is not fool-proof, having something that regulates the electricity flowing into your computer can reduce the risk of a drive failure by up to 70%. This figure goes up to around 90% if the computer is being used while in an electrical storm. (My computer repair business always gets a little boost after a thunderstorm, courtesy of the lightning wreaking havoc on people's hard drives.)Don't just run out and get any UPS. You want to get an intelligent one. The "intelligent" UPS will regulate the power without having to hit the battery every time the voltage takes a dip which greatly improves battery longevity. They also include options to hook the power supply up to your computer via a serial or USB port so you can monitor what the power is doing. This also gives the option to allow for a soft shut-down if the power goes out and you are away from your desk.You can get an Uninterruptible Power Supply at most computer stores. Best Buy carries a fairly wide selection of them.As for brands, I've personally used APC with much success. Opti-UPS is another excellent brand. In fact, I have an Opti that is 6 years old and still works fine, although the batteries now have no life to them. (That's to be expected. Rechargeable batteries only last so long)Now that you know of the importance of a UPS I would strongly encourage you to invest in one. It is far better to spend $100 now on some preventative maintenance than having to spend much more later on data recovery.
Top 10 Ways To Protect Yourself From Computer Viruses
by: Jim Faller
As more and more people are becoming comfortable using their computers at school, home or in the office it’s only a matter of time before they encounter a computer virus. Here are our top 10 steps to protect you from computer viruses.Use a high quality anti-virus program. There are many different anti-virus computers programs on the market some of them are better than others. Look to reputable computer magazines or websites for ratings to help you find the one that matches your needs.Always use your anti-virus software. Make sure your anti-virus software is always turned on and scanning, incoming and outgoing email messages, and any software programs you run. Keep your antivirus programs up to date. Most programs come with a yearly subscription make sure you take advantage of the updates. More advanced programs allow you to schedule updates or full system scans for “off hours” like 2AM when you aren’t likely to be using your computer.Keep your computer up to date. From time to time operating systems fall victim to security holes or issue updates. Make sure you check periodically to make sure you are running stable up to date versions of your software.Backup your data regularly. Most windows computer users keep their documents in the “My documents” folder. This makes it easy to back up all of your important documents. Make weekly or monthly copies to CD or USB drives.If you use floppy disks or USB drives on public computers like your school computer lab, Kinko’s, or even digital photo printing store make sure you scan them for viruses. Public computers are notorious for not being up to date and properly protected.Be wary of email attachments. Treat any email attachment as potentially dangerous. Never open attachments from people you weren’t expecting. Also be careful of attachments from people you know but weren’t expecting. Many computer viruses replicate themselves by reading the contacts from an infected computer.Use text email if possible. While HTML email is prettier and allows you more control over formatting it also can carry computer viruses. If you use text based email the only way to get a virus is by opening an attachment.Use downloaded freeware and shareware files or software with caution. Try to download them from popular reputable sources that scan the programs before they are uploaded. To make sure you are safe scan the program before you install it on your computer.Be wary of links in IM or instant messaging software. Don’t accept invitations from people you don’t know and never click a link from someone you don’t trust, they can easily redirect you to another website that will try to install a virus on your computer system.© Computers.6ln.com, All Rights Reserved.
As more and more people are becoming comfortable using their computers at school, home or in the office it’s only a matter of time before they encounter a computer virus. Here are our top 10 steps to protect you from computer viruses.Use a high quality anti-virus program. There are many different anti-virus computers programs on the market some of them are better than others. Look to reputable computer magazines or websites for ratings to help you find the one that matches your needs.Always use your anti-virus software. Make sure your anti-virus software is always turned on and scanning, incoming and outgoing email messages, and any software programs you run. Keep your antivirus programs up to date. Most programs come with a yearly subscription make sure you take advantage of the updates. More advanced programs allow you to schedule updates or full system scans for “off hours” like 2AM when you aren’t likely to be using your computer.Keep your computer up to date. From time to time operating systems fall victim to security holes or issue updates. Make sure you check periodically to make sure you are running stable up to date versions of your software.Backup your data regularly. Most windows computer users keep their documents in the “My documents” folder. This makes it easy to back up all of your important documents. Make weekly or monthly copies to CD or USB drives.If you use floppy disks or USB drives on public computers like your school computer lab, Kinko’s, or even digital photo printing store make sure you scan them for viruses. Public computers are notorious for not being up to date and properly protected.Be wary of email attachments. Treat any email attachment as potentially dangerous. Never open attachments from people you weren’t expecting. Also be careful of attachments from people you know but weren’t expecting. Many computer viruses replicate themselves by reading the contacts from an infected computer.Use text email if possible. While HTML email is prettier and allows you more control over formatting it also can carry computer viruses. If you use text based email the only way to get a virus is by opening an attachment.Use downloaded freeware and shareware files or software with caution. Try to download them from popular reputable sources that scan the programs before they are uploaded. To make sure you are safe scan the program before you install it on your computer.Be wary of links in IM or instant messaging software. Don’t accept invitations from people you don’t know and never click a link from someone you don’t trust, they can easily redirect you to another website that will try to install a virus on your computer system.© Computers.6ln.com, All Rights Reserved.
How Spyware Blaster Can Protect Your Computer From Harm
by: Philippa Smith
By browsing a web page, you could infect your computer withspy ware, ad ware, dialers and hijackers. These, unwelcomeguests, are some of the fastest growing threats on theInternet today. It is important to protect your computerand one of the most powerful software products, availablefor this, is Spy ware Blaster, a program created by Javacool.How are you affected?A spyware program will record every keystroke and e-mail aswell as every web page you visit and every chat session.Some spyware programs will try to take control of yourhomepage, search page and other browser settings. Some maysilently download themselves onto your computer. Others maypose as legitimate programs and persuade you to downloadthem.Private and confidential information extracted from auser's computer may be put on the Internet before he canrealize that he is a victim of these malicious programs.A Microsoft program called ActiveX is used to downloadsoftware from websites for supporting legitimate serviceslike file viewers or games. ActiveX can also be used todownload spyware, hijackers, dialers and ad ware. SpywareBlaster can make it difficult for these ActiveX programs torun on your computer. It can also protect your computerfrom certain cookies while running Mozilla based browserslike Fire fox.The major anti-virus software product manufacturers haveignored the risks of spyware, hijackers, dialers and adware till now. Due to this, users have little knowledge ofthe software products that can be effective in detectingand eliminating them. One of the most powerful productsavailable to provide security from spy ware is SpywareBlaster.Spyware BlasterSpyware Blaster is a freeware that offers effectiveprotection from malicious Internet downloads. It disablesmalicious ActiveX controls that are already present andprevents downloads of malicious ActiveX controls from a webpage. Its current database contains 822 items against whichit provides protection. About 100 of these are trackingcookies, used by advertisers.Spy ware Blaster's Flash Killer capability enables it toblock the installation of distracting macromedia flashcontent. It gives the user the option to block specificsearch engine toolbars and browser plug-ins. ===========================================================Click to find a daily updated blog of articles and newsabout spyware ! Get advice and information about how toprotect your computer from attack, and disinfect it.. Clickhttp://www.spyware-101.com/
By browsing a web page, you could infect your computer withspy ware, ad ware, dialers and hijackers. These, unwelcomeguests, are some of the fastest growing threats on theInternet today. It is important to protect your computerand one of the most powerful software products, availablefor this, is Spy ware Blaster, a program created by Javacool.How are you affected?A spyware program will record every keystroke and e-mail aswell as every web page you visit and every chat session.Some spyware programs will try to take control of yourhomepage, search page and other browser settings. Some maysilently download themselves onto your computer. Others maypose as legitimate programs and persuade you to downloadthem.Private and confidential information extracted from auser's computer may be put on the Internet before he canrealize that he is a victim of these malicious programs.A Microsoft program called ActiveX is used to downloadsoftware from websites for supporting legitimate serviceslike file viewers or games. ActiveX can also be used todownload spyware, hijackers, dialers and ad ware. SpywareBlaster can make it difficult for these ActiveX programs torun on your computer. It can also protect your computerfrom certain cookies while running Mozilla based browserslike Fire fox.The major anti-virus software product manufacturers haveignored the risks of spyware, hijackers, dialers and adware till now. Due to this, users have little knowledge ofthe software products that can be effective in detectingand eliminating them. One of the most powerful productsavailable to provide security from spy ware is SpywareBlaster.Spyware BlasterSpyware Blaster is a freeware that offers effectiveprotection from malicious Internet downloads. It disablesmalicious ActiveX controls that are already present andprevents downloads of malicious ActiveX controls from a webpage. Its current database contains 822 items against whichit provides protection. About 100 of these are trackingcookies, used by advertisers.Spy ware Blaster's Flash Killer capability enables it toblock the installation of distracting macromedia flashcontent. It gives the user the option to block specificsearch engine toolbars and browser plug-ins. ===========================================================Click to find a daily updated blog of articles and newsabout spyware ! Get advice and information about how toprotect your computer from attack, and disinfect it.. Clickhttp://www.spyware-101.com/
Do The Media Spread Computer Viruses?
by: Joel Walsh
Summary: Could the mass media hype about computer viruses actually make the problem worse?If you believe what you hear in the media, there are an awful lot of viruses going around. No, I'm not talking about the make-you-sick kind of virus, though they get plenty of airtime, too. I'm talking about the kind of virus that enters via your internet connection rather than your nasal passages.What the mainstream media often don't tell you--at least, in most radio and television newscasts and in the crucial headlines and opening paragraphs of newspaper articles-- is that many of these "viruses" are not viruses at all.What Computer Viruses Really AreThe main reason the mainstream media always are in alarm over viruses is that they tend to call any malicious computer program a virus. In reality, there are at least eleven distinct types of malicious software, or malware, commonly affecting computers today. The most common of these are worms, Trojans, and spyware.So, what's the difference between computer viruses and the other types of malware? The difference is that computer viruses are just about the only ones that regularly shut down computers and cause other obvious damage. The most common of the other kinds of malware--worms, Trojans, and spyware--are usually only detectable with a special scan.The Real Danger of Computer VirusesIf the other types of malware are so unobtrusive that they can only be detected with a special scan, then what's to worry about? For starters, these programs are called malicious for a reason: they are designed to cause some kind of damage, if not to your computer, then to someone else's.Worms are most famously used to damage, destroy, or disrupt other computer networks than the one on which the host computer is located. For instance, worms have been used by website owners to shut down rival websites by sending overwhelming numbers of requests to the computer that hosts that website. Worms have also been used to send out viruses to other computers, often without infecting the host machine--after all, what would it benefit the worm to shut down its host computer?Trojans, in turn, are often used to insert worms and other malware on your computer, even if the Trojan itself does no damage.But even if you don't care what happens to anyone else, you should still be concerned about one kind of malware: spyware, a kind of malware that, true to its name, collects data from your computer and sends it back to a remote host.Most spyware is only interested in monitoring your internet usage so it can tell other programs, called adware, what advertising to popup on your computer. However, there are criminal spyware programs that steal financial data, or perform a thorough identity theft. Don't think you have personal or financial data on your computer? Some spyware programs contain a keylogger, which is a program that copies whatever you type, usually in order to snatch passwords. Even if you keep no financial information on your computer, if you ever buy anything over the web, the keylogger would allow its owner to buy stuff using the same information you typed in to buy stuff yourself.Why Blame the Media?Given the danger of all these different types of malware, isn't it a good thing that the mass media are becoming hysterical about it? And can't they be forgiven the sloppy reporting of calling Trojans, worms, spyware, and other malware "viruses"?No, no, no.This is a classic case of bad reporting doing more damage than no reporting at all. In this case, the damage bad reporting has done is to promote a common myth that goes something like this: "The only malicious software is a virus. Viruses damage your computer. Therefore, if my computer is working OK, my computer has no malicious software. I only need to scan my computer for problems when there is a sign of problems."Thanks to this myth, many people complacently let their antivirus software go months out of date, not wanting to be bothered with scheduling an automatic update. Just as bad, many people don't have any extra software to combat the other types of malware that may not be covered by antivirus software.In fact, it's not uncommon for people who have found malware on their computers after a scan to say, "but I never had malware on my computer before!" But how would they have known if they had never scanned!Until the biggest mainstream media--and especially television--start educating the public about the need to have their computers automatically scanned at least daily, the world will continue to have major, drawn-out problems with malware that could have been wiped out as soon as soon as the anti-malware software makers discovered it.And until that day, the mainstream media will have many more opportunities to run hysterical stories about "viruses," thereby forcing them to sell more newspapers and broadcast to even larger audiences of people who suck at the information trough yet somehow never become full.
Summary: Could the mass media hype about computer viruses actually make the problem worse?If you believe what you hear in the media, there are an awful lot of viruses going around. No, I'm not talking about the make-you-sick kind of virus, though they get plenty of airtime, too. I'm talking about the kind of virus that enters via your internet connection rather than your nasal passages.What the mainstream media often don't tell you--at least, in most radio and television newscasts and in the crucial headlines and opening paragraphs of newspaper articles-- is that many of these "viruses" are not viruses at all.What Computer Viruses Really AreThe main reason the mainstream media always are in alarm over viruses is that they tend to call any malicious computer program a virus. In reality, there are at least eleven distinct types of malicious software, or malware, commonly affecting computers today. The most common of these are worms, Trojans, and spyware.So, what's the difference between computer viruses and the other types of malware? The difference is that computer viruses are just about the only ones that regularly shut down computers and cause other obvious damage. The most common of the other kinds of malware--worms, Trojans, and spyware--are usually only detectable with a special scan.The Real Danger of Computer VirusesIf the other types of malware are so unobtrusive that they can only be detected with a special scan, then what's to worry about? For starters, these programs are called malicious for a reason: they are designed to cause some kind of damage, if not to your computer, then to someone else's.Worms are most famously used to damage, destroy, or disrupt other computer networks than the one on which the host computer is located. For instance, worms have been used by website owners to shut down rival websites by sending overwhelming numbers of requests to the computer that hosts that website. Worms have also been used to send out viruses to other computers, often without infecting the host machine--after all, what would it benefit the worm to shut down its host computer?Trojans, in turn, are often used to insert worms and other malware on your computer, even if the Trojan itself does no damage.But even if you don't care what happens to anyone else, you should still be concerned about one kind of malware: spyware, a kind of malware that, true to its name, collects data from your computer and sends it back to a remote host.Most spyware is only interested in monitoring your internet usage so it can tell other programs, called adware, what advertising to popup on your computer. However, there are criminal spyware programs that steal financial data, or perform a thorough identity theft. Don't think you have personal or financial data on your computer? Some spyware programs contain a keylogger, which is a program that copies whatever you type, usually in order to snatch passwords. Even if you keep no financial information on your computer, if you ever buy anything over the web, the keylogger would allow its owner to buy stuff using the same information you typed in to buy stuff yourself.Why Blame the Media?Given the danger of all these different types of malware, isn't it a good thing that the mass media are becoming hysterical about it? And can't they be forgiven the sloppy reporting of calling Trojans, worms, spyware, and other malware "viruses"?No, no, no.This is a classic case of bad reporting doing more damage than no reporting at all. In this case, the damage bad reporting has done is to promote a common myth that goes something like this: "The only malicious software is a virus. Viruses damage your computer. Therefore, if my computer is working OK, my computer has no malicious software. I only need to scan my computer for problems when there is a sign of problems."Thanks to this myth, many people complacently let their antivirus software go months out of date, not wanting to be bothered with scheduling an automatic update. Just as bad, many people don't have any extra software to combat the other types of malware that may not be covered by antivirus software.In fact, it's not uncommon for people who have found malware on their computers after a scan to say, "but I never had malware on my computer before!" But how would they have known if they had never scanned!Until the biggest mainstream media--and especially television--start educating the public about the need to have their computers automatically scanned at least daily, the world will continue to have major, drawn-out problems with malware that could have been wiped out as soon as soon as the anti-malware software makers discovered it.And until that day, the mainstream media will have many more opportunities to run hysterical stories about "viruses," thereby forcing them to sell more newspapers and broadcast to even larger audiences of people who suck at the information trough yet somehow never become full.
Do You Know How To Remove Spyware From Your Computer?
by: Philippa Smith
Spyware is rapidly becoming a major problem for Internetusers. It is estimated that 9 out of 10 computers areinfected with spyware or ad ware or both. Spyware may beresponsible for 50 % of all computer crashes. Spyware runssilently and you may not be aware that your every move onthe Internet is being observed and recorded.If a user does not detect and remove spy ware from hiscomputer, all his files may get infected and it may stopworking. All his passwords, credit card numbers and otherpersonal information may be stolen before he can realizewhat is going on. Once spyware has been removed, thecomputer will run much faster. It is worth while you tofind and use the best spyware removal software available.Features Of Good Spyware Removal SoftwareA few features to consider, while searching for spywareremoval software products, are:* It should offer complete protection from spyware, keyloggers, remote acess Trojans (RATS), browser hijackers andad ware.* A good spyware program will offer automatic updates, toprovide protection from the latest spy ware threats.* The spyware product should offer technical support, soyou can call or e-mail someone, if you have a technicalproblem.* A good customer service back up also shows that themanufacturer can be trusted to look after the needs of thecustomer in the long run. How Does It Work?It is very difficult to find and remove spyware softwarefrom a computer manually. Spyware protection softwaredetects and removes spyware and ad ware from your computerautomatically. It can also protect your computer from datathieves, hackers, malicious e-mail and other threats.There are many free spyware protection software productsavailable. These programs can be used to detect and removespyware and adware that is already present in yourcomputer. Many types of spyware, install themselves on yourcomputer again, after you have deleted them. Free spyware removal programs can help you to assess theproblem. A permanent solution may be to get the bestspyware solution product available.===========================================================Click to find a daily updated blog of articles and newsabout spyware ! Get advice and information about how toprotect your computer from attack, and disinfect it.. Clickhttp://www.spyware-101.com/
Spyware is rapidly becoming a major problem for Internetusers. It is estimated that 9 out of 10 computers areinfected with spyware or ad ware or both. Spyware may beresponsible for 50 % of all computer crashes. Spyware runssilently and you may not be aware that your every move onthe Internet is being observed and recorded.If a user does not detect and remove spy ware from hiscomputer, all his files may get infected and it may stopworking. All his passwords, credit card numbers and otherpersonal information may be stolen before he can realizewhat is going on. Once spyware has been removed, thecomputer will run much faster. It is worth while you tofind and use the best spyware removal software available.Features Of Good Spyware Removal SoftwareA few features to consider, while searching for spywareremoval software products, are:* It should offer complete protection from spyware, keyloggers, remote acess Trojans (RATS), browser hijackers andad ware.* A good spyware program will offer automatic updates, toprovide protection from the latest spy ware threats.* The spyware product should offer technical support, soyou can call or e-mail someone, if you have a technicalproblem.* A good customer service back up also shows that themanufacturer can be trusted to look after the needs of thecustomer in the long run. How Does It Work?It is very difficult to find and remove spyware softwarefrom a computer manually. Spyware protection softwaredetects and removes spyware and ad ware from your computerautomatically. It can also protect your computer from datathieves, hackers, malicious e-mail and other threats.There are many free spyware protection software productsavailable. These programs can be used to detect and removespyware and adware that is already present in yourcomputer. Many types of spyware, install themselves on yourcomputer again, after you have deleted them. Free spyware removal programs can help you to assess theproblem. A permanent solution may be to get the bestspyware solution product available.===========================================================Click to find a daily updated blog of articles and newsabout spyware ! Get advice and information about how toprotect your computer from attack, and disinfect it.. Clickhttp://www.spyware-101.com/
The Top Twelve Threats No Computer User Should Ignore by Kai Chandler
by: Kai Chandler
The Top Twelve Threats No Computer User Should IgnoreThe internet is undoubtedly a fantastic resource forfamilies and offers a rich vein of educational content. However, there are potential dangers - welcome to theseedy world of viruses, spam, trojans, pornography, spywareand other nasties. Here are the Top Twelve Threats No Computer User ShouldIgnore: 1. Viruses - A computer program that copies itself. Theyoften disrupt your computer system or damage your data.Viruses are usually received by email attachments so becareful opening anything from a dubious source. They canaffect anyone, for example, the destructive Mydoom wormaffected one out of three small and mid-sized businesses.2. Spyware - Sends information about you and your computerto somebody else. Spyware may send the addresses of sitesyou have visited or worse still, transmit personalinformation. With today's concerns about identify theftthis is a real worry. For example, CoolWebSearch may hijackweb searches, home page, and other Internet Explorersettings. Spyware is normally received as part of sharewareor freeware downloaded from the web.3. IP Spoofing - A technique to gain unauthorized accessto computers, whereby the intruder sends messages to acomputer with an address indicating that the message iscoming from a trusted host.4. Trojans - An apparently legitimate computer programthat is really intended to disrupt and damage computeractivity by sending information, perhaps even passwordsonto a third party without you knowing. As an example,recent emails entitled "Osama Bin Laden Captured" attemptedto download the "Trj/Small.B." Trojan if the embedded URLwas clicked. This trojan attempts to hijack the PC.5. Spam - Unsolicited mail often promoting products of adubious financial or sexual nature. Don't leave your emailaddress on websites and internet bulletin boards as theyare harvested by spammers.6. Adware - puts advertisements on your screen. These takemany forms including popups, popunders and advertisementsthat appear later, even if your browser is closed. Some aresent using the Windows Messenger service which allows aspammer to direct an advertisement straight to yourcomputer by sequentially sending messages to IP addresses.Always irritating, they are also often of a pornographicnature.7. Diallers - for those of us still with dial up modems,dialler programs redirect calls to a very expensive number.You won't know until you get the bill.8. Hijackers - Hijackers take control of your web browserand may reset your home page, search bar and search pages.They can redirect you to undesirable sites or stop yougoing to particular sites.9. Hackers - With so much personal data available onlineto anyone with a password you must be sure your password issecure. If you are using your mother's maiden name, yourcat's name or your birthday then your password is at risk.Here are two tips for making a secure password. Method One -pick two random unrelated three letter words and twodigits. Mix them up and what do you have? A secure passwordsuch as "red19cat" or "hotpin73". Method Two - pick a shortsequence of words such as Now Is The Winter Of OurDiscontent Made Glorious' and you have a password of"nitwoodmg". You could even change the I's and O's todigits.10. Phishing - Emails purporting to come from reliablesources such as Paypal, Ebay or your bank. Often wantingyou to verify your account details, they can look veryrealistic but are generally scams to harvest usernames andpasswords. Always open a new browser winder and type theaddress there, rather than clicking on the link provided.11. Hoaxes - Chain letters, scams, false alarms. At bestthey take up time and bandwidth but at worst vulnerable canbe victims of fraud. Pass it on!12. Stranger-danger - For those of us with children - doyou know what they actually do when they are online? Arethey working on homework tasks, downloading illegal musicor pornography? Or are they chatting to strangers in chatrooms? You should consider blocking access to undesirablesites and logging their activity with a surveillance tool.Oh, and don't forget that where children are concerned,computers should always be kept in a family room and neverin their bedroom.Three Step Action PlanThere are three essential steps that should be taken toensure your PC is kept threat-free.Firstly, be sensible when opening attachments or followingemail instructions from apparently reputable sites.Secondly, make sure you are using the latest service packof Windows as Microsoft is continually closing loopholes totighten up security.Finally, there's a range of low cost tools such asfirewalls, antivirus, spam blockers and spyware killersavailable. Like everything else they vary in quality andyou tend to get what you pay for so always do your researchfirst and perhaps try a free trial before getting yourcredit card out.http://www.surfcontrols.com specializes in providingreviews and recommendations of top-rated tools to helpprotect your online experience. There's a quick referencelist to dozens of top sites promoting different aspects ofsafe surfing packed with useful information and there'salso a great set of top tips for safe surfing.Copyright Kai Chandler (#12t5109)
The Top Twelve Threats No Computer User Should IgnoreThe internet is undoubtedly a fantastic resource forfamilies and offers a rich vein of educational content. However, there are potential dangers - welcome to theseedy world of viruses, spam, trojans, pornography, spywareand other nasties. Here are the Top Twelve Threats No Computer User ShouldIgnore: 1. Viruses - A computer program that copies itself. Theyoften disrupt your computer system or damage your data.Viruses are usually received by email attachments so becareful opening anything from a dubious source. They canaffect anyone, for example, the destructive Mydoom wormaffected one out of three small and mid-sized businesses.2. Spyware - Sends information about you and your computerto somebody else. Spyware may send the addresses of sitesyou have visited or worse still, transmit personalinformation. With today's concerns about identify theftthis is a real worry. For example, CoolWebSearch may hijackweb searches, home page, and other Internet Explorersettings. Spyware is normally received as part of sharewareor freeware downloaded from the web.3. IP Spoofing - A technique to gain unauthorized accessto computers, whereby the intruder sends messages to acomputer with an address indicating that the message iscoming from a trusted host.4. Trojans - An apparently legitimate computer programthat is really intended to disrupt and damage computeractivity by sending information, perhaps even passwordsonto a third party without you knowing. As an example,recent emails entitled "Osama Bin Laden Captured" attemptedto download the "Trj/Small.B." Trojan if the embedded URLwas clicked. This trojan attempts to hijack the PC.5. Spam - Unsolicited mail often promoting products of adubious financial or sexual nature. Don't leave your emailaddress on websites and internet bulletin boards as theyare harvested by spammers.6. Adware - puts advertisements on your screen. These takemany forms including popups, popunders and advertisementsthat appear later, even if your browser is closed. Some aresent using the Windows Messenger service which allows aspammer to direct an advertisement straight to yourcomputer by sequentially sending messages to IP addresses.Always irritating, they are also often of a pornographicnature.7. Diallers - for those of us still with dial up modems,dialler programs redirect calls to a very expensive number.You won't know until you get the bill.8. Hijackers - Hijackers take control of your web browserand may reset your home page, search bar and search pages.They can redirect you to undesirable sites or stop yougoing to particular sites.9. Hackers - With so much personal data available onlineto anyone with a password you must be sure your password issecure. If you are using your mother's maiden name, yourcat's name or your birthday then your password is at risk.Here are two tips for making a secure password. Method One -pick two random unrelated three letter words and twodigits. Mix them up and what do you have? A secure passwordsuch as "red19cat" or "hotpin73". Method Two - pick a shortsequence of words such as Now Is The Winter Of OurDiscontent Made Glorious' and you have a password of"nitwoodmg". You could even change the I's and O's todigits.10. Phishing - Emails purporting to come from reliablesources such as Paypal, Ebay or your bank. Often wantingyou to verify your account details, they can look veryrealistic but are generally scams to harvest usernames andpasswords. Always open a new browser winder and type theaddress there, rather than clicking on the link provided.11. Hoaxes - Chain letters, scams, false alarms. At bestthey take up time and bandwidth but at worst vulnerable canbe victims of fraud. Pass it on!12. Stranger-danger - For those of us with children - doyou know what they actually do when they are online? Arethey working on homework tasks, downloading illegal musicor pornography? Or are they chatting to strangers in chatrooms? You should consider blocking access to undesirablesites and logging their activity with a surveillance tool.Oh, and don't forget that where children are concerned,computers should always be kept in a family room and neverin their bedroom.Three Step Action PlanThere are three essential steps that should be taken toensure your PC is kept threat-free.Firstly, be sensible when opening attachments or followingemail instructions from apparently reputable sites.Secondly, make sure you are using the latest service packof Windows as Microsoft is continually closing loopholes totighten up security.Finally, there's a range of low cost tools such asfirewalls, antivirus, spam blockers and spyware killersavailable. Like everything else they vary in quality andyou tend to get what you pay for so always do your researchfirst and perhaps try a free trial before getting yourcredit card out.http://www.surfcontrols.com specializes in providingreviews and recommendations of top-rated tools to helpprotect your online experience. There's a quick referencelist to dozens of top sites promoting different aspects ofsafe surfing packed with useful information and there'salso a great set of top tips for safe surfing.Copyright Kai Chandler (#12t5109)
Improve PC Performance - 6 Tips You Must Know
by: Michael Braid
Are you frustrated with your PC?Is it feeling sluggish or crawling at a snail's pace?Are programs running slower than they used to?Are you just plain fed up with frequent slowdowns, freezes or crashes?Then it's time to stop what you're doing and optimize your system to improve PC performance!Follow these 6 simple sure-fire tips to help improve PC performance and you'll be surprised by the results! Each comes with an indication of how often you should do it. Improve PC Performance Tip #1:CLEAN UP YOUR WINDOWS REGISTRY (Frequency = Daily) This is an essential, but often overlooked, task to improve PC performance. In fact most PC users are unaware of the necessity to regularly clean the Registry as Microsoft does not include a cleanup tool in any version of Windows. Every time a program is installed it makes changes to the Windows Registry - a huge internal database of Windows' settings. Virtually all Windows programs, and Windows itself, store a massive array of information inside the database. These thousands of entries control the behavior and appearance of virtually everything on your system. Changes to your PC system are not always handled correctly in the Registry, leading to conflicts and the slowing down of your PC. Over time this leads to a bloated and possibly, corrupted Registry. Reasons for this include: - frequently installing or uninstalling programs - removing a program which leaves traces behind - leftover entries from a hardware uninstall - unused drivers on your system - Spyware or similar programs that reappear every time you reboot You can edit the Registry manually using a Windows program called Regedit, but this is really a job best left for hardened PC experts. Thankfully, programs are available that can clean up your Registry automatically to help improve PC performance, such as "Registry Optimizer '06". This scans your Registry, looks for entries that are redundant or invalid and lists them so that they can be corrected with one mouse click. As an added bonus, to improve PC performance, it runs automatically in the background every time you start your PC. You even get a complimentary PC Windows Health Check.Improve PC Performance Tip #2: EMPTY THE RECYCLE BIN (Frequency = Weekly) Regularly empty Windows' Recycle Bin. This will release hard drive space and help improve PC performance. When you choose to delete a file, rather than removing it completely from your computer, Windows first puts it into the Recycle Bin. This gives you a second chance, as it means you can restore flies from the Recycle Bin back to their original place on your computer. To ensure optimum PC performance, empty your Recycle Bin weekly (or even daily). To do so, right-click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop, and choose Empty Recycle Bin. Improve PC Performance Tip #3:REMOVE PROGRAMS (Frequency = Monthly) Installing programs is easy - but once you have, it's just as easy to end up leaving them languishing, forgotten, on your hard disk. Most programs come with their own uninstaller. You'll find this under the program's entry in All Programs, from the Start menu. If the program doesn't come with its own uninstaller, open Control Panel from the Start menu, and double-click Add/Remove Programs. Your PC will pause briefly while it gathers a list of all the programs you have installed. Once it has done so, find the program you'd like to get rid of, click it and then select Change/Remove. Be aware that some programs leave uninstalled traces all over the Windows Registry! Therefore, to improve PC performance after an uninstall, it's essential to clean the Registry. Improve PC Performance Tip #4:RUN DISK CLEAN UP (Frequency = Monthly) Windows' Disk Clean Up is a fantastic built-in utility that automates regular maintenance tasks to improve PC performance, such as deleting Temporary Internet files, Setup log files, etc. To start Disk Clean Up, double-click My Computer, right click on your 'C:' drive and then select Properties. Now click Disk Cleanup. Your computer will then spend a few moments analysing itself. When it has completed the audit Windows will give you a list of areas where it has found files to cleanup. To clean an area, put a tick in the box next to it. To leave something intact, such as Temporary files, just remove the tick next to the item and click OK. Your computer will then begin the removal process to improve PC performance - this can take some time. Improve PC Performance Tip #5:DISK DEFRAGMENTATION (Frequency = Quarterly) When Windows stores programs on your PC hard disk it saves fragments of files in the nearest empty spaces. This slows down your PC as it has to spend time hunting down the fragments and piecing files together. There is a simple cure - running the Windows program Disk Defragmenter. This gathers together the fragments of programs and puts them back in the right order. This makes it far easier for your hard disk to find what it's looking for, enabling programs and files to load more quickly - a sure-fired way for improving PC performance. To defragment your hard disk click Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools and then Disk Defragment. When the program has loaded, click Defragment. The process can take well over an hour. Because defragmenting your hard disk takes such a long time, you really don't want to go through the process too often. Defragment your hard disk every 3 months or so - this way you'll get the best results and optimize the performance of your PC. Improve PC Performance Tip #6:EMPTY THE PREFETCH CACHE (Frequency = Quarterly) To improve the time it takes to load programs, Windows guesses which files are likely to be needed next and loads them into a pool or 'cache'. This process is called prefetching, and it generally works well. Overtime, though, the prefetch cache can become clogged with files you no longer need - and that can slow down Windows' startup. To clear Prefetch, choose Run from the Start menu, and enter Prefetch into the text box that appears. When you've done that, you'll be confronted by a window filled with icons. Press Alt+A to select them all and press Delete. The cache will quickly refill with links and files that Windows really needs. As a result, your system will feel more responsive and benefit from a PC performance speed up. So there you have it, 6 sure-fired PC performance tips to revitalize your PC. Now you know how to improve PC performance - simply follow these steps and repeat them regularly.
Are you frustrated with your PC?Is it feeling sluggish or crawling at a snail's pace?Are programs running slower than they used to?Are you just plain fed up with frequent slowdowns, freezes or crashes?Then it's time to stop what you're doing and optimize your system to improve PC performance!Follow these 6 simple sure-fire tips to help improve PC performance and you'll be surprised by the results! Each comes with an indication of how often you should do it. Improve PC Performance Tip #1:CLEAN UP YOUR WINDOWS REGISTRY (Frequency = Daily) This is an essential, but often overlooked, task to improve PC performance. In fact most PC users are unaware of the necessity to regularly clean the Registry as Microsoft does not include a cleanup tool in any version of Windows. Every time a program is installed it makes changes to the Windows Registry - a huge internal database of Windows' settings. Virtually all Windows programs, and Windows itself, store a massive array of information inside the database. These thousands of entries control the behavior and appearance of virtually everything on your system. Changes to your PC system are not always handled correctly in the Registry, leading to conflicts and the slowing down of your PC. Over time this leads to a bloated and possibly, corrupted Registry. Reasons for this include: - frequently installing or uninstalling programs - removing a program which leaves traces behind - leftover entries from a hardware uninstall - unused drivers on your system - Spyware or similar programs that reappear every time you reboot You can edit the Registry manually using a Windows program called Regedit, but this is really a job best left for hardened PC experts. Thankfully, programs are available that can clean up your Registry automatically to help improve PC performance, such as "Registry Optimizer '06". This scans your Registry, looks for entries that are redundant or invalid and lists them so that they can be corrected with one mouse click. As an added bonus, to improve PC performance, it runs automatically in the background every time you start your PC. You even get a complimentary PC Windows Health Check.Improve PC Performance Tip #2: EMPTY THE RECYCLE BIN (Frequency = Weekly) Regularly empty Windows' Recycle Bin. This will release hard drive space and help improve PC performance. When you choose to delete a file, rather than removing it completely from your computer, Windows first puts it into the Recycle Bin. This gives you a second chance, as it means you can restore flies from the Recycle Bin back to their original place on your computer. To ensure optimum PC performance, empty your Recycle Bin weekly (or even daily). To do so, right-click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop, and choose Empty Recycle Bin. Improve PC Performance Tip #3:REMOVE PROGRAMS (Frequency = Monthly) Installing programs is easy - but once you have, it's just as easy to end up leaving them languishing, forgotten, on your hard disk. Most programs come with their own uninstaller. You'll find this under the program's entry in All Programs, from the Start menu. If the program doesn't come with its own uninstaller, open Control Panel from the Start menu, and double-click Add/Remove Programs. Your PC will pause briefly while it gathers a list of all the programs you have installed. Once it has done so, find the program you'd like to get rid of, click it and then select Change/Remove. Be aware that some programs leave uninstalled traces all over the Windows Registry! Therefore, to improve PC performance after an uninstall, it's essential to clean the Registry. Improve PC Performance Tip #4:RUN DISK CLEAN UP (Frequency = Monthly) Windows' Disk Clean Up is a fantastic built-in utility that automates regular maintenance tasks to improve PC performance, such as deleting Temporary Internet files, Setup log files, etc. To start Disk Clean Up, double-click My Computer, right click on your 'C:' drive and then select Properties. Now click Disk Cleanup. Your computer will then spend a few moments analysing itself. When it has completed the audit Windows will give you a list of areas where it has found files to cleanup. To clean an area, put a tick in the box next to it. To leave something intact, such as Temporary files, just remove the tick next to the item and click OK. Your computer will then begin the removal process to improve PC performance - this can take some time. Improve PC Performance Tip #5:DISK DEFRAGMENTATION (Frequency = Quarterly) When Windows stores programs on your PC hard disk it saves fragments of files in the nearest empty spaces. This slows down your PC as it has to spend time hunting down the fragments and piecing files together. There is a simple cure - running the Windows program Disk Defragmenter. This gathers together the fragments of programs and puts them back in the right order. This makes it far easier for your hard disk to find what it's looking for, enabling programs and files to load more quickly - a sure-fired way for improving PC performance. To defragment your hard disk click Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools and then Disk Defragment. When the program has loaded, click Defragment. The process can take well over an hour. Because defragmenting your hard disk takes such a long time, you really don't want to go through the process too often. Defragment your hard disk every 3 months or so - this way you'll get the best results and optimize the performance of your PC. Improve PC Performance Tip #6:EMPTY THE PREFETCH CACHE (Frequency = Quarterly) To improve the time it takes to load programs, Windows guesses which files are likely to be needed next and loads them into a pool or 'cache'. This process is called prefetching, and it generally works well. Overtime, though, the prefetch cache can become clogged with files you no longer need - and that can slow down Windows' startup. To clear Prefetch, choose Run from the Start menu, and enter Prefetch into the text box that appears. When you've done that, you'll be confronted by a window filled with icons. Press Alt+A to select them all and press Delete. The cache will quickly refill with links and files that Windows really needs. As a result, your system will feel more responsive and benefit from a PC performance speed up. So there you have it, 6 sure-fired PC performance tips to revitalize your PC. Now you know how to improve PC performance - simply follow these steps and repeat them regularly.
Windows XP System Tools
by: Scott Morris
Well, we all have been there. We turn on our computer (boot up) getting ready to type that school report, or business presentation and guess what, our computer just does not want to work today. Whether it's the word processor, spreadsheet, or financial package that isn't working, most people do not know that Microsoft Windows XP has a built in feature that just may come and save the day. That feature is called "System Restore." Basically, System Restore is like a little hound that runs behind the scenes taking "snapshots" of various parts of the Microsoft Windows XP operating system. So, if a part of Microsoft Windows XP stops working one day, the System Restore utility is able to reference one of the "snapshots" it took and restore your system from a previous day (a day when your computer worked). It's kind of like going back in time to a day when your computer worked. All your current data (Microsoft Word files, etc.) are still retained, so you don't have to worry about losing any present day files. In order to restore your computer just follow these simple steps: 1. Close any open programs. 2. Click on the Windows "Start" button (normally located on the bottom of your computer desktop) 3. Click on "All Programs" 4. Click on "Accessories" 5. Click on "System Tools" 6. Then click on "System Restore" 7. At this point the System Restore wizard will launch. You will have two options: a. "Restore my system from an earlier date" b. "Create a system restore point" If you just need to restore your system and get it working correctly again, just select option "a" and click "Next." 8. On this screen you can select a date from the calendar that you would like to try and restore from. So, if you knew that your computer worked fine two days ago, just pick that date on the calendar and click "Next." 9. The next screen is the confirmation window. Just verify the information on the screen and click "Next." Windows XP will then reboot and try to restore your system with the settings from the date you selected. The System Restore process can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes depending on how much reconfiguration Windows XP needs to do and how fast of a PC you have. When System Restore is done, a screen will popup with the results of the restore. If it was successful, you can then log into the system and start using the computer again. Any quirky issues that you were having are now hopefully gone. Now, on step 7b above, I mentioned the "Create a system restore point" option. This option is for when you want to force Windows XP to take a snapshot of your system just before you install a program or alter any system settings that you are not sure of. It is like a safety net for when you install any internet programs (sometimes riddled with spyware) or system drivers (video, audio, etc). If you want to revert back to a virgin state just create a restore point "before" installing any software. This way, if your machine starts acting weird, you can just restore your settings from the selected point. With a little practice, the System Restore utility is easy to use and a great way to help ensure the safety of your computer.
Well, we all have been there. We turn on our computer (boot up) getting ready to type that school report, or business presentation and guess what, our computer just does not want to work today. Whether it's the word processor, spreadsheet, or financial package that isn't working, most people do not know that Microsoft Windows XP has a built in feature that just may come and save the day. That feature is called "System Restore." Basically, System Restore is like a little hound that runs behind the scenes taking "snapshots" of various parts of the Microsoft Windows XP operating system. So, if a part of Microsoft Windows XP stops working one day, the System Restore utility is able to reference one of the "snapshots" it took and restore your system from a previous day (a day when your computer worked). It's kind of like going back in time to a day when your computer worked. All your current data (Microsoft Word files, etc.) are still retained, so you don't have to worry about losing any present day files. In order to restore your computer just follow these simple steps: 1. Close any open programs. 2. Click on the Windows "Start" button (normally located on the bottom of your computer desktop) 3. Click on "All Programs" 4. Click on "Accessories" 5. Click on "System Tools" 6. Then click on "System Restore" 7. At this point the System Restore wizard will launch. You will have two options: a. "Restore my system from an earlier date" b. "Create a system restore point" If you just need to restore your system and get it working correctly again, just select option "a" and click "Next." 8. On this screen you can select a date from the calendar that you would like to try and restore from. So, if you knew that your computer worked fine two days ago, just pick that date on the calendar and click "Next." 9. The next screen is the confirmation window. Just verify the information on the screen and click "Next." Windows XP will then reboot and try to restore your system with the settings from the date you selected. The System Restore process can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes depending on how much reconfiguration Windows XP needs to do and how fast of a PC you have. When System Restore is done, a screen will popup with the results of the restore. If it was successful, you can then log into the system and start using the computer again. Any quirky issues that you were having are now hopefully gone. Now, on step 7b above, I mentioned the "Create a system restore point" option. This option is for when you want to force Windows XP to take a snapshot of your system just before you install a program or alter any system settings that you are not sure of. It is like a safety net for when you install any internet programs (sometimes riddled with spyware) or system drivers (video, audio, etc). If you want to revert back to a virgin state just create a restore point "before" installing any software. This way, if your machine starts acting weird, you can just restore your settings from the selected point. With a little practice, the System Restore utility is easy to use and a great way to help ensure the safety of your computer.
Learn How Is Your Internet Privacy Is At Risk
by: Matt Garrett
Minimizing the risks related to the Internet security is of primary concern for any online business site. Internet security is very important and must be guarded severely at all costs. Minimizing the risks related to online security will ensure that you will be able to attract many customers to your online sites. Many security measures can be installed in an online site for lessening the risk of Internet security. If the customers are not sure about the security of their personal details and financial statements, they will never conduct online business. Internet privacy security is very important for any online business site. Internet privacy is at risk due to the presence of different elements. The presence of spyware is one factor of risk for Internet privacy security. The spyware that is present in your computer can track your online behavior. Spyware software is enabled with the advanced features that allow the spyware manufacturers to surreptitiously track the actions of a computer user. The information gathered through this process can be used to commit frauds and other illegal activities. The cookies that are deposited in your computer when you visit different sites can also pose a risk to your Internet privacy security. Cookies are data that is sent from a website to be stored in your computer. The cookies of the different websites can be used to track the user’s activities for a particular span of time. If the information falls into wrong hands many illegal activities can take place as a result. With the advancement in technology, it is very natural to be worried about online privacy and security. A person with a criminal intention is always on the look out for ways and means to invade Internet privacy security of the people. If he can get information about a person’s bank details and other personal details, he can misuse them. The person can assume your identity online and deal with your bank or other agencies in your capacity. The victim may be completely unaware about the fraud that is taking place in his name. This can lead to the huge losses to the person whose privacy has been invaded. You will have to adopt various means to safe guard your Internet privacy security. Installing a spyware in your computer can be one option for you to safe guard your privacy. The software will efficiently remove all traces of the presence of any kind of spyware from your computer. If it is difficult to remove all spyware installed in your computer, seek online advice on the manual removal of such spyware. Imagine yourself in a situation where someone else is able to monitor every move that you make. This is a terrifying situation to face. The best way for you to escape such a situation is to install the best security features in your computer. You will then be able to surf online peacefully without constantly worrying about your Internet privacy security.
Minimizing the risks related to the Internet security is of primary concern for any online business site. Internet security is very important and must be guarded severely at all costs. Minimizing the risks related to online security will ensure that you will be able to attract many customers to your online sites. Many security measures can be installed in an online site for lessening the risk of Internet security. If the customers are not sure about the security of their personal details and financial statements, they will never conduct online business. Internet privacy security is very important for any online business site. Internet privacy is at risk due to the presence of different elements. The presence of spyware is one factor of risk for Internet privacy security. The spyware that is present in your computer can track your online behavior. Spyware software is enabled with the advanced features that allow the spyware manufacturers to surreptitiously track the actions of a computer user. The information gathered through this process can be used to commit frauds and other illegal activities. The cookies that are deposited in your computer when you visit different sites can also pose a risk to your Internet privacy security. Cookies are data that is sent from a website to be stored in your computer. The cookies of the different websites can be used to track the user’s activities for a particular span of time. If the information falls into wrong hands many illegal activities can take place as a result. With the advancement in technology, it is very natural to be worried about online privacy and security. A person with a criminal intention is always on the look out for ways and means to invade Internet privacy security of the people. If he can get information about a person’s bank details and other personal details, he can misuse them. The person can assume your identity online and deal with your bank or other agencies in your capacity. The victim may be completely unaware about the fraud that is taking place in his name. This can lead to the huge losses to the person whose privacy has been invaded. You will have to adopt various means to safe guard your Internet privacy security. Installing a spyware in your computer can be one option for you to safe guard your privacy. The software will efficiently remove all traces of the presence of any kind of spyware from your computer. If it is difficult to remove all spyware installed in your computer, seek online advice on the manual removal of such spyware. Imagine yourself in a situation where someone else is able to monitor every move that you make. This is a terrifying situation to face. The best way for you to escape such a situation is to install the best security features in your computer. You will then be able to surf online peacefully without constantly worrying about your Internet privacy security.
Malware And Antivirus Software
by: Joel Walsh
Warning: most antivirus programs will not protect you against all forms of malignant software (often called "malware") on their own. Find out how to protect yourself.Sure, your antivirus software will protect you against viruses. It will probably even do a good job against worms. But what Trojans, exploits, backdoors, spyware and the dozen other nasty software parasites?Malware and Antivirus Software: a HistoryThe war on computer viruses has led to an arms race between the designers of antivirus software and the designers of viruses (you didn't think viruses just created themselves did you?). Some years ago, virus designers responded to ever more successful antivirus software by creating the descendents of viruses, worms, which did not infect files but rather installed themselves directly on the hard drive, making them harder to detect.The arms race has since led to a total of at least eleven distinct types of what is now called malware, a neologism meaning bad (as in malignant rather than shoddy) software. According to Wikipedia, these eleven types of malware are:1. Virus2. Worm3. Wabbit4. Trojan5. Backdoor6. Spyware7. Exploit8. Rootkit9. Key Logger10. Dialer11. URL injectionThere's a twelfth kind of malware: adware, which Wikipedia considers simply to be a subset of spyware.Why Antivirus Software Isn't Enough for MalwareAs you can see, makers of antivirus software have their work cut out for them if they're going to keep every instance of malware off your system. As a result, antivirus software makers have often had to pick their battles. Adware, whose makers often claim they are doing nothing illegal or even questionable, often gets treated more lightly.Even when antivirus software makers do come out with a product that fights all twelve or so kinds of malware, responding to each new instance of malware to come on the market isn't easy. First the malware has to be identified, which means someone's computer, and probably tens of thousands of computers, will be infected first. Then, the malware has to be dissected. Then a removal program and a filter must both be written. Then the removal program and filter must be tested to make sure they work, and that they don't interfere with any other functions of the antivirus software or the computer itself. When a fix for the virus is out, it then has to be loaded into an antivirus software update and transmitted to every single computer worldwide that has the antivirus software installed.The speed with which antivirus software makers are able to deliver updates for newly discovered malware would impress even Santa Claus. Yet there's still a crucial window of one to a few days between when the new malware has reached a critical mass of thousands of computers, and when the update is released. If your antivirus software is not set to check for updates automatically every hour or so, that window opens even wider.Practically speaking, then, you're better off having more than one line of defense against malware. Even if two different anti-malware programs utilize the exact same database, there might be a crucial difference in the speed of getting updates. It makes sense to back up your antivirus software with anti-spyware software. When you consider that dedicated anti-spyware software developers make protection against the non-virus forms of malware their stock-in-trade, you can see why anti-spyware software is so essential. In fact, you should strongly consider having two anti-spyware programs running on your computer at all times, since the gap in updates between two anti-spyware programs can be even longer than for two antivirus programs.After all, with a dozen kinds of malware out there, shouldn't you at least have two pieces of software to fight them?
Warning: most antivirus programs will not protect you against all forms of malignant software (often called "malware") on their own. Find out how to protect yourself.Sure, your antivirus software will protect you against viruses. It will probably even do a good job against worms. But what Trojans, exploits, backdoors, spyware and the dozen other nasty software parasites?Malware and Antivirus Software: a HistoryThe war on computer viruses has led to an arms race between the designers of antivirus software and the designers of viruses (you didn't think viruses just created themselves did you?). Some years ago, virus designers responded to ever more successful antivirus software by creating the descendents of viruses, worms, which did not infect files but rather installed themselves directly on the hard drive, making them harder to detect.The arms race has since led to a total of at least eleven distinct types of what is now called malware, a neologism meaning bad (as in malignant rather than shoddy) software. According to Wikipedia, these eleven types of malware are:1. Virus2. Worm3. Wabbit4. Trojan5. Backdoor6. Spyware7. Exploit8. Rootkit9. Key Logger10. Dialer11. URL injectionThere's a twelfth kind of malware: adware, which Wikipedia considers simply to be a subset of spyware.Why Antivirus Software Isn't Enough for MalwareAs you can see, makers of antivirus software have their work cut out for them if they're going to keep every instance of malware off your system. As a result, antivirus software makers have often had to pick their battles. Adware, whose makers often claim they are doing nothing illegal or even questionable, often gets treated more lightly.Even when antivirus software makers do come out with a product that fights all twelve or so kinds of malware, responding to each new instance of malware to come on the market isn't easy. First the malware has to be identified, which means someone's computer, and probably tens of thousands of computers, will be infected first. Then, the malware has to be dissected. Then a removal program and a filter must both be written. Then the removal program and filter must be tested to make sure they work, and that they don't interfere with any other functions of the antivirus software or the computer itself. When a fix for the virus is out, it then has to be loaded into an antivirus software update and transmitted to every single computer worldwide that has the antivirus software installed.The speed with which antivirus software makers are able to deliver updates for newly discovered malware would impress even Santa Claus. Yet there's still a crucial window of one to a few days between when the new malware has reached a critical mass of thousands of computers, and when the update is released. If your antivirus software is not set to check for updates automatically every hour or so, that window opens even wider.Practically speaking, then, you're better off having more than one line of defense against malware. Even if two different anti-malware programs utilize the exact same database, there might be a crucial difference in the speed of getting updates. It makes sense to back up your antivirus software with anti-spyware software. When you consider that dedicated anti-spyware software developers make protection against the non-virus forms of malware their stock-in-trade, you can see why anti-spyware software is so essential. In fact, you should strongly consider having two anti-spyware programs running on your computer at all times, since the gap in updates between two anti-spyware programs can be even longer than for two antivirus programs.After all, with a dozen kinds of malware out there, shouldn't you at least have two pieces of software to fight them?
Spyware Protection - The Only Way To Safeguard Your Personal Information Online
by: Joe Borges
The Problem: Are you bombarded with popup ads? Seeing new toolbars in your browser? Does your home page change to unwanted/unknown destinations? Bombarded with irritating spam? Perhaps strange software loads when you first start your computer, or your favorites file may have new entries that you don't recognize and don't want. If this is happening to you, your PC (Personal Computer) is most likely infected with adware spyware, spybot spyware, trojan viruses or other harmful internet parasites. What Is Happening?Your privacy is being seriously invaded. These programs have the ability to track your Internet usage habits and even steal such personal information as bank account numbers and passwords. If you are like me, this is scary, isn't it? But there's more...spyware even has the power to install even more parasites on your computer without your knowledge and without your consent. Everything you do and everything you type can be recorded without your knowledge and without your consent. Using spyware, companies can find out what your interests are and even track your purchasing habits. Hackers can and sometimes will access your PC and do anything they wish. Unscrupulous individuals can even steal your identity (you've heard of identity theft, haven't you?) and you would never be the wiser, at least until it is too late (this would be when the bill collectors, or even the police, start calling you!). To Determine If You Are At Risk, Ask Yourself These 3 Questions:1. Have I downloaded files, documents or free mp3 music online?2. Has my computer suddenly started getting annoying ads popping up on the screen?3. Have I suddenly noticed that my computer is running extremely slow? What Is The Solution? There is only one solution to this problem and that is to protect yourself and your privacy with a Spyware protection solution. Spyware protection software helps you to completely clean your computer of invasive threats. As a result, your computer will be clean and its performance will be better. Simply put, it will run a lot faster. Additionally, you will have protected your privacy - personal information, financial data, and your financial security will be protected. In the information age, where having just one piece of your personal information can ruin your life, protecting your personal privacy while online is of the utmost importance.
The Problem: Are you bombarded with popup ads? Seeing new toolbars in your browser? Does your home page change to unwanted/unknown destinations? Bombarded with irritating spam? Perhaps strange software loads when you first start your computer, or your favorites file may have new entries that you don't recognize and don't want. If this is happening to you, your PC (Personal Computer) is most likely infected with adware spyware, spybot spyware, trojan viruses or other harmful internet parasites. What Is Happening?Your privacy is being seriously invaded. These programs have the ability to track your Internet usage habits and even steal such personal information as bank account numbers and passwords. If you are like me, this is scary, isn't it? But there's more...spyware even has the power to install even more parasites on your computer without your knowledge and without your consent. Everything you do and everything you type can be recorded without your knowledge and without your consent. Using spyware, companies can find out what your interests are and even track your purchasing habits. Hackers can and sometimes will access your PC and do anything they wish. Unscrupulous individuals can even steal your identity (you've heard of identity theft, haven't you?) and you would never be the wiser, at least until it is too late (this would be when the bill collectors, or even the police, start calling you!). To Determine If You Are At Risk, Ask Yourself These 3 Questions:1. Have I downloaded files, documents or free mp3 music online?2. Has my computer suddenly started getting annoying ads popping up on the screen?3. Have I suddenly noticed that my computer is running extremely slow? What Is The Solution? There is only one solution to this problem and that is to protect yourself and your privacy with a Spyware protection solution. Spyware protection software helps you to completely clean your computer of invasive threats. As a result, your computer will be clean and its performance will be better. Simply put, it will run a lot faster. Additionally, you will have protected your privacy - personal information, financial data, and your financial security will be protected. In the information age, where having just one piece of your personal information can ruin your life, protecting your personal privacy while online is of the utmost importance.
Registry Cleaner: Protection for Your PC
by: Irene Graham
Your personal computer saves all the processes that are happening within it. The operating system has its own log of these programs running, and changes that are happening within it. What is a registry cleaner? First you must understand what a registry is. A registry is an applet within your compendium pack of an operating system. Within the term itself ¡°registry¡± registers the processes that take place. It also takes note of the automatic processes that are happening in your PC and are running in the background. Think of the registry as a big notebook of your PC¡¯s to-do list and it logs everything into it. Why a registry cleaner important? Registry cleaners are important because it protects your PC from other processes that are not considered viruses, but can be harmful to your PC. Is your computer slowing down without your knowledge? Are you having errors that are not distinguished by your anti-virus program? Your PC might be affected by applications that are running without your knowledge. Registry cleaners are a must! Your PC might be inflicted by Adwares, Spywares and Spambots. In addition, your registry might be littered with logs that commands your PC to execute these files. A registry cleaner is needed to clean some of these programs. Registry cleaners detect errors in your PC. Registry cleaners help your PC function properly and registry cleaners detect errors, and deletes and/or fixes them. For your PC to function in its optimum performance, you must have a registry cleaner. The basic programs that your PC should have in order to function properly should be: anti-virus software, firewall, anti-spam, and a good registry cleaner.When your PC suddenly has a mind of its own, it might have caught a Spyware, or an Adware from the internet. Spywares and adwares are small programs that download themselves from the internet to your PC. They affect your PC¡¯s registry and a registry cleaner can possibly fix the errors that they cause. Spywares monitor your PC¡¯s activity?the programs running, registry information, websites visited. Adwares are annoying pop-ups and spam mails. Registry cleaners often block these from proliferating in your PC. These programs are not considered virus by your anti-virus, but it tinkers your PC¡¯s registry, and sometimes cause errors. A registry cleaner fixes ¡°bugs¡± or errors that are inherent in your PC. If you don¡¯t have a registry cleaner, your PC will function at a slower rate. Also, without a registry cleaner, a PC will be inflicted with many annoying programs that run on the background. A registry cleaner scans, identifies and fixes the bugs that are contained in your operating system¡¯s registry. Some of the bugs in your PC are actually from other programs that you have installed. Sometimes, your PC is running programs that are non-existent anymore. Installation and uninstallation processes also affect your PC¡¯s performance. Registry cleaners also deal with these errors. Sometimes, files are corrupted when you uninstall. Some PC¡¯s even restart on their own, behaving erratically and uncontrollable. If you have these problems, you need a registry cleaner.Registry cleaners are softwares. You can download free registry cleaners in the internet. But it is advisable to buy a licensed registry cleaner because it offers better technical support. Crashes are inevitable without registry cleaners. Losing all your data, or having a corrupted program is a nightmare, so be wise, have a registry cleaner!Your personal computer saves all the processes that are happening within it. The operating system has its own log of these programs running, and changes that are happening within it. What is a registry cleaner? First you must understand what a registry is. A registry is an applet within your compendium pack of an operating system. Within the term itself ¡°registry¡± registers the processes that take place. It also takes note of the automatic processes that are happening in your PC and are running in the background. Think of the registry as a big notebook of your PC¡¯s to-do list and it logs everything into it. Why a registry cleaner important? Registry cleaners are important because it protects your PC from other processes that are not considered viruses, but can be harmful to your PC. Is your computer slowing down without your knowledge? Are you having errors that are not distinguished by your anti-virus program? Your PC might be affected by applications that are running without your knowledge. Registry cleaners are a must! Your PC might be inflicted by Adwares, Spywares and Spambots. In addition, your registry might be littered with logs that commands your PC to execute these files. A registry cleaner is needed to clean some of these programs. Registry cleaners detect errors in your PC. Registry cleaners help your PC function properly and registry cleaners detect errors, and deletes and/or fixes them. For your PC to function in its optimum performance, you must have a registry cleaner. The basic programs that your PC should have in order to function properly should be: anti-virus software, firewall, anti-spam, and a good registry cleaner.When your PC suddenly has a mind of its own, it might have caught a Spyware, or an Adware from the internet. Spywares and adwares are small programs that download themselves from the internet to your PC. They affect your PC¡¯s registry and a registry cleaner can possibly fix the errors that they cause. Spywares monitor your PC¡¯s activity?the programs running, registry information, websites visited. Adwares are annoying pop-ups and spam mails. Registry cleaners often block these from proliferating in your PC. These programs are not considered virus by your anti-virus, but it tinkers your PC¡¯s registry, and sometimes cause errors. A registry cleaner fixes ¡°bugs¡± or errors that are inherent in your PC. If you don¡¯t have a registry cleaner, your PC will function at a slower rate. Also, without a registry cleaner, a PC will be inflicted with many annoying programs that run on the background. A registry cleaner scans, identifies and fixes the bugs that are contained in your operating system¡¯s registry. Some of the bugs in your PC are actually from other programs that you have installed. Sometimes, your PC is running programs that are non-existent anymore. Installation and uninstallation processes also affect your PC¡¯s performance. Registry cleaners also deal with these errors. Sometimes, files are corrupted when you uninstall. Some PC¡¯s even restart on their own, behaving erratically and uncontrollable. If you have these problems, you need a registry cleaner.Registry cleaners are softwares. You can download free registry cleaners in the internet. But it is advisable to buy a licensed registry cleaner because it offers better technical support. Crashes are inevitable without registry cleaners. Losing all your data, or having a corrupted program is a nightmare, so be wise, have a registry cleaner!Your personal computer saves all the processes that are happening within it. The operating system has its own log of these programs running, and changes that are happening within it. What is a registry cleaner? First you must understand what a registry is. A registry is an applet within your compendium pack of an operating system. Within the term itself ¡°registry¡± registers the processes that take place. It also takes note of the automatic processes that are happening in your PC and are running in the background. Think of the registry as a big notebook of your PC¡¯s to-do list and it logs everything into it. Why a registry cleaner important? Registry cleaners are important because it protects your PC from other processes that are not considered viruses, but can be harmful to your PC. Is your computer slowing down without your knowledge? Are you having errors that are not distinguished by your anti-virus program? Your PC might be affected by applications that are running without your knowledge. Registry cleaners are a must! Your PC might be inflicted by Adwares, Spywares and Spambots. In addition, your registry might be littered with logs that commands your PC to execute these files. A registry cleaner is needed to clean some of these programs. Registry cleaners detect errors in your PC. Registry cleaners help your PC function properly and registry cleaners detect errors, and deletes and/or fixes them. For your PC to function in its optimum performance, you must have a registry cleaner. The basic programs that your PC should have in order to function properly should be: anti-virus software, firewall, anti-spam, and a good registry cleaner.When your PC suddenly has a mind of its own, it might have caught a Spyware, or an Adware from the internet. Spywares and adwares are small programs that download themselves from the internet to your PC. They affect your PC¡¯s registry and a registry cleaner can possibly fix the errors that they cause. Spywares monitor your PC¡¯s activity?the programs running, registry information, websites visited. Adwares are annoying pop-ups and spam mails. Registry cleaners often block these from proliferating in your PC. These programs are not considered virus by your anti-virus, but it tinkers your PC¡¯s registry, and sometimes cause errors. A registry cleaner fixes ¡°bugs¡± or errors that are inherent in your PC. If you don¡¯t have a registry cleaner, your PC will function at a slower rate. Also, without a registry cleaner, a PC will be inflicted with many annoying programs that run on the background. A registry cleaner scans, identifies and fixes the bugs that are contained in your operating system¡¯s registry. Some of the bugs in your PC are actually from other programs that you have installed. Sometimes, your PC is running programs that are non-existent anymore. Installation and uninstallation processes also affect your PC¡¯s performance. Registry cleaners also deal with these errors. Sometimes, files are corrupted when you uninstall. Some PC¡¯s even restart on their own, behaving erratically and uncontrollable. If you have these problems, you need a registry cleaner.Registry cleaners are softwares. You can download free registry cleaners in the internet. But it is advisable to buy a licensed registry cleaner because it offers better technical support. Crashes are inevitable without registry cleaners. Losing all your data, or having a corrupted program is a nightmare, so be wise, have a registry cleaner!
Your personal computer saves all the processes that are happening within it. The operating system has its own log of these programs running, and changes that are happening within it. What is a registry cleaner? First you must understand what a registry is. A registry is an applet within your compendium pack of an operating system. Within the term itself ¡°registry¡± registers the processes that take place. It also takes note of the automatic processes that are happening in your PC and are running in the background. Think of the registry as a big notebook of your PC¡¯s to-do list and it logs everything into it. Why a registry cleaner important? Registry cleaners are important because it protects your PC from other processes that are not considered viruses, but can be harmful to your PC. Is your computer slowing down without your knowledge? Are you having errors that are not distinguished by your anti-virus program? Your PC might be affected by applications that are running without your knowledge. Registry cleaners are a must! Your PC might be inflicted by Adwares, Spywares and Spambots. In addition, your registry might be littered with logs that commands your PC to execute these files. A registry cleaner is needed to clean some of these programs. Registry cleaners detect errors in your PC. Registry cleaners help your PC function properly and registry cleaners detect errors, and deletes and/or fixes them. For your PC to function in its optimum performance, you must have a registry cleaner. The basic programs that your PC should have in order to function properly should be: anti-virus software, firewall, anti-spam, and a good registry cleaner.When your PC suddenly has a mind of its own, it might have caught a Spyware, or an Adware from the internet. Spywares and adwares are small programs that download themselves from the internet to your PC. They affect your PC¡¯s registry and a registry cleaner can possibly fix the errors that they cause. Spywares monitor your PC¡¯s activity?the programs running, registry information, websites visited. Adwares are annoying pop-ups and spam mails. Registry cleaners often block these from proliferating in your PC. These programs are not considered virus by your anti-virus, but it tinkers your PC¡¯s registry, and sometimes cause errors. A registry cleaner fixes ¡°bugs¡± or errors that are inherent in your PC. If you don¡¯t have a registry cleaner, your PC will function at a slower rate. Also, without a registry cleaner, a PC will be inflicted with many annoying programs that run on the background. A registry cleaner scans, identifies and fixes the bugs that are contained in your operating system¡¯s registry. Some of the bugs in your PC are actually from other programs that you have installed. Sometimes, your PC is running programs that are non-existent anymore. Installation and uninstallation processes also affect your PC¡¯s performance. Registry cleaners also deal with these errors. Sometimes, files are corrupted when you uninstall. Some PC¡¯s even restart on their own, behaving erratically and uncontrollable. If you have these problems, you need a registry cleaner.Registry cleaners are softwares. You can download free registry cleaners in the internet. But it is advisable to buy a licensed registry cleaner because it offers better technical support. Crashes are inevitable without registry cleaners. Losing all your data, or having a corrupted program is a nightmare, so be wise, have a registry cleaner!Your personal computer saves all the processes that are happening within it. The operating system has its own log of these programs running, and changes that are happening within it. What is a registry cleaner? First you must understand what a registry is. A registry is an applet within your compendium pack of an operating system. Within the term itself ¡°registry¡± registers the processes that take place. It also takes note of the automatic processes that are happening in your PC and are running in the background. Think of the registry as a big notebook of your PC¡¯s to-do list and it logs everything into it. Why a registry cleaner important? Registry cleaners are important because it protects your PC from other processes that are not considered viruses, but can be harmful to your PC. Is your computer slowing down without your knowledge? Are you having errors that are not distinguished by your anti-virus program? Your PC might be affected by applications that are running without your knowledge. Registry cleaners are a must! Your PC might be inflicted by Adwares, Spywares and Spambots. In addition, your registry might be littered with logs that commands your PC to execute these files. A registry cleaner is needed to clean some of these programs. Registry cleaners detect errors in your PC. Registry cleaners help your PC function properly and registry cleaners detect errors, and deletes and/or fixes them. For your PC to function in its optimum performance, you must have a registry cleaner. The basic programs that your PC should have in order to function properly should be: anti-virus software, firewall, anti-spam, and a good registry cleaner.When your PC suddenly has a mind of its own, it might have caught a Spyware, or an Adware from the internet. Spywares and adwares are small programs that download themselves from the internet to your PC. They affect your PC¡¯s registry and a registry cleaner can possibly fix the errors that they cause. Spywares monitor your PC¡¯s activity?the programs running, registry information, websites visited. Adwares are annoying pop-ups and spam mails. Registry cleaners often block these from proliferating in your PC. These programs are not considered virus by your anti-virus, but it tinkers your PC¡¯s registry, and sometimes cause errors. A registry cleaner fixes ¡°bugs¡± or errors that are inherent in your PC. If you don¡¯t have a registry cleaner, your PC will function at a slower rate. Also, without a registry cleaner, a PC will be inflicted with many annoying programs that run on the background. A registry cleaner scans, identifies and fixes the bugs that are contained in your operating system¡¯s registry. Some of the bugs in your PC are actually from other programs that you have installed. Sometimes, your PC is running programs that are non-existent anymore. Installation and uninstallation processes also affect your PC¡¯s performance. Registry cleaners also deal with these errors. Sometimes, files are corrupted when you uninstall. Some PC¡¯s even restart on their own, behaving erratically and uncontrollable. If you have these problems, you need a registry cleaner.Registry cleaners are softwares. You can download free registry cleaners in the internet. But it is advisable to buy a licensed registry cleaner because it offers better technical support. Crashes are inevitable without registry cleaners. Losing all your data, or having a corrupted program is a nightmare, so be wise, have a registry cleaner!Your personal computer saves all the processes that are happening within it. The operating system has its own log of these programs running, and changes that are happening within it. What is a registry cleaner? First you must understand what a registry is. A registry is an applet within your compendium pack of an operating system. Within the term itself ¡°registry¡± registers the processes that take place. It also takes note of the automatic processes that are happening in your PC and are running in the background. Think of the registry as a big notebook of your PC¡¯s to-do list and it logs everything into it. Why a registry cleaner important? Registry cleaners are important because it protects your PC from other processes that are not considered viruses, but can be harmful to your PC. Is your computer slowing down without your knowledge? Are you having errors that are not distinguished by your anti-virus program? Your PC might be affected by applications that are running without your knowledge. Registry cleaners are a must! Your PC might be inflicted by Adwares, Spywares and Spambots. In addition, your registry might be littered with logs that commands your PC to execute these files. A registry cleaner is needed to clean some of these programs. Registry cleaners detect errors in your PC. Registry cleaners help your PC function properly and registry cleaners detect errors, and deletes and/or fixes them. For your PC to function in its optimum performance, you must have a registry cleaner. The basic programs that your PC should have in order to function properly should be: anti-virus software, firewall, anti-spam, and a good registry cleaner.When your PC suddenly has a mind of its own, it might have caught a Spyware, or an Adware from the internet. Spywares and adwares are small programs that download themselves from the internet to your PC. They affect your PC¡¯s registry and a registry cleaner can possibly fix the errors that they cause. Spywares monitor your PC¡¯s activity?the programs running, registry information, websites visited. Adwares are annoying pop-ups and spam mails. Registry cleaners often block these from proliferating in your PC. These programs are not considered virus by your anti-virus, but it tinkers your PC¡¯s registry, and sometimes cause errors. A registry cleaner fixes ¡°bugs¡± or errors that are inherent in your PC. If you don¡¯t have a registry cleaner, your PC will function at a slower rate. Also, without a registry cleaner, a PC will be inflicted with many annoying programs that run on the background. A registry cleaner scans, identifies and fixes the bugs that are contained in your operating system¡¯s registry. Some of the bugs in your PC are actually from other programs that you have installed. Sometimes, your PC is running programs that are non-existent anymore. Installation and uninstallation processes also affect your PC¡¯s performance. Registry cleaners also deal with these errors. Sometimes, files are corrupted when you uninstall. Some PC¡¯s even restart on their own, behaving erratically and uncontrollable. If you have these problems, you need a registry cleaner.Registry cleaners are softwares. You can download free registry cleaners in the internet. But it is advisable to buy a licensed registry cleaner because it offers better technical support. Crashes are inevitable without registry cleaners. Losing all your data, or having a corrupted program is a nightmare, so be wise, have a registry cleaner!
Adware Installation Stealth Tactics
by: Joel Walsh
When adware can't trick you into installing it, it often resorts to a secretive invasion. Find out how to defend yourself.Adware Installation Stealth Tactic 1: Expensive Freebie• How it works: adware may get installed with so-called free software without any mention of it being included anywhere in the software's license or documentation. Or any mention of the bundled software is buried deep within a click-wrap licensing agreement.• How to protect yourself: It's become an endlessly repeated cliché, but it's true: only install software from developers you trust. That doesn't mean you can never try any software from a new company. Just familiarize yourself with the developer's reputation before opening wide your hard drive. Search the developer's name on search engines. If a dozen anti-spyware advertisements are listed alongside the search results, that's not a good sign.• How to fight back: If you've already downloaded the expensive freebie, it's probably too late to simply uninstall it. The bundled adware will likely stick around on your computer long after the software that came with it has been sent to the recycling bin. Instead, you need to use an anti-spyware program, and preferably two to be sure.Tactic 2. Adware Drive-by• How it works: adware may hide in a website's code and download itself automatically onto the site visitor's hard drive. This is often called a "drive-by" installation.• How to protect yourself: drive-by installations of software tend to happen on obscure commercial websites, rather than personal homepages, blogs, or the websites of established businesses. If you can avoid surfing in those kinds of rough waters, you'll be a lot safer from adware attacks.• How to fight back: If you do suspect that a site has downloaded software onto your computer, close it immediately and fire up your anti-spyware and antivirus software. You may also want to delete your browser's cache and also any program downloads folders and temporary internet folders, just in case the adware is a new kind of adware that isn't in your anti-spyware software's database yet.Tactic 3: The Old-Fashioned Way: Email• How it works: you know the drill: just as with viruses, adware may come as an email attachment. The stealth part is that simply not opening attachments may not be enough to protect you. The attachment may not display an attachment icon and is set to auto-install as soon as the message is opened.• How to protect yourself: make sure your email software does not open attached files automatically. With most new email software applications the option to block automatic downloads of attached files is set as the default. But to be really safe, you should set your anti-spyware software to automatically monitor all email.• How to fight back: delete the offending email without opening it or the attachment (assuming that hasn't happened already). Run a full scan of your hard drive using anti-spyware and antivirus software.
When adware can't trick you into installing it, it often resorts to a secretive invasion. Find out how to defend yourself.Adware Installation Stealth Tactic 1: Expensive Freebie• How it works: adware may get installed with so-called free software without any mention of it being included anywhere in the software's license or documentation. Or any mention of the bundled software is buried deep within a click-wrap licensing agreement.• How to protect yourself: It's become an endlessly repeated cliché, but it's true: only install software from developers you trust. That doesn't mean you can never try any software from a new company. Just familiarize yourself with the developer's reputation before opening wide your hard drive. Search the developer's name on search engines. If a dozen anti-spyware advertisements are listed alongside the search results, that's not a good sign.• How to fight back: If you've already downloaded the expensive freebie, it's probably too late to simply uninstall it. The bundled adware will likely stick around on your computer long after the software that came with it has been sent to the recycling bin. Instead, you need to use an anti-spyware program, and preferably two to be sure.Tactic 2. Adware Drive-by• How it works: adware may hide in a website's code and download itself automatically onto the site visitor's hard drive. This is often called a "drive-by" installation.• How to protect yourself: drive-by installations of software tend to happen on obscure commercial websites, rather than personal homepages, blogs, or the websites of established businesses. If you can avoid surfing in those kinds of rough waters, you'll be a lot safer from adware attacks.• How to fight back: If you do suspect that a site has downloaded software onto your computer, close it immediately and fire up your anti-spyware and antivirus software. You may also want to delete your browser's cache and also any program downloads folders and temporary internet folders, just in case the adware is a new kind of adware that isn't in your anti-spyware software's database yet.Tactic 3: The Old-Fashioned Way: Email• How it works: you know the drill: just as with viruses, adware may come as an email attachment. The stealth part is that simply not opening attachments may not be enough to protect you. The attachment may not display an attachment icon and is set to auto-install as soon as the message is opened.• How to protect yourself: make sure your email software does not open attached files automatically. With most new email software applications the option to block automatic downloads of attached files is set as the default. But to be really safe, you should set your anti-spyware software to automatically monitor all email.• How to fight back: delete the offending email without opening it or the attachment (assuming that hasn't happened already). Run a full scan of your hard drive using anti-spyware and antivirus software.
How To Find The Perfect Images Online
by: Jim Edwards
Copyright 2005 Jim EdwardsHas this ever happened to you?You need a photo for a website, brochure, flyer, or CD / DVD cover.You buy one of those 100,000 photo and clipart collections on 10 CD-ROMs hoping to find the "perfect" picture, but after hours of searching you find your brain tired, your mouse hand numb, and no "perfect" photo in sight.Fortunately, the photo and clipart business got a lot smarter online, and anyone who ever needs good photos at rock bottom prices stands to benefit.Buying one of those mega-photo collections to find one photo rates about the same as buying an entire aisle at the supermarket in hopes of finding a single Snicker bar!Personally, my shelves hold over 2,000,000 photo and clipart images on over 100 CD-ROMs, most of which rate quite useless to me.To further complicate matters, photo collections on CD-ROM tend to go out of date.Many of the photo collections I bought in the mid-1990's contain photos of people from the 1980's, so the hair, clothes and even makeup look out-of-date.The solution to this dilemma lies in the fact that you can now buy photos online at bargain-basement prices.Previously, in order to buy photos online, you either joined a membership site, which charges a monthly fee, or you bought by the photo from sites charging $100 or more for one photo.Do a search on google.com for "royalty free photo," "stock photo," or "buyout photo" and you'll find plenty of websites offering photos at premium prices (not to mention the confusion of finding what you want).Two excellent options for buying photos and clipart are ClipArt.com and BigStockPhoto.com.Clipart.com charges a membership fee to browse their database and download images.Their best deal is the yearly subscription of $169.95 (equates to about $15 a month) with unlimited downloads.This represents an excellent option if you plan to use a large number of images over the year, but I found the actual photos (they also carry clipart, sounds, illustrations and more) about average.At BigStockPhoto.com I found the photos much more compelling and dramatic than ClipArt.com.I also like the fact that BigStockPhoto.com lets you buy only the photos you want by purchasing credits instead of paying for a membership.You can buy a single photo for $2.50, but the price per picture goes down when you buy multiple credits (10 gives you the first price break).Whenever you buy images, carefully read the fine print in the license about how you can and cannot use the images, especially for commercial purposes.It does you no good to buy an image you can't use. Beware of "free" clipart and photo websites, they can often display images of dubious origin.Also, free clipart sites frequently carry tons of banner and pop-up advertising (along with some more sinister spyware applications that install themselves automatically on your computer).Regardless of why you want them, buying images online now rates much better than buying a huge clipart collection and hoping to find what you need.And, by purchasing only the pictures you need, you'll save yourself significant time and money in the long run.
Copyright 2005 Jim EdwardsHas this ever happened to you?You need a photo for a website, brochure, flyer, or CD / DVD cover.You buy one of those 100,000 photo and clipart collections on 10 CD-ROMs hoping to find the "perfect" picture, but after hours of searching you find your brain tired, your mouse hand numb, and no "perfect" photo in sight.Fortunately, the photo and clipart business got a lot smarter online, and anyone who ever needs good photos at rock bottom prices stands to benefit.Buying one of those mega-photo collections to find one photo rates about the same as buying an entire aisle at the supermarket in hopes of finding a single Snicker bar!Personally, my shelves hold over 2,000,000 photo and clipart images on over 100 CD-ROMs, most of which rate quite useless to me.To further complicate matters, photo collections on CD-ROM tend to go out of date.Many of the photo collections I bought in the mid-1990's contain photos of people from the 1980's, so the hair, clothes and even makeup look out-of-date.The solution to this dilemma lies in the fact that you can now buy photos online at bargain-basement prices.Previously, in order to buy photos online, you either joined a membership site, which charges a monthly fee, or you bought by the photo from sites charging $100 or more for one photo.Do a search on google.com for "royalty free photo," "stock photo," or "buyout photo" and you'll find plenty of websites offering photos at premium prices (not to mention the confusion of finding what you want).Two excellent options for buying photos and clipart are ClipArt.com and BigStockPhoto.com.Clipart.com charges a membership fee to browse their database and download images.Their best deal is the yearly subscription of $169.95 (equates to about $15 a month) with unlimited downloads.This represents an excellent option if you plan to use a large number of images over the year, but I found the actual photos (they also carry clipart, sounds, illustrations and more) about average.At BigStockPhoto.com I found the photos much more compelling and dramatic than ClipArt.com.I also like the fact that BigStockPhoto.com lets you buy only the photos you want by purchasing credits instead of paying for a membership.You can buy a single photo for $2.50, but the price per picture goes down when you buy multiple credits (10 gives you the first price break).Whenever you buy images, carefully read the fine print in the license about how you can and cannot use the images, especially for commercial purposes.It does you no good to buy an image you can't use. Beware of "free" clipart and photo websites, they can often display images of dubious origin.Also, free clipart sites frequently carry tons of banner and pop-up advertising (along with some more sinister spyware applications that install themselves automatically on your computer).Regardless of why you want them, buying images online now rates much better than buying a huge clipart collection and hoping to find what you need.And, by purchasing only the pictures you need, you'll save yourself significant time and money in the long run.
Tips and tricks to become a master DVD ripper.
by: Ted Peterson
How difficult is to perform a DVD ripping? What should you look for and what do you need in order to do a successful job? Here are some tips that can be useful.If you are looking to become a master dvd ripper then you will have to learn the basics of the subject. Ripping a dvd refers to converting the audio or video data from a dvd format to a digital copy on your hard disk. In this article you will learn the basics of how to become an efficient dvd ripper.If you use a video ripper it will compress the video into mpeg-4, avi, DivX, or Ogg Theora. If you use a dvd audio ripper it will compress the audio from the dvd into a format such as mp3, wav, or ogg. To completely rip a dvd you will either need both a dvd audio ripper and a video ripper, or you will need a dvd ripper that does both audio and video ripping. Not only are there dvd rippers to convert a dvd to a format your PC can deal with, but there is now even a dvd ripper that allows you to put a dvd onto a video iPod. This software will convert your dvd to a video that can be added to your playlist on your video iPod for free. The speed which your dvd ripper can work depends on several factors. One of the big factors is the drive speed. For instance an 8x drive will have the capability of ripping the dvd 8 times faster than the dvd will play. Another factor that will effect how fast your dvd ripper goes is cpu speed. If you have a slow cpu that will make it so the dvd ripper cannot keep up with the drive and will cause a slowdown. Since a dvd ripper uses a lot of cpu processes and disk space it is important that you keep your computer clear of junk and keep it as lean and mean as possible. You do not want a bunch of spyware, software updates, mp3 players, games, applications, etc running in the background as they could screw up the process of the dvd audio ripper and the video dvd ripper. It is also important to have a fast machine that can handle conversion of dvds to your hard drive. A recent machine that has a 2ghz+ processor should be able to do the job quite well. Also having more than 40gb of free space is recommended as you do not want to spend an hour ripping your dvd only to find that your dvd ripper has ran out of space and must quit.Now that you have learned the basics of dvd ripping, and how it is important to have a dvd ripper and a dvd audio ripper, you can now get some software to start the ripping process. Core Download has all the software you could possibly need to become a great dvd ripper.
How difficult is to perform a DVD ripping? What should you look for and what do you need in order to do a successful job? Here are some tips that can be useful.If you are looking to become a master dvd ripper then you will have to learn the basics of the subject. Ripping a dvd refers to converting the audio or video data from a dvd format to a digital copy on your hard disk. In this article you will learn the basics of how to become an efficient dvd ripper.If you use a video ripper it will compress the video into mpeg-4, avi, DivX, or Ogg Theora. If you use a dvd audio ripper it will compress the audio from the dvd into a format such as mp3, wav, or ogg. To completely rip a dvd you will either need both a dvd audio ripper and a video ripper, or you will need a dvd ripper that does both audio and video ripping. Not only are there dvd rippers to convert a dvd to a format your PC can deal with, but there is now even a dvd ripper that allows you to put a dvd onto a video iPod. This software will convert your dvd to a video that can be added to your playlist on your video iPod for free. The speed which your dvd ripper can work depends on several factors. One of the big factors is the drive speed. For instance an 8x drive will have the capability of ripping the dvd 8 times faster than the dvd will play. Another factor that will effect how fast your dvd ripper goes is cpu speed. If you have a slow cpu that will make it so the dvd ripper cannot keep up with the drive and will cause a slowdown. Since a dvd ripper uses a lot of cpu processes and disk space it is important that you keep your computer clear of junk and keep it as lean and mean as possible. You do not want a bunch of spyware, software updates, mp3 players, games, applications, etc running in the background as they could screw up the process of the dvd audio ripper and the video dvd ripper. It is also important to have a fast machine that can handle conversion of dvds to your hard drive. A recent machine that has a 2ghz+ processor should be able to do the job quite well. Also having more than 40gb of free space is recommended as you do not want to spend an hour ripping your dvd only to find that your dvd ripper has ran out of space and must quit.Now that you have learned the basics of dvd ripping, and how it is important to have a dvd ripper and a dvd audio ripper, you can now get some software to start the ripping process. Core Download has all the software you could possibly need to become a great dvd ripper.
Top 10 Ways To Protect Yourself From Online Identity Theft
by: Jim Faller
Identity theft is becoming a bigger problem as more and more people are making the internet a bigger part of their lives. People who are new to the online medium often fall prey to ‘phishing’ or other internet identity theft schemes. In many cases the ‘phishing party’ uses your credit card to order goods for them selves, in other cases they will apply for credit cards, set up bank accounts, and take advantage of your good credit rating. Correcting these issues involves a lot of time energy and stress, so here are ten tips to help you from becoming a victim of identity theft. Use a disposable email account. Keep your business or personal email account just for business or personal communication. If you are going to be making purchases online, joining newsgroups, or subscribing to mailing lists and ezines use a disposable email account. There are many online free accounts such as yahoo, hotmail or grail, and most of them can interface with popular email clients like outlook or outlook express. Use one of them for all of your shopping transactions.Disguise your online identity. If your real name in Mary Smith try to avoid using email accounts with name like msmith@example.com when dealing with people you don’t know and trust. If you were born in 1972 don’t chose msmith1972@example.com as your email account.Use different level passwords. Use one password for your personal information, use another for your business accounts and a third for your disposable email accounts or mailing lists you sign up for. Don’t use sequential passwords like password1 for personal use password2 for business, and password 3 for disposable accounts.Use strong passwords. Don’t use your birthdates, year you were married, or your children’s birthdates. Avoid choosing passwords that consist entirely of letters or numbers. Also try to avoid using passwords that are actual words. The best passwords are mnemonic phrases like “my father ate three apples for breakfast”. Take the first letter of each word and convert the number into numbers and you end up with “mfa3a4b”. Rotate your passwords. You should change your passwords every 6 to 12 months. If you suspect your passwords have been compromised change them as a safety precaution. Use only one credit card for all of your online purchases. If any of your other credit cards have online transactions you know they are fraudulent. If you see offline purchases for your online credit card you also know they are fraudulent.Use credit cards instead of debit cards. While many debit cards now offer online purchase protection it’s easier to dispute fraudulent charges than to recover debit card funds that have already been spent. When you make purchases online make sure your transactions are secure. In the address bar you should see “https” and not “http”. There should also be small lock icon in your browser. If this is your first purchase from the company make sure the issuing company is someone you have heard of like Verisign, or Thawte. Check a company’s privacy policy. When you make your first transaction make sure your check the privacy policy, look for logos from consumer groups like Trust-E and the better business bureau. Click the logos to make sure they are authentic. Never open or fill out email requests for you to update you account or credit card settings via email. These are ‘phishing’ scams people use to try and secure your personal information. Many of them are growing increasingly sophisticated and go to great lengths to look exactly like the companies website using their exact logo. © Computers.6ln.com, All Rights Reserved.
Identity theft is becoming a bigger problem as more and more people are making the internet a bigger part of their lives. People who are new to the online medium often fall prey to ‘phishing’ or other internet identity theft schemes. In many cases the ‘phishing party’ uses your credit card to order goods for them selves, in other cases they will apply for credit cards, set up bank accounts, and take advantage of your good credit rating. Correcting these issues involves a lot of time energy and stress, so here are ten tips to help you from becoming a victim of identity theft. Use a disposable email account. Keep your business or personal email account just for business or personal communication. If you are going to be making purchases online, joining newsgroups, or subscribing to mailing lists and ezines use a disposable email account. There are many online free accounts such as yahoo, hotmail or grail, and most of them can interface with popular email clients like outlook or outlook express. Use one of them for all of your shopping transactions.Disguise your online identity. If your real name in Mary Smith try to avoid using email accounts with name like msmith@example.com when dealing with people you don’t know and trust. If you were born in 1972 don’t chose msmith1972@example.com as your email account.Use different level passwords. Use one password for your personal information, use another for your business accounts and a third for your disposable email accounts or mailing lists you sign up for. Don’t use sequential passwords like password1 for personal use password2 for business, and password 3 for disposable accounts.Use strong passwords. Don’t use your birthdates, year you were married, or your children’s birthdates. Avoid choosing passwords that consist entirely of letters or numbers. Also try to avoid using passwords that are actual words. The best passwords are mnemonic phrases like “my father ate three apples for breakfast”. Take the first letter of each word and convert the number into numbers and you end up with “mfa3a4b”. Rotate your passwords. You should change your passwords every 6 to 12 months. If you suspect your passwords have been compromised change them as a safety precaution. Use only one credit card for all of your online purchases. If any of your other credit cards have online transactions you know they are fraudulent. If you see offline purchases for your online credit card you also know they are fraudulent.Use credit cards instead of debit cards. While many debit cards now offer online purchase protection it’s easier to dispute fraudulent charges than to recover debit card funds that have already been spent. When you make purchases online make sure your transactions are secure. In the address bar you should see “https” and not “http”. There should also be small lock icon in your browser. If this is your first purchase from the company make sure the issuing company is someone you have heard of like Verisign, or Thawte. Check a company’s privacy policy. When you make your first transaction make sure your check the privacy policy, look for logos from consumer groups like Trust-E and the better business bureau. Click the logos to make sure they are authentic. Never open or fill out email requests for you to update you account or credit card settings via email. These are ‘phishing’ scams people use to try and secure your personal information. Many of them are growing increasingly sophisticated and go to great lengths to look exactly like the companies website using their exact logo. © Computers.6ln.com, All Rights Reserved.
How To Stop Spyware From Robbing You
: Tom Jenson
Booting up the computer in the morning seems to be takinglonger and longer. The pauses between asking for a web pageand it loading increase. Suddenly, even keystrokes aren'tregistering on the screen as quickly as normal. Is your PCon the verge of a breakdown or has some version of spywaremade a nest for itself on your machine? The average user doesn't contemplate that the numerouswebsites, free offers, giveaways or games they surf in aday will damage their computer. And, nor does this averagesurfer believe they could be downloading potentiallyhazardous software that is going to cause their computer togo on the blink, eternally. The Internet is teeming with fantastic websites,information, tools and interactive activities. Some ofthese cost real money and some don't. It's easy to take afreebie and feel like you got the better deal, but when alot of freebies come packaged with spyware to infect yourmachine, the free price tag isn't really worth it in thelong run.Spyware is an umbrella term covering malware, adware,viruses and worms. Virtually any type of software (benignor malicious) will track, record and send your activities(online and off) back to its source. Similarly, in thebeginning, adware was designed with the idea of preventingend users from being besieged by unwanted advertisements.However, those more interested in harvesting your personaldata, whether it is credit card numbers or other personalinformation, have unfortunately warped the idea.Prevention is the best remedy for all of these ills. Goodanti-virus software, effective firewalls and reputableanti-spyware tools can save you time, money and a lot ofheadaches later. Most users don't think it can happen tothem, yet the best viruses and worms are so insidious, youdon't even realize it is happening at first. Benign programs that just want to know the type of itemsfor which you like to shop, can interfere with yourInternet connection, overwork your CPU and even tie upvaluable RAM. While it may not 'mean' harm, it will becomea nuisance when left unchecked.With the numerous anti-spyware tools available on theInternet and in your software stores, it doesn't make senseto stick your head in the sand. Ignoring problems on yourcomputer doesn't make them go away. Because spyware cancome in so many forms and be potentially fatal, it doesn'tmake good sense to allow it the opportunity to inflictdamage before doing something about it.Comparison-shop the various available anti-spyware tools.There are many sites that cover current information on theanti-spyware upgrades and latest problems. Educateyourself to your options so that you can invest in the typeof software that will work for you. ===========================================================Discover all you ever wanted to know about spyware. Latestdiscovery methods, latest incoculation treatments, latestremoval techniques. Click for useful info and dailyupdated blog of spyware news and articles. Clickhttp://www.spyware-revealed.com/
Booting up the computer in the morning seems to be takinglonger and longer. The pauses between asking for a web pageand it loading increase. Suddenly, even keystrokes aren'tregistering on the screen as quickly as normal. Is your PCon the verge of a breakdown or has some version of spywaremade a nest for itself on your machine? The average user doesn't contemplate that the numerouswebsites, free offers, giveaways or games they surf in aday will damage their computer. And, nor does this averagesurfer believe they could be downloading potentiallyhazardous software that is going to cause their computer togo on the blink, eternally. The Internet is teeming with fantastic websites,information, tools and interactive activities. Some ofthese cost real money and some don't. It's easy to take afreebie and feel like you got the better deal, but when alot of freebies come packaged with spyware to infect yourmachine, the free price tag isn't really worth it in thelong run.Spyware is an umbrella term covering malware, adware,viruses and worms. Virtually any type of software (benignor malicious) will track, record and send your activities(online and off) back to its source. Similarly, in thebeginning, adware was designed with the idea of preventingend users from being besieged by unwanted advertisements.However, those more interested in harvesting your personaldata, whether it is credit card numbers or other personalinformation, have unfortunately warped the idea.Prevention is the best remedy for all of these ills. Goodanti-virus software, effective firewalls and reputableanti-spyware tools can save you time, money and a lot ofheadaches later. Most users don't think it can happen tothem, yet the best viruses and worms are so insidious, youdon't even realize it is happening at first. Benign programs that just want to know the type of itemsfor which you like to shop, can interfere with yourInternet connection, overwork your CPU and even tie upvaluable RAM. While it may not 'mean' harm, it will becomea nuisance when left unchecked.With the numerous anti-spyware tools available on theInternet and in your software stores, it doesn't make senseto stick your head in the sand. Ignoring problems on yourcomputer doesn't make them go away. Because spyware cancome in so many forms and be potentially fatal, it doesn'tmake good sense to allow it the opportunity to inflictdamage before doing something about it.Comparison-shop the various available anti-spyware tools.There are many sites that cover current information on theanti-spyware upgrades and latest problems. Educateyourself to your options so that you can invest in the typeof software that will work for you. ===========================================================Discover all you ever wanted to know about spyware. Latestdiscovery methods, latest incoculation treatments, latestremoval techniques. Click for useful info and dailyupdated blog of spyware news and articles. Clickhttp://www.spyware-revealed.com/
Recognizing a PC with Malware
by: Ronald Merts
What can you do if you think your computer is affected by spyware or a virus or other malware? (Malware is short for malicious software.) First let me assure you that you aren't in this alone. There are excellent resources and community sites dedicated to helping dig people out of the mess that malware can make. Many of them are free and I'll point you to them in this column. I'll also explain how to recognize if your computer has malware running on it and point you to antivirus programs and anti-spyware tools to help you get rid of it. And I'll describe how to use recovery options that help get your PC back to working the way it's supposed to. And, finally, I'll talk about "The Last Resort"-rebuilding your PC from scratch.How to recognize malwareMalware is designed to run undetected in the background. So how can you tell if you have undesirable software on your system? The signs to look for include:• Advertising pop-ups that appear every few seconds.• Extra toolbars in your browser that won't go away.• Browser going to sites you didn't tell it to go to.• Browser settings changing so your home page won't open.• Unexplained system slowdowns.• Sudden rise in computer crashes.If you're experiencing these kinds of problems, it's a good idea to treat your PC as if it might be infected by checking it out thoroughly. Although there are other reasons why your system might slow down or frequently crash, if you're noticing these obvious indications of malware, your system has probably been compromised. It's time to take defensive action.Update antivirus programsThe first step in any attempt to repair or recover a compromised PC is to update your defensive tools. Your antivirus or anti-spyware tools need to be updated to the absolute latest versions and the most recent definition files. If you can do this on the PC that has the problem, then do it there. If not, you'll need to use another PC to download the latest versions and put them on a CD or USB drive that you can use to work on the infected PC. I like the USB drive because it's highly portable and easy to update if you need to. And everything you'll need will fit easily on a 128-MB USB drive.Gather your original software CDs and disks as well, including your original Windows CD and the Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) CD. You may need them before this is over, and it's good to get everything organized and ready before you start. Windows XP SP2 provides better protection against viruses, hackers, and worms. If you don't have a copy of the Windows XP SP2 CD, you should borrow one from a friend, order SP2 on a CD, or download the Network Install and copy it to a CD.If you don't already have an antivirus program running on your computer, you'll find a number of companies offering antivirus software and firewall protection programs, among them:• Computer Associates (http://www.ca.com)• F-secure (http://www.f-secure.com/protectyourpc/)• McAfee (http://www.mcafee.com)• Panda Software (http://www.pandasoftware.com/microsoft/english.htm)• Symantec (http://www.symantec.com)• Trend Micro (http://www.trendmicro.com)• Grisoft (free for home users - http://www.grisoft.com/doc/40/lng/us/tpl/tpl01)Important: Uninstall any antivirus software you are currently using before installing a new product; having two different programs might cause problems on your computer.Typically, these software companies make special offers of free trial versions of their antivirus and firewall packages, which should be enough to get you through this process. But to help avoid being back in this mess again, you'll want to choose one of them and get a full subscription to it so you stay up to date.If you still have good working Internet connectivity, you can also use one of the excellent, free, online virus scanners. My favorite and one of the best is Panda Software's Panda Free Online Scanner (http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/com/activescan_principal.htm).One of the most annoying and difficult to remove pieces of unwanted software is Cool Web Search and its variants. To remove this, you're best bet is CWShredder, a dedicated program that just goes after this.You'll also need a good anti-spyware product that can help you with the detection and removal of spyware or other malware. Here, one is good and two or more are sometimes better. They don't interfere with each other, generally, and they each seem to have slightly different strengths. The two I use regularly and recommend are Spybot search & destroy (http://www.safer-networking.org/microsoft.en.html) and Computer Associates PestPatrol 5. There is new anti-spyware software from Microsoft, which is in beta testing now and holds some promise as well. (Beta software is pre-release software that is distributed for feedback and testing purposes.) The Microsoft product is a security technology that helps you detect and remove known spyware from your PC. It also helps prevent spyware from getting on your computer in the first place. I've been using it and really like the way it works, but because it's a beta version, it won't be the right choice for everyone until the final release. For one thing, Microsoft doesn't provide technical support for beta releases. Although formal support is not offered for this beta, you can go to the newsgroups to help get your questions answered.Finally, it's a good idea to have a couple of other programs available. LSPFix and WinSock XP Fix can help restore your Internet connection if the cleanup process messes that up.Back up critical filesIf you can, now would be a really good time to back up critical files you'd hate to lose. Don't try to back up programs or the operating system-there's no point since they may be compromised and can be replaced. But those pictures of your daughter's wedding, your résumé, and your doctoral thesis-those are irreplaceable. Please, copy them somewhere safe, since anything you do to remove this kind of malicious software is serious and could leave your PC in a state where it might be difficult to recover or save your critical files.Where or what you copy them to doesn't really much matter. A CD or DVD if you've got the hardware and software to do that, or a Zip disk, or just plain old floppy disks will work. But whatever medium you use, having a backup will give you the confidence to attack this malicious software without fear of losing something critical. Ed Bott's Windows XP Backup Made Easy (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/learnmore/bott_03july14.mspx) explains how to let Windows XP do most of the backup work.Scan and removeOnce you have your defensive programs ready, located your original CDs and DVDs, and made a backup of your critical data files, it's time to start figuring out exactly what you have on your system that shouldn't be there. But before you start, disable System Restore. The last thing you'd want to do is restore to this point anyway, and this will prevent versions of the noxious software from being saved in the restore point.To disable System Restore1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.2. On the System Restore tab, select the Turn off System Restore box, and click OK.The first step should be to try the obvious. Use Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel for programs that shouldn't be there and try to uninstall them first. Some of the annoying adware programs will actually uninstall and stay uninstalled so you might as well get rid of them first.Next I scan for conventional viruses. Use the antivirus software that you downloaded and updated or one of the online scanners if you're still online. Deal with anything it finds, either by deleting or cleaning as appropriate. Microsoft offers a Malicious Software Removal Tool (http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx) that is updated on the first Tuesday of each month. This tool checks computers running Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003 for infections by specific, prevalent malicious software-including Blaster, Sasser, and Mydoom-and helps remove any infection found. When you're done, it's time to disconnect from the Internet. Unplug the network connection or disconnect the modem.Next, run CWShredder. Although it only deals with a single (but pervasive) problem, many of the Cool Web Search variants can prevent the other anti-spyware programs from doing their job correctly, so it's best to go after this one first.Now it's time to run the anti-spyware scanners. It doesn't really matter what order you run them in, but be prepared for a fairly lengthy list of things to deal with. Initially, I'd ignore any that are described as cookies-they're low on our list of concerns for now. But everything that looks like a program or that they report as a critical issue should be quarantined or deleted.Running in safe modeOne recommendation that some experts make is to run your antivirus and anti-spyware scans and cleanup in safe mode. Some problems that can hide from these programs in normal user mode are exposed in safe mode. Other experts disagree and suggest that there is little difference. I'm of the school that thinks it can't hurt, so I suggest you try running your scans first from a normal boot, but when you've done all you can from there, start in safe mode and try running the scans again.To start in safe mode1. Click Start, click Shut Down, click Restart from the list, and then click OK.2. While your computer is starting, press the F8 key until the Windows Advanced Options Menu appears.3. Select Safe Mode and press ENTER as needed.For more on safe mode and the options available in the Windows Advanced Options Menu, see a Description of the Safe Mode Boot Options in Windows XP at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315222.Finally, when you're done fixing everything and you think you've got it all, I think it's wise to install or reinstall Windows XP Service Pack 2. Now turn on Windows Firewall, turn on System Restore, and you can connect your PC back to the Internet. Before you do anything else, go to the Windows Update site (http://update.microsoft.com) and download all of the latest security fixes. Then, turn on Automatic Updates to make sure you stay up to date.Getting helpRemoving undesirable software can be a daunting task. But as I said in the beginning, you're not in this alone. There are a wealth of resources available to you at every stage of the process. I can't begin to list them all, but some that I know about are the following:• Microsoft Security Help and Support-the support is free for security problems and getting help removing malware is definitely a security problem: Located at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/gp/securityhome.• Microsoft Security Home Users Newsgroup-good place to start, with a wealth of users and MVPs responding to your queries 24 hours a day: Located at http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.aspx?dg=microsoft.public.security.homeusers&cat=en_us_d06efcb7-0e61-00ed-6e0f-a86481b6aa20&lang=en&cr=us.• Broadband Reports Online Security Community Forum-an excellent resource for really persistent and difficult problems, with help from Microsoft MVPs and other users: Located at http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/security.• SpywareInfo Forums-excellent help and fast responses: Located at http://forums.spywareinfo.com/.• AumHa Forums-a great resource for a wide variety of Windows problems, run and staffed by Microsoft MVPs: Located at http://forum.aumha.org/.The last resortFinally, I want to talk about the last resort, which is performing a clean installation of Windows XP. This is not something to do casually, since you will certainly lose data and have to re-install all your programs, but it is an option if all else fails.For more information check out our articles at http://www.tornadocomputers.com/techie
What can you do if you think your computer is affected by spyware or a virus or other malware? (Malware is short for malicious software.) First let me assure you that you aren't in this alone. There are excellent resources and community sites dedicated to helping dig people out of the mess that malware can make. Many of them are free and I'll point you to them in this column. I'll also explain how to recognize if your computer has malware running on it and point you to antivirus programs and anti-spyware tools to help you get rid of it. And I'll describe how to use recovery options that help get your PC back to working the way it's supposed to. And, finally, I'll talk about "The Last Resort"-rebuilding your PC from scratch.How to recognize malwareMalware is designed to run undetected in the background. So how can you tell if you have undesirable software on your system? The signs to look for include:• Advertising pop-ups that appear every few seconds.• Extra toolbars in your browser that won't go away.• Browser going to sites you didn't tell it to go to.• Browser settings changing so your home page won't open.• Unexplained system slowdowns.• Sudden rise in computer crashes.If you're experiencing these kinds of problems, it's a good idea to treat your PC as if it might be infected by checking it out thoroughly. Although there are other reasons why your system might slow down or frequently crash, if you're noticing these obvious indications of malware, your system has probably been compromised. It's time to take defensive action.Update antivirus programsThe first step in any attempt to repair or recover a compromised PC is to update your defensive tools. Your antivirus or anti-spyware tools need to be updated to the absolute latest versions and the most recent definition files. If you can do this on the PC that has the problem, then do it there. If not, you'll need to use another PC to download the latest versions and put them on a CD or USB drive that you can use to work on the infected PC. I like the USB drive because it's highly portable and easy to update if you need to. And everything you'll need will fit easily on a 128-MB USB drive.Gather your original software CDs and disks as well, including your original Windows CD and the Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) CD. You may need them before this is over, and it's good to get everything organized and ready before you start. Windows XP SP2 provides better protection against viruses, hackers, and worms. If you don't have a copy of the Windows XP SP2 CD, you should borrow one from a friend, order SP2 on a CD, or download the Network Install and copy it to a CD.If you don't already have an antivirus program running on your computer, you'll find a number of companies offering antivirus software and firewall protection programs, among them:• Computer Associates (http://www.ca.com)• F-secure (http://www.f-secure.com/protectyourpc/)• McAfee (http://www.mcafee.com)• Panda Software (http://www.pandasoftware.com/microsoft/english.htm)• Symantec (http://www.symantec.com)• Trend Micro (http://www.trendmicro.com)• Grisoft (free for home users - http://www.grisoft.com/doc/40/lng/us/tpl/tpl01)Important: Uninstall any antivirus software you are currently using before installing a new product; having two different programs might cause problems on your computer.Typically, these software companies make special offers of free trial versions of their antivirus and firewall packages, which should be enough to get you through this process. But to help avoid being back in this mess again, you'll want to choose one of them and get a full subscription to it so you stay up to date.If you still have good working Internet connectivity, you can also use one of the excellent, free, online virus scanners. My favorite and one of the best is Panda Software's Panda Free Online Scanner (http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/com/activescan_principal.htm).One of the most annoying and difficult to remove pieces of unwanted software is Cool Web Search and its variants. To remove this, you're best bet is CWShredder, a dedicated program that just goes after this.You'll also need a good anti-spyware product that can help you with the detection and removal of spyware or other malware. Here, one is good and two or more are sometimes better. They don't interfere with each other, generally, and they each seem to have slightly different strengths. The two I use regularly and recommend are Spybot search & destroy (http://www.safer-networking.org/microsoft.en.html) and Computer Associates PestPatrol 5. There is new anti-spyware software from Microsoft, which is in beta testing now and holds some promise as well. (Beta software is pre-release software that is distributed for feedback and testing purposes.) The Microsoft product is a security technology that helps you detect and remove known spyware from your PC. It also helps prevent spyware from getting on your computer in the first place. I've been using it and really like the way it works, but because it's a beta version, it won't be the right choice for everyone until the final release. For one thing, Microsoft doesn't provide technical support for beta releases. Although formal support is not offered for this beta, you can go to the newsgroups to help get your questions answered.Finally, it's a good idea to have a couple of other programs available. LSPFix and WinSock XP Fix can help restore your Internet connection if the cleanup process messes that up.Back up critical filesIf you can, now would be a really good time to back up critical files you'd hate to lose. Don't try to back up programs or the operating system-there's no point since they may be compromised and can be replaced. But those pictures of your daughter's wedding, your résumé, and your doctoral thesis-those are irreplaceable. Please, copy them somewhere safe, since anything you do to remove this kind of malicious software is serious and could leave your PC in a state where it might be difficult to recover or save your critical files.Where or what you copy them to doesn't really much matter. A CD or DVD if you've got the hardware and software to do that, or a Zip disk, or just plain old floppy disks will work. But whatever medium you use, having a backup will give you the confidence to attack this malicious software without fear of losing something critical. Ed Bott's Windows XP Backup Made Easy (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/learnmore/bott_03july14.mspx) explains how to let Windows XP do most of the backup work.Scan and removeOnce you have your defensive programs ready, located your original CDs and DVDs, and made a backup of your critical data files, it's time to start figuring out exactly what you have on your system that shouldn't be there. But before you start, disable System Restore. The last thing you'd want to do is restore to this point anyway, and this will prevent versions of the noxious software from being saved in the restore point.To disable System Restore1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.2. On the System Restore tab, select the Turn off System Restore box, and click OK.The first step should be to try the obvious. Use Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel for programs that shouldn't be there and try to uninstall them first. Some of the annoying adware programs will actually uninstall and stay uninstalled so you might as well get rid of them first.Next I scan for conventional viruses. Use the antivirus software that you downloaded and updated or one of the online scanners if you're still online. Deal with anything it finds, either by deleting or cleaning as appropriate. Microsoft offers a Malicious Software Removal Tool (http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx) that is updated on the first Tuesday of each month. This tool checks computers running Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003 for infections by specific, prevalent malicious software-including Blaster, Sasser, and Mydoom-and helps remove any infection found. When you're done, it's time to disconnect from the Internet. Unplug the network connection or disconnect the modem.Next, run CWShredder. Although it only deals with a single (but pervasive) problem, many of the Cool Web Search variants can prevent the other anti-spyware programs from doing their job correctly, so it's best to go after this one first.Now it's time to run the anti-spyware scanners. It doesn't really matter what order you run them in, but be prepared for a fairly lengthy list of things to deal with. Initially, I'd ignore any that are described as cookies-they're low on our list of concerns for now. But everything that looks like a program or that they report as a critical issue should be quarantined or deleted.Running in safe modeOne recommendation that some experts make is to run your antivirus and anti-spyware scans and cleanup in safe mode. Some problems that can hide from these programs in normal user mode are exposed in safe mode. Other experts disagree and suggest that there is little difference. I'm of the school that thinks it can't hurt, so I suggest you try running your scans first from a normal boot, but when you've done all you can from there, start in safe mode and try running the scans again.To start in safe mode1. Click Start, click Shut Down, click Restart from the list, and then click OK.2. While your computer is starting, press the F8 key until the Windows Advanced Options Menu appears.3. Select Safe Mode and press ENTER as needed.For more on safe mode and the options available in the Windows Advanced Options Menu, see a Description of the Safe Mode Boot Options in Windows XP at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315222.Finally, when you're done fixing everything and you think you've got it all, I think it's wise to install or reinstall Windows XP Service Pack 2. Now turn on Windows Firewall, turn on System Restore, and you can connect your PC back to the Internet. Before you do anything else, go to the Windows Update site (http://update.microsoft.com) and download all of the latest security fixes. Then, turn on Automatic Updates to make sure you stay up to date.Getting helpRemoving undesirable software can be a daunting task. But as I said in the beginning, you're not in this alone. There are a wealth of resources available to you at every stage of the process. I can't begin to list them all, but some that I know about are the following:• Microsoft Security Help and Support-the support is free for security problems and getting help removing malware is definitely a security problem: Located at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/gp/securityhome.• Microsoft Security Home Users Newsgroup-good place to start, with a wealth of users and MVPs responding to your queries 24 hours a day: Located at http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.aspx?dg=microsoft.public.security.homeusers&cat=en_us_d06efcb7-0e61-00ed-6e0f-a86481b6aa20&lang=en&cr=us.• Broadband Reports Online Security Community Forum-an excellent resource for really persistent and difficult problems, with help from Microsoft MVPs and other users: Located at http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/security.• SpywareInfo Forums-excellent help and fast responses: Located at http://forums.spywareinfo.com/.• AumHa Forums-a great resource for a wide variety of Windows problems, run and staffed by Microsoft MVPs: Located at http://forum.aumha.org/.The last resortFinally, I want to talk about the last resort, which is performing a clean installation of Windows XP. This is not something to do casually, since you will certainly lose data and have to re-install all your programs, but it is an option if all else fails.For more information check out our articles at http://www.tornadocomputers.com/techie
Alexa: Why You Should Be Using The Toolbar.
by: Mark Thompson
Why on earth would anyone want to install a piece of spyware onto their Web browser? No sensible right minded person would …unless you are a webmaster and you want to improve your SERPS ranking that is.The Alexa toolbar is not “technically” spyware as it doesn’t retrieve any private or personal information. It does however log all the sites you visit and as webmasters we can use this to our advantage. It uses this information to compile traffic ranking statistics and a relational list. The relational list is very useful as it shows what other sites people who have looked the current website have also visited. Alexa is owned by Amazon and it is possible to make your own Alexa toolbar with your Amazon affiliate code included. You can then place this on your site and get credited when anyone buys through Amazon using the Amazon button on the toolbar you’ve distributed, it is also possible to include a link to your site in the toolbar.Alexa ranks sites from 1 to 5,000,000 and sometimes higher. Ranking 1 has the most traffic and so on, anything below 250,000 and you should be getting some decent traffic levels. This information can be used to determine how well your advertising campaigns are going and how traffic levels are growing over a period of time. This information can also be used to determine how you rivals are doing and keep you one step ahead of them. The Alexa information is also picked up by other search engines so you benefit from an increase in you SERPS as your site progresses up the rankings .One drawback of the Alexa toolbar is that it only works on Internet Explorer and not the tool of choice for most webmasters Firefox. However I personally feel this is a small price to pay for the benefits I get when using the tool bar for research and to check my sites daily. Checking the stats of your own site has a positive impact on your Alexa ranking as the toolbar is not generally used by the general public so every extra hit from a browser with the tool bar installed is valuable. I have 1 site that is almost exclusively used by webmasters , As webmasters are the people who use Alexa more than any other group 500 page views a day are enough to get this site into the top 500,000 Another site that has 3 times the traffic but the visitors are mostly the general public so this site is languishing in the 2,000,000 ‘s.Why not try an experiment for a month, Download the toolbar and monitor one of your sites, once you see the data you get and the way it can be used you won’t know how you survived without it.
Why on earth would anyone want to install a piece of spyware onto their Web browser? No sensible right minded person would …unless you are a webmaster and you want to improve your SERPS ranking that is.The Alexa toolbar is not “technically” spyware as it doesn’t retrieve any private or personal information. It does however log all the sites you visit and as webmasters we can use this to our advantage. It uses this information to compile traffic ranking statistics and a relational list. The relational list is very useful as it shows what other sites people who have looked the current website have also visited. Alexa is owned by Amazon and it is possible to make your own Alexa toolbar with your Amazon affiliate code included. You can then place this on your site and get credited when anyone buys through Amazon using the Amazon button on the toolbar you’ve distributed, it is also possible to include a link to your site in the toolbar.Alexa ranks sites from 1 to 5,000,000 and sometimes higher. Ranking 1 has the most traffic and so on, anything below 250,000 and you should be getting some decent traffic levels. This information can be used to determine how well your advertising campaigns are going and how traffic levels are growing over a period of time. This information can also be used to determine how you rivals are doing and keep you one step ahead of them. The Alexa information is also picked up by other search engines so you benefit from an increase in you SERPS as your site progresses up the rankings .One drawback of the Alexa toolbar is that it only works on Internet Explorer and not the tool of choice for most webmasters Firefox. However I personally feel this is a small price to pay for the benefits I get when using the tool bar for research and to check my sites daily. Checking the stats of your own site has a positive impact on your Alexa ranking as the toolbar is not generally used by the general public so every extra hit from a browser with the tool bar installed is valuable. I have 1 site that is almost exclusively used by webmasters , As webmasters are the people who use Alexa more than any other group 500 page views a day are enough to get this site into the top 500,000 Another site that has 3 times the traffic but the visitors are mostly the general public so this site is languishing in the 2,000,000 ‘s.Why not try an experiment for a month, Download the toolbar and monitor one of your sites, once you see the data you get and the way it can be used you won’t know how you survived without it.
Identity Theft (R&R)?
by: Robert Hart
Identity theft is the most prolific crimes committed today and it knows no boundaries. So by now most people know of the problem but are unaware of how it all got started.It's basically what's old is new again thus the teaser ID Theft R&R??? Which stands for Retrospective and Rebirth.Its started back in the 60's which was a time of conflict and change the Vietnam war and Civil Right protesters and the Underground mainly SDS and the Weathermen among others.During this time to avoid the military draft you could goto Canada,Mexico or to college. But a cheaper and more eficient option arose by assuming a new identity and staying in this country.This was easily done by reading the obituaries and finding one close to your age getting the vital info and applying for the birth certificate from there drivers liscense and so on.There are still a few left from this era as from time to time you'll see on the news an arrest of someone who disappeared 25 yrs ago. The war ended in 1975 and so the threat of the draft ended so there was a brief respite. In the background at this time was the Internet which was a sleeping giant waiting to be stirred.It was now 1985 and PC's were now penetrating the home and the Net was beginning to be commercialized. Identity theft was once again making a comeback but it was still largely an one on one event. Finally reaching 1990 the net was beginning to flourish with the infancy of the dot-com boom. The world is now truly becoming a global village. By 1996 ther were in excess of 300,000 annual reports of this crime and it's beeen growing daily. Like anything else in the world it reflects all of it's community both good and bad. Identity theft was now splitting into 2 main camps.The first being 1 on 1 events where you come into contact with the theft personally either through physical contact or lost personal info,phishing, or spyware on your computer.The second is wholesale theft of info by hackers breaking into bank and credit card companies where thousands to millions of people are compromised all at once.As recently as a few years ago the technique of dumpster diving was perfected where you'd go to a dumpster behind a business bank ,dept store ,restaurant and look for cc reciepts. But this has now been replaced by spyware which is software which invades your computer to access all your acct info and phishing which is an email sent to you representing maybe your bank or cc company requesting acct. info to which if you respond lose your money.To check or elimiminate spyware from your computer goto spybot.com which is an excellent free tool. As for phishing a good rule of thumb is if contacted and not absolutey sure it's a company or person you do business with just hang up or you can call them back so you know who your in contact with.If you do become a victim it can be likened to entering a blackhole as you go in but never really sure when you'll get out. The personal costs can be excessive and and can take years to clear up.On a positive note I see whole new industries popping up to combat the problem with plenty of growth for them in the future.Anti-spyware, biometrics, insurance, prevention, and detection to name a few.
Identity theft is the most prolific crimes committed today and it knows no boundaries. So by now most people know of the problem but are unaware of how it all got started.It's basically what's old is new again thus the teaser ID Theft R&R??? Which stands for Retrospective and Rebirth.Its started back in the 60's which was a time of conflict and change the Vietnam war and Civil Right protesters and the Underground mainly SDS and the Weathermen among others.During this time to avoid the military draft you could goto Canada,Mexico or to college. But a cheaper and more eficient option arose by assuming a new identity and staying in this country.This was easily done by reading the obituaries and finding one close to your age getting the vital info and applying for the birth certificate from there drivers liscense and so on.There are still a few left from this era as from time to time you'll see on the news an arrest of someone who disappeared 25 yrs ago. The war ended in 1975 and so the threat of the draft ended so there was a brief respite. In the background at this time was the Internet which was a sleeping giant waiting to be stirred.It was now 1985 and PC's were now penetrating the home and the Net was beginning to be commercialized. Identity theft was once again making a comeback but it was still largely an one on one event. Finally reaching 1990 the net was beginning to flourish with the infancy of the dot-com boom. The world is now truly becoming a global village. By 1996 ther were in excess of 300,000 annual reports of this crime and it's beeen growing daily. Like anything else in the world it reflects all of it's community both good and bad. Identity theft was now splitting into 2 main camps.The first being 1 on 1 events where you come into contact with the theft personally either through physical contact or lost personal info,phishing, or spyware on your computer.The second is wholesale theft of info by hackers breaking into bank and credit card companies where thousands to millions of people are compromised all at once.As recently as a few years ago the technique of dumpster diving was perfected where you'd go to a dumpster behind a business bank ,dept store ,restaurant and look for cc reciepts. But this has now been replaced by spyware which is software which invades your computer to access all your acct info and phishing which is an email sent to you representing maybe your bank or cc company requesting acct. info to which if you respond lose your money.To check or elimiminate spyware from your computer goto spybot.com which is an excellent free tool. As for phishing a good rule of thumb is if contacted and not absolutey sure it's a company or person you do business with just hang up or you can call them back so you know who your in contact with.If you do become a victim it can be likened to entering a blackhole as you go in but never really sure when you'll get out. The personal costs can be excessive and and can take years to clear up.On a positive note I see whole new industries popping up to combat the problem with plenty of growth for them in the future.Anti-spyware, biometrics, insurance, prevention, and detection to name a few.
Optimize Your Computer For Peak Performance
by: Lanard Perry
Is your computer running slower than ever? Does it crash a lot? If so it might be because advertisers have loaded it up with Spy and Adaware without your knowledge. "Spyware" is a common term for files that are installed on your system that allow companies to monitor your Internet activity. "Adaware" is software that will show you pop up ads over and over. These files can be extremely dangerous to your PC and could cause major problems. They track the websites you visit, items that you buy online, the emails you send and your Instant Message dialogues. In a worst case scenario they can even record your credit card number, personal identification numbers, and all of your passwords. I know all of this because I learned the hard way. Fortunately, I never had any personal data stolen, at least that I’m aware of. But every now and then, when least expected, my computer would crash, sometimes resulting in days of lost activity and income. It seems like I spent a small fortune fixing one problem after another. I bought expensive software programs that actually made my problems worse, then another hard drive that I really didn't need. Ultimately I had to take my computer to 2 different techs to work out all the bugs. If only I knew then what I know now. After months of frustration and too many hundreds of dollars I care to admit to I finally learned what it takes to keep my computer healthy and functioning properly. Below is what I learned and a recommendation that can help you avoid what I went through. 1. Get a spyware removal program. You've heard it before, but have you done it? This helps as your 1st line of defense against hackers and viruses. 2. Avoid opening email attachments from people you don't know. When in doubt, don't do it. Granted, this isn't so easy to do when you're in the people business, but I still encourage you to manage it as best you can. This alone eliminated a lot of my problems. 3. Scan for viruses and clean your registry at every opportunity. I spend a lot of time on the Internet working on my website marketing products, sending and receiving email and the like. Consequently, my computer is vulnerable to attack from a lot of different ways. So, I scan it for viruses and clean my registry daily; sometimes several times a day depending on how long I've been on it. If you don't have a good spyware program you should get one. It'll help you optimize your computer's performance, and get it in tip top condition in no time. Here are the benefits. They'll let you: know if you have any files that are infecting your PC help protect your computer and eliminate trojans, worms, dialers, browser hijackers, etc., and help you avoid serious problems before they happen You'll be amazed at how much speed and problem free use you can regain from the use of your computer after you install a good spyware program. If you don't have one I strongly recommend Spyware Nuker. It's relatively inexpensive and is money well spent to safeguard your computer and personal and professional information stored on it. You even get to try if for free before you buy it and I believe it comes with a 90 day satisfaction or money back guarantee.
Is your computer running slower than ever? Does it crash a lot? If so it might be because advertisers have loaded it up with Spy and Adaware without your knowledge. "Spyware" is a common term for files that are installed on your system that allow companies to monitor your Internet activity. "Adaware" is software that will show you pop up ads over and over. These files can be extremely dangerous to your PC and could cause major problems. They track the websites you visit, items that you buy online, the emails you send and your Instant Message dialogues. In a worst case scenario they can even record your credit card number, personal identification numbers, and all of your passwords. I know all of this because I learned the hard way. Fortunately, I never had any personal data stolen, at least that I’m aware of. But every now and then, when least expected, my computer would crash, sometimes resulting in days of lost activity and income. It seems like I spent a small fortune fixing one problem after another. I bought expensive software programs that actually made my problems worse, then another hard drive that I really didn't need. Ultimately I had to take my computer to 2 different techs to work out all the bugs. If only I knew then what I know now. After months of frustration and too many hundreds of dollars I care to admit to I finally learned what it takes to keep my computer healthy and functioning properly. Below is what I learned and a recommendation that can help you avoid what I went through. 1. Get a spyware removal program. You've heard it before, but have you done it? This helps as your 1st line of defense against hackers and viruses. 2. Avoid opening email attachments from people you don't know. When in doubt, don't do it. Granted, this isn't so easy to do when you're in the people business, but I still encourage you to manage it as best you can. This alone eliminated a lot of my problems. 3. Scan for viruses and clean your registry at every opportunity. I spend a lot of time on the Internet working on my website marketing products, sending and receiving email and the like. Consequently, my computer is vulnerable to attack from a lot of different ways. So, I scan it for viruses and clean my registry daily; sometimes several times a day depending on how long I've been on it. If you don't have a good spyware program you should get one. It'll help you optimize your computer's performance, and get it in tip top condition in no time. Here are the benefits. They'll let you: know if you have any files that are infecting your PC help protect your computer and eliminate trojans, worms, dialers, browser hijackers, etc., and help you avoid serious problems before they happen You'll be amazed at how much speed and problem free use you can regain from the use of your computer after you install a good spyware program. If you don't have one I strongly recommend Spyware Nuker. It's relatively inexpensive and is money well spent to safeguard your computer and personal and professional information stored on it. You even get to try if for free before you buy it and I believe it comes with a 90 day satisfaction or money back guarantee.
Malware: Computing's Dirty Dozen
by: Joel Walsh
It seems that no sooner do you feel safe turning on your computer than you hear on the news about a new kind of internet security threat. Usually, the security threat is some kind of malware (though the term "security threat" no doubt sells more newspapers).What is malware? Malware is exactly what its name implies: mal (meaning bad, in the sense of malignant or malicious rather than just poorly done) ware (short for software). More specifically, malware is software that does not benefit the computer's owner, and may even harm it, and so is purely parasitic.The Many Faces of MalwareAccording to Wikipedia, there are in fact eleven distinct types of malware, and even more sub-types of each.1. Viruses. The malware that's on the news so much, even your grandmother knows what it is. You probably already have heard plenty about why this kind of software is bad for you, so there's no need to belabor the point.2. Worms. Slight variation on viruses. The difference between viruses and worms is that viruses hide inside the files of real computer programs (for instance, the macros in Word or the VBScript in many other Microsoft applications), while worms do not infect a file or program, but rather stand on their own.3. Wabbits.Be honest: had you ever even heard of wabbits before (outside of Warner Bros. cartoons)? According to Wikipedia, wabbits are in fact rare, and it's not hard to see why: they don't do anything to spread to other machines. A wabbit, like a virus, replicates itself, but it does not have any instructions to email itself or pass itself through a computer network in order to infect other machines. The least ambitious of all malware, it is content simply to focus on utterly devastating a single machine.4. Trojans. Arguably the most dangerous kind of malware, at least from a social standpoint. While Trojans rarely destroy computers or even files, that's only because they have bigger targets: your financial information, your computer's system resources, and sometimes even massive denial-of-service attacks launched by having thousands of computers all try to connect to a web server at the same time. Trojans can even5. Spyware. In another instance of creative software naming, spyware is software that spies on you, often tracking your internet activities in order to serve you advertising. (Yes, it's possible to be both adware and spyware at the same time.)6. Backdoors. Backdoors are much the same as Trojans or worms, except that they do something different: they open a "backdoor" onto a computer, providing a network connection for hackers or other malware to enter or for viruses or spam to be sent out through.7. Exploits. Exploits attack specific security vulnerabilities. You know how Microsoft is always announcing new updates for its operating system? Often enough the updates are really trying to close the security hole targeted in a newly discovered exploit.8. Rootkit. The malware most likely to have a human touch, rootkits are installed by crackers (bad hackers) on other people's computers. The rootkit is designed to camouflage itself in a system's core processes so as to go undetected. It is the hardest of all malware to detect and therefore to remove; many experts recommend completely wiping your hard drive and reinstalling everything fresh.9. Keyloggers. No prize for guessing what this software does: yes, it logs your keystrokes, i.e., what you type. Typically, the malware kind of keyloggers (as opposed to keyloggers deliberately installed by their owners to use in diagnosis computer problems) are out to log sensitive information such as passwords and financial details.10. Dialers. Dialers dial telephone numbers via your computer's modem. Like keyloggers, they're only malware if you don't want them. Dialers either dial expensive premium-rate telephone numbers, often located in small countries far from the host computer; or, they dial a hacker's machine to transmit stolen data.11. URL injectors. This software "injects" a given URL in place of certain URLs when you try to visit them in your browser. Usually, the injected URL is an affiliate link to the target URL. An affiliate link is a special link used to track the traffic an affiliate (advertiser) has sent to the original website, so that the original website can pay commissions on any sales from that traffic.12. Adware. The least dangerous and most lucrative malware (lucrative for its distributors, that is). Adware displays ads on your computer. The Wikipedia entry on malware does not give adware its own category even though adware is commonly called malware. As Wikipedia notes, adware is often a subset of spyware. The implication is that if the user chooses to allow adware on his or her machine, it's not really malware, which is the defense that most adware companies take. In reality, however, the choice to install adware is usually a legal farce involving placing a mention of the adware somewhere in the installation materials, and often only in the licensing agreement, which hardly anyone reads.Are you ready to take on this dirty dozen? Don't go it alone. Make sure you have at least one each of antivirus and antispyware.
It seems that no sooner do you feel safe turning on your computer than you hear on the news about a new kind of internet security threat. Usually, the security threat is some kind of malware (though the term "security threat" no doubt sells more newspapers).What is malware? Malware is exactly what its name implies: mal (meaning bad, in the sense of malignant or malicious rather than just poorly done) ware (short for software). More specifically, malware is software that does not benefit the computer's owner, and may even harm it, and so is purely parasitic.The Many Faces of MalwareAccording to Wikipedia, there are in fact eleven distinct types of malware, and even more sub-types of each.1. Viruses. The malware that's on the news so much, even your grandmother knows what it is. You probably already have heard plenty about why this kind of software is bad for you, so there's no need to belabor the point.2. Worms. Slight variation on viruses. The difference between viruses and worms is that viruses hide inside the files of real computer programs (for instance, the macros in Word or the VBScript in many other Microsoft applications), while worms do not infect a file or program, but rather stand on their own.3. Wabbits.Be honest: had you ever even heard of wabbits before (outside of Warner Bros. cartoons)? According to Wikipedia, wabbits are in fact rare, and it's not hard to see why: they don't do anything to spread to other machines. A wabbit, like a virus, replicates itself, but it does not have any instructions to email itself or pass itself through a computer network in order to infect other machines. The least ambitious of all malware, it is content simply to focus on utterly devastating a single machine.4. Trojans. Arguably the most dangerous kind of malware, at least from a social standpoint. While Trojans rarely destroy computers or even files, that's only because they have bigger targets: your financial information, your computer's system resources, and sometimes even massive denial-of-service attacks launched by having thousands of computers all try to connect to a web server at the same time. Trojans can even5. Spyware. In another instance of creative software naming, spyware is software that spies on you, often tracking your internet activities in order to serve you advertising. (Yes, it's possible to be both adware and spyware at the same time.)6. Backdoors. Backdoors are much the same as Trojans or worms, except that they do something different: they open a "backdoor" onto a computer, providing a network connection for hackers or other malware to enter or for viruses or spam to be sent out through.7. Exploits. Exploits attack specific security vulnerabilities. You know how Microsoft is always announcing new updates for its operating system? Often enough the updates are really trying to close the security hole targeted in a newly discovered exploit.8. Rootkit. The malware most likely to have a human touch, rootkits are installed by crackers (bad hackers) on other people's computers. The rootkit is designed to camouflage itself in a system's core processes so as to go undetected. It is the hardest of all malware to detect and therefore to remove; many experts recommend completely wiping your hard drive and reinstalling everything fresh.9. Keyloggers. No prize for guessing what this software does: yes, it logs your keystrokes, i.e., what you type. Typically, the malware kind of keyloggers (as opposed to keyloggers deliberately installed by their owners to use in diagnosis computer problems) are out to log sensitive information such as passwords and financial details.10. Dialers. Dialers dial telephone numbers via your computer's modem. Like keyloggers, they're only malware if you don't want them. Dialers either dial expensive premium-rate telephone numbers, often located in small countries far from the host computer; or, they dial a hacker's machine to transmit stolen data.11. URL injectors. This software "injects" a given URL in place of certain URLs when you try to visit them in your browser. Usually, the injected URL is an affiliate link to the target URL. An affiliate link is a special link used to track the traffic an affiliate (advertiser) has sent to the original website, so that the original website can pay commissions on any sales from that traffic.12. Adware. The least dangerous and most lucrative malware (lucrative for its distributors, that is). Adware displays ads on your computer. The Wikipedia entry on malware does not give adware its own category even though adware is commonly called malware. As Wikipedia notes, adware is often a subset of spyware. The implication is that if the user chooses to allow adware on his or her machine, it's not really malware, which is the defense that most adware companies take. In reality, however, the choice to install adware is usually a legal farce involving placing a mention of the adware somewhere in the installation materials, and often only in the licensing agreement, which hardly anyone reads.Are you ready to take on this dirty dozen? Don't go it alone. Make sure you have at least one each of antivirus and antispyware.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
