Task List For Use With Task Manager

[i486]

simpler guide:

[glc]

Originally Posted by i486 simpler guide:

You might want to turn automatic live update on...........

[psyteam]

WARNING!!!! MULTIPLE PARAGRAPH ALERT. ACTUAL READING IS REQUIRRED TO ACCESS THE INFORMATION BELOW.


I know many of you by nature seek refuge in simplicity – as in, "Oh, I'll just purchase an anti-viral software application. That will protect me." Frankly, however, that is an extremely naïve position.

Just think about it for a moment: If live updates and so-called anti-viral software were so effective, how do you explain the sheer persistence -- and even proliferation -- of sophisticated attacks on our personal computers?

You folks need to grasp the problem: A number of Trojans attain memory-resident status by generating random file names and dropping them in the System32 directory. These are especially problematic because they are invisible to Windows. Furthermore, by then modifying the Registry, they are able to start with each reboot. Short of accessing your computer remotely, you may have extreme difficulty removing the offending software.

And forget about most of the standard anti-viral programs. In addition to slowing down performance, they only identify a fraction of the malicious applications – and often cannot remove files referred to above. For example, of the 5 so-called anti-infection applications I recently tested, none were capable of removing a simple .dll file from the System32 -- a file placed there and hidden by a well-known trojan.

Best advice to date: Dump Internet Explorer if you can - it is notoriously vulnerable despite updates. Otherwise, I will be forced to provide a tedious technical explanation about ports and browser objects which will explain I.E.'s weaknesses -- but which will surely threaten those of you who require simplistic solutions.

psyvant

PS -- How many of you actually believe that Norton, McAfee, Sophos, et.al. actually exist for the altruistic purpose of helping us computer users rid our systems of viruses? If anything, they welcome the constant infusion of new and more malicious software because it means more business for them.

[Markoman01027]

I don't know about you guys, but I do not open ANY attachments.

[psyteam]

Not opening attachments used to be an effective strategy. Unfortunately, you may be vulnerable by simply visiting certain websites. In other words, you don't have to open an attachment to become infected. Theoretically, if you are online, you are vulnerable.

Think about it: Major attacks on corporations do not necessarily occur because someone opened an infected email or downloaded porn. Websites, personal browers and OS's can be attacked through a myriad of intrusive, backdoor techniques. Sockets, open ports and other "holes" -- necessary for online communication -- also make us vulnerable to attack.

But I agree with you in principle: I don't open attachments either, but only because most of them of late only seem interested in supersizing portions of my male anatomy.

[Mesaeus]

One thing that has helped me tremendously with email virusses is ZoneAlarm Pro. It has a built in functionality to rename the extension of any "dangerous" attachment when it comes in through email. This makes it impossible for the attachment to get opened accidentally or even through the use of an outlook express bug since Windows uses the extension to determine how to open a file. And if you DO want to open/run the attachment, you can always rename it back.

[Powerstroke2000]

I haven't had a virus wipe out my hard drive, but the adware certainly has created havoc, as have hackers.
Somehow, even with my software firewall, a hacker got through and made my hard drive so that it could only be used for a bout a 10 minute period, and lock up after that.
I believe it was adware that gave me the about:blank problem, screwing up my registry to the point where even after spend a couple hundred dollars at the shop, thinking all was fine, I used it for about 10 minutes, and was back to the same problem. They eventually had to wipe out the hard drive, and start from scratch!

I blame myself, in every now and then looking at XXX sites, as I believe they are the worst for allowing virus's. My Norton always catches them these days, and with SP2 having been updated, I haven't been affected by them so far.

How the heck can those that do such things as hack and build virus's do this without being caught? You would think with all of todays technology that this could be figured out...there again, the bad guys have todays technology as well I suppose!

Dale

[Markoman01027]

Originally Posted by Powerstroke2000 I blame myself, in every now and then looking at XXX sites, as I believe they are the worst for allowing virus's. My Norton always catches them these days, and with SP2 having been updated, I haven't been affected by them so far. Dale

Everybody gets an urge sometimes to visit XXX sites. You just have to find the right ones to look at, that are more *Safe* than others. Usually the free ones contain a lot of spyware and stuff. I think you will get spyware either way, free or paid for.

[Carl Price]

Originally Posted by Powerstroke2000 How the heck can those that do such things as hack and build virus's do this without being caught? You would think with all of todays technology that this could be figured out...there again, the bad guys have todays technology as well I suppose! Dale

This is a common misconception. They do get caught, but they are breaking no laws. They couldn't operate 2 days if what they were doing was illegal. What you can (and should) do to protect yourself is the only deterent they have.

[DynamicTech]

I have been surfing this forum for a while, and I have noticed alot of people asking questions about the running processes in task manager. I ran across this site has a listing of process, what they are, and recommendations of what to do about them (remove, leave alone, or how to remove). I hope you all find useful, and am hoping someone will make it sticky.

answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm

[nightsky]

To use "Stinger" do I have to be using MCfee AV? Or is it a stand alone?

[Powerstroke2000]

Other than doing a "Full Scan" when using Norton 2006, is there another way to see if you have adaware or Trojans lurking on the hard drive somewhere?

I also have "Spyware" and "Ghost" trying to hold at bay those annoying hacker type issues, but I now wonder if there is a foolproof program that can be downloaded to making all these worries a non-issue?

If only those that make these Trojans and virus's worked as hard at giving us programs to thwart them, then they would be praised, rather than ridiculed.

I try to use Mozzila Firefox as often as I can, yet when I look up, I see IE has opened, of which I'm using to type this! I believe I need to go into Firefox and make sure it is used as my default browswer!

Thanks...

Dale

[pam123]

To make Firefox your default browser.
Open Firefox>Tools>Options>General and see to it that Firefox should check to see that it's the default browser, then click on the check now button.

[georgewdmrg]

psyvant advises:

Best advice to date: Dump Internet Explorer if you can.

Wasn't aware this is possible. How's this done?

Thanx

Georgewdmrg

[glc]

Just don't use it. It can't be uninstalled easily, it's embedded in the OS.

[noobiesearcher]

could you post a list of links to free anti virus stuff?

[Alaron]

Originally Posted by noobiesearcher could you post a list of links to free anti virus stuff?

Do a forum search, or just browse through this forum. We have dozens of threads on free AV.

[nightsky]

Maybe its my imagination but after installing AVAST Free Home edition, Spybot, Firefox and Thunderbird... onto win98se I have enjoyed a very stable system. Only thing about spybot I never understood is that Tea time setting which I disable because I don't know how it works.
Now I have a second box with XP which I only installed AVAST on and am wondering about using Spybot on it too or looking for something that I can understand how to use better. Also installed Firefox but no email yet, may not install email. IE opened up by ASUS Update Link and I freaked because I think IE and its email program had a lot to do with all my win98se problems and haven't used them since Firefox a few years back.

[pam123]

Tea Timer is a monitoring program.
Read up on it here : http://www.safer-networking.org/en/faq/33.html