Scared Monkeys Discussion Forum

Today I tried downloading IE7 and it didn't work on my computer. I ended up uninstalling it and going back to my regular version of IE.

I am going to look at Maxthon or Mozilla Firefox.

Hijack this is a good tool, but it is not easy for me to use. I have a friend who helps me use it. You have to run the scan, copy and paste it and send it to analyze (it does not take long). It comes back with a thorough report. The key is being computer savvy enough to know what to delete and what to keep!

I am so glad this thread is started. I always like to see recommendations from trusted people.

I agree that firefox is much safer than IE.  Been using it a long time although I'm sure I haven't bothered to learn all of it's features.

I did quite a bit of research on Internet Security and the top p.c. mags were raving about a product called Zone Alarm.  I bought it via Amazon ($59 retail, on sale there for $30 ... PLUS got a $30 rebate  so it was FREE)

The day I got it I just happened to go to their website to check on installation info.  This is a small co. and most of the help info is in the USER group section.  Well, they had just released a new version that was a nightmare.  They said NOT to download it yet but rather, to install an earlier version.

I'm sure by now the issues were fixed but there is a long uninstall process I have to follow to completely remove all old files prior to installing the new version.

Product has fire wall, antivirus, anti spam, adware removal tools.  

Curious if anyone else is using it.

I know that the free version of Zone Alarm is excellent. I do not use it on this computer, since I have xp and it seemed to interfere, but, everyone has great things to say about ZA. The version you are talking about, I don't know, everyone I know uses the freebie version.

I also want to mention a registry cleaner. I found one that is free.

CCleaner`v1.31.325 I think it is the same folks who make spyware doctor.

On another note, this man writes a column in our paper. Check out his site. It has some good advice and he is easy to understand.

http://www.pcdon.com/

Darn it I want to change my pic on the bottom of my siggy line and i have lost the directionson ow to do that   can soe one please send or  post  them again for me  and this time I promise I'll be more careful with them  TY in advance   Jerry  
*****************************************************

I have a question for the experts.  Our new computer has the full Norton anti-virus program, Webroot spysweeper, Ad Aware and I don't know what else.  I was checking for something else and discovered that Microsoft firewall is turned off.  This was all installed by CircuitCity.  Should I turn on the Microsoft firewall?  Or does it interfere with the working of the Norton Antivirus program?  It also has the Microsoft Service Pack 2...which when I put it on the old computer said in Q&A that it might interfere with antivirus programs...I think?  Anybody have any idea?

thanks

tidycat

I'm no expert Tidy but here's what I do know.  ha


I turned Microsoft's wall off so it wouldn't interfere with Norton.

I have SP 2 and it's been fine (not interfering with Norton)

Most PC manufacturers only provide the "free" software for a short period of time.  They also don't necessarily activate it for you.  This happened to me about 7 yrs ago - and as a result I thought I had virus protection but did NOT. (i never activated Norton and even if I had it was only for 6 mos) I got a bad virus and had to uninstall everything on my pc and reinstall it.

SO ....  be sure that norton antivirus is set up and is RUNNING.  Check to make sure that it is set to go out for automatic updates once a week.  Check to make sure it is set up to scan once a week.  Once you have it set to do this automatically - babysit it to make sure Norton is doing it's job... just check to make sure.  If so, you should be in great shape.

Good luck and enjoy your new p.c.

Any MAC users out there??? Any ideas?

Thanks,

IBE

Jerry - in your signature line you need to make sure that the URL you paste there has the IMG tags on each end.  Copy the IMG url from your photobucket site for that image and paste that in your signature line area.

IBE - I'm pretty sure that KATZ is a MAC user.

Frijole, thanks for that info!  CircuitCity had their tech install a full version of Norton and Webroot Spy Sweeper on this pc and gave me the disks, and the key for the Norton service.  So I think it should be okay.  It does the regular updates too.  Sounds like it is all set up as it should be too.  I really appreciate your help!  

tidycat

Any of you folks out there who think you've been having trouble with hackers breaking into your PC, you might want to consider the Netgear FVS114 Prosafe Firewall gadget.

It's a little hardware device that's as cheap as most commercial software firewalls and will do alot more to keep your PC safe than any software product. And you don't have to keep buying a new version each year.

Netgear  FVS114 at newegg.com (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833122081)

me too, what is the questions....

I have been using Mac's and apple products since the 80's  when they first came out.  Currently running Tiger

I am on Roadrunner Business Class and the entire area is wireless.

Does anyone know if it's possible to "lock down" my access?

What kind of danger am I in if it cannot be locked down?

No one can help me?  :cry:

memphis, sorry, I cannot help you, but wish I could.  

We are having trouble with the home pc.  DH surfing the net Saturday afternoon, somehow picked up some pesky trojans, and antivirus (definitions up to date) picked them up.   Ran Adaware SE successfully Saturday afternoon, but the pc is still not working well.  The antivirus keeps posting the same realtime notifications for those trojans.  Examples, trojan busky, hacktool scammer, trojan horse, etc.

Now, when attempting to run Adaware SE, it freezes when it gets to a certain point.   I downloaded a-squared free version and same happens with that.  

Online suggestions found say run disk cleanup, clear temporary files, etc.  That's done....Not sure if I'm missing anything.   Will attempt again, but fear same will happen.  End up trying ctl/alt/delete, which also does not always respond....so I end up shutting down improperly...this pc is possessed.  Thanks if anyone can advise.  Just hope I can get back in here to check, later.

I would suggest you purchase Trend Micro's PC-cillin. It is an antivirus, antispyware program. I have mine set up to automatically scan every night at 1 a.m.

It sounds to me like there are still more viruses on your computer.

What do you mean by 'lock down' your access?

If you have a wireless access device on your premises, it should have the ability to have password only access as well as encripted communication.

If you mean you have a pc with wireless access and want to keep it from being accessed by other wireless devices then your wireless connection should be made to a wireless access device with a password and an encripted connection.

If you mean to keep your pc safe from hackers and virus's then you need the standard 'firewall' and 'anti-virus' and 'anti adware' program/devices in your system.

I'm still an advocate of free software whenever possible.

I use and recommend:

ZoneAlarm Free Firewall (http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp?dc=12bms&ctry=US&lang=en)

Download and install the ZoneAlarm firewall as the 'Free' version, both versions are provided in the download but all you need is the free version and you have to pay attention to the install routine to make sure you don't signup for the 'Pro' pay version.

AVG Free Antivirus (http://free.grisoft.com/doc/avg-anti-virus-free/lng/us/tpl/v5)

Down load and install the 'Free' version only, the install routine will suggest you do the 'Pro' upgrade but the 'Free' AVG 7.5 is all that's needed.

Adaware   SE Personal anti spyware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad-aware_se_personal.php)

Download and install and run regularly.

I posted above about a great inline hardware device to be used in addition to these software programs for securing your pc.

Thanks, Carnut & Louise.   My son talked to a local technician and is going to have a backup drive added and an upgrade to XP....it's running on Windows 98 which is obsolete...I do appreciate your advise.

2NJSons-Mom,

You have the right idea. Upgrade to XP with the latest Service Pack files.

As far as a backup drive, you can get an EXTERNAL one and back everything up onto that. It just plugs into the port on the front of the computer tower. I also use my "D" drive for all my personal stuff and only use the "C" to access the Internet. Last time I crashed, Microsoft gave me that advice. My C drive with the programs may crash but never my D drive or my external drive so I'll always have my pics and other stuff.

And I would run an antivirus, antispyware program every single night.

Louise...I just visited the AAV website...
Which they recommmended not to do.....virus'.  :?

I notice in my drop-down Yahoo Search Box searches for people in Aruba!
People I am not famiiar with....... :shock:

anthony+genna+aruba ??????

What do you think? TIA!

Dear Florida,

Hi, how are you tonight honey?

I don't think I can be of much help. I don't know anything about the AAV website. I'm a strict Windows XP user. I don't use free programs for anything. I only use Google for searching. I don't trust Yahoo. I purchase my Antivirus software because it is good, not very expensive, plus they have toll free phone support.

I feel for you, though, about having the drop down search box listing unfamiliar people from Aruba. I don't have a clue.

Louise

Thanks so much....

This happened before...you would not believe the "odd/yet familiar looking" searches

 :roll:

Florida, I'm running a virus scan on my PC and posting now from my laptop.  I went to that site too and I'm just trying to be certain.

Yes, Louise, we are familiar with external drives, and I've often advised my son that one should be purchased to protect files as you've described.  Thanks, again.

Thanks for trying to help. Let me try again. I live in a protype wireless communitiy. I get free wireless access. If you walk down my street with a laptop, you would have many choices for accessing the internet.

I don't think I can secure it, since it is not mine. I guess my question is, how easy is it for someone to get access to my pc through an open wireless connection?

Well, OK, then your only protection is whatever devices you have on your PC itself or whatever home network you might have.

Actually I would never recommend anyone to use wireless as a home network because wireless is the most insecure method of communication.

Wired is always safer.

Just as you say, you can walk down the street and access wireless and it's a great convenience, but also you are giving up security to gain that convenience. Even with an industry standard encryption connection, it's still vunerable to the bad guy types.  

Again a Firewall, Anti-virus, and spyware program on your PC and proper configuration of your PC's sharing setup are all you can do to keep a wireless connected PC safe. But then again a wireless connection is still there for a nefarious type to figure out how to brake into.

Thank you Carnut.

Just to be sure, what would "proper configuration of your PC's sharing setup" mean? How do I check that? I think I know, but want to be sure.

Thanks again!

Well here's some microsoft info folder shareing:

How to disable simplified file sharing in WinXP

How To Disable File Sharing (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307874)

Here's a little more info on shared folders on WinXP

Shared Folders Overview (http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/file_srv_overview.mspx?mfr=true)

Here's what microsoft thinks you should do with a firewall:

Benefits of a firewall (http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/viruses/fwbenefits.mspx)

testing date

cleanup
http://www.stevengould.org/software/cleanup/

crap cleaner  
use this to take out orphans and fix program errors

http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/


******************************************************************************
make new folder and download into it
hijack this
http://www.tomcoyote.org/hjt/

scroll down... link for download is on left

to analyse log
http://www.hijackthis.de/

******************************************************************************
spyware removers
adaware by lavasoft
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download506.html

I am not sure if I have mentioned this one before, but it cleans registry too, and as with all my recommendations, it is free.

http://www.ccleaner.com/update/?v=1.40.520&l=1033

My routine is:
AVG free
CCleaner
Ad-AwareSE
Spybot-Search and Destroy
Clean up (http://www.stevengould.org/software/cleanup/)

All the above is free, all is easy to use.

me too !!!!

I just ran across this thread.  If there are Mac users that have questions I will try to help.  We really don't have problems with virus invasion and other problems that PC's seem to encounter.  There are usually ways around many of the incompatibilities, but it does take some experimentation.

I use mostly Safari, but do have Netscape, IE and FireFox loaded on the computer.  I have one other browser I had to download for a reason I can't remember any more and I can't even think of the name now.  I used it for one stupid website and haven't touched it since.

I love Safari, but there are many websites that will not accept it.  The medicare site and IRS insist on using FireFox.  FireFox is very slow and cumbersome so I use it as little as possible.  I do like the "Stumble Upon" feature, but beyond that it is a burden.

IE and Netscape keep saying (last 4 years) that they will come up with a new browser for Mac, but they still have not gotten around to it.   Those browsers offer very poor support for the Mac.

I hope this goes in the right place.........if not please excuse me.
I have just dumped all the info and reinstalled most things on one of my computers.  I have put avg on and I've been going through you"re post to find the best spyware and registry cleaner.  My issue at this time is everytime I start the computer I get the message boot from ATAPI CD rom: failure...Any help appreciated....

Hello, Lost in Time & welcome.  I am not a computer wizard, but did a search using your error.  I found a current link to a forum where someone had a similar issue.  Some of the others I found mentioned that the hard drive should boot first, asks what version of Windows is being used, BIOS, etc.  That is where I was getting lost.  You might want to search yourself, to see if you can figure it out.

Anyway, here is the link to the most current forum I found...not sure it will help:

http://tinyurl.com/2ht9po

Here is the link to the Photobucket Meez site where you can build your  own animated avatar:

http://photobucket.com/meez

Like this...

(http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o100/klaasen3/mz_04_10018230954.gif)

Or this...
 :lol:
(http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o100/klaasen3/mz_05_10017916346.gif)

They must be resized smaller for use as an avatar.

Shell-

The avatar site can be accessed via photobucket, or you can go direct to www.meez.com and begin there. Using it via the internal link inside of photobucket is easy in that once you've made an avi, it will save it in various sizes to your album?

Pretty fun stuff, be sure to check out all of the animations, so funny !

Thanks for the link to the meez site, looks like fun :!:

this is a fyi-Today a website was advertised on TV and my daughter said it was the site that scammed her. It is a free credit check site. She visited it and then began getting charged on her bank account on a monthly basis. She called the bank and told them she did not sign up for the site and never agreeed to a monthly charge. All she did was go there for a "free" credit check. How can this company get away with doing this?

The bank took off the charges and made sure her account was not charged again. I am wondering who should be notified...it is not right that a company can advertize on TV and get away with what seems to me to be a scam. Ideas anyone?

This may only be for Mac users, but I ran across a program which is really helping me out.  It is called Safari Prairiefire.

It seeks out duplicate bookmarks, bookmarks that no longer work and those that may have been forwarded to different url's.

I have over 5000 bookmarks right now and it is helping decrease that number quickly.  Every time I have upgraded browsers, lost track of where I filed a bookmark or combined bookmarks from different versions they have been multiplying like rabbits.   This has been going on since the 80's.

I might actually be able to organize things so I can find them. :D

Hi Sandy,

Here is what I know about hard drives.

1. If you turn pc on and you can't get past Black screen, then it is very difficult to retrieve data from that drive. This means your pc won't power up.

2. If you turn pc on and you get past black screen to blue screen, then most everything is retrievable. This means your pc will power up. You will just have to take the hard drive to someone (and I would call around) that works on retrieving info. from a hard drive.

I lost my hard drive last month. It is under warrenty, took it in, guy said he was the best in the business, then said my pc would not power up, he installed new hard drive, I told him I wanted my old hard drive to seek other help, he didn't like it but Oh well. I knew that was not true because I could get to blue screen. I called another business, took it in and 2 days later, I had everything back up. Cost me about $60.00. They also wiped the bad drive after retrieval, took it back to "best in business man" and told him to stick it where the sun don't shine.

So you might have to call a few people, but don't allow anyone to format/erase your drive.

My son Network Engineer (away from here) helped me find someone locally.

Dugga here can help you more than me, but these are my thoughts.

OS

thanks for the info iwill try to get someone as the blue screenpops up.  Many thanks sandy l

YW and good luck,

OS

My ex-MIL (but my friend) has been having problems with her computer freezing up and being very slow.  I spent an hour checking things out and realized that she had AOL VR.  I didn't know what it was so googled and what it is, is trouble.  The VR means Vista Ready.  Need I say more? 

She doesn't have Vista but AOL emailed her and told her that this was great and she should download it.  I was going to uninstall the VR and put AOL 9.0 back on for her but when you go to the AOL site they don't offer (from what I could see) anything but VR.  I happen to have a disc with 9.0 so will change it for her tonight. 

What a crock!

A big thanks to whomever posted the tip about using a spray can of compressed air to clean a computer.  I am still on my first can but have noticed my system is running much better.  Plus, the can cost only $10 versus the cost of a trip to the computer store.   

Leslie that is always a great thing to do - but next time you need one of those aircans, PLEASE pick them up at a much less expensive place.  Just like going to a gas station and paying for air to fill your tires, it annoys the heck out of me!!!  You should be able to pick up those aircans at Walmart, Target, K-Mart, etc.  Basically any of the 'cheaper' larger department stores. 

But how true a little bit of maintenance goes a long way doesn't it.

In a prior post I have shared the free programs I use. I wanted to add one to the list. I ran all my usual scans but this free program found 16 additional items.

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

I have a question. Is there any one program that can scan and tell me if I have been hacked or not? Maybe the things I run would catch a hack job, I just don't know. I googled and did not come up with a definative answer to....how do I know if I have been hacked?

  Gee Leslie around here a can of compressed air is only approx  3$ to 5$
  So check around  do not want my friends to get ripped off ok ?  <g>
             Jerry from ohio

I NEED HELP!!

Ever since the pop-ups started, my pages take forever to load.  I now am waiting up to one minute to log in, post, or refresh. I am not having this problem on any other site, only this one.   It makes catching up on reading almost impossible... I am getting six or seven pop-ups before I ever get to the forum index, my pop-up catches gets only half, and the others I have to click off.  I am not getting any pop-ups on any other site (the catcher gets them all). 

Is there some setting I need to change to make my pages load faster?  I am using IE7, and have had no problems with it up until the recent changes.  I am on DSL, and pages from other sites load instantly. 

Thanks.
Lexie

Lexie:

For the time being try Firefox as your browser. I have had a similar experience using IE. Firefox has worked great for me as its fast and the popups are very manageable.

 I downloaded this this stopzilla on IE so I could block the popups and read at BFN(Registry issues)and it slowed everything down and the popups eventually attack me so much I have to shut it down.

Lexie, what pop up blocker are you using?

I do not have a separate one installed.  I am using th one provided with my home page by my IP provider (Bellsouth/att.net).  I am confused, as I do not have the problem with slow loading on any site other than SM.

Thanks for any suggestions you can give me.  It is really annoying.  It took me 4 minutes to get from the Forum index to post this response.  I timed it tonight, and it is taking a full minute for each page to load.

Dugga,

I am still having problems loading.  Pages are taking 1-2 minutes to load, although some days they are a little quicker than others.  Also, I am getting 3-4 pop-ups every page, in addition to the ones "blooped" by my pop-up catcher.  This only happens on SM... I get zero pop-ups when I go to any other sites (My blocker must be catching them all). 

While I am waiting for pages to load, I can see "tribal fusion" in the tool bar line at the bottom.  This is one site I have had blacklisted from my computer forever. 

Is there an additional pop-up blocker I can download to help reduce these?  Or, is this what is slowing down my pages?  Every other site loads quickly,  almost instantly.  I am using DSL, and have not had any problems with SM before. 

Thanks for any suggestions you might have. 

Got a new monitor for Christmas. It is working fine, but my sound is gone. Everything is plugged in. Any suggestions, anyone?

Check and see if you have a volumn control on your keyboard.  I just got a new keyboard and had the same problem until I figured it out.

Klaas or anyone that can help!...I posted this in the Musings thread...I don't think it's connected to what I emailed you about as I found I had been to one of their sites copying a MP article. Any help would be appreciated, as most I've read and as 2NJ answered me in the other thread it does not seem to be a simple fix.

Good Morning everyone!

I need some computer help, please! I have one of these that appears to be following me around the internet. And it also seems to be extremely interested on where I visit at SM and loves it when I bookmark anything that says Aruba. Can I download a program that will over-ride it or should I call a comp. expert.
                 ---------------------------------------------

INDEX.DAT Files
What is INDEX.DAT? INDEX.DAT is a hidden index of the Web sites you visit and the E-mail you send. It is not deleted when you use Windows to clean out temporary Internet files and so is generally available for investigative work even if you think you have cleaned out your browsing history.

                      -----------------------------------
I now need to fix this as I can't do any personal things online or even save my Word docs, as that's where I was when I believe this happened on the AM of December 5th.

Thanks in Advance.

I just uninstalled my Real Player, my computer is now going so fast I can hardly keep up.

 :2whip:

This program will even clean your house.

http://www.malwarebytes.org/

This will basically remove any suspicious software or malware.

Just follow the instructions for the download and run the application. At the end you will be asked to reboot. Reboot as directed and some files that were not cleaned on the first run will be erased on the reboot.

I just found this site for some tech tips.

http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/tech-tips-for-the-basic-computer-user/

Some of those on SM should check it out for the ones for enlarging the font on a page so it is readable for them. There are tips for both Windows and Mac users.

Anyone know a good giff animated software program for the Mac? TIA

GraphicConverter http://www.lemkesoft.com/xd/public/content/index._cGlkPTE5Mw_.html  by Lemke software out of Germany purports to have the capability to edit gif animation frame by frame.  I have used this software for over 15 years.  It is shareware for I believe $34.95 right now.  It is the best of the shareware universal programs for graphics put out. 

Gifmation http://www.boxtopsoft.com/gifmation.html   has come out with a new version which is Universal Mac.  I used this program years ago with OS 8 & 9.  I don't do much of that anymore so I do not know what the new version is like.

Everything depends upon what you wish to do and how much in depth you need to edit.  There is a website www.gifworks.com which allows you to upload an image and do basic editing including size for free.  http://tinyurl.com/6d47uy    Because it is free and online there are times when the site is slow.

There are dozens of other sites which work with the Mac for doing posters, graphics, labeling, signs, which I have used over the years.  I generally find most to be free.

Everything depends upon what OS you are using and how much in depth you wish to go.  I have seen Mac programs which sell for over $ 100 plus dollars that are probably very much in depth.  I also suspect that through iMovie, iDVD, iPhoto that it is possible to come up with some pretty cool graphic gifs.  I just to not do much of that any more because of time constraints. 

I mostly download existing animated gifs from the hundreds of free sites on the net and edit them using the gifworks site.  CBB and Klaasend do some great modifications here at SM to specialize them to this site. 

Let me know if you need further help.

For Klaas:  I use Mozilla Firefox as a browser.  Sometimes I'm on a page and I can't go back (the button isn't green and you can't go back).  Maybe I'm there on a link, sometimes not.
The only options are to go "home" or to hit the x at top of page.  That gives an option to "close 2 tabs" or cancel and sit there.  Do you use Mozilla?  Anybody know a cure for this (other than another browser?  I don't like Internet Explorer.)

Tidycat

I think it depends upon what version you are using.  Also, what OS do you have?  I use Firefox all the time and don't have many problems.  It is slower than Safari so it is not my primary browser.  I can't use IE and have not had it on my computers for several years now. 

Hey Owl!  Thanks for the reply about Mozilla Firefox.  I downloaded it a couple of years ago probably, so I don't know what version that is.  I am using Windows XP. 

I am using an iMac, but that should not make any difference in how the browser operates.  I have been able to duplicate what you describe.  It happens most often where I log into Firefox and there are updates and such that want to load.  When that happens it seems there are "tabs" created in the tool bar.  As you move from one page to the next a new tab is created and the back arrow is not functional because each new page is opened in a tab.  I am sure there is a way to turn off "tabs" but I just do not sue the program that often.  I just end up clicking out or deleting all the tab pages and then use the command to open a new page from the menu.  This seems to put the browser back into cumulative history mode.  Then I can use the back arrows or history to get back to a page.

I will play with it some more in the coming days and if I can discover why it goes to tabs, I will post the answer here.

Look at these two screen shots:   One you will see a "tabs" line in the tool bar.  You can only move back and forth within each tool bar using the back arrow.   The second screen shot is probably what is causing this to happen.  You need to find the menu for "preferences" or in your case it may be listed as "properties."  I suspect that the browser has its default set to open each new page in "tabs"  reset that to a new window.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b31/phfreund/general/Firefox2.png

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b31/phfreund/general/Firefox3.png

(http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b31/phfreund/general/Firefox2.png)

(http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b31/phfreund/general/Firefox3.png)

Anyone have any info on keyloggers...TIA

Depends upon what your Operating System is.  I use Kextlog on my G4 laptop.  It operates in the background using "Terminal."  It is a very simple but free program.  Again, all my machines are Macintosh running Leopard.  I have one machine with a daughter/granddaughter which is running Tiger.  I could use it there but don't.

Here is a good basic COMPUTER SKILLS start up tutorial....bet you already know most of this and just don't know you do

Great to use as a refresher course also!

http://www.ctdlc.org/remediation/

This course is divided into four separate modules: Computer Skills; E-Mail Skills; Word Processing Skills and Web Skills. Each module is self-paced and includes review questions so you can check how much you have learned.

I see people mentioning problems with ads on the SM site in the Caylee thread. I just want to tell those who use Firefox this:

I run Windows XP and I use Firefox (version 2.0.0.20) as my browser. Since I started using an extension called AdBlock Plus (version 1.0.1) I see NO ads on the SM forum. NONE at all. No popups, no still ads. NONE. You can find the extension by doing a simple google search for it.

Viruses and trojan horses??  My computer got infected 2 week ago....it started but just running slow...then I was getting knocked off...then I had trouble signing on.....we ran all the virus scans we had.....but still couldn't get rid of the trojan horses..we thought they were gone...but wham there they were again...files became corrupt..it has been mess. We were using IE....but have now changed to Firefox exclusively...still not running great....I am able to get on but everything is in slow motion.....my DH has been working on it....got a new Fix-It CD to try tonight....we have McAfee and a firewall but it still got infected....DANG!!......ANY IDEAS!!!  (I am also going to post this in the computer help thread)

Thanks Brandi for the info.  Someone else gave me the same advice so I DL it immediately and I am still getting pop-ups and shut downs.  It is so frustrating.  I am ready to go back to using IE7.  I am not a really bright person when it comes to the extras of all this stuff.  I can get around the web ok but all this techie stuff is really cornfusing to me ::MonkeyConfused:: ::MonkeyConfused:: ::MonkeyConfused::.  Can you help some more?

You obviously need some type of security program to run just to protect.  Again, I use exclusively Mac machines, but Mrs. Owl uses PC.  The slowing down may not be just the infected files but a build up of damaged or excess files.  I had belonged to a club of PC techs years ago and they always recommended a program called RegClean.   It still exists and I have installed it on my wife's PC.  There are others which are similar and probably just as good.  RegClean has been around for a long time and it seems to be a good quality program for a good quality price.

You can go to the websites and download a test program to discover how many damaged files exist.  You do need to purchase the program if you want to fix them.  It has made a difference on my wife's Dell PC.  I wish she would not use IE, but it is what she is familiar with so she keeps it.  Firefox is a very good browser except it is not the fastest one available.  I have been reading a great deal about "Chrome" lately, but since it is strictly PC right now I can not tell you what kind of speed it has.  Camino and Shiira are also browsers which operate at a faster speed, but there are features I do not care for.   I guess it is just a matter of what you do on the net.

As Brandi suggested, just try Firefox.  It should load everything you need to do an adequate job of blocking most ads.  If you need anything more after you download that browser just go to the Firefox home page and it will pretty much walk you through how to add what you need.

Just as an aside be aware that one of the reasons there are ads on this forum is to provide income to keep Scared Monkeys alive.  It takes money to pay for bandwidth and just to keep things going.  When SM began it had no ads, but not enough people cared to donate.  It is also a site which does not charge to belong to, so have a bit of patience.

None of us like to have a computer frozen or get knocked off line by ads.  This should not happen normally.  Normally you should be able to carry out your normal communication exchange without damaging your machine.  If you are having a particular problem and you feel it is due to the ads, then bring it to one of the Moderators attention and they will have someone look into it.  Sometimes things do go wrong.  There are many who will try to help if you just ask.

Just remember you are really a guest on a free site.

Thanks GreatOwl, I already did dl firefox, that is when I started having probs.  In IE7 I would just delete the ads and I was fine.  NOw that I have firefox, x about 2 weeks, if I try to close out the ads because they are getting too deep, lol, then it auto shuts down.  IF I just leave them alone I have 20 ads to close out at the end of when I leave the site.  I am also afraid of getting viruses from them, but feel pretty confident that SM wouldn't have these ads if they were a problem.  I go to other sites that are  free too and they just have the ads that are on the pages instead of pop ups and that never seems to be a problem.  This is the ONLY place I have the problem with pop ups so far. 

Thanks for your advice though.  It will not keep me from coming here, but it does get mighty frustrating to be in the middle of a thread and  have a pop up block my screen and then whe I try to close it it shuts my browser out.

I wish I could give you a link, but with Firefox the download page defaults to my OS.  so if I search for Firefox adblock it locates the Mac version.  You need to either use google or just get to the Firefox Add-Ons page.  From there you can do a search for the PC version of "Adblock" put out for Firefox.  It should download and upgrade automatically for you.  It should help with all those pop-ups or at least most of them.

I have also downloaded adblock at someone else's urging.  That has not taken care of the problem.  I guess I just live with it or go back to IE7.  I don't know what else to do to get adblock to block ads.  I downloaded it and set it up.  It is on my toolbar, but it is not blocking any ads.  And yes it is turned on to block them.  I do appreciate you trying to help though.  Thanks. 


BTW, I don't know why and I don't want to jinx myself, but I can shut down ads without my browser crashing today.  Maybe what ever it was has been fixed. 

It may be that you need to set the preferences manually.  I am using Firefox right now and the pop ups get blocked automatically for me right now and the rest of the ads I can just use there menu to double click on the link to each ad to block it.  It is all in the options menu of ADP.

Again, I do not often use Firefox to access SM.  Then again, I do not have the difficulties with "Tribalfusion" that many others do.  It does not crash my computer or browser.  Many of these sites place what is called a "Tracking Cookie" into you cookies.  I have programs which extract such cookies and dispose of them at least once a day.  I also have a program which is called Netshred.  This shreds and scrambles all cache and history items automatically when I shut down.

I tend to use Safari almost all the time.  The ads are there and the pop-ups just accumulate in the back.  I let them in the event that Red gets his fee for all those that do show.  I even tend to click on some of the ads each day which is how many advertisers pay out their fees.  I have no idea about this one.  Anything to keep the site alive.

(http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b31/phfreund/general/SM1.gif)

SHELL - if you want to put a photo in your post there are a couple ways to do that.

1.  If you don't have a photobucket site you can upload the photo directly from your PC by clicking on the link in the bottom left of your message screen that says "Additional Options".   Then you can "Browse" your PC for the picture.  When you find it you can't preview it you just have to "Post".  The biggest problem doing it this way is often photos are such high resolution they come out huge.  If you can change the resolution to 72 and the width of the photo to no more than 8 inches prior to uploading it's much safer.

2.  The other most popular way is to have a site like Photobucket where you can store photos onine.  You can set your Photobucket account to Private so only the links you provide are seen.  You upload the photos to photobucket directly from you PC.  Once in Photobucket you can resize if necessary.  The link you use so the photo shows up is the one that's called "IMG Code".

3.  The third way is when a photo is already on the internet, like a news website.  If you right click on the photo you can get the properties URL.  You copy the URL then in your message post PASTE IT.  After pasting it if you highlight the URL then click on the "Insert Image" icon above (http://scaredmonkeys.net/Themes/default/images/bbc/img.gif) it will add the IMG tags for you so the photo will show up in your post.

Hope that helps  ::MonkeyCool::

Shell, first you need to upload an image to a source such as photobucket or many of the other image storing sites.   If you look at the image I made of SM's message box you will see a number of icons which represent commands.  I have indicated the icon you need to click on to post an image.  when you click on that command you will have  (http://) automatically created in the message box with a cursor blinking between.  Either copy and paste your direct link or just type it in.  (for instance you may have http://.i18.photobucket.com/shell/123.gif which you would put in the middle of the img bracket.

Photobucket and some other sites also allow you to skip a step and just copy an image posting command that you can then paste into this message block.  Either way works. 

If I can be of further assistance leave me a message.

I posted a couple of photos in the house thread. The hardest part for me is resizing them. I will get the hang of it soon I hope. I have loads of the burned house and property but I think the 2 I showed give the general idea of what it looked like.

Thanks GreatOwl and Klaasend for helping me.

 BEWARE OF..............Spyware Protect 2009

I got this malware on Valentines Night (nice present, huh).  As of tonight 3/1/09, there is still no fix for it.  Please be sure to run Malware Bytes and keep it updated!!!!!!!!!

I just rcv'd this email from Microsoft - one of many!!!!  Maybe it will prevent another monkey from getting it.


Hi Jackie,
This is David with Microsoft PC Safety.
It was my pleasure to work with you on your PC Safety case XXXXXXXX. Unfortunately, we were unable to resolve your issue. However, I hope that you were satisfied with the service provided to you.

I will archive the case as Not-Resolved. If you are not very satisfied with the support we’ve provided please let us know as soon as possible. My goal is to ensure that your experience with Microsoft PC Safety leaves you very satisfied with our products and services.

Here is a summary of the key points of the case for your records:
Action: Trying to browse the internet
Result: She keep on getting pop-ups with Spyware protect 2009
Cause:  malware
Resolution:  Able to talk to the customer and She already bought a new computer...

If you have any feedback regarding Microsoft support, we would be glad to hear from you. If you would feel more comfortable speaking with someone else regarding my service, Michelle Edera, my manager, would be very happy to hear your comments and suggestions. You may reach my manager by sending an email to mailto:Microsoft.Feedback.NA6@css.one.microsoft.com
Thank you for contacting Microsoft PC Safety.
Sincerely,
David Palero II
v-4davp@mssupport.microsoft.com
1:00PM-10:00AM PST Monday, Thursday - Sunday
*When replying, please include your case number, name, email address and phone number. Thank you.*

Windows OneCare Live:
Give your computer continuous antivirus and firewall protection, along with regular tune-ups and back-ups to maintain its performance.
Try it for free!
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=105722
 

The fast-moving Conficker computer worm, a scourge of the Internet that has infected at least 3 million PCs, is set to spring to life in a new way on Wednesday — April Fools' Day.

By JORDAN ROBERTSON, AP
posted: 3 HOURS 15 MINUTES AGOcomments: 378PrintShareText SizeAAASAN FRANCISCO (March 30) -
That's when many of the poisoned machines will get more aggressive about "phoning home" to the worm's creators over the Internet. When that happens, the bad guys behind the worm will be able to trigger the program to send spam, spread more infections, clog networks with traffic, or try and bring down Web sites.

The Conficker WormAxel Heimken, AP3 photos   What Is It? Conficker, a computer worm, has already infected 3 million Windows PCs and is expected to receive new instructions that would make it more aggressive on Wednesday, which is April Fools' Day. The virus could steal passwords, credit card and bank information from infected computers.(Note: Please disable your pop-up blocker)


More Coverage: How to Prevent Conficker Infection
Technically, this could cause havoc, from massive network outages to the creation of a cyberweapon of mass destruction that attacks government computers. But researchers who have been tracking Conficker say the date will probably come and go quietly.
More likely, these researchers say, the programming change that goes into effect April 1 is partly symbolic — an April Fools' Day tweaking of Conficker's pursuers, who for now have been able to prevent the worm from doing significant damage.
Skip over this content "I don't think there will be a cataclysmic network event," said Richard Wang, manager of the U.S. research division of security firm Sophos PLC. "It doesn't make sense for the guys behind Conficker to cause a major network problem, because if they're breaking parts of the Internet they can't make any money."
Previous Internet threats were designed to cause haphazard destruction. In 2003 a worm known as Slammer saturated the Internet's data pipelines with so much traffic it crippled corporate and government systems, including ATM networks and 911 centers.
Far more often now, Internet threats are designed to ring up profits. Control of infected PCs is valuable on the black market, since the machines can be rented out, from one group of bad guys to another, and act as a kind of illicit supercomputer, sending spam, scanning Web sites for security holes, or participating in network attacks.
The army of Conficker-infected machines, known as a "botnet," could be one of the greatest cybercrime tools ever assembled. Conficker's authors just need to figure out a way to reliably communicate with it.
Infected PCs need commands to come alive. They get those commands by connecting to Web sites controlled by the bad guys. Even legitimate sites can be co-opted for this purpose, if hackers break in and use the sites' servers to send out malicious commands.

Conficker Worm WarningCNET’s Natali Del Conte shares tips with Maggie Rodriguez about the April 1 "Conficker" worm, which could steal financial information from your computer.
So far, Conficker-infected machines have been trying to connect each day to 250 Internet domains — the spots on the Internet where Web sites are parked. The bad guys need to get just one of those sites under their control to send their commands to the botnet. (The name Conficker comes from rearranging letters in the name of one of the original sites the worm was connecting to.)
Conficker has been a victim of its success, however, because its rapid spread across the Internet drew the notice of computer security companies. They have been able to work with domain name registrars, which administer Web site addresses, to block the botnet from dialing in.
Now those efforts will get much harder. On April 1, many Conficker-infected machines will generate a list of 50,000 new domains a day that they could try. Of that group, the botnet will randomly select 500 for the machines to actually query.
Skip over this content  Download the
AOL News Toolbar
Our new toolbar integrates latest news into your Web browser and installs in seconds. Download it now! The bad guys still need to get only one of those up and running to connect to their botnet. And the bigger list of possibilities increases the odds they'll slip something by the security community.
Researchers already know which domains the infected machines will check, but pre-emptively registering them all, or persuading the registrars to neutralize all of them, is a bigger hurdle.
"We expect something will happen, but we don't quite know what it will look like," said Jose Nazario, manager of security research for Arbor Networks, a member of the "Conficker Cabal," an alliance trying to hunt down the worm's authors.
"With every move that they make, there's the potential to identify who they are, where they're located and what we can do about them," he added. "The real challenge right now is doing all that work around the world. That's not a technical challenge, but it is a logistical challenge."
Conficker's authors also have updated the worm so infected machines have new ways to talk to each other. They can share malicious commands rather than having to contact a hacked Web site for instructions.
That variation is important because it shows that even as security researchers have neutralized much of what the botnet might do, the worm's authors "didn't lose control of their botnet," said Michael La Pilla, manager of the malicious code operations team at VeriSign Inc.'s iDefense division.
The Conficker outbreak illustrates the importance of keeping current with Internet security updates. Conficker moves from PC to PC by exploiting a vulnerability in Windows that Microsoft Corp. fixed in October. But many people haven't applied the patch or are running pirated copies of Windows that don't get the updates.
Unlike other Internet threats that trick people into downloading a malicious program, Conficker is so good at spreading because it finds vulnerable PCs on its own and doesn't need human involvement to infect a machine.
Once inside, it does nasty things. The worm tries to crack administrators' passwords, disables security software, blocks access to antivirus vendors' Web sites to prevent updating, and opens the machines to further infections by Conficker's authors.
Someone whose machine is infected might have to reinstall the operating system.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The greatest share of those infected seem to be in the Asian market!

It is not a threat to the Mac OSX platform since it is not designed to work with a Mac.  It could hypothetically infect a portion of a Mac if you are running a Windows PC program within the environment, but then it would just be that portion.  This is what has been explain by Apple.

Just a quick tip. I haven't read back to see if anything has been posted about this.  But I just love it!   It's a new Internet Explorer, that has many nice features, but the one I like, I never get pop-ups (yes, even here)!   It makes surfing so smoother.   It's from Google and it's called Chrome, if you have not heard of it.  It's a fairly new product and I won't use anything else now.   Just do a search on Google Chrome and download. It makes surfing much less hectic and less of a hassle with the popups.  Also, enjoy the additional features and add-ons.

Thank you for this....i have downloaded it and really like it!

I thought this article might be useful:

What computer files to back up -- and how to do it

If you're backing up anything -- whether you're copying to an external hard drive, optical disc, or over the web -- you're ahead of the game, but for most people, backing up their files usually amounts to making a copy of the My Documents folder and calling it quits.

But there's lots more you can -- and should -- back up than just your documents, pictures, and music. And today Killer Tech Tips offers suggestions on how to improve the comprehensiveness of your backup by showing you six things you probably never thought about backing up before -- and how to get the job done painlessly.

MORE DETAILS HERE (http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/136402/what-computer-files-to-back-upand-how-to-do-it/)

Some more good basics for technotards like me:

What is Wi-Fi?
It's the most popular wireless standard, and comes in 802.11a, b and g varieties. 802.11 g is the most comptible with most networks and hotspots.

What's a hotspot?
Wi-Fi hotspots are locations, like a coffee shop or airport, where you can access the Net if you have a Wi-Fi-enabled computer or PDA. Most are pay-per-use.

What’s a Wi-Fi router?
It's a device that's part of a home or business wireless network that connects computers to share a Net connection, a printer, and more.

Simple tricks to improve your Wi-Fi (http://tech.yahoo.com/blog/yoon/7)

Who Else Is on Your Wi-Fi Network? (http://tech.yahoo.com/blog/null/16408;_ylt=Ao0wmZaekWW9eNVwjsuMjuKaLZA5)

Troubleshooting Wi-Fi Dropouts (http://tech.yahoo.com/blog/null/288;_ylt=Ari8hv3vwGRBuMUiv1FDQXGaLZA5)

What do I need to have a wireless in my apartment?  How much do they cost?

ANSWER:  If you have broadband such as DSL or Cable then you need to get a home Wireless router. DLink, Netgear and Linksys all make models priced about the same with the same feature set, ... Read more (http://tech.yahoo.com/qa/what-do-i-need-to-have-a-wireless-in-my-apartment--how-much-do-they-cost-/1006020502802)

PCMAG's "Networking: The Essential Buying Guide" (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1159489,00.asp)

I have known about Chrome for a few months now, but they have not come out with a version for the MAC yet.  We are still waiting.  Camino is another browser that blocks all pop ups.  FireFox will block many of the adds.  Shiira is an interesting browser that has not caught on yet.   If anything is certain it is that once a browser finds a way to block ads those that produce the ad programs will find a way around them.

I have not been bothered by most ads except the audio ones....  That is a bit obnoxious and I have begun to run into a few here.  I have no problem with a site using ads to pay for bandwidth.  I really don't like those that either freeze your browser or come out with a double volume audio message.   I usually have music in the background when surfing and so my audio is on.  I just make it a point of not visiting sites use audio.

I generally want to block pop-ups but I also want the option to allow them, especially when I am paying bills online because you are usually sent to another page (secure) by way of it being a pop-up from the original page and pop-up blocking software will prevent that. I also used to have problems paying my property taxes online for the same reason but I discovered this year that the tax collector's website has made the additional info required to be yet another page in a series of pages shown in sequence rather as yet more pop-ups and that's much better.

I wonder if companies with genuine advertisements that use pop-ups actually realize that people are so annoyed by that, having your product appear in a pop-up means that potential customer has just shut you out. I won't do business by way of any pop-up ad. EVER.

More on Cornficker:

Conficker also installs fake antivirus software

Researchers have discovered another feature of the Conficker worm that provides an additional clue about the intent of the creators--the worm installs malware that masquerades as antivirus software, Trend Micro said on Friday.

The worm, which has infected millions of Windows-based computers on the Internet, is downloading a program called Spyware Protect 2009 and displaying warning messages saying that the computer is infected and offering to clean it up for $49.95, according to the Trend Micro blog (http://blog.trendmicro.com/downadconficker-watch-new-variant-in-the-mix/).

(http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/bto/20090410/ConfickerFakeAV.png)
If you see this pop-up message, chances are your computer is infected with Conficker. The latest feature of the widespread worm is that it installs fake antivirus software on infected machines.

The infection alerts repeatedly appear and experts are worried that people may be clicking on them and paying for the software just to be rid of the annoying messages, thereby handing thieves their credit card information.

The fake antivirus program also attempts to install a Trojan downloader that is programmed to download new versions of Spyware Protect 2009, according to Kasperky Lab's blog (http://www.viruslist.com/en/weblog). However, the domain the Trojan downloader was being accessed from has been shut down, the blog said.

The fake antivirus feature further bolsters the speculation that the motivation behind the worm  (http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10216205-83.html) is to make money and not a desire to disrupt computer or network operations.

Researchers were still analyzing new component code of the worm that began being spread via peer-to-peer and being downloaded off domains that host the Waledec worm on Wednesday  (http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10215678-83.html) but were finding the task difficult because the instructions are encrypted.

The worm spreads via a hole in Windows that Microsoft patched in October, (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS08-067.mspx) as well as through removable storage devices and network shares with weak passwords. The worm disables security software and blocks access to security Web sites.

Despite all the news the worm has made, many computers still remain unpatched, Sophos said. Of the number of people who have used Sophos' free endpoint assessment test to check the security risk of a network since the beginning of the year, 11 percent did not have the Microsoft patch installed, according to Graham Cluley's blog (http://www.sophos.com/blogs/gc/g/2009/04/10/pcs-patched-conficker-vulnerability/) at Sophos.

For the month of March, 10 percent of all of the people who used the Sophos assessment tool were missing the patch, he said. The company did not divulge exactly how many people had used the tool and Cluley said the statistics cannot be extrapolated to represent the number of unpatched systems on the Internet.

In an indication of infection rates, IBM's Internet Security Systems group released statistics that show that the number of unique IPs infected with Conficker.C is increasing slightly.

Based on infections seen through monitoring devices in its IBM ISS' Managed Security Services, the number has grown from just over 64,000 on April 2 to more than 71,000 on April 8, according to the unit's Frequency X blog (http://blogs.iss.net/archive/conficker-easter.html).

"We've seen around 11 percent more unique IPs in the past few days in comparison to a week ago," the blog said, also adding that the number doesn't necessarily indicate the scope of worldwide Conficker infection.

Nearly 60 percent of the infections monitored by IBM ISS are in Asia, followed by 18 percent each in Europe and South America, and 4 percent in North America, the statistics show. By country, China leads with 16.6 percent, followed by Brazil at 10.8 percent, Russia at 10.2 percent and Korea at 4.6 percent, according to ISS.

To check if your computer is infected you can use this Conficker Eye Chart (http://www.confickerworkinggroup.org/infection_test/cfeyechart.html) or this site at the University of Bonn (http://iv.cs.uni-bonn.de/fileadmin/user_upload/werner/cfdetector/). There is also a Conficker removal guide  (http://download.cnet.com/8301-2007_4-10208734-12.html) on CNET's Download.com site.

LINK (http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10217386-83.html)

Hi Monkeys,
Could someone tell me how to make some of my words in a post bigger.
I have tried the font thingy but it is not working for me or I'm not doing it right.  I'm doing pretty good with all the other stuff. :)
TIA

Not sure how that works....... ::MonkeyHaHa::

when you click on the size button you need to arrow back to the number and change it manually   then replace your cursor between the brackets             ]cursor[

click on quote and you can study what it looks like.   

here's the list of my free things (with the exception of one)

http://www.cband.info/top-10/PCTIPS.html

-Rob

What????   nothing free for me!!!!!

I hope some of those help users.  I use to use both Mac and PC years ago.  The PC was always getting scrambled.  Now it is just my wife's PC that I have to keep cleaning.  She finally purchased a back up drive for files and it is so economical now that everyone should do it.

Compared to everyone else's very technical questions -- mine is probably found in the book Computers for Dummies.  Sometimes when I open an e-mail with an attachment (from a known person), the attachment will not open and gets sent to my documents.  Once there I still can't open it.  Any thoughts?  TIA

Nothing is a minor question when it comes to computers.  We all have our problems at times.  Our computers don't always do what we want them to do and so it is always wise to get opinions and views from others.  There may be no one way of doing this.  Perhaps someone with a bit more know of PC attachments might wish to chime in.  It might also help us if you could tell us what type of attachments they are.

It all depends upon what type of attachment it is.  Your e-mail should indicate that somewhere.  I am more familiar with Mac than PC, but have owned both and still have both in the house.  If it is a photo file then make sure that extension stays in tact when the file is transferred.  (.gif or .jpg)  If it is a document file it may just have a .doc extension.  If it loses that extension you can replace it manually.  Normally you just have to highlight the file name and put the extension back on.  Once the file is downloaded to your computer rather than clicking on the file open the appropriate program.  You should have a basic photo viewer and also some sort of text reader on your computer.  If not I believe that through a cnet.com you should be able to find a "free" program or "orphan" reader.

Sometimes it is just a matter that some versions of "word" or other text documents may not be compatible with what you have on your computer.  It happens to all of us. 

Great Owl, thanks for responding.  What I think is happening is I use the word processing called Word Pefect.  Many of these attachments are coming in Word 7.  What the senders are doing:  letter.cover    My word processing does not recognize the .cover as a program, which it isn't, but I guess others can open it and I can't.  I sure don't want to have to buy another word processing program just to open e-mail attachments.  What is a "zip" -- does that convert?
Again, thanks for responding.

Ok, that helps a great deal.  I am not familiar with all the websites and free program for the various windows OS's.  However, if you do a google search for "free shareware" or "free readers" etc.  you should find several web sites to download a free application to help you out.

http://www.word-reader.com/

This is the type of application you are looking for.  I don''t use PC so I am not familiar with all the current applications.

again, CNET.com has a search engine you can use.   Also, I know there are many other sites out there for free PC papplications, it has just been a while since I have had to use them so I do not have them marked right now.

.zip is a compression application designed to save space when mailing documents.  What you need is an unzip program.  Again search for a "free unzip" application

http://www.pc-shareware.com/unzipwiz.htm

I have just given you examples of the types of websites you need to search on.  I am not an expert when it comes to knowing which PC application is currently the best.

Again, perhaps someone who uses PC and windows could give you some input.  Often, especially with PC's, you do not need to spend a lot of money to find these applications for free or at least for a very small cost in shareware.

keep writing if there is anything else I can help with.

Thank you so much.  I will now try unzipping myself
 :2notworthy:

(http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b31/phfreund/emoticons/36_2_25.gif)

Has anyone had any experience with Gumblar?

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10244529-83.html

TIA, Lovinlife

I have not heard of it being an issue in this part of the country.  It does not attack the Mac system and my wife's PC has not run into and websites through google that have attempt to force a download on her computer either here or at work.  I know that it is a phishing attack program, but I honestly haven't spoken to anyone who has even had to repel it.  I think most of the "holes" in java script and flash films have been plugged by now.

Thanks GreatOwl for your response.  We have 5 websites that have become contaminated with it.  At least that is what tech support says ::MonkeyConfused:: .  I was interested if anyone knew any more about it.  I guess it was a rare occurance.  I have tried to read some forums and 99% is so over my head that I didn't have any luck.

Why do all of the hackers & virus makers attack PC's and not the Mac?  Is it a Bill Gates thing?  I've always wondered.   ::MonkeyCool::

To answer the first part, I think the reason there is less impact at work is that most companies have set their firewalls so that employees can not access most sites that they would at home.  I know when I will sometimes send a link I find during the day to my wife, she has to wait to get home to view it.  Javascript seems to have the most holes so many of those sites have been blocked by companies.

The second part, would be that it is just a reality that most businesses operate using PC's and are very good at handling the business portion of a companies operation.  A company may have Macs in their advertising or marketing departments if they are large, but do not often deal with company sensitive data.  While Mac is increasing its share of the commercial market, it still is only in a minor percentage.  There are probably a fewer percentage of hackers who operate on PC's so that affects what viruses are developed.  We have only recently begun to use a few microsoft developed programs and those are pretty much partitioned off so that any viruses do not affect Mac code.

Heck, they even stopped making an Internet Explorer browser for Mac.  Many browsers can be used on both PC and Mac but the coding is different.  Two I can think of are Safari and Firefox.  Google chrome is having trouble putting out its browser for Mac and I suspect it has a great deal to do with the difference in code.

Long story short.  You probably don't see the same worms in an orange as in an ear of corn.  Why waste your time crashing a small number of computers when the hacker can have 10 times the impact for the same amount of work with PC's.

A few days ago, I rec'd an email from a friend and many of our mutual contacts were also cc'd.  The subject line and content were definitely suspicious looking, with subject greeting out of sender's character and content text stating she'd bought a laptop through a Korean company (again the grammar and phrasing out of character)....with a link, which I did not open, of course.

I knew immediately that she had not sent the message and while in her company yesterday, with others who'd been copied,  we found Google had advised her that since her account had been comprimised, she should just abandon it and open an entirely new email account.  If one of our friends had not used that email to ask a question totally unrelated, she'd never know that her email was being used by someone else for this purpose.   I, too, had sent her a note, but she closed her account before seeing it.

She has been using an Apple so wasn't concerned so much about viruses...just the email.  She had pictures and other personal things in that account which were lost.  Google rep told her that if they had her email account they also had her personal pictures, etc. 

Having read a little about this before posting, advice to prevent this type of thing can be as simple as changing your password frequently or making it more difficult for someone to figure out. 

I wanted to post this because there are a lot of tech savvy monkeys out there who may have more info or advice to share. 

I know many use gmail for their primary account.  I have found that it has the poorest security of any of the "site" e-mail accounts.  Hotmail, Yahoo etc. are not much better.  We all have used those types of accounts as a means of protecting identity.  Unfortunately, they have deteriorated in quality since being established.

I have accounts with all of them, but rarely use them anymore.  My gmail account gets as may as 200 spam messages a day.  Not all end up in the spam folder.  Some may say that this is good so many end up in a spam folder.  I can not share those sentiments.  The problem with having that many spam messages in a separate folder is that you always need to check to make sure that one of your own legitimate e-mails is not hidden there.  It takes time.

What I have ended up doing is just letting everyone and anyone contact me through my primary e-mail account.  I have this with Roadrunner.  The difference with me is that I have installed firewalls and separate virus/spam reporting programs and I can immediately send automated abuse messages out for any message that is inappropriate.  The program opens the header automatically and identifies all the servers a message may have been routed through.  It is not unusual for a spam e-mail to have been routed through 8-10 different servers before reaching my mailbox.  An abuse message goes out to all locations and servers.

I still get e-mail in my junk mailbox and even some I suspect are virus carriers.  I have found that I have reduced the amount of junk mail by about 90%.  When I first began using my primary e-mail account, I found a few prank e-mails from individuals who just wanted to be cute and abusive.  They ended up being automatically reported to their isp's as abusive and a couple did lose their accounts.  I no longer get those types of messages.

You really do not need to have a vast knowledge of computers to keep yourself safe.  You only need to investigate and spend a little time initially to protect yourself.

Can anyone explain to me how to set up an rss feed? TIA, Lovinlife

Nevermind.  I figured it out all by myself!!! :smt038

I need some help...please!

I was using IE...and it kept lagging crashing
I then switched to Mozilla/Firefox....still lagging and crashing
Switched to Google Chrome, which I really like (it is user friendly, in my opinion)

The message comes up...Google Chrome crashed...and it shows that the add on Shockwave Flash caused it to crash.

I have deleted and reinstalled Adobe Shockwave....and Adobe Flash several times and it keeps happening. Frankly, I am not finding the words Shockwave Flash used together anywhere except in my crash info.

I just used Malware Bytes and it found nothing.

I switched from AVG antivirus to Avast...AVG found a trojan a couple of weeks ago...but did not turn up anything since, and Avast said all was okay.

Anybody else have troubles with Shockwave/Flash? I play some games on FB and they require Adobe Flash to work.

I hope someone answers this because I'm having the same problem!

some new and old tools to help your system out. All free. This will help you with all the clog that occurs with forum posting.

Below is one of the best tools I have found. Download and follow the instructions as usual. There is a free RAM application. I use the tool in order - Maintain Windows, then Diagnose System and then Individual Utilities. I use internet booster and set my setting to 1 gig. It will not hurt your system to allow this setting. I know many do not have this setting / speed, but an open portal is best. Your connection speed will improve. I have Fios and 79mps but still set it to 1 gig.

http://www.iobit.com/advancedwindowscareper.html

That is best free overall tool I have seen.

Steven Gould's Clean Up - we have been using this for years, and I think it was snoopy that brought it over. This is a great tool and wipes out all junk files and obsolete video, and text files.

http://www.stevengould.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=69

((edit - we don't want to advocate getting software for free that is normally paid for - removing the KEYS that Misgiving posted))

TY Rob for the helpful advice. I have been using ASC for a few years now, and you are right, it covers a lot of issues.

I have never seen the Clean Up app, but d/l it and ran it and it cleaned out over 9mb of junk. I like the fact that you can run it in 'demo' mode and see what it finds before it actually cleans.

Again, thanks!

I use "Advanced System Care" as well. I paid for the "Pro" version (well worth it) but the "Free" version is just fine for most everyone! I highly recommend it!

Maybe someone could help me with an issue I'm having?

I've had my laptop for about 4 months now and it ran perfect til a week or two ago. Now, when I go to open a new tab, the thingy stops spinning, Firefox says not responding, but after a minute or so the page loads. It is noticeably slower than before too.

It never did this. And I had another laptop I used before this one that did it as well. It's an HP and came installed with some program that scans it once a week and deletes the files, etc, and it hasn't detected any problems, but I'm a newbie with computers and really don't know of any solutions.

But this is very annoying! And I would really appreciate any advice anyone could give me! (http://i824.photobucket.com/albums/zz170/Mom_Sho/Smileys/new-monkey-angel2.gif)

Without knowing more details, it sounds more like your internet connection. Being a laptop, I assume you have a wireless connection. You are probably having some issue with your router or may be "out of range".

....... I hope you aren't basing your "problem" on your experience with "Scared Monkeys" ------- we are ALL having that same problem!! ;-)

Gizzie- I periodically have the same problem with Firefox. Lots of no responding. This sometimes has to do with CPU usage. And sometimes not.

Here is Mozilla's latest version of Firefox. 3.6.6

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/

I would close Firefox, and then open Explorer, and then download - reopen Firefox and the updated version will install.

I don't have that problem with Opera or Explorer - only Firefox.

You might consider running a malware / adware type program too - that stuff makes your system noticeably slower. There are free programs listed on the previous pages.

Hope this helps and you are well.

Hi Wreck! My router is in the dining room and I'm on my laptop in the living room, maybe 25-30 feet away? It seems to be working better now after following the instructions Rob gave up above. Seems to be anyway.

Thanks!!

Nope. The only problem I'm having here is the occasional server busy notice.

I forgot to say too that when I'm trying to scroll down a page it looks like it's skipping , if that's a good way to describe it. The page is like jumpy. And that's at everywhere I try and read.

I haven't used the scroll since trying Rob's suggestion last night, but I'm going to check it out now!

Thanks again!

HI Rob! I'm great! How about yourself?

I remember doing the update the other day and it was still doing it.

But I did run the program ASC last night and it detected a bunch of stuff, and now seems to be much better! I thought I had programs on here that are supposed to do that.

I don't download a whole lot of stuff but I do have the computer on for long periods of time, and my 15 year old know it all says that's why. Could that be why?

I don't know a lot about computers, other than turning it on and off, and that's no exaggeration!

Thank you for your reply! (http://i824.photobucket.com/albums/zz170/Mom_Sho/Smileys/thanks-monkey.gif)

Hi ya Gizzie - I'm doing well, thanks for asking.

Leaving your computer on should not effect it's performance. I usually have alot of programs open and it eats up alot of RAM and drains the CPU. No matter how much RAM I have I always seem to have this issue. Having alot of pages and tabs open will do this and you may get a non-responsive script from a webpage like the Drudgereport or a web-based email site. It happens because those refresh on their own. The non-responsive script is a small box that appears and asks you to stop script or continue. It is usually in the middle of the page and will highlight in your block of pages found in your tool bar at the bottom of the screen - usually appears in orange for me.

Also, if your computer / laptop gets hot and is lying flat and not getting enough air circulation under it - it will run slower. Believe it or not.

I only have this same issue with firefox. You might also want to clean out your cache. Go to tools and options and then the privacy tab. Click remove individual cookies. There is alot of stuff that piles up in there and when I clear mine it seems to make firefox run a little better.

Each version of firefox seems to add more add-ons and applications so it's understandable it will not respond sometimes.

If that keeps happening to you - you might wanna try an older version of firefox. Maybe 2.5, I liked that one. You can just google firefox 2.5 and find the download and then install it.

Hope this kinda helps. I know it's frustrating. Happens to me alot too.

Thanks again for your help Rob!

2 days later and it's working like I just took it out of the box!

My son had warned me about the getting hot so I always have it on the coffee table, kinda sideways so it's leaning on the edge, if you can picture that. I do put it on my lap at times but not often.

The plug I notice does get hot though. I don't use the battery unless I'm outside. It only has a 2.5 hour life anyway.

If I have any other problems, I'll be sure to come here and hopefully you'll be around and can help me out! (http://i824.photobucket.com/albums/zz170/Mom_Sho/Smileys/winemonkey2.gif)

HELP!  I am using Firefox and am having problems watching videos...such as news videos linked in a thread....Caylee's thread in particular....when I click on the link it comes up and then started buffering....then I get a few second of audio and it starts buffering again....this process repeats over and over and over....is there an add on I need??  HELP!

I am looking for new icons for my desktop. What I have now is just a zillion yellow folders, so I have to read the title of each to find what I am looking for. I looked online, and there are many sites offering free downloads, but I don't know if they are safe. Does anyone have any suggestions for a safe site? TIA

Sunny - I dont know much about computers but I was having this same problem watching youtube videos...someone suggested that I start the video then press pause for a few seconds...while it is paused, it continues to buffer then when you hit play again it works fine. 

It has worked every time for me so far so maybe try that and see what happens 

thanks Leroy...I will give it a try.  I downloaded Google chrome and still couldn't watch them....ggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Maggie - this site looks ok to me. 

http://www.iconarchive.com/category/cartoon/garfield-icons-by-pino.html

You can choose any or many of the icon sets but you do have to download the zip file.  Then you can go into the properties of your folder and CUSTOMIZE and change the ICON.

I just tried it and made a garfield pic an icon for a folder.

test

IM GOING TO FIX EVERYTHING EVER FOR YOU GUYS,
EVER.
So get your external hard drive or a bunch of flash drives and back up everything important, including programs that you have to pay for.
Then, turn off your computer (don't restart, turn off) then turn it back on, and the moment it springs to life hit F11 and do a restore to factory settings.
You're computer will be like new. I do it to mine every once in a while (although I learned to backup the hard way, lost a $2,000 commission and the job with it ;>_<) and it runs flawlessly.

also, the best antivirus out there is called avast! and its free. Of course you can upgrade, but I don't.
Also, dont buy photoshop or any Adobe product, there are plenty of free, safe alternatives that eat up less RAM. When I had photoshop on my old laptop, that was all I could run. then I got a new laptop and got GIMP and I can run my game, GIMP, and a bunch of internet windows.

if you have any questions, feel free to ask :)

Avast is great! 

I still use the above except for Ad-AwareSE and Spybot. I can't recall why I stopped using them, except I changed to a laptop and as I recall they either caused issues with my computer or...maybe they starting charging money.
AVG
CCleaner
www.stevengould.org/software/cleanup/ is still free

the newest one I added is http://www.glarysoft.com/products/utilities/glary-utilities/download/

I am still have this message:

The following plug-in has crashed: Shockwave Flash
The problem happens with Google Chrome, Mozilla, and IE and I have spent a lot of time trying to research the issue but nothing has worked.

Leroy, if you found a solution please come back here and let me know...thanks!

I have tried uninstall SF and used an earlier version but eventually my games won't work until I install the upgraded version. Google/chrome does auto updates, I think...

I have read that their are known issues with SF and have read steps to take to try and help but they are way too technical for me to understand or attempt. I expected to find a fix/patch and download it and be on my merry way. That has not happened.

I am not to smart when it comes to some of the computer applications etc.
so I will ask all the smart Monkies here! 

The icons, "monkey faces, rhino, pig"...they are all so cute and appear above the message box. How do you get them to post?

I posted my message and then clicked on one of the icons...and instead of the figure I got the words in quotes.  No cute monkey!

I have a Macbook Pro...the first one I have owned, and only have had it for 5 months...so any help would be appreciated!

Thank fine Monkies!

If you simply click on them when when you have your comment screen up they will go into your text box.  Go ahead and test it and you will see.  ::MonkeyDance::

 ::MonkeyEek:: this is a test to see if the icon will appear

Thanks Klaasend it worked this time.  One of my previous posts, the icon did not appear, just the words describing the icon.  Thank you again!
 ::MonkeyWink::

 ::MonkeyCheer4:: ::MonkeyCheer4::  Now you can use the icons!  ::MonkeyCool::  I would be so lost with out them.   ::bee::
 ::bananadance:: ::bananadance:: ::bananadance:: ::bananadance:: ::bananadance:: ::bananadance:: ::bananadance:: ::bananadance::

Not exactly tools, but this article has some helpful info in it. I've only posted highlights from the article, you many want to read the entire article at the link below for more detail. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/29/technology/personaltech/tips-for-avoiding-user-errors-with-computers.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
Make Sure the Problem Is Not in Your Chair
September 28, 2011


If you use your laptop on your lap, or leave it plugged in all the time, you may well be cruising for what some experts call Picnic (Problem in Chair Not in Computer) or ID-10t (idiot) errors — computer problems caused by clueless users. Technical support professionals say these errors are responsible for at least half of all computer repairs.
 ::snipping2::
A classic mistake, Mr. Meister said, is using a laptop on your lap. Despite the name, a laptop should be operated on a flat and firm surface so that it rests on the four little nubs usually found on the base. A lap desk or even a large enough book will suffice. The point is to allow air to circulate around the machine.

Letting a laptop rest on your thighs — or worse, sink into a cushy comforter — prevents internal heat from radiating outward and can block air intake vents. This causes overheating, a major cause of component failure in computers. Using a laptop on a less-than-flat surface can also put the hard drive at an awkward angle, which can also cause damage.
 ::snipping2::
Speaking of the hard drive, don’t walk around with your laptop while the hard drive is active, because its actuator arm, which skitters over the surface reading or saving data, could bump into the drive’s fragile and finicky magnetic memory material. Many modern laptops have gyroscopes that shut down the hard drive when they sense movement, but that sometimes doesn’t happen fast enough to prevent harm.

“A lot of people close the lid on their laptop and throw it in their case without making sure the hard drive has shut down completely,” said Chris Kramer, director of technical support for Micro Center, a chain of 23 computer and electronics stores that has its headquarters in Hilliard, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus.
 ::snipping2::
Another common user error is leaving a laptop plugged in all the time.

“A lot of people use their laptops as a desktop,” said Kevin Dane, executive director of product quality and reliability for Dell, the computer manufacturer. “Leaving it plugged in all the time diminishes the battery life and degrades its performance.” Batteries, like muscles, atrophy if not exercised. Unplugging your laptop once in a while, say two to three times per week, is enough to keep the battery fit.

It’s also not a good idea to drain your battery completely and not recharge it for extended periods.

Leaving a battery uncharged for a long time can cause a degradation of its chemicals, said M. Stanley Whittingham, professor of chemistry and materials science at State University of New York at Binghamton. “If you treat batteries nicely by using them and not exposing them to extreme temperatures, they can last forever.”
 ::snipping2::
When transitioning from the grid to battery power, computer manufacturers and repair professionals suggest pulling out the power cord by the end piece, not by the line. Tugging the line can stress both the cord’s wiring and the pinlike contact points within the computer. And, of course, make sure the laptop is unplugged before dashing off with it to the next room or to a meeting
 ::snipping2::
Dust can also cause problems, though that is a bigger concern for stationary desktops, particularly if they are kept in areas with pets, smokers and carpeting. “I took the case off a Mac Pro recently that my co-worker complained was slowing down and freezing up and found about a half inch of dust inside,” Mr. Williams said.

The problem was that the machine was near a paper shredder. “I guess it was really adding to the dust load in a room,” said Mr. Williams, who removed the dust with a hose attached to a standard vacuum cleaner. “It worked fine after that.”

Experts recommend cleaning out desktop and laptop computers at least once a year (every six months if the machine is in a really dusty environment) by taking them into repair centers for a thorough cleaning or by removing the outer case and using a gentle vacuum, compressed air, tweezers or cotton swabs to remove dust bunnies.
 ::snipping2::
Never use standard household cleaners on or even near computers. The chemicals — and even the fumes — can seep into crevices and cause corrosion.

Picnic error can happen with software as well. While most people know not to download anything from a suspect source, repair technicians say that people frequently install an antivirus program on new computers when one has been already loaded, usually by the manufacturer.

“So you’ve got two programs trying to do the same task running in the background,” said Mr. Kramer from the Micro Center. “The computer slows down and gets jerky and can even freeze up.”

Finally, most experts advise shutting down computers every few days to clear out the cache and short-term memory, set off routine system maintenance chores, and install and update software that might have been downloaded while the computer was in use.

Moreover, restarting a computer often fixes mysterious glitches. “There’s a reason it’s the first thing they tell you to do when you call technical support,” said Mr. Williams, the consultant in Decatur. “It works.”

I don't have time to read back to see if this was posted, if so, Mods feel free to delete.  However, I had this problem and found the solution thanks to Wreck and Janet!  This happened when I was quoting a post longer than the shown box.  It would jump up to only the viewable area.



   Re: Lisa Irwin #6 11/02/11
« Reply #889 on: November 15, 2011, 11:05:47 PM » 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote from: Titch on November 15, 2011, 09:42:53 PM
Somebody not embody. My phone screen is jumping again. Sorry.



Titch

The following baby step instructions were afforded to me by Wreck when I had the "jumping" problem.

Janet

+++++

wreck
Re: Natalee Case Discussion #832 4/22/10 - 6/2/10
« Reply #705 on: May 17, 2010, 01:46:40 AM »

In IE8 - go to "TOOLS" - scroll down to "Compatibility View Settings". Click on it and a box will pop up --the put a checkmark in "Display all websites in comptibility view"

http://scaredmonkeys.net/index.php?topic=7363.msg1134689#msg1134689
 
 

 :smt013   My pc for some reason won't install Firefox's update.  ::MonkeyShocked::
It downloads it, but stalls after when it goes to apply it... ::MonkeyEek::

Any ideas????   ::MonkeyNoNo::
(http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l145/pharlap_9999/tobed.gif)

Ok, I d/l firefox 10 from chrome then installed.  Weird but works fine. ::CowboySmiley::

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9230170/Security_experts_push_free_Gauss_detection_tools
Security experts push free Gauss detection tools
Tools sniff for surveillance malware's custom font, which may hint at a 'zero-day' exploit
August 10, 2012

Computerworld - Two security organizations have released online tools that let Windows users check for possible infections by Gauss, the newly-revealed cyber surveillance malware thought to have been built by one or more governments.

Kaspersky Lab and the Laboratory of Cryptography and System Security (CrySys) at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics each published Gauss detection tools today.

Gauss, Kaspersky said yesterday, is a sophisticated threat that monitors financial transactions with Middle Eastern banks, perhaps as part of a wider investigation into the funding of terrorist groups. Kaspersky believes that Gauss was built by or under the auspices of a government, in large part because of coding practices that resemble those used in Flame, an advanced spying and data-stealing toolkit that targeted Iranian computers.
More...

http://www.pcworld.com/article/260735/gauss_malware_what_you_need_to_know.html
Gauss Malware: What You Need to Know
August 10, 2012

Another day, another scary computer virus tearing through the Middle East. The latest piece of malware is called Gauss, and it's designed to steal bank account credentials while gathering as much information about the infected machines as possible.

Should the new Gauss malware be of concern to the average PC user? Probably not, but it never hurts to bone up on the basics anyway:

What's unique about Gauss?

Gauss is cut from the same cloth as the Flame malware that spread through Iran and the Middle East earlier this year, and is reminiscent of the infamous Stuxnet worm. But unlike those instruments of cyber-warfare, Gauss' main purpose is to target banking information from Lebanese banks as well as Citibank and PayPal, according to Kaspersky. The purpose of this targeting is likely espionage, rather than theft.

Which operating systems does Gauss infect?

Gauss primarily infects 32-bit versions of Windows, though a separate spy module for USB drives can collect information from 64-bit systems. Infections are mainly split between Windows 7 and Windows XP, although some of the Gauss modules don't work against Windows 7 Service Pack 1. Mac and Linux machines appear to be safe.
More...

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2414191,00.asp
How to Disable Java
Java is a handy, cross-platform language that's been mightily abused by hackers. With the discovery of a new Java vulnerability that affects even the most up-to-date version, many experts advise everyone to simply disable Java. Here's how.
January 11, 2013


Java was once touted as the "write once, run anywhere" language. In theory, a single Java program could run on any Java-supporting platform. That dream never quite came to perfection, though, and these days Java is a favorite attack vector for hackers. The Flashback Trojan breached Macintosh computers via a Java vulnerability last year, for example. In August, researchers at FireEye reported another zero-day vulnerability in Java. The most recent Java vulnerability affects all versions of Java 7, including the most current version. Unless you absolutely need it, you should disable Java now.
Fortunately, Oracle offers a Web page with straightforward instructions on how to turn off Java.
More...

For those that have been using and liking iGoogle as their home page, as you know it will be going away come November 2013.  I have been testing different HOME PAGES trying to find one that I like best. 

Protopage.com is good, but the free one ends up being a pain after 30 days it starts placing ADS on your home page unless you pay over $2 per month (I won't pay for a home page). 

Now I trying NetVibes.  So far I like it.  It's very similar to iGoogle or Protopage but it's not supposed to pull that AD stuff.  So we shall see. ::MonkeyCool::

Please keep us posted on your home page research, Klaas.  I was disappointed when I saw iGoogle would be going away and it would be great to find something interesting (and free) to replace it with.  I wouldn't want to pay for a home page.  ::buzzbee2::

Test

Me too windows 8