Computer question/related paypal

[Randy Denby]

I have discovered that I had malware/spyware on my computer. I recently bought Norton 360 anti-virus and it shows to have blocked it, but my computer still runs slow. The malware is called zango / 180 solutions and it shows to have a keylogger...or something. I downloaded a free Spyware program that shows I have over 500 registry problems and keyloggers etc....Of course I have to pay for it to "fix" the isssues.Anyways, my question/ uneasiness is in signing up for paypal. I want to contribute to SMC ,but am afraid that this malware might get my credit card number. What do ya'll computer experts think? Am I a sitting duck?
I will not let my grandkids on this thing ever again...:o

[Andy Pedler]

Hi Randy,

A few years ago I bought a new laptop and installed the combination of Norton AntiVirus and ZoneAlarm Pro on it. Yes, they cost a little money (though nowadays that is coming way down), but when utilized properly, they worked great.

ZoneAlarm is a little annoying at first, as it questions you about sites you visit until it learns what applications are okay and which ones to block. But those interruptions become few and far between as you use it more, and the thing really works if you keep your machine relatively secure.

As for cleaning out your existing computer, there are lots of tools out there. Frankly, I haven't had much luck with the freeware tools, so expect to pay something. But what you'll pay will likely be less than what you'd pay to have a service clean up your system, or for a new hard drive for a fresh start.

This stuff is a big problem, and your fears of having personal information stolen by your pre-existing malware are valid. Good luck fixing this problem.

Andy - Newark, CA

[glenn bradley]

I would express a very high warning regarding keyloggers. They are watching your keystrokes to capture userid/password pairs and report them to the invader. Once removed (and this should be a priority) change all your passwords, and I mean ALL your passowrds.

Being a Windows user, I rebuild my machine a couple times a year as the 2 - 3 hours it takes to re-install Windows, upgrades, apps and data files is faster than messing around for days trying to figure out what is slowing my machine down. Your mileage may vary but this works for me and I am happy to do it.

[Randy Denby]

Thanks Andy and Glenn !
Glenn, How do you go about rebuilding your computer? Is it backing up data and then reformating the hard drive then re-installing windows and programs? I'm gonna check out zone alarm too......
Thanks!
Randy

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Randy,

I use Zonealarm Pro. It has an antivirus and an ad-blocker and anti-spyware. Zonealarm is a firewall. You can download a free version but it doesn't contain the antivirus or the anti-spyware program.

[Andy Pedler]

I would highly recommend the non-free version of ZoneAlarm. I'm as cheap as they come, but I've used both and the free version just doesn't work as nicely as the full version. The interfaces are slightly different and the full version seems to update easier. I suspect they both can be made to work reliably, but I'm a silicon valley engineer and fairly savvy computer user, and I've struggled with the free version and had no problems with the full version.

I used ZoneAlarm on that laptop for a year-and-a-half and when I ran the free SpyBot tool to detect spyware, it found nothing. Zero. That's unheard of, from my experience.

Norton has its charms, but it taxes your system so much and has so many background processes running that you can't kill, that many of my friends consider it a virus unto itself. There are many free virus prevention programs available that work as well as Norton. The much larger threat to your computer is from spyware, and that's where the firewall (ZoneAlarm, or others) becomes so important.

And don't assume that even though the little Linksys/Netgear box that sits between your DSL/Cable Modem is called a "Router/Firewall" that it actually provides any protection. While those little boxes can be configured by an expert to work as true firewalls, nobody uses them for that, and even at their best they aren't that good. They are really just a router, providing no more protection than your modem.

Re-building a new system is a lot easier than it used to be. You would buy a new hard disk, install it in your system, and start installing software. Keep your existing hard disk out of the system while doing this whole procedure. But if you aren't familiar with doing this sort of thing, and if you don't have a second computer at the ready with a high-speed internet connection for downloading the drivers that you will undoubtedly require, then it can be a pain.

It is a lot easier to start fresh and work to keep a fresh install clean than it is to clean up one that has been infiltrated by malware.

Good luck!

Andy - Newark, CA

[Chuck Wintle]

I have discovered that I had malware/spyware on my computer. I recently bought Norton 360 anti-virus and it shows to have blocked it, but my computer still runs slow. The malware is called zango / 180 solutions and it shows to have a keylogger...or something. I downloaded a free Spyware program that shows I have over 500 registry problems and keyloggers etc....Of course I have to pay for it to "fix" the isssues.Anyways, my question/ uneasiness is in signing up for paypal. I want to contribute to SMC ,but am afraid that this malware might get my credit card number. What do ya'll computer experts think? Am I a sitting duck?
I will not let my grandkids on this thing ever again...:o

Download and install Spybot "Search and Destroy" and Ad-Aware. They are both free and will allow you to get rid of the spyware.:)

[Jim Podsedly]

I have the full version of Webroot Spy Sweeper and have been very lucky as to not have any virus attacks on the computers.

[David G Baker]

I use Zone Alarm Security Suite as well as Ad-Aware and my Internet related problems have dropped 99%. The last major problem I had is when I upgraded to Internet Explorer version 7. It took approximately 1 month th crash my computer (Christmas Day). What a gift it turned out to be. Got rid of it, re-formated my hard drive and haven't had a problem since.
I am running Zone Alarm on two computers and pay for two years in advance.

[Zahid Naqvi]

Randy, as for SMC you can always mail a check, I suppose.
But I agree with those who suggest a reinstall. Once you get windows re-installed (you should have a Windows CD that came with your computer if you bought it new), get all the applications installed and then take a full system backup before you start using it. This backup will be your fall back option if you have to revert to this process again.
I personally use Symentec, which seems to work great. Also buy a router to use at home (if you have DSL or cable modem), it adds another layer of security.

[Curt Harms]

I use a shareware imaging solution. http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/imagel.html yes I did buy it It can save to CD's, DVD's or partitions on the same or a different Hard Drive. What I found really useful is the Linux version. No, You don't have to know command line syntax to use it, though there may be advantage to knowing some command line switches.

The useful thing about creating an image from a bootable CD is that Windows isn't running when the image is made, it's static. Also Linux uses more available memory than the DOS version so the Linux version is faster. I use DVD-RWs and can get the Operating system and applications on 2 DVD's. I also create one image right after setting up a new computer after updates and periodic images when something changes or it's been a while. If something pukes, I can restore the most recent image and will lose only what has changed on that partition since the last image. I keep my data on a different partition so if the Windows partition pukes, I haven't lost much if any data. If I had a virus or something that had been on my machine for an unknown period of time, I can restore the "just born" partition and I'm back in business although I don't have the most recent updates and applications.

I hope this makes sense.

Curt

[Greg Crawford]

I'll add my vote for Zone Alarm and Ad Aware. I'll also suggest sending a check instead of using Paypal. I've had problems with them, but mine are nothing compared to some listed in the paypal sucks web site (Google it, as I don't know if a link to it would violate the TOS). If nothing else, NEVER let Paypal have access to your bank account unless it's a separate account in a separate bank only for that purpose. Paypal is not a "bank", so is not regulated like a bank, but has many of the powers of a bank.

[Tim Morton]

what is spyware and malware and what are these spyware programs and virus programs you speak of???

Mac user since forever;):D:cool::eek:

[Jim Becker]

Tim, don't be too complacent on this...there are such things in the Mac and Linux world, although they are at a very small level presently. But as these platforms enjoy more success and market penetration, they become a more attractive target. You never know what some nefarious person will come up with at any time! ;)

[Larry James]

what is spyware and malware and what are these spyware programs and virus programs you speak of???

Mac user since forever;):D:cool::eek:

Tim, I'm a Mac user - never heard of such a thing. Surely a company like Microsoft would have all the protection features built-it to their software and not make their customers pay extra to fix their products. :rolleyes:



Tim, don't be too complacent on this...there are such things in the Mac and Linux world, although they are at a very small level presently. But as these platforms enjoy more success and market penetration, they become a more attractive target. You never know what some nefarious person will come up with at any time! ;)

Jim, you scare me, tell me it's not true. :( I'm holding my breath. :rolleyes:

Did I say I'm a Mac user?
Larry

[Jim Becker]

Larry, when it comes to the kind of minds that are out there in the computing world, we can "never say never" relative to things like viruses, spyware, etc., no matter what platform we choose. While it's absolutely true that with a Mac or a Linux system it's highly unlikely for an infection right now, "never" is a very long time!