Archive for category Virus and Spyware Problems

My Web Brower is Going Places I Didn’t Tell It To!

Jun 18

Posted by Erik Ehresman in Computer Repair, Virus and Spyware Problems | No Comments

You most likely have a browser hijacker. What is a browser hijacker? A fun little guy that makes your web browser go were it wants it to. This is called redirecting, your browser, and there is something that you can do about it. You can get rid of the hijacker and get your browser back. Here is how to do it. Download and run Malwarebytes and that should clean it out. However it will probably redirect you and not let you download it. To get around that you can either boot into safe mode or you check the settings on your browser to make sure it is not going through a proxy which is a common way of making your browser redirect.

To Check proxy issue:

For Internet Explorer:

Click on tools -> internet options -> the connection tab of the box that pops up -> the lan settings button and then uncheck the box to use a proxy.

For Firefox:

Click on Tools -> options -> The advanced Tab at the top of the box -> The settings button -> then make sure the No Proxy button is selected.

This should enable you to download malwarebytes and remove the problem.

Hopefully that will make you able to go where you wish once again. Happy browsing.

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Mcafee Vs Norton which is better?

Jun 4

Posted by Erik Ehresman in Virus and Spyware Problems | 2 Comments

I can’t tell you how many people have asked me which is better. For me it is like trying to figure out the best between a Ford Pinto and a Yugo. It is just a waste of time trying to figure out which is best of the worst. But, I have still done it. Mcafee is more effective at preventing virus infection on your computer, of course it is likely to make your computer run slow if it doesn’t make it completely unstable. Norton however is unstable, and can block you from using the internet at all. On top of all that I can’t count how many viruses I have had to remove from new fully updated Norton systems.

I always tell people that your best bet is AVG or Avira my to favorite anti-virus programs. They are free and very effective. There is no perfect anti-virus, especially if people are high risk internet users. What is high risk internet use? The people who go to porn sites, game pirate sites, or do lot’s of p2p downloading with programs like Limewire and Shareaza. You know who you are, and you can’t expect to get off virus free, with that kind of internet use. It is like putting on body armor and thinking that after that you can go and insult gang members is south central LA, you are still going to get shot.

It also doesn’t mean that a software is good because it has a big name and costs a lot of money. If you want good protection at least try the higher quality programs, AVG and Avira, and please stop the high risk internet use.

So which one is better? Neither one, end of rant.

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Is YouTube a Safe Website (From Viruses)?

Apr 20

Posted by Erik Ehresman in Social Networking, Videos, Virus and Spyware Problems | 6 Comments

Some people trying to figure out where they got the crazy virus that is attacking there computer have suspected that while watching videos on youtube they got infected.  Is it a breeding ground for massive amounts of viruses?  The simple answer is no.  However that doesn’t mean that you should not be careful with links people post with there videos.  Sometimes external links from there video posted on youtube leads to a site that is infested with viruses.  That is were you are getting into trouble, not being careful where you click, you can go from a relatively safe site to big trouble in just a click.  So watch how you use even reputable websites, don’t count on others, keep yourself safe.

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You May Not Be Protected!

Dec 15

Posted by Erik Ehresman in Computer Repair, Virus and Spyware Problems | No Comments

Did your internet service provider promise free antivirus software with your internet? They may not have told you that you need to download and install it on your computer. If you don’t have an antivirus program installed on your computer you are not protected. Your internet provider can not just filter it on there end. I have been removing a lot of viruses lately from computers people thought were protected because they were promised free antivirus software with there internet provider. This is usually a good thing but you have to download and install the software from your internet provider it is not automatic. Please protect yourself and either download it from them or choose one of the free antivirus software programs that are out there that work so well.

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What Are Rogue Anti-Spyware Programs and How do I get Rid of Them?

Nov 18

Posted by Erik Ehresman in Computer Repair, Virus and Spyware Problems | No Comments

Crazy things are happening on your computer. You have programs you have never heard of popping up and telling you your computer has problems, that you need to pay them to fix them. DON’T fall for it. These are scams, programs that do bad things to your computer and steal your money. These types of programs are called rogue anti-spyware programs, and even though they are hard to remove, it can be done. Here is a little list of some of the programs but there are hundreds of them. ]

  • Antivirus 2008
  • Antivirus 2009
  • IE Antivirus 3.2
  • Winweb Security 2008
  • XP Antivirus

Notice how the names sound official, some even like they are from Microsoft? That is by design, to get people to believe there story and fall for it. It often works. So how did you get this thing in the first place? You picked it up from some website you were on, or someone else used your computer and did it for you. There is no other way to get it.

OK you have the thing now what? Read this link I have for hard to remove spyware it is the same process.
Remove Rogue anti-virus Video. If this doesn’t work for you or you need some help please post a comment hear and I will do my best to help with some additional information.

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Free Anti-Virus Software Update

Nov 8

Posted by Erik Ehresman in Computer Repair, Software and Operating Systems, Virus and Spyware Problems | No Comments

This a free update to the recommendations that I have made about anti-virus software. I have and still do think that Avira AvitVir is very good software. It is very effective and for home use free. However I have had many problems lately getting it to update. I can’t my systems to update, or any of my customers at there different locations. I have had very good experiences lately with the new AVG 9.0 so I would recommend that if you are having problems with Avira updates you are not alone. Think about moving to something else. No matter how good an anti-virus software is, it is only as good as the next definitions update. I just wanted to keep you up to date.

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Fake Spyware and Virus Programs and How to Remove Them

Oct 23

Posted by Erik Ehresman in Computer Repair, Virus and Spyware Problems | 1 Comment

Wow, I have had a lot of computers in the shop this week with different fake programs claiming to be virus removal programs that have detected problems on a users computer. These scam programs often try to mimic Microsoft so that they look official. They offer to remove the problems for a price. If you give them any money things get worse on your computer not better. So How do you fix them? Especially since they often disable antimalware programs that can remove them.

You can start with trying to boot into safe mode with networking. Here is how you do that. Restart your computer and after it shuts down and just barley restarts start tapping the F8 key. This will get you to a boot menu and you can choose safe mode with networking. Next download Malwarebytes or Superantispyware or both. Install and update them then run. If you have a straight forward new infection this could work and fix the problem.

If you have a deeper problem and even in safe mode whatever it is won’t let the removal programs to run, sometimes you can rename them and they will work. If safe mode and renaming won’t work, you will need something like UBCD4win. That takes a little bit to create, basically it is a way to run Windows off of a CD so that you can run diagnositcs and repair programs. If this sounds complicated to you, that is because it takes being familiar with creating diagnostic CD’s, and if you are not technically inclined it can be complicated. This is the point you need to take it to a good tech to fix, because there also may be damage to your windows installation that will need to be repaired.

The best thing is to prevent it. Use a good anti-virus software. Be careful where you go online and what you click on, and run a good spyware remover regularly. I hope you never have this problem, but if you do maybe these tips can help you out.

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How to Choose Antivirus Software

Sep 7

Posted by Erik Ehresman in Computer Repair, Virus and Spyware Problems | No Comments

Where are all these computer viruses coming from? To many places to keep track of. What we can control is if they get onto our computer at all, or if they do how long do they stay. I am talking about preventing and repairing problems with antivirus software. The problem is with so many choices what are the ones that work?

I have fixed virus problems on many a computer with a installed and updated antivirus program, so I can tell you they are NOT created equal. I can steer you in the direction of some that in my experience have worked very well. First of all the price you pay is not related to the quality of the product. I have seen some expensive ” Internet Security ” packages fail and had extremely good success with several free software programs. So here is the list of good programs and links to where you can get them.

Let’s start with the free programs that I use.

AVG FREE
This is a very effecive program that I have used for many years. It updates every day and is very effective at blocking and removing virus threats.

Avira Anti Vir

This program has many of the same qualities of AVG but I would rank it lower because somtimes the update server is a little overloaded and you don’t get updates as regularly.

Avast

This program is very effective and takes up very little system resources. However I have less experience with it personally so I won’t rank it quite as high.

These programs are the ones that I would reccomend they are free for non-commerccial use and very effective. They work much better than many other very expensive antivirus software. If you would prefer to have a program that you buy from the store than here is my recommendations.

I prefer Trend Micro for 32 bit operating systems, I have seen a few problems with certain 64 bit installations.

I also think that McAfee is good software however it uses a LOT of system resources and will make your computer run slower.

Kapersky is also a good antivirus software, however it constantly asks you to verify certain system activities and if don’t know what it is asking it gets very annoying. Personally I prefer the first three softwares discussed. I hope this information helps you keep your computer system safe and clean!

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Video on Removing Difficult Viruses and Spyware

Aug 31

Posted by Erik Ehresman in Computer Repair, Videos, Virus and Spyware Problems | No Comments

Here is a short video on the earlier post about removing difficult spyware and viruses. This will remove “Personal Antivirus and other software that pretend to be helpful will being malware themselves. These types of programs can be hard to remove, this software will do it. Find out how to do it by watching this short video.

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5 Ways To Protect Your Computer For Free

May 21

Posted by Erik Ehresman in Computer Repair, Virus and Spyware Problems | 18 Comments

Viruses, spyware, and computer crashes. What are they caused by? How can we be safe from all the dangers out there? Let’s take five of the top problems seen on computers today and find out where they come from and some ways we fix and prevent these problems.
1. Viruses: A computer virus is a program that can copy itself and infect another computer. It can cause many different problems on your computer. The best way to fix virus problems is to prevent them. Avoid download sites and websites that are known to have virus problems, I can’t list those sites here but if you are downloading music and programs that you are not paying for you are going to get a virus. Also you need good anti-virus software to protect you, which leads to the question what is good anti-virus software. I recommend three free anti-virus programs that work better than most paid software here are the links. Antivir, AVG, and Avast

2. Spyware: This is software that is designed to watch how you use the internet and report that information so that you can be marked to more successfully. It can also hijack your web browser and force it to the websites that it wants you to go to. It can also slow your systems down and cause system errors. You can prevent some spyware infections, however you will need to run regular removal scans at least once a week as well. There are many spyware removal programs that work well and are free. I recommend two, Spybot Search & Destroy, and AdAware.

3. Trojan Horse Viruses: These are not the same as standard viruses and can sometimes be harder to remove. They come onto your computer disguised as to their purposes. If you have a Trojan horse virus that keeps plaguing you and defies your anti-virus software, try Malwarebytes. This program is very effective at removing difficult problems on computers.

4. Data Loss: If your computer’s hard drive failed today would you lose pictures and documents that you can’t replace? There are ways to recovery pictures and files depending on what has caused your hard drive to fail, and I am going to recommend a few but the single best thing to do is back up what you can’t afford to lose. Some forms of data loss are extremely expensive to recover from, if it is possible at all. Protect yourself and back up your data. If you accidentally delete a file or have another relatively simple data loss problem one of these programs might work for you. Undelete Plus is a free software for recovering lost files for more serious data recovery I recommend Recover My Files which costs 69.95

5. Updates: Microsoft is always creating security patches and many people wonder if that is something they should install. Will a security patch hurt your computer? No, it won’t and you should install it. These patches fix holes in your security that could let a virus in. Sometimes Service Packs do cause problems but that is a different thing from a security patch. Before installing a Service Pack back up all your data and make sure to read the instructions. But you are safe installing a simple security update and it will protect you.

So these are just a few ways to keep your computer running fast and keep you safe on the internet. There are many more. If you have software you have used or tips you would like to share please post a comment.

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