OT: "UnWise" files suddenly found on my PC

[jtoomasson at yahoo.com (Jeff Toomasson)]

Thanks for the instructions, Tim.
 
Unfortunately, when I go to all the files you prompted me to examine, my computer now says that they're no longer there. I have MacAfee, but for some reason I can't remember it updating its registry in last few months (ever since I installed XP).
 
I guess I'm going to try the System repair function. 
 
Wish me luck - JT

stetson <tim@unrealexpectations.ath.cx> wrote:
I'd also recommend a full drive scan w/ "all files" selected in the
Anti-Virus software you have installed (You _DO_ have AV installed,
right?!?!? If not, and you have a M$ product on the internet, it's like
hosting an roman orgy w/o condoms! Meaning that viral infections can run
and play unchecked and will be propogating wildly.)
If not, go get one (it's a wise investment), put it in your CDROM drive
and reboot your machine. The 2 major ones (Norton AV and McAfee) are
able to boot from an installation CD and run a complete scan of your
hard drive w/ the virus definitions that were current at the time of it's
release. These are not cheap. But they do work.
There are "free" or "trail-ware" ones that you can download and install
but they are usually used after the fact and I've never trusted their
abilities as they were installed on a comprimised machine that may have
recognized and disabled/hid from the AV software when it comes to their
detection. That's why for "after the fact" virus removal I recommend that
the AV software be bootable so it can't be working from an already
comprimised situation.
I'd also suggest the download of a program called "spybot" that identifys
and removes nasty cookies that can get up to all sorts of mischeif by
seding out personal information, reporting browsing habits, etc.
Not life or death type stuff but now a necessary part of PC hygine and
sometimes will remove software you had no idea had installed itself on
your machine. I work in IT and it still cleans about 6-7 thing from my
drive weekly.

HTH

Tim



One can't proceed from the informal to the formal by formal means.



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