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How to keep computer clean; install antivirus software, use firewall, update computer Microsoft updates, install spyware blaster, keeping your pc clean and safe
Now that you are clean, please follow these simple steps in order to keep your computer clean and secure:
Use an AntiVirus Software - It is very important that your computer has an anti-virus software running on your machine. This alone can save you a lot of trouble with malware in the future.
See this link for a listing of some online & their stand-alone antivirus programs:
Update your AntiVirus Software - It is imperitive that you update your Antivirus software at least once a week (Even more if you wish). If you do not update your antivirus software then it will not be able to catch any of the new variants that may come out.
Use a Firewall - I can not stress how important it is that you use a Firewall on your computer. Without a firewall your computer is succeptible to being hacked and taken over. I am very serious about this and see it happen almost every day with my clients. Simply using a Firewall in its default configuration can lower your risk greatly.
For a tutorial on Firewalls and a listing of some available ones see the link below:
Visit Microsoft's Windows Update Site Frequently - It is important that you visit Microsoft Windows Update regularly. This will ensure your computer has always the latest security updates available installed on your computer. If there are new updates to install, install them immediately, reboot your computer, and revisit the site until there are no more critical updates.
Install Spybot - Search and Destroy - Install and download Spybot - Search and Destroy with its TeaTimer option. This will provide realtime spyware & hijacker protection on your computer alongside your virus protection. You should also scan your computer with program on a regular basis just as you would an antivirus software.
A tutorial on installing & using this product can be found here:
Install Ad-Aware - Install and download Ad-Aware. ou should also scan your computer with program on a regular basis just as you would an antivirus software in conjunction with Spybot.
A tutorial on installing & using this product can be found here:
Install SpywareBlaster - SpywareBlaster will added a large list of programs and sites into your Internet Explorer settings that will protect you from running and downloading known malicious programs.
A tutorial on installing & using this product can be found here:
Update all these programs regularly - Make sure you update all the programs I have listed regularly. Without regular updates you WILL NOT be protected when new malicious programs are released.
Follow this list and your potential for being infected again will reduce dramatically.
Now that you are clean, please follow these simple steps in order to keep your computer clean and secure:
Use an AntiVirus Software - It is very important that your computer has an anti-virus software running on your machine. This alone can save you a lot of trouble with malware in the future.
See this link for a listing of some online & their stand-alone antivirus programs:
Update your AntiVirus Software - It is imperitive that you update your Antivirus software at least once a week (Even more if you wish). If you do not update your antivirus software then it will not be able to catch any of the new variants that may come out.
Use a Firewall - I can not stress how important it is that you use a Firewall on your computer. Without a firewall your computer is succeptible to being hacked and taken over. I am very serious about this and see it happen almost every day with my clients. Simply using a Firewall in its default configuration can lower your risk greatly.
For a tutorial on Firewalls and a listing of some available ones see the link below:
Visit Microsoft's Windows Update Site Frequently - It is important that you visit Microsoft Windows Update regularly. This will ensure your computer has always the latest security updates available installed on your computer. If there are new updates to install, install them immediately, reboot your computer, and revisit the site until there are no more critical updates.
Install Spybot - Search and Destroy - Install and download Spybot - Search and Destroy with its TeaTimer option. This will provide realtime spyware & hijacker protection on your computer alongside your virus protection. You should also scan your computer with program on a regular basis just as you would an antivirus software.
A tutorial on installing & using this product can be found here:
Install Ad-Aware - Install and download Ad-Aware. ou should also scan your computer with program on a regular basis just as you would an antivirus software in conjunction with Spybot.
A tutorial on installing & using this product can be found here:
Install SpywareBlaster - SpywareBlaster will added a large list of programs and sites into your Internet Explorer settings that will protect you from running and downloading known malicious programs.
A tutorial on installing & using this product can be found here:
Update all these programs regularly - Make sure you update all the programs I have listed regularly. Without regular updates you WILL NOT be protected when new malicious programs are released.
Follow this list and your potential for being infected again will reduce dramatically.
Glad we are able to help.
I have said almost exactly the same thing. Good tips!
Location: Mableton, GA USA (NW Atlanta suburb, 4 miles OTP)
11,334 posts, read 26,089,277 times
Reputation: 3995
Quote:
Originally Posted by southernlady5464
Now that you are clean, please follow these simple steps in order to keep your computer clean and secure:
Excellent advice and good tips. I don't use Windows myself except for work, and I'm limited as to what I can do on those boxes myself, but my methods for keeping my wife's Win2k box safe match your advice almost exactly.
I don't use SpyWareBlaster, but I don't allow MSIE to be used on my home LAN anymore, either. We've been a Firefox household for quite a while. :-)
Once again, Liz, thank you for your time to post this most useful info. It's extraordinarily helpful to someone, like me, who has limited knowledge & the more we know, the better off we all are. Thank you for your time & desire to share... VV
Location: Between a nook-a-ler reactor and a dump, North Cackalacky
283 posts, read 1,259,687 times
Reputation: 135
You can avoid all of that hassle and expense by switching to Linux. Ubuntu, Fedora, and OpenSUSE are *very* desktop friendly these days. The laptop I'm writing this on is 100% free and open source software, never had a virus, never a piece of spyware, and runs for weeks or months w/o a reboot.
It's very sad commentary on the quality of Microsoft code that you have to go to such extreme lengths, time investment, and financial investment to be able to "safely" use your computer. Does that not seem absurd to anyone else?
You can avoid all of that hassle and expense by switching to Linux. Ubuntu, Fedora, and OpenSUSE are *very* desktop friendly these days. The laptop I'm writing this on is 100% free and open source software, never had a virus, never a piece of spyware, and runs for weeks or months w/o a reboot.
It's very sad commentary on the quality of Microsoft code that you have to go to such extreme lengths, time investment, and financial investment to be able to "safely" use your computer. Does that not seem absurd to anyone else?
Except there are some software products that will not run on a linux distro. One is my insulin pump software...it's windows only. And the other is my favorite graphics program...I am a tuber (paint shop pro). Liz
Location: Between a nook-a-ler reactor and a dump, North Cackalacky
283 posts, read 1,259,687 times
Reputation: 135
Wine does a great job of enabling Windows programs in Linux. It's not perfect, but either 1) a little research will guide you in getting a program running or 2) a free/open source alternative exists.
For example, I have GIMP on this machine; I also have Photoshop running under Wine. Never tried Paint Shop Pro.
I have also found that many free/open source programs are far better than their proprietary, fee-based counterparts, FF and Opera vs IE is a great example (as is Apache vs IIS).
Wine does a great job of enabling Windows programs in Linux. It's not perfect, but either 1) a little research will guide you in getting a program running or 2) a free/open source alternative exists.
No free/open source alternative exists for either of the program I mentioned. There is not one for my pump...simply does not exist, it is a proprietary program by a pump manufacturer. And the tubes I make in PSP don't exist in GIMP...I've looked. Liz
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