Rid Your System of Malware

Computer Care: Keep an eye out for malware, spyware

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

UPDATED May 28, 2010 11:29 p.m.

Have you ever tried to check your e-mail and found you couldn’t connect? Or maybe you clicked on an icon and nothing happened?

Perhaps your browser’s home page suddenly changed. Ever had your e-mail recipients tell you they got 20 of the same e-mail you sent once?

It’s malware. I have taken out more forms of malware infections from clients’ computers lately than viruses. The problem is, most computer users either ignore the warning signs or don’t know what they are.

Just like with a car, a PC requires regular maintenance, and checking for malware is part of it. There are free programs that will eradicate it; some suites incorporate a malware remover or you can buy dedicated utilities that will do the job.

As I’ve previously mentioned, I’m an advocate of download.com. It’s a good place to start when looking for a program, free or otherwise. All the programs I mention here are available there for download.

Some of the anti-virus suites on the market now that also have malware tools are AVG, Avira, Avast and Kaspersky. All of these have trail versions so you can test-drive them.

Some good free tools to have on your system are Super AntiSpyware, Malwarebytes, AdAware and Spybot. Keep in mind that many of the companies that sell utilities also have free versions of their product. The biggest difference is they lack any live support. They may also lack some bells and whistles the paid versions have. But they are better than not having anything installed.

The biggest mistake I see people do on their computers is to click on a button or link that suddenly appears out of nowhere. When you get an e-mail from someone you don’t know and it has a link, leave it alone. Just because it may say, “About the money I owe you,” in the subject line doesn’t mean you should click on it. It’s a scam. Delete that message.

Likewise, if you get a pop-up saying your system has 682 registry errors and you don’t have a registry utility installed, do not click on it. Windows will never advise you about these errors. Often, once you get those pop-ups, it’s too late. You are already infected.

If no matter what you click on, you get more pop-ups, then it’s time to buy a “real” program or call a technician to fix it.

In itself, having a lot of pop-ups is a way of knowing you have malware in the form of spy- or adware on your system.

One reason I like Firefox over Internet Explorer, is because it blocks pop-ups.

Aside from malware, what I call POJ can clog your system. That Plain Old Junk is the garbage files in your Recycle Bin, the temp files created by Windows, the history cache left by your browsers, the installers you once downloaded and more. If you get enough of these junk files, it will bring your system to its knees, causing it to slow down.

A good free utility to assist with that task is Advanced System Care. It will keep your registry tidy, optimizing your settings while keeping your system junk-free.

Another good source for free programs and utilities is giveawayoftheday.com. Sign up for their e-mails and wait for something that you can use. You have 24 hours to download and install each program. It will automatically be activated if you install it on time.

About programs like anti-virus and — malware: go to the scheduler and the update parts of the programs to make sure they are set properly. Set the update to automatic and schedule scans at a time when the computer is on, but not being used. Like with defrag, it is hard to use your computer when a scan is running.

Let your programs update as often as they want to and run scans on a regular basis. Check for viruses at least three times a week; the same for malware. Run a program like AVS weekly and defrag your hard drive once a month. Set up your system to put itself to sleep after a certain period of inactivity. Your hard drive will last longer if it’s not on 24/7 needlessly.

Use System Restore to create restore points that you could revert to, should something go wrong.

If you get an error message, especially on a blue screen (BSOD, the “Blue Screen of Death”), Google the exact message to find out what the problem is and take it from there. Use your computer to fix your computer. It’s a wonderful tool.

When you download programs, stay away from version 1.0 or 1.03. Let them work out the kinks and wait for at least Version 2.0.

Whatever you do, don’t ignore the problems. They will not go away. They will not fix themselves. They may go dormant for a while, but they’ll be back.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly. Arthur welcomes your computer questions and ideas for future columns.

Primer in Computer Terminology

Computer Care: RAM from ROM — Some basic PC terminology

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

POSTED May 15, 2010 1 a.m.

Writing is a family tradition. Both of my daughters write and my wife has a biweekly column here in The Times. When I meet people around town, I often hear that they read our columns - and enjoy hers. It's just that mine is too technical for them to understand.

I try not to use much techno jargon, but I can't stop using the necessary terminology. I can try to help you understand it, yet I need to refer to components like the processor as such. I can't call it "the thingy that makes the computer run."

So let's have a brief primer in computing technology. There won't be a test at the end, but take notes anyway.

Since you use computers, there are certain terms you should be familiar with. It will help you when you need to troubleshoot your system. If you don't know your RAM from your ROM, F Keys from F-Stops or drag and drop from cut and paste (I could go on), then keep reading.

RAM is your system memory. The acronym means Random Access Memory. It is your computer's temporary storage in that when you power down, what is in RAM is lost.

Your hard drive is your permanent memory or storage device. When you save a document, that's where it goes. In today's PCs, you might have 2 gigabyte of RAM with a 300 GB hard drive.

ROM is Read Only Memory. That's what a DVD has when you get one with a movie on it. Your optical drive, the CD/DVD reader/writer, may say DVD ROM if it only reads DVDs.

Drag and drop is what you do with Windows files when you want to move them from one place to another. Let's say you have some photos on your desktop. Open your My Documents folder and find the My Pictures folder. Click and drag each photo on your desktop (holding the left mouse button down) on top of the Pictures icon and then let go. You just moved the photos there. If you use the right mouse button, you'll have the option of move or copy.

Cut and paste is when you highlight some text or an address to place somewhere else. Position your mouse at the beginning of the text and holding the left button down, go to the end of the text desired. Then right-click, choose Copy, or go to Edit from the top menus and choose Edit -> Copy.

Put your curser where you want to move or copy the text and then right-click again and choose Paste or go to Edit -> Paste. Alternatively you can use keyboard shortcuts Control + C for copy and Control+ V for paste.

The F Keys are the top row of keys, usually in blue. They are accessed in combination with the FN (Function) Key on the bottom left of your keyboard. They change things like screen contrast, toggle the wireless on and off or allow an external monitor. Just look at the icon on each key. Computers differ as to the function of each key.

F-stops are the aperture sizes on your camera's lens. That's another column altogether, but I did mention it.
Let's continue. You've heard about modems and routers. Some Internet service providers combine these two devices into one unit, but let's say you have two boxes. The modem, which means modulate, demodulate, gets the signal from your wall and your provider. The router spreads it around your home to various computers.

A flash drive, thumb drive, USB drive or whatever you decide to call it is that tiny storage device on your keychain. It usually holds anywhere from 1 to 16 GB. It is cheap, has no moving parts and will be the type of hard drive in computers in the very near future.

The processor is the actual chip that does most of the work. It is the CPU or Central Processing Unit. It could be Intel or AMD, single, dual or quad core. It is currently measured in gigahertz GHz (1-3) noting the speed of the processor.

Hardware is a tangible component in or on a computer. Software is a program it uses.

An e-mail client is Outlook, Outlook Express Windows Mail or Incredimail. Web Mail uses the Internet and online programs like Gmail, Hotmail and AOL Mail.

An attachment is something you send with an e-mail, whether it is a document or a photo.

Photos are often referred to as jpgs or jpegs, as that is a common file extension for a photo image (myphoto.jpg). Movies on the other hand are often called mpgs or mpegs as that is their extension. There are others for both.

If you take even this little bit of PC knowledge with you next time you computer shop, you'll know what the sales guy is talking about.

There will be a test next time.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly on Saturdays. Arthur welcomes your computer questions and ideas for future columns.

Safe Mode for Self-Support

Computer Care: Safe Mode helps you track down system problems

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

POSTED May 1, 2010 4:28 p.m.

Before you call a technician to fix your computer, there are a couple of things you could try on your own. System Restore is one option, but we covered that in a previous column. Safe Mode is another option. The former loads an alternative version of the registry, one when everything was working the way it should.

When you can’t boot normally into Windows, the latter lets you into a version of the OS with only the absolute necessities running, allowing you to attempt repairs. You will not have sound, Internet or printing capabilities and the display will look different. It will load with only 16 colors and a resolution of 640 x 480, making everything look larger. Although limited, you will have enough functionality to troubleshoot your problem.

Once there, you’ll be able to destroy malware, eradicate viruses, address system conflicts and repair your registry, if it warrants it.
So how do you get there? Reboot your computer and tap the F8 key immediately after the initial messages appear on screen. If you get to the Windows logo, you missed your window of opportunity. Reboot and try again.

You’ll see a window entitled “Advanced Options Menu” if you did it correctly. The top option is Safe Mode, but there’s another one you should try first.

Halfway down the list, find “Last Known Good Configuration” and click on it. It is a form of System Restore that will take you back to better times. It may or may not work for you, but it’s worth a try.

After booting into Windows with that option, if nothing has changed reboot and try again. This time hit the top Safe Mode option. You’ll get a confirmation pop-up advising you that you’re about to enter Safe Mode. Click “Yes” to continue.

If you get a password window and don’t have one, just hit enter and continue. You’ll see a black screen with scrolling text. This is normal. When it settles down and you are in Windows, you’ll see the words “Safe Mode” in all four corners of the screen.

If this didn’t work for you, there is another way to get there. From inside Windows, click “Start,” and then “Run” in XP or use the Search box in Vista or 7. Type “msconfig” to bring up the System Configuration Utility. Under the Boot.ini tab, check the box next to “Safeboot” and make sure the “minimal” option is also checked. When you reboot, you’ll be where you need to be.

Now it’s time to get to work. You’ll need to play detective and try to figure out what changes to your system stopped it from working properly. Determine if the culprit was newly added hardware, software or an updated driver.

When you add these things, it’s important to be certain they are compatible with your particular operating system. Windows is not Windows. If you have Win 7, make sure the box or Web site you got it from says, “Compatible with Windows 7.”

Use the proper delete method for whatever you are getting rid of. Control Panel has Add/Remove Hardware and Software utilities or you could use third-party applications.

Uninstall that new program, reboot and see if it helped. Then try uninstalling the printer or mouse you just added, reboot and see if that helped. Then try the drivers. Do it in steps.

If you want to roll back a device driver, go to Device Manager and double-click on the mouse, for example. Then choose to roll it back to a previous version.

To get out of Safe Mode, you only need to reboot normally, unless you had to use the System Configuration Utility. In that case, go back and uncheck the box you initially checked for Safe Mode.

If all of this troubleshooting fails to remedy your problem, it’s time to get out the big guns. Find your Windows CD.

If you boot to it, you can choose to initiate a Windows repair. If you’re not careful, you’ll be reinstalling Windows, which you may have to end up doing anyway, but not yet.

The second time you’re asked, hit “R” to run the repair module. It will appear as if Windows is reinstalling, bit in fact it is just copying and replacing files. When all is done, you’ll still have your programs and documents.

Don’t abort this process. You’ll only be asking for more trouble if you do and will have to finish it later anyway.

If the repair didn’t take, the last thing to try is a complete and full reinstallation of Windows. That WILL delete your files and you’ll be starting from scratch. But at least everything will work as it should.

Don’t jump to conclusions so fast though. That’s why there is Safe Mode. It will let you in to fix the system when you couldn’t normally. Try using it first. It could save you both time and money.

We techs are always here if you need us.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly. Arthur welcomes your computer questions and ideas for future columns.