posted on November 4, 2004 07:43:29 AM new
I just ran Adaware on my son's computer and it found 400-some critical objects to get rid of ... 1st of all is there a way to 'view the window' for a certain named file so i make sure not to delete that one, and SECONDLY, all 400+ of these have an open box on the left, where it will need to be checkmarked to delete them i think... is there a way to easily 'checkmark' all of them with just a couple clicks somehow????
posted on November 4, 2004 08:11:04 AM new
400 objects I think I'd format the computer.
but...reading the help manual it says you can right click to select multiple items.
however, it cautions against blindly selecting all the items...
"It is only with the heart one sees rightly,
what is essential is invisible to the eye."
Antoine de Saint Exupery
posted on November 4, 2004 08:26:51 AM new
no I would clean install all the software - wipe out everything. Usually the computer comes with an format and recover disk.
400 objects is a LOT.
Do install JavaCools Spyware Blaster. You can install that by itself. It will at least block bad websites if it's updated regularly.
posted on November 4, 2004 08:57:56 AM new
Thanks glassgrl ... yah, i know my first big problem is HAVING a teenager have a computer LOL ... but since i can't shoot him i figured i'd try to help out his pc a bit ... he *was* planning on doing a complete reinstall, but not till after fanatasy football leagues are over with LOL ...
but i was trying to do something for him to help speed up his system, which was riddled with popup IE box ads for a few months now (despite panicware's free pop-up stopper being 'on) and also just lately extreme slowness .... i've *been* making sure his mcAfee is kept updated constantly and making sure to clean out caches etc, but it still had gotten real bad recently so i decided to try some more extreme (normal/needed!) measures ... pcpitstop showed some trouble spots, and the first thing they wanted fixed was all the adware and malware ... so i ran spybot and it didn't give a very big list (much to my surprise), so i installed Adaware, and that's when i came here to ask these questions, because IT came up with a LOT o' crap on there.......... i decided to say a prayer and hit that button to quarantine all of it... now i've rebooted it and wow, it's a lot faster now, and i moved around the web a bit and no popups ........ i also removed a few programs that show as being used 'rarely' ...
... of course i have no idea how some of the programs might have been affected, but i'm sure he'll let me know. LOL .... thanks... i'm gonna go tweak a bit more, per some pcpitstop suggestions, although maybe i should stop now, since it seems to be working 98% better than it was.
thanx for your input... i ALWAAAAAYS appreciate YOU!!!
posted on November 4, 2004 09:39:17 AM new
I'm afraid glassgrl is right..a re-install from the top.
What AdAware spots is only the tip of the berg. The machine slowing is most likely because you've got some Trojans and other beasties on board.
And given that we are talking about a teenager's surfing habits, I can almost guarantee you that is the case.
HijackThis would be the best way to attack this problem short of a reinstall.
Good Luck.
"Drop, drop — in our sleep, upon the heart sorrow falls, memory's pain, and to us, though against our very will, even in our own despite, comes wisdom by the awful grace of God"
~Aeschylus
posted on November 4, 2004 11:55:26 AM new
This thread is just what I needed.
Now, I have used my recovery disk in the past - but it has been a long time.
If I use the recovery disk, does it wipe out any other programs not on the recovery disk?\
In other words, do I need to save any pictures, or anything in Word, etc? before I do this?
When I did it before, I don't think I had much on my 'puter except the original software, my camera and printer software - so I probably didn't have to worry.
Now, I have pictures and auctions I don't want to loose, etc.
posted on November 4, 2004 12:04:10 PM new
trixie: "In other words, do I need to save any pictures, or anything in Word, etc? before I do this? ...
... Now, I have pictures and auctions I don't want to loose, etc."
---------------------------------------
Yes trixie you'll need save any pictures or files or things in Word processor that you'll want to put on your "new" computer .... it will erase the hard drive and reinstall the original software, making it like the first day you got your new computer ...........
but your pictures with your auctions... if those are auctions listed "out on the internet" or ebay, those are being saved 'out there' for you and for others to see .......... if you have an offline program to type your later to be launched auctions, those you will want to save to disk.
posted on November 4, 2004 12:12:23 PM new
I did find a relatively newer forum that's not over run with requests for analyzing HiJack logs. Also they have an all round computer problem forum. Everything I've read on them is knowledgable, so I bookmarked it for posting over here when I needed it.
So if I were you, I'd register and post your HJ log over there, just so you know there's nothing lurking in the background on his computer. HiJack's about the only sure fire way to know that for the novice.
Or as they advertise:
"Bleeping Computer is a community devoted to providing free original content, consisting of computer help and tutorials, in such a way that the beginning computer user can understand."
"It is only with the heart one sees rightly,
what is essential is invisible to the eye."
Antoine de Saint Exupery
posted on November 4, 2004 12:12:32 PM new
thanks pandoras ... we DO scan for viruses and trojans and wormy things regularly on his machine ...
but yes, i been thinking about trying hijackthis (for his machine AND mine) ... i've never done that before but i check out their site last time it was mentioned here ... it's a tad tough for me to "get" LOL, but i think if i stuck with it, i could probably have some success with it ....
on a good note (for now), i think my son's machine is MUCH better running than it has been for months! ... very fast, no more popups, popunders, popinyourface ... when he gets home from school in a few minutes, i just hope most of his favorite programs work alright (there's only a few he really gets into) ... or he'll yell and pound his fist on his desktop tonite, ... then i'll tell him what an ungrateful pipsqueak he is, and won't cook him any dinner LOL ... (we'll both get over it)
posted on November 4, 2004 01:08:42 PM new
Did you install JavaCool Spyware blaster? it will keep him from going to the "bad" pages, or ones that potentially have spyware & trojans embedded in them. These days, all you have to do is just go to the web page, you don't download or click anything. Very Scarey! When I go to a bad page when I'm searching, it just shows "this page cannot be displayed".
There's nothing to "get" about HJT. You download it, install it, run it, and then post your log at the website. They tell you what to do from there. Very easy. And then after that, you can just run it every now and then and once you know what's supposed to be there and NOT, then you always know your computer is clean.
Better yet - teach your Son to do both of these! I've taught my nephews and nieces because their parents are too lazy.
"It is only with the heart one sees rightly,
what is essential is invisible to the eye."
Antoine de Saint Exupery
posted on November 4, 2004 02:02:59 PM new
glassgrl "Did you install JavaCool Spyware blaster? it will keep him from going to the "bad" pages, or ones that potentially have spyware & trojans embedded in them"
... not yet, i will tomorrow morning ... already spent enough hours over there on his pc today... thanks!!!
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and "There's nothing to "get" about HJT. You download it, install it, run it, and then post your log at the website. They tell you what to do from there. Very easy. And then after that, you can just run it every now and then and once you know what's supposed to be there and NOT, then you always know your computer is clean."
thank you again; you make this sound very approachable, as in your noticing i was a bit intimidated by it when i first was checking it out (i think they have you alter/edit your Registry file?! or something like that?... that is scary to me) ... i even ran HJT on my machine when the post was going on about it, .. and i read just a few mesages at their board about some other posters there, and like i said, i felt just a little bit overwhelmed and i put it off at the time .... i'm looking forward to giving that a try now ... at least on my computer for sure ....
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and, last but not least, "Better yet - teach your Son to do both of these! I've taught my nephews and nieces because their parents are too lazy."
glassgrl--- ... i would [u]love[/u] it if [u]YOU[/u] would please type up a short Bible of what 'regular folk' ought to (install if necessary) and run, on their computers to keep them safe and clean running ... I would print it off by the dozens! to give to my family and friends! ... I don't think there is anyone here on this board that would argue with me if I said you were the one of the most helpful (if not THE most) pc--friendly-person with and innate insight into figuring out some of these problems that a lot of us find tough to tackle.
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case in point, i got an email (mass email) from a former ebay customer today, lamenting he might have caused a trojan or virused file to mailed to "everybody in his address book" file blah blah ... the interesting part of HIS email was some copy/paste from his sister that said, "Original message:
I could not open it whatever it was because I didn't have enough memory. I'll ask Sean about it when he calls tonight. One of the files you sent me was 'price.exe'. I assumed you wanted to ask me about pricing for your business. Maybe I should re-subscribe to anti-virus software. Love, Kat"
..............
... I was like, "Arghhhh!" of course every person with a pc needs antivirus AND a firewall program..... GIGANTIC DOH! .........
posted on November 4, 2004 05:22:04 PM new
Boy, I second the motion about letting us know what we need.
I don't have anything except a very old antivirus that came with my computer.
It is scary what I might have here.
I think I will do a Recovery - but then what should I download in the way of 'protective' software - free, preferably.
What scares me about downloading the spyware stuff is the program I saw that stated some of those popups advertising protection are actually the people who put it on your computer in the first place!!!
posted on November 4, 2004 05:41:07 PM new
yes, there are many so-called spyware software programs that say they are free to run it but then they "charge" you to fix it.
posted on November 6, 2004 04:25:50 AM new
just wanted to tell glassgrl here, that the website you suggested for ANY computer questions or problems, of http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/
is awesome looking site, with really nice input goin' on over there .... I'm sure I will visit there often!!!!
