Yup! - I like the idea of an interim pc just for "hosing-down" too . .

You did NOT want to be around me today . . real nasty place in the studio today . . I SH££t you not ?

Grazie

What happend?

I think I got a series of attacks that messed with all sorts of XP PRo files . .WMP stopped playing .. . I couldn't do stuff with Nero . .had to reinstall it .. er what else . .? .. oh yeah . I got the windows warning about files being non-something . . non-compliant? . . really messy . . . so, time to re-burn c: drive . . Norton Ghost is great . .so are my pc builders AND the SONY team . . just downbloaded .NET to get back my scripting and V5 to work . . getting there . . .

Grazie

Interesting you should bring this topic up. I run both Zone Alarm and Norton's on the system I surf the web with (my video/music system is another computer). Well, two weeks ago I was surfing for information about Vegas and other video tech-information, going down the Yahoo listing one site at a time, when suddenly I obviously clicked on a bogus site link. Suddenly I had pop-ups streaming in left and right. I quickly hit the Internet On/Off button on the Comcast Cable box to kill the connection, but it was too late.

I ended up having at least 6 different spyware and adware programs which none of the "removal" programs I had to download from CNet could remove. So after reading numerous forums about this subject, I ended up having to reformat the hard drives and install everything from scratch. So I'm thankful it wasn't my video system, but it was annoying and time consuming to say the least.

So even when you try to be careful, sometimes hitting a bogus website that is purposefully setup for installing adware/spyware on your computer can happen. I find it really sad that the world has such malicious people that get off on doing such things, and I feel even worse for those folks who know nothing about computers and accidentally get caught on the bad end of things.

My NLE can access the web, but has ZoneAlarm on it and normally locked when working or I quit it if using the profile that disconnects the network.
I also have Caddies and I make a clone of the C: drive on a regular basis.

How you keeping G, any news on the write up fro V5 ?

Cheemie Call me . . G

Zone and Norton AV here, as well as drive images. In addition I can recommend Spybot Search & Destroy, now at version 1.3. It's free and finds spy-stuff, autodialers, pop-uppers, trojans and all that. Read about it, install, learn first, press auto update, then use. Love it!
http://www.safer-networking.org/
Best/Tommy

It's not all doom and gloom--you just have to wear some body armor.

I have Norton Antivirus running in the background, checking email and executing weekly system scans. Internet comes in through the freeware ZoneAlarm, which also watches for any outbound requests. CookiePal lets me choose which cookies I want and which to refuse, and I run SpyBot and Ad-Aware once in a while just to see that they dredge up (usually nothing). Finally, I use a little freeware applet called the "Proxomitron," which knocks out much of the idiotic advertising on many web pages. I am always amazed when I use a different computer to surf the web; the web pages look like a neon-filled main street in some sleazy town, with idiotic flashing graphics. Proxomitron kills nearly all of that.

I also do full backups. In the past I've used DriveImage, but recently I began to rely on Retrospect, which is an elegant and highly-rated backup program. It does a "true" backup and doesn't rely on the stupid Archive Bit.

I am forced to use those full DriveImage backups every few months, but only because I am cursed with a tinkerer's mind; I have found more ways to get a BSOD than anyone else I know.

>>>I can recommend Spybot Search & Destroy, now at version 1.3.....<<<<


Hey, THANKS for the heads up on this. I've been using version 1.2 for eons and noticed I had not been getting any updates in the last couple of months.

Also, 1.3 caught a bunch of cr@p that 1.2 missed. Great software!

Thanks again!

Norton Internet Security is also very helpful; basically a highly customizeable firewall. BlackIce Defender is also good, but, when I had it, it didn't control, *outgoing* stuff.

Antivirus software doesn't stop all of the bad stuff that can happen; Spyware isn't necessarily a "virus."

*Firewalls* with rules stop this kind of thing; not antivirus software.

Also, having other users set to User Account; not Administrator is also helpful; it keeps them from installing Nickolodeon downloaded programs that do who-knows-what; probably spyware.

That is why whenever a program doesn't work right in an XP *user* account and the software company says to make them an Administrator account (easy "fix" for them); I don't buy the software...and there is still software out there that won't work on User accounts...just something to check for, if applicable to you.

speaking of those people that are less than up on all the stuff in the net that can hurt you. What is so damaging about spyware and adware that would make you reboot your entire system?

Is it just a privacy matter? or what?

anybody got any suggestions using XP, on setting up Vegas on a separate user account , so that its the only program that starts on start up except for say just the firewall runnibg in the backround?

>>Is it just a privacy matter? or what?

Primarily, yes.

>>...setting up Vegas on a separate user account ...

The best way, in my opinion, is to have a dual boot system; a seperate disk partition.

Why? Because the spyware/adware was running in the background eating up system resources, kept redirecting Internet Explorer to a different Homepage, and pop-up ads which were never a problem before started coming up all the time. Not to mention the fact that some hackers can go under the guise of spyware/adware to gather info. It's essentially intrusive software which I didn't give permission to install on my system, and caused nothing but headaches and chaos.

Some spyware/adware is created like a virus, to where the only way to completely remove it is to reformat your hard drives after all other attempts to remove it have failed.

>>>anybody got any suggestions using XP, on setting up Vegas on a separate user account , so that its the only program that starts on start up except for say just the firewall runnibg in the backround?<<<

I do this. Easy and overly simple advice - You can turn off/diable whatever you want and than save it to that user (desktop) as a profile.

For more details on some things to do you can check out Black Vipers site. IMO this is a must read.

If you're worried about spyware there are several free tools that look for it anywhere on on your PC. I use Spybot too, its pretty good.

Spyware basically sets up tracking cookies. They report what sites you visit so spam can be directed to you based on your surfing habits. They rarely do any harm, other than being a electronic peeping tom.

Another one of those 'ignorance is bliss' things. Many popular web sites use one form or another of spyware including some sites you think wouldn't, like NBCnews.com used Avenue A.

If you install Spybot it will pop up a warning box and ask if you want to download. It don't interfer with blocking the web site contents, it just blocking Avenue A from installing a cookie.

What you can do to is change the security levels for your browser. Just click Tools/Internet Options then secuity. You can pick a level or customize it. The only down side is if you do you block certain features so some sites may look a little naked or not function correctly.

If you are looking for an even better spyware removal software, check out this one:

http://download.com.com/3000-8022-10227352.html?tag=lst-0-5

Its called Hijack This!

It scans your registery for known peices of spyware/adware and asks if you want to fix them (delete them). I had a bear with some spyware that kept reverting my homepage to some bogus internet search page, and hijack this! found it in the registry and got rid of it. I will warn you though, If you dont know much about computers, this may be a dangerous piece of software to use. Everything in the registry of your PC it finds is not spyware, you have to be careful what you delete; messing with the registry files on your PC can be very dangerous to the stability of the machine. If you are looking for something powerful, and are good with computers, you have to check this out.

B

I had a bear of a problem with popups and found the thing they like
is to change your default browser settings.

If you are brave you can change user permissions in the registry.
I made the iNTERNET EXPLORER registry entries read only to all users
except administrator. Do a web search on start page for some howto's.

My NLE is not LAN connected either.

I run my Anti-Virus programs, along with two Anti-spyware programs.

I use both AD AWARE 6.0 and Spybot.

And out of the two, I found that using AD AWARE 6.0 is far more effective in hunting spyware/adware programs and deleting them out of my system. Since installing it, my computer runs so much smoother. I initiate my first scan with AD-AWARE 6.0

Then, I run a second scan with Spybot just to double check, but it come up clear each time because AD-AWARE already zapped them.

(note: If I run Spybot on my first scan, AD-AWARE 6.0 would catch something that Spybot missed during my second scan.)

Anyway, just don't forget to keep updating your definitions list weekly in these programs like you do in your anti-virus programs.

=====================================================
AD AWARE 6.0 by LAVA SOFT- Publisher's Description

With its ability to scan your RAM, registry, hard drives, and external storage devices for known data-mining, advertising, and tracking components, Ad-aware can easily clean out your system, allowing you to maintain a higher degree of privacy while you surf the Web.

Download it for free here at CNET:

http://download.com.com/3000-2144-10045910.html?part=69274&subj=dlpage&tag=button

Some people are masters of blue screens. I have a friend who used to be able to get one out of Win98 in about 30 minutes.

My setup is largely like yours except that I use AVG antivirus. Norton always seemed to be made of lead.

I "should" be making a regular offline clone of the system but I never seem to get viruses so I'm a little lax about that. I just run a mirrored array which won't help at all with viruses.

One thing I try to be very careful about is email and that may be why I live a trouble-free life.

Earthink was being very good about scanning mail for viruses before it ever got to me. Unfortunately I'm now with SBC, a Texas company so I can't expect much.

Rob Mack

Hello,

The only protection I use, on the computer that is, is the Internet Connection Firewall in Windows XP Professional. I never had a virus / spy ware in the 15 years that I'm working with computers. I don't install software I don't trust. On the internet I don't allow ActiveX components I don't trust to be installed. I don't leave my e-mail address anywhere. When I want to download trail software and you can only download it if you leave your e-mail, give something like here@there.com or whatever.

This little programs protects you against most bad ActiveX components: http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html.

Don’t want to install a program for this, you can do it manual: http://www.spywareguide.com/blockfile.php.

I don't open e-mail from people I don't know or has a subject like "want to enlarge your....". (why should I make is smaller??? ;-).

And I use VMware Workstation (http://www.vmware.com/products/desktop/ws_features.html) for software I don't trust or to play with my system. Test it in VMWare and if it's ok I use it on my workstation. My system is clean and I never needed to install my system from scratch.

Maybe these are some tips for you all?

I forgot one, I keep my system up to date with the latest patches.

Regards,
Diederick F.M. Cools.