Protective Software

"BAP" <BAP DeleteThis @discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:43F7B937-9FCA-4219-B23C-0027E4BBAB64@microsoft.com...

> Posts in this Group and PCWorld articles, often, seem to encourage to
> download software and use it to safeguard against viruses or intruders. I
> have downloaded several FREE versions of programs to see what they can do
for > my setup. However, I have no idea of how some of these may actually
work or
> what should be running, whenever the computer is being powered up or when
the
> Internet is accessed. The only ones that I have presently running are
Kerio
> Personal Firewall and AVG Free Edition. Not knowing how good these may be,
I
> have also several that are inactive or, perhaps, run at times without
> actually taking any action about the findings. These are:
> HijackThis, CWShedder, No Adware, Lavasoft Ad-Aware, XoftSpy,
> SpywareBlaster, MRU-Blaster, SE Personal, Cprocess, Spybot-Search&Destroy,
> PCBugDoctor, RegistryFix, RegCure,
> EasyCleaner, Registry Mechanic, RegSeeker, RunPCMightyMax, PCDocPro3.5 and
> Belarc Advisor
> Would anyone care to advise me as to which may be of value, how it should
> be used, which of the ones listed should be avoided and the good ones that
> may be missing?

BAP should repost indicating clearly

--Using current protection (Kerio PW and AVG) how
many attempts have been made to hijack or infiltrate
the home PC? What was the success-rate of these
two items of software in (a) detecting intrusion, (b)
reporting attempts in a tiimely way, (c) preventing
intrusion? Did they meet the norms BAP set in
advance? If not, what norms would BAP now set?

--Can we quantify BAP's vulnerabilty? E.g. if we
take average vulnerabiliity to intrusion as N, can we
know whether the actual number of attempts made
on BAP's PC is twice average N or hallf average N?

It would probably help BAP to segregate threats
between those that are merely unwanted (e.g.
advertising on the home PC) and harmful (which
alter the home PC's hard drive or capture data.)
Expert advice might be of higher quality in an
MSNews group on security rather than "generall
discussion."

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)
 >> Stay informed about: Protective Software 

I agree with Ron. I would use *one* antivirus that has a resident scanner
(scans on the fly, as you're using the computer) but don't have it scan
email. Also scan regularly (during maintenance is when I do it) with AdAware
and Spybot. Beyond that, I'd use a couple of passive protection schemes, one
using the Restricted Zone in IE (SpywareBlaster does this) and one using the
HOSTS file -- like HOSTS Manager.

*I* might use a Registry Cleaner or two, if I thought Registry guck might be
at the root of a particular problem, but I'd be very careful about what I
change, and not change anything I wasn't *absolutely* sure about. I don't
recommend such tools for the average user, and there's no such thing as a
"tune-up tool" or Registry cleaner that is fool proof. That goes for
"tweakers", too.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"BAP" <BAP.TakeThisOut@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:43F7B937-9FCA-4219-B23C-0027E4BBAB64@microsoft.com...
> Posts in this Group and PCWorld articles, often, seem to encourage to
> download software and use it to safeguard against viruses or intruders. I
> have downloaded several FREE versions of programs to see what they can do
for
> my setup. However, I have no idea of how some of these may actually work
or
> what should be running, whenever the computer is being powered up or when
the
> Internet is accessed. The only ones that I have presently running are
Kerio
> Personal Firewall and AVG Free Edition. Not knowing how good these may be,
I
> have also several that are inactive or, perhaps, run at times without
> actually taking any action about the findings. These are:
> HijackThis, CWShedder, No Adware, Lavasoft Ad-Aware, XoftSpy,
> SpywareBlaster, MRU-Blaster, SE Personal, Cprocess, Spybot-Search&Destroy,
> PCBugDoctor, RegistryFix, RegCure,
> EasyCleaner, Registry Mechanic, RegSeeker, RunPCMightyMax, PCDocPro3.5 and
> Belarc Advisor
> Would anyone care to advise me as to which may be of value, how it should
> be used, which of the ones listed should be avoided and the good ones that
> may be missing?
> Thank you!
 >> Stay informed about: Protective Software 


Thanks, Ron! I certainly agree about the various applications that might
change the Registry
contents. The only bothering thought is my Registry size at over 11MB, 1.51
fir User.dat and
9.77MB for System.dat. Somewhere I read that it should be about 8MB or less.
My OS is
W98SE. In reality, that is no big deal to me.
I see that you do not comment on Kerio PW or AVG.
Regarding the "tune up" software, my tendency is to look for anything that
might successfully get
my system to speed up. When the my Computer is powered up and ready to go,
it will initially
take several seconds before it responds to the L/Ck, and, especially, the
R/Ck of the mouse.
But, that’s another subject.
**********

"Ron Badour" wrote:

> You need to pick one of the spyware programs and regularly run it (after
> updating the definitions). Spybot or AdAware would be my choice or you
> could run both if desired. CWShredder only works on a very few "hard to get
> rid of" spyware programs. HiJackThis is a diagnostic program that is used
> when you cannot figure out exactly what type of spyware program might be
> running on your PC. It provides a list that a security specialist can
> review when providing you help. Belarc Advisor is not protective
> software--it provides a list of your hardware and software. I would not run
> a registry cleaner nor any other "tune up" software as they sometimes cause
> more harm than good.
> --
> Regards
>
>
> Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
> Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
> Knowledge Base Info:
> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo
>
>
>
> "BAP" <BAP.RemoveThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:43F7B937-9FCA-4219-B23C-0027E4BBAB64@microsoft.com...
> > Posts in this Group and PCWorld articles, often, seem to encourage to
> > download software and use it to safeguard against viruses or intruders. I
> > have downloaded several FREE versions of programs to see what they can do
> > for
> > my setup. However, I have no idea of how some of these may actually work
> > or
> > what should be running, whenever the computer is being powered up or when
> > the
> > Internet is accessed. The only ones that I have presently running are
> > Kerio
> > Personal Firewall and AVG Free Edition. Not knowing how good these may be,
> > I
> > have also several that are inactive or, perhaps, run at times without
> > actually taking any action about the findings. These are:
> > HijackThis, CWShedder, No Adware, Lavasoft Ad-Aware, XoftSpy,
> > SpywareBlaster, MRU-Blaster, SE Personal, Cprocess, Spybot-Search&Destroy,
> > PCBugDoctor, RegistryFix, RegCure,
> > EasyCleaner, Registry Mechanic, RegSeeker, RunPCMightyMax, PCDocPro3.5 and
> > Belarc Advisor
> > Would anyone care to advise me as to which may be of value, how it should
> > be used, which of the ones listed should be avoided and the good ones that
> > may be missing?
> > Thank you!
>
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: Protective Software 

Thanks, Don! I appreciate your reply, but I am still trying to follow and
understand all you are saying. My comments about Kerio are that, when first
installed and while attempting to log on to the Internet or various sites,
there were continuous pop-ups warnings about attempts being made to
requests to connect to certain ports or named domains. This made me rather
nervous, but, in most cases or where the name of the domain appeared to be
OK, I accepted and allowed it to handle it in the future. I do not recall the
exact wording. AVG, that is running, as far as I can tell, to my
recollection, has never balked about anything that I have been involved
with. I do update it, periodically, but when asked to scan my system, it
never seems to come up with any problems lurking about.
I will attempt at locating the suggested MSNews group on security for advice
of higher quality.
Thank you, again!
*******

"Don Phillipson" wrote:

> "BAP" <BAP DeleteThis @discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:43F7B937-9FCA-4219-B23C-0027E4BBAB64@microsoft.com...
>
> > Posts in this Group and PCWorld articles, often, seem to encourage to
> > download software and use it to safeguard against viruses or intruders. I
> > have downloaded several FREE versions of programs to see what they can do
> for > my setup. However, I have no idea of how some of these may actually
> work or
> > what should be running, whenever the computer is being powered up or when
> the
> > Internet is accessed. The only ones that I have presently running are
> Kerio
> > Personal Firewall and AVG Free Edition. Not knowing how good these may be,
> I
> > have also several that are inactive or, perhaps, run at times without
> > actually taking any action about the findings. These are:
> > HijackThis, CWShedder, No Adware, Lavasoft Ad-Aware, XoftSpy,
> > SpywareBlaster, MRU-Blaster, SE Personal, Cprocess, Spybot-Search&Destroy,
> > PCBugDoctor, RegistryFix, RegCure,
> > EasyCleaner, Registry Mechanic, RegSeeker, RunPCMightyMax, PCDocPro3.5 and
> > Belarc Advisor
> > Would anyone care to advise me as to which may be of value, how it should
> > be used, which of the ones listed should be avoided and the good ones that
> > may be missing?
>
> BAP should repost indicating clearly
>
> --Using current protection (Kerio PW and AVG) how
> many attempts have been made to hijack or infiltrate
> the home PC? What was the success-rate of these
> two items of software in (a) detecting intrusion, (b)
> reporting attempts in a tiimely way, (c) preventing
> intrusion? Did they meet the norms BAP set in
> advance? If not, what norms would BAP now set?
>
> --Can we quantify BAP's vulnerabilty? E.g. if we
> take average vulnerabiliity to intrusion as N, can we
> know whether the actual number of attempts made
> on BAP's PC is twice average N or hallf average N?
>
> It would probably help BAP to segregate threats
> between those that are merely unwanted (e.g.
> advertising on the home PC) and harmful (which
> alter the home PC's hard drive or capture data.)
> Expert advice might be of higher quality in an
> MSNews group on security rather than "generall
> discussion."
>
> --
> Don Phillipson
> Carlsbad Springs
> (Ottawa, Canada)
>
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: Protective Software 

Thanks, Gary for your reply!
You probably will see my replies to Ron and Don regarding my views. I have
not attempted to have AVG scan my email. You seem to suggest that I should
not. Is there a reason?
To my knowledge, I do not have HOSTS. Not sure what it is and if available
from somewhere. I do have Tweak UI, but I have not used it for anything.
Sad that no tune-up tool is full-proof!
*****

"Gary S. Terhune" wrote:

> I agree with Ron. I would use *one* antivirus that has a resident scanner
> (scans on the fly, as you're using the computer) but don't have it scan
> email. Also scan regularly (during maintenance is when I do it) with AdAware
> and Spybot. Beyond that, I'd use a couple of passive protection schemes, one
> using the Restricted Zone in IE (SpywareBlaster does this) and one using the
> HOSTS file -- like HOSTS Manager.
>
> *I* might use a Registry Cleaner or two, if I thought Registry guck might be
> at the root of a particular problem, but I'd be very careful about what I
> change, and not change anything I wasn't *absolutely* sure about. I don't
> recommend such tools for the average user, and there's no such thing as a
> "tune-up tool" or Registry cleaner that is fool proof. That goes for
> "tweakers", too.
>
> --
> Gary S. Terhune
> MS MVP Shell/User
> http://grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
> http://grystmill.com/articles/security.htm
>
> "BAP" <BAP DeleteThis @discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:43F7B937-9FCA-4219-B23C-0027E4BBAB64@microsoft.com...
> > Posts in this Group and PCWorld articles, often, seem to encourage to
> > download software and use it to safeguard against viruses or intruders. I
> > have downloaded several FREE versions of programs to see what they can do
> for
> > my setup. However, I have no idea of how some of these may actually work
> or
> > what should be running, whenever the computer is being powered up or when
> the
> > Internet is accessed. The only ones that I have presently running are
> Kerio
> > Personal Firewall and AVG Free Edition. Not knowing how good these may be,
> I
> > have also several that are inactive or, perhaps, run at times without
> > actually taking any action about the findings. These are:
> > HijackThis, CWShedder, No Adware, Lavasoft Ad-Aware, XoftSpy,
> > SpywareBlaster, MRU-Blaster, SE Personal, Cprocess, Spybot-Search&Destroy,
> > PCBugDoctor, RegistryFix, RegCure,
> > EasyCleaner, Registry Mechanic, RegSeeker, RunPCMightyMax, PCDocPro3.5 and
> > Belarc Advisor
> > Would anyone care to advise me as to which may be of value, how it should
> > be used, which of the ones listed should be avoided and the good ones that
> > may be missing?
> > Thank you!
>
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: Protective Software 

I did not comment on the firewall or AVG because you appeared to be running
them and were happy with them. Both products are OK.

There is really nothing wrong with a registry that is 11 mb other than some
people reported that the scanreg /fix option quit working when the registry
approached 9 mb. When I used W98 as my primary system, my registry was
around 10 mb and the option worked for me.

If you want to speed up your computer noticeably, you probably will have to
upgrade hardware as system tweaks simply do not do much. As far as speeding
it up after boot, look at what programs are being started at boot and if you
do not use a program during 95% of your computing sessions, then don't start
it at boot. To cut back on the number of programs starting at boot, check
the programs themselves for an option not to load. You might have to double
click an icon in the tray (others might require a right click) and then look
for preferences or options. If you cannot find an option, look for the
program in one of the following start up points and remove the reference to
it:

Start up folder on the start menu, the load= and run= lines in the win.ini
and these registry run keys (use regedit.exe):

1. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion­\Run
2. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\­Run
3. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion­\RunOnce
4. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\­RunOnce
5. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion­\RunServices
6.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion­\RunServicesOnce
7.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion­\RunOnce\Setup

There is a freeware program that makes this process a lot easier to
manage: Startup Manager, http://home.ptd.net/~don5408/toolbox/startupcpl/

You can use msconfig.exe, startup tab, to disable programs; however, by
doing so, you may lessen its value as a troubleshooting tool. There might
be some double entries in msconfig--leave those for your AntiVirus program
and load power profile alone as they are required.

If you disable an entry in msconfig or remove it from the start up point and
the program loads again after a reboot, that is an indication that you
missed an option on the program itself. If you don't know what an entry is,
check here:
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_index.htm

--
Regards


Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo



"BAP" <BAP.DeleteThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:9CBCEE3F-08A3-4E8A-8281-6A5E0E4CE052@microsoft.com...
>
> Thanks, Ron! I certainly agree about the various applications that might
> change the Registry
> contents. The only bothering thought is my Registry size at over 11MB,
> 1.51
> fir User.dat and
> 9.77MB for System.dat. Somewhere I read that it should be about 8MB or
> less.
> My OS is
> W98SE. In reality, that is no big deal to me.
> I see that you do not comment on Kerio PW or AVG.
> Regarding the "tune up" software, my tendency is to look for anything that
> might successfully get
> my system to speed up. When the my Computer is powered up and ready to
> go,
> it will initially
> take several seconds before it responds to the L/Ck, and, especially, the
> R/Ck of the mouse.
> But, that's another subject.
> **********
>
> "Ron Badour" wrote:
>
>> You need to pick one of the spyware programs and regularly run it (after
>> updating the definitions). Spybot or AdAware would be my choice or you
>> could run both if desired. CWShredder only works on a very few "hard to
>> get
>> rid of" spyware programs. HiJackThis is a diagnostic program that is
>> used
>> when you cannot figure out exactly what type of spyware program might be
>> running on your PC. It provides a list that a security specialist can
>> review when providing you help. Belarc Advisor is not protective
>> software--it provides a list of your hardware and software. I would not
>> run
>> a registry cleaner nor any other "tune up" software as they sometimes
>> cause
>> more harm than good.
>> --
>> Regards
>>
>>
>> Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
>> Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
>> Knowledge Base Info:
>> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo
>>
>>
>>
>> "BAP" <BAP.DeleteThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:43F7B937-9FCA-4219-B23C-0027E4BBAB64@microsoft.com...
>> > Posts in this Group and PCWorld articles, often, seem to encourage to
>> > download software and use it to safeguard against viruses or intruders.
>> > I
>> > have downloaded several FREE versions of programs to see what they can
>> > do
>> > for
>> > my setup. However, I have no idea of how some of these may actually
>> > work
>> > or
>> > what should be running, whenever the computer is being powered up or
>> > when
>> > the
>> > Internet is accessed. The only ones that I have presently running are
>> > Kerio
>> > Personal Firewall and AVG Free Edition. Not knowing how good these may
>> > be,
>> > I
>> > have also several that are inactive or, perhaps, run at times without
>> > actually taking any action about the findings. These are:
>> > HijackThis, CWShedder, No Adware, Lavasoft Ad-Aware, XoftSpy,
>> > SpywareBlaster, MRU-Blaster, SE Personal, Cprocess,
>> > Spybot-Search&Destroy,
>> > PCBugDoctor, RegistryFix, RegCure,
>> > EasyCleaner, Registry Mechanic, RegSeeker, RunPCMightyMax, PCDocPro3.5
>> > and
>> > Belarc Advisor
>> > Would anyone care to advise me as to which may be of value, how it
>> > should
>> > be used, which of the ones listed should be avoided and the good ones
>> > that
>> > may be missing?
>> > Thank you!
>>
>>
>>
 >> Stay informed about: Protective Software 

Scanning email is redundant. Anything that your scanner is going to catch
it's going to catch as it's launched. So there's no reason to scan ahead of
time, and that scanning definitely interferes with the delivery of mail,
often known to cause problems.

A HOSTS file is a database of IP redirects. When your system attempts to go
to one of the sites listed in the database, it is redirected to some certain
IP (like DNS, except this happens before DNS is queried.) To use this as a
protective mechanism, you download some HOSTS file maintained by pros who
add addresses as they become aware of them. Microsoft MVPs maintain one such
HOSTS file. Every address in that file is redirected to an address that is
(almost) always safe: your own computer (127.0.0.1=localhost). If your
system has no home page (most don't) you get an error page instead. The MVP
HOSTS file blocks all kinds of adware and malware sites, and when you use it
to go to pages that have such sites embedded as advertising, you will
instead see a small chunk of error page in that box.

MVP George Geyde created a small app that regularly checks to see if there's
a new copy of the MVP HOSTS file available, and if so downloads a new copy.
Get HOSTS Manager here.
http://www.mvps.org/PracticallyNerded/Software.htm

(It's at the bottom of the page.)

After you've installed HOSTS Manager, go find the new shortcut in the
Start>Programs>Startup folder, and change its properties. Use the following
command instead of the one that's there:

"C:\Program Files\HOSTS File Manager\HostsManager.exe" /u

I do not recommend TUI for anything. Yes, it's quite handy for lots of
things, but it can get you into trouble, too. Most of the things TUI can do
(that I'd want to do), I can do just as well without it.

Please see the links on my sig for lots more info.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"BAP" <BAP.RemoveThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:978F35FB-D647-4F45-B933-B441D68298C2@microsoft.com...
> Thanks, Gary for your reply!
> You probably will see my replies to Ron and Don regarding my views. I have
> not attempted to have AVG scan my email. You seem to suggest that I should
> not. Is there a reason?
> To my knowledge, I do not have HOSTS. Not sure what it is and if available
> from somewhere. I do have Tweak UI, but I have not used it for anything.
> Sad that no tune-up tool is full-proof!
> *****
>
> "Gary S. Terhune" wrote:
>
> > I agree with Ron. I would use *one* antivirus that has a resident
scanner
> > (scans on the fly, as you're using the computer) but don't have it scan
> > email. Also scan regularly (during maintenance is when I do it) with
AdAware
> > and Spybot. Beyond that, I'd use a couple of passive protection schemes,
one
> > using the Restricted Zone in IE (SpywareBlaster does this) and one using
the
> > HOSTS file -- like HOSTS Manager.
> >
> > *I* might use a Registry Cleaner or two, if I thought Registry guck
might be
> > at the root of a particular problem, but I'd be very careful about what
I
> > change, and not change anything I wasn't *absolutely* sure about. I
don't
> > recommend such tools for the average user, and there's no such thing as
a
> > "tune-up tool" or Registry cleaner that is fool proof. That goes for
> > "tweakers", too.
> >
> > --
> > Gary S. Terhune
> > MS MVP Shell/User
> > http://grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
> > http://grystmill.com/articles/security.htm
> >
> > "BAP" <BAP.RemoveThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > news:43F7B937-9FCA-4219-B23C-0027E4BBAB64@microsoft.com...
> > > Posts in this Group and PCWorld articles, often, seem to encourage to
> > > download software and use it to safeguard against viruses or
intruders. I
> > > have downloaded several FREE versions of programs to see what they can
do
> > for
> > > my setup. However, I have no idea of how some of these may actually
work
> > or
> > > what should be running, whenever the computer is being powered up or
when
> > the
> > > Internet is accessed. The only ones that I have presently running are
> > Kerio
> > > Personal Firewall and AVG Free Edition. Not knowing how good these may
be,
> > I
> > > have also several that are inactive or, perhaps, run at times without
> > > actually taking any action about the findings. These are:
> > > HijackThis, CWShedder, No Adware, Lavasoft Ad-Aware, XoftSpy,
> > > SpywareBlaster, MRU-Blaster, SE Personal, Cprocess,
Spybot-Search&Destroy,
> > > PCBugDoctor, RegistryFix, RegCure,
> > > EasyCleaner, Registry Mechanic, RegSeeker, RunPCMightyMax, PCDocPro3.5
and
> > > Belarc Advisor
> > > Would anyone care to advise me as to which may be of value, how it
should
> > > be used, which of the ones listed should be avoided and the good ones
that
> > > may be missing?
> > > Thank you!
> >
> >
> >
 >> Stay informed about: Protective Software 

Please pardon my interpolation into this thread at this point, but as I
recall, you've made the remark before regarding 'anything [the] scanner is
going to catch it's going to catch as it's launched,' which I have
interpreted as meaning that such a scan would be late in the process, thus
nugatory, and that if one saves attachments, etc. while reading email as
'text only' they may be scanned manually before opening.

But, your phrasing might suggest that a virus scanner would catch the
malefactor upon launch automatically, and I didn't have the impression that
AVG, which I use, would do that, though I believe I have heard of some app
in the past that claimed to trap every execution. Seems to me that would
seriously slow a machine up. Anyway, I thought that perhaps you could clear
up my confusion here ...

Thanks,
Joe
"Gary S. Terhune" <grystnews DeleteThis @mvps.org> wrote in message
news:%23OJV%23TH9GHA.3740@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> Scanning email is redundant. Anything that your scanner is going to catch
> it's going to catch as it's launched. So there's no reason to scan ahead
of
> time, and that scanning definitely interferes with the delivery of mail,
> often known to cause problems.
>
> A HOSTS file is a database of IP redirects. When your system attempts to
go
> to one of the sites listed in the database, it is redirected to some
certain
> IP (like DNS, except this happens before DNS is queried.) To use this as a
> protective mechanism, you download some HOSTS file maintained by pros who
> add addresses as they become aware of them. Microsoft MVPs maintain one
such
> HOSTS file. Every address in that file is redirected to an address that is
> (almost) always safe: your own computer (127.0.0.1=localhost). If your
> system has no home page (most don't) you get an error page instead. The
MVP
> HOSTS file blocks all kinds of adware and malware sites, and when you use
it
> to go to pages that have such sites embedded as advertising, you will
> instead see a small chunk of error page in that box.
>
> MVP George Geyde created a small app that regularly checks to see if
there's
> a new copy of the MVP HOSTS file available, and if so downloads a new
copy.
> Get HOSTS Manager here.
> http://www.mvps.org/PracticallyNerded/Software.htm
>
> (It's at the bottom of the page.)
>
> After you've installed HOSTS Manager, go find the new shortcut in the
> Start>Programs>Startup folder, and change its properties. Use the
following
> command instead of the one that's there:
>
> "C:\Program Files\HOSTS File Manager\HostsManager.exe" /u
>
> I do not recommend TUI for anything. Yes, it's quite handy for lots of
> things, but it can get you into trouble, too. Most of the things TUI can
do
> (that I'd want to do), I can do just as well without it.
>
> Please see the links on my sig for lots more info.
>
> --
> Gary S. Terhune
> MS MVP Shell/User
> http://grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
> http://grystmill.com/articles/security.htm
>
> "BAP" <BAP DeleteThis @discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:978F35FB-D647-4F45-B933-B441D68298C2@microsoft.com...
> > Thanks, Gary for your reply!
> > You probably will see my replies to Ron and Don regarding my views. I
have
> > not attempted to have AVG scan my email. You seem to suggest that I
should
> > not. Is there a reason?
> > To my knowledge, I do not have HOSTS. Not sure what it is and if
available
> > from somewhere. I do have Tweak UI, but I have not used it for anything.
> > Sad that no tune-up tool is full-proof!
> > *****
> >
> > "Gary S. Terhune" wrote:
> >
> > > I agree with Ron. I would use *one* antivirus that has a resident
> scanner
> > > (scans on the fly, as you're using the computer) but don't have it
scan
> > > email. Also scan regularly (during maintenance is when I do it) with
> AdAware
> > > and Spybot. Beyond that, I'd use a couple of passive protection
schemes,
> one
> > > using the Restricted Zone in IE (SpywareBlaster does this) and one
using
> the
> > > HOSTS file -- like HOSTS Manager.
> > >
> > > *I* might use a Registry Cleaner or two, if I thought Registry guck
> might be
> > > at the root of a particular problem, but I'd be very careful about
what
> I
> > > change, and not change anything I wasn't *absolutely* sure about. I
> don't
> > > recommend such tools for the average user, and there's no such thing
as
> a
> > > "tune-up tool" or Registry cleaner that is fool proof. That goes for
> > > "tweakers", too.
> > >
> > > --
> > > Gary S. Terhune
> > > MS MVP Shell/User
> > > http://grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
> > > http://grystmill.com/articles/security.htm
> > >
> > > "BAP" <BAP DeleteThis @discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > > news:43F7B937-9FCA-4219-B23C-0027E4BBAB64@microsoft.com...
> > > > Posts in this Group and PCWorld articles, often, seem to encourage
to
> > > > download software and use it to safeguard against viruses or
> intruders. I
> > > > have downloaded several FREE versions of programs to see what they
can
> do
> > > for
> > > > my setup. However, I have no idea of how some of these may actually
> work
> > > or
> > > > what should be running, whenever the computer is being powered up or
> when
> > > the
> > > > Internet is accessed. The only ones that I have presently running
are
> > > Kerio
> > > > Personal Firewall and AVG Free Edition. Not knowing how good these
may
> be,
> > > I
> > > > have also several that are inactive or, perhaps, run at times
without
> > > > actually taking any action about the findings. These are:
> > > > HijackThis, CWShedder, No Adware, Lavasoft Ad-Aware, XoftSpy,
> > > > SpywareBlaster, MRU-Blaster, SE Personal, Cprocess,
> Spybot-Search&Destroy,
> > > > PCBugDoctor, RegistryFix, RegCure,
> > > > EasyCleaner, Registry Mechanic, RegSeeker, RunPCMightyMax,
PCDocPro3.5
> and
> > > > Belarc Advisor
> > > > Would anyone care to advise me as to which may be of value, how it
> should
> > > > be used, which of the ones listed should be avoided and the good
ones
> that
> > > > may be missing?
> > > > Thank you!
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: Protective Software 

When we speak of "using an antivirus", we're generally referring to a
"real-time scanner" and yes, such a scanner *does* scan every file that's
accessed. AVG is one such, though you may have disabled it from running in
the background, and if you have, you should re-enable it.

When I say "accessed" that doesn't just mean executed or opened using some
executable. If you even simply check the file's Properties, if it's a virus
the AV will usually find it at that time. IIRC, even simply copying such a
file from one folder to another should prompt AV to scan a file, but I'm not
sure on that one.

When you save an attachment it's first extracted from the email, and at that
moment of extraction is when most AV scanners will scan the file and raise
an alarm if it's determined to be a virus. I personally tend to go a step
further and save the attachment to a local folder instead of opening it
directly in OE (which would extract it to the Temporary Internet Files
folder and then open it). I then scan it manually with my AV before deciding
whether or not to open it.

But I also don't bother with most attachments. The only ones I get that I
care about are business-related and quite large (images for my graphic art
work), or occasionally other small files. But I almost always know what the
files are and where they came from and I'm already expecting them. If that's
not the case, I usually contact the sender and ask what's up -- before
bothering with the attachment. One thing I've long ago quit doing is opening
any of those forwarded "cute" or "joke" messages that seem so popular. In
short, I'm very aware of what's going on in my Inbox, and once the SPAM is
gotten rid of, I have little difficulty noticing anything that's out of
sync. In fact, over the last several years I've discovered a few virus
invasions of clients' computers when the virus spread itself via email and I
was sent a copy, because I am of course in their address book. I know as
soon as the email lands in my Inbox, because getting almost any email from m
y clients is very unusual and they all know what a bear I am about junk
email, attachments, etc. They usually call when they need me. It's kinda fun
to cold-call a client and say, "Hey, your computer has got a virus. When do
you want me to come over?"

In any case, yes, real-time AV scanners do cause minute delays in the
system. It's just part of the overhead. On most modern computers, however,
that overhead is unnoticeable -- unless you're using some behemoth like
Norton. I hope I've answered your question. I seem to have gotten a little
carried away, <s>.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"jt3" <jt3.RemoveThis@cranky.computer> wrote in message
news:OY9KFeZ9GHA.4568@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Please pardon my interpolation into this thread at this point, but as I
> recall, you've made the remark before regarding 'anything [the] scanner is
> going to catch it's going to catch as it's launched,' which I have
> interpreted as meaning that such a scan would be late in the process, thus
> nugatory, and that if one saves attachments, etc. while reading email as
> 'text only' they may be scanned manually before opening.
>
> But, your phrasing might suggest that a virus scanner would catch the
> malefactor upon launch automatically, and I didn't have the impression
that
> AVG, which I use, would do that, though I believe I have heard of some app
> in the past that claimed to trap every execution. Seems to me that would
> seriously slow a machine up. Anyway, I thought that perhaps you could
clear
> up my confusion here ...
>
> Thanks,
> Joe
> "Gary S. Terhune" <grystnews.RemoveThis@mvps.org> wrote in message
> news:%23OJV%23TH9GHA.3740@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> > Scanning email is redundant. Anything that your scanner is going to
catch
> > it's going to catch as it's launched. So there's no reason to scan ahead
> of
> > time, and that scanning definitely interferes with the delivery of mail,
> > often known to cause problems.
> >
> > A HOSTS file is a database of IP redirects. When your system attempts to
> go
> > to one of the sites listed in the database, it is redirected to some
> certain
> > IP (like DNS, except this happens before DNS is queried.) To use this as
a
> > protective mechanism, you download some HOSTS file maintained by pros
who
> > add addresses as they become aware of them. Microsoft MVPs maintain one
> such
> > HOSTS file. Every address in that file is redirected to an address that
is
> > (almost) always safe: your own computer (127.0.0.1=localhost). If your
> > system has no home page (most don't) you get an error page instead. The
> MVP
> > HOSTS file blocks all kinds of adware and malware sites, and when you
use
> it
> > to go to pages that have such sites embedded as advertising, you will
> > instead see a small chunk of error page in that box.
> >
> > MVP George Geyde created a small app that regularly checks to see if
> there's
> > a new copy of the MVP HOSTS file available, and if so downloads a new
> copy.
> > Get HOSTS Manager here.
> > http://www.mvps.org/PracticallyNerded/Software.htm
> >
> > (It's at the bottom of the page.)
> >
> > After you've installed HOSTS Manager, go find the new shortcut in the
> > Start>Programs>Startup folder, and change its properties. Use the
> following
> > command instead of the one that's there:
> >
> > "C:\Program Files\HOSTS File Manager\HostsManager.exe" /u
> >
> > I do not recommend TUI for anything. Yes, it's quite handy for lots of
> > things, but it can get you into trouble, too. Most of the things TUI can
> do
> > (that I'd want to do), I can do just as well without it.
> >
> > Please see the links on my sig for lots more info.
> >
> > --
> > Gary S. Terhune
> > MS MVP Shell/User
> > http://grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
> > http://grystmill.com/articles/security.htm
> >
> > "BAP" <BAP.RemoveThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > news:978F35FB-D647-4F45-B933-B441D68298C2@microsoft.com...
> > > Thanks, Gary for your reply!
> > > You probably will see my replies to Ron and Don regarding my views. I
> have
> > > not attempted to have AVG scan my email. You seem to suggest that I
> should
> > > not. Is there a reason?
> > > To my knowledge, I do not have HOSTS. Not sure what it is and if
> available
> > > from somewhere. I do have Tweak UI, but I have not used it for
anything.
> > > Sad that no tune-up tool is full-proof!
> > > *****
> > >
> > > "Gary S. Terhune" wrote:
> > >
> > > > I agree with Ron. I would use *one* antivirus that has a resident
> > scanner
> > > > (scans on the fly, as you're using the computer) but don't have it
> scan
> > > > email. Also scan regularly (during maintenance is when I do it) with
> > AdAware
> > > > and Spybot. Beyond that, I'd use a couple of passive protection
> schemes,
> > one
> > > > using the Restricted Zone in IE (SpywareBlaster does this) and one
> using
> > the
> > > > HOSTS file -- like HOSTS Manager.
> > > >
> > > > *I* might use a Registry Cleaner or two, if I thought Registry guck
> > might be
> > > > at the root of a particular problem, but I'd be very careful about
> what
> > I
> > > > change, and not change anything I wasn't *absolutely* sure about. I
> > don't
> > > > recommend such tools for the average user, and there's no such thing
> as
> > a
> > > > "tune-up tool" or Registry cleaner that is fool proof. That goes for
> > > > "tweakers", too.
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > Gary S. Terhune
> > > > MS MVP Shell/User
> > > > http://grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
> > > > http://grystmill.com/articles/security.htm
> > > >
> > > > "BAP" <BAP.RemoveThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > > > news:43F7B937-9FCA-4219-B23C-0027E4BBAB64@microsoft.com...
> > > > > Posts in this Group and PCWorld articles, often, seem to
encourage
> to
> > > > > download software and use it to safeguard against viruses or
> > intruders. I
> > > > > have downloaded several FREE versions of programs to see what they
> can
> > do
> > > > for
> > > > > my setup. However, I have no idea of how some of these may
actually
> > work
> > > > or
> > > > > what should be running, whenever the computer is being powered up
or
> > when
> > > > the
> > > > > Internet is accessed. The only ones that I have presently running
> are
> > > > Kerio
> > > > > Personal Firewall and AVG Free Edition. Not knowing how good these
> may
> > be,
> > > > I
> > > > > have also several that are inactive or, perhaps, run at times
> without
> > > > > actually taking any action about the findings. These are:
> > > > > HijackThis, CWShedder, No Adware, Lavasoft Ad-Aware, XoftSpy,
> > > > > SpywareBlaster, MRU-Blaster, SE Personal, Cprocess,
> > Spybot-Search&Destroy,
> > > > > PCBugDoctor, RegistryFix, RegCure,
> > > > > EasyCleaner, Registry Mechanic, RegSeeker, RunPCMightyMax,
> PCDocPro3.5
> > and
> > > > > Belarc Advisor
> > > > > Would anyone care to advise me as to which may be of value, how
it
> > should
> > > > > be used, which of the ones listed should be avoided and the good
> ones
> > that
> > > > > may be missing?
> > > > > Thank you!
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> >
> >
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: Protective Software 

Ron, I searched WIN.INI for run entries and found only 3 references to it:
Run=
NORUN = C:\QBWIN\SHOWADV.EXE
TBK=C:\WINDOWS\asym\runtime\TBLOAD.EXE^.TBK

In msconfig, this is what is checked:
AOL Fast Start-System Tray-Scan Registry-Tweak UI-AVG7_CC-AVG7_EMC-AOL Top
Speed Monitor-PersFw and AolAcsDaemon1

I used RegSeeker to search the Registry for references to “Run� and the
number came to 461 entries. They were in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, HKEY_CURRENT_USER,
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHILE.
To say the least, that number of entries is overwhelming and I would not
know what any of them really mean or what to do with of them. Isn’t there a
way to set up some log file that would list what is happening during startup
or when you right/click or left/click the mouse on the initial attempt during
a session?

This is sort of getting away from the original post regarding protection.
My original intent was to see if amongst all the FREE software utilities,
that I had downloaded, there might been those that I could get rid of because
of being dangerous or not able to do what they were meant to do.
For the moment, I assume that AVG and Kerio Firewall are good to have.
Thank you for your time.
*****

"Ron Badour" wrote:

> I did not comment on the firewall or AVG because you appeared to be running
> them and were happy with them. Both products are OK.
>
> There is really nothing wrong with a registry that is 11 mb other than some
> people reported that the scanreg /fix option quit working when the registry
> approached 9 mb. When I used W98 as my primary system, my registry was
> around 10 mb and the option worked for me.
>
> If you want to speed up your computer noticeably, you probably will have to
> upgrade hardware as system tweaks simply do not do much. As far as speeding
> it up after boot, look at what programs are being started at boot and if you
> do not use a program during 95% of your computing sessions, then don't start
> it at boot. To cut back on the number of programs starting at boot, check
> the programs themselves for an option not to load. You might have to double
> click an icon in the tray (others might require a right click) and then look
> for preferences or options. If you cannot find an option, look for the
> program in one of the following start up points and remove the reference to
> it:
>
> Start up folder on the start menu, the load= and run= lines in the win.ini
> and these registry run keys (use regedit.exe):
>
> 1. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion­\Run
> 2. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\­Run
> 3. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion­\RunOnce
> 4. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\­RunOnce
> 5. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion­\RunServices
> 6.
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion­\RunServicesOnce
> 7.
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion­\RunOnce\Setup
>
> There is a freeware program that makes this process a lot easier to
> manage: Startup Manager, http://home.ptd.net/~don5408/toolbox/startupcpl/
>
> You can use msconfig.exe, startup tab, to disable programs; however, by
> doing so, you may lessen its value as a troubleshooting tool. There might
> be some double entries in msconfig--leave those for your AntiVirus program
> and load power profile alone as they are required.
>
> If you disable an entry in msconfig or remove it from the start up point and
> the program loads again after a reboot, that is an indication that you
> missed an option on the program itself. If you don't know what an entry is,
> check here:
> http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_index.htm
>
> --
> Regards
>
>
> Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
> Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
> Knowledge Base Info:
> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo
>
>
>
> "BAP" <BAP.RemoveThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:9CBCEE3F-08A3-4E8A-8281-6A5E0E4CE052@microsoft.com...
> >
> > Thanks, Ron! I certainly agree about the various applications that might
> > change the Registry
> > contents. The only bothering thought is my Registry size at over 11MB,
> > 1.51
> > fir User.dat and
> > 9.77MB for System.dat. Somewhere I read that it should be about 8MB or
> > less.
> > My OS is
> > W98SE. In reality, that is no big deal to me.
> > I see that you do not comment on Kerio PW or AVG.
> > Regarding the "tune up" software, my tendency is to look for anything that
> > might successfully get
> > my system to speed up. When the my Computer is powered up and ready to
> > go,
> > it will initially
> > take several seconds before it responds to the L/Ck, and, especially, the
> > R/Ck of the mouse.
> > But, that's another subject.
> > **********
> >
> > "Ron Badour" wrote:
> >
> >> You need to pick one of the spyware programs and regularly run it (after
> >> updating the definitions). Spybot or AdAware would be my choice or you
> >> could run both if desired. CWShredder only works on a very few "hard to
> >> get
> >> rid of" spyware programs. HiJackThis is a diagnostic program that is
> >> used
> >> when you cannot figure out exactly what type of spyware program might be
> >> running on your PC. It provides a list that a security specialist can
> >> review when providing you help. Belarc Advisor is not protective
> >> software--it provides a list of your hardware and software. I would not
> >> run
> >> a registry cleaner nor any other "tune up" software as they sometimes
> >> cause
> >> more harm than good.
> >> --
> >> Regards
> >>
> >>
> >> Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
> >> Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
> >> Knowledge Base Info:
> >> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> "BAP" <BAP.RemoveThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> news:43F7B937-9FCA-4219-B23C-0027E4BBAB64@microsoft.com...
> >> > Posts in this Group and PCWorld articles, often, seem to encourage to
> >> > download software and use it to safeguard against viruses or intruders.
> >> > I
> >> > have downloaded several FREE versions of programs to see what they can
> >> > do
> >> > for
> >> > my setup. However, I have no idea of how some of these may actually
> >> > work
> >> > or
> >> > what should be running, whenever the computer is being powered up or
> >> > when
> >> > the
> >> > Internet is accessed. The only ones that I have presently running are
> >> > Kerio
> >> > Personal Firewall and AVG Free Edition. Not knowing how good these may
> >> > be,
> >> > I
> >> > have also several that are inactive or, perhaps, run at times without
> >> > actually taking any action about the findings. These are:
> >> > HijackThis, CWShedder, No Adware, Lavasoft Ad-Aware, XoftSpy,
> >> > SpywareBlaster, MRU-Blaster, SE Personal, Cprocess,
> >> > Spybot-Search&Destroy,
> >> > PCBugDoctor, RegistryFix, RegCure,
> >> > EasyCleaner, Registry Mechanic, RegSeeker, RunPCMightyMax, PCDocPro3.5
> >> > and
> >> > Belarc Advisor
> >> > Would anyone care to advise me as to which may be of value, how it
> >> > should
> >> > be used, which of the ones listed should be avoided and the good ones
> >> > that
> >> > may be missing?
> >> > Thank you!
> >>
> >>
> >>
>
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: Protective Software