Virus scan

[snowbird]

With all the online activities these days, please make sure your virus protection is up to date and run a scan every so often. You wouldn't want to catch a bug!

[froofroo]

I use Adaware once a week to make sure I'm clean.

[terrapin719]

I definitely recommend Adaware or Spybot or similar spyware seeker program in addition your regular Norton or Mcaffee programs. Honestly, I don't even use Norton or McAffe anymore because THEY caused me more problems than it solved. go figure

[dominique]

Norton messed with my outlook exoress something awful, so I dropped it and got McAfee.

Adaware and McAfee are very different programs, adaware gets spyware and such, McAfee and Norton get viruses. You should really have one of each type, as well as a good firewall.

[fairydust]

I had a virus last year that killed everything I had on my computer.

I took it to my computer repair man and he cleaned the hard drive completely and installed everything new. He put in two spyware programs and Norton and Zone alarm and an automatic update for everything including Windows patches.

It's been smooth sailing ever since. I don't want to go through that again, I lost all my writing and had to look for and reinstall all my games and stuff. He said he would call me if something new came out that he thought I should have. I feel so much better.

[gaputernut]

Well....let me put on my techy hat again..lol

I am working on some step by step instructions for those of you who don't know what to do to keep your pc clean. (that is the goal of my site...to help people with their computers) Most of us are on our computers and the internet all the time....there are lots of bad bugs out there.

And Dom had a good point, you do need an adware cleaner and a virus scan.....I will get getting together places you can get them.
The tricky part is....one adware software can get some things..others get other stuff. Firewalls are needed too.

I wish people would just leave other people alone and not create these bugs....guess they don't have anything else to do...maybe they need to go play bingo!!!

Looks like you guys do know what you are doing .... Good Job!!!

I will keep you all posted.

[terrapin719]

Careful internet use is also a good safety measure for your computer Don't open unknown email attachments, don't click on suspicious links, and don't click ad pop ups if they do get through your pop up blocker. And a big rule *for some of us* don't let your husband look at porn sites ~ men! They are almost always full of pop ups and spyware, and phishing crap....
Of course this rule doesn't apply to everyone because not everyone is going to visit those places, but sometimes people just get curious and have to go look ... it's just human nature, that's why advertising works.

I don't use a firewall, and I've never had a problem from not using it. I really just can't use one because of the communication programs I use for working....a firewall intereferes and messes up the transfers. Now, if I didn't have that circumstance I would probably have the firewall on.

[dominique]

I use Zone Alarm.

You can adjust this firewall to allow or disallow any program you like, it will never interfere with anything you do.

When you first install it, it flags you and asks you for permission for each program, and you can deny, allow once or allow permanently. So it is totally adapted to what you want to do on your computer. I recommend it highly.

[terrapin719]

That sounds interesting, I'll have to check that out
Although ... I'm getting a new computer in a few weeks *fingers crossed* so I don't want to go adding anything onto this one at the moment.

[dominique]

It's free for private use, by the way.