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Your PC running slow?

I will give you seven simple tasks you can do to improve your PC's speed over the next few days. Anyone can do these steps with only a little effort. Check out my blog entries by looking for the key words/title, Seven Tasks to Speed Up Your PC.

Top antivirus firewall software
jim | January 9, 2010 | 6:33 am

The number of computer viruses and their intelligence increases day by day. Malicious programmers around the world keep on finding new ways to circumvent even the best antivirus firewall software. Whenever a virus has been neutralized by the security software companies a new loophole is found and a new virus is born and ready to beat your security program. You must therefor never neglect PC security – always have a decent program running on your PC.

It is impossible to keep a PC clean from malware without proper antivirus firewall software. Installing security software does not present any challenges and after that it takes care of all future updates all by itself.

It is not uncommen that people ignore the scheduling of periodic system scans or sometimes setting them at a time where the computer will usually be turned off. In order for the antivirus firewall software to offer the best possible protection, you must allow for regular scans of your PC. Eventually a computer virus will get through but then it will be caught at a later time. This has happened to me once. Scanning your PC every once or twice a week is therefor very important – the more you surf/download from the internet, the more important this gets.

The best antivirus firewall software in my opinion is a program that has it all: antivirus, anti spyware, anti adware, popup blockers, etc. Then you wont need to get more than one program. Lots of different programs are available and you may already have heard of some of them.

Selecting antivirus firewall software presents several challenges. I recommend focusing on how many known threats is the program capable of detecting and how often are new updates released. You could of cause listen to other peoples opinions and maybe check out a couple of forums, that discuss such matters.

Lastly you also have the option of trying a free scan with most programs.

Try some of the best antivirus firewall software

Geek!

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/top-antivirus-firewall-software-1684092.html

Why Panic Isn’t Necessary When You Detect A Virus On Your Computer
jim | January 9, 2010 | 6:33 am

Contrary to what you may believe, removing a virus from a computer is not actually a difficult task.

You can simply use antivirus software to remove the virus.

After installing your antivirus software you should run scans at regular intervals to ensure that your computer stays in a healthy condition.

There are many different antivirus programs to choose from and which is best for you will generally depend on how you personally use your computer.

Decisions, Decisions

If you want to save money, you can use free antivirus software.

Typically, but not always, paid antivirus solutions offer the best protection.

Security software that is paid for often comes with more options and is updated more often.

To help you choose one, I have compiled a list of the best 10 paid antivirus programs currently available.

Of course that doesn’t mean to say that you should disregard all of the free options though.

Companies such as AVG offer good quality protection for zero cost.

You can find links to my favourite 10 free antivirus programs on my blog.

Once you have settled upon your antivirus program you simply need to download it and then run a scan.

Once the scan is complete (and the first one may take a while) you will be able to delete any viruses that have been detected upon your system.

When you delete a virus it is gone for ever as long as you are careful not to become infected again.

So What Is A Computer Virus?

A computer virus is a software program that has been created to spread from one computer to another and to interfere with how your computer operates.

A virus can cause your computer to be sluggish.

You should never ignore viruses -  you need to run a scan and delete them immediately.

If a virus is allowed to remain on your system it can corrupt or delete data on your PC and erase the data on your hard drive.

Sometimes, viruses are hidden in funny picture attatchments, greeting cards, video and audio files.

They can also be buried in with other types of files too.

A Computer Is Only As Safe As The Person Using It

It is essential that you update your antivirus software when you need to.

You have to keep it current in order for it to be effective.

Most antivirus programs will need to download new virus definitions every day so make sure you allow that to happen.

Hopefully you can see that viruses are not such a big deal, though you never want to ignore them.

If you get one it is quite possibly to remove it at no cost and with a minimum of fuss.

Lee Ives has plenty more to say about antivirus programs and other areas of internet security

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/why-panic-isnt-necessary-when-you-detect-a-virus-on-your-computer-1687634.html

Get In Touch With Norton Antivirus
jim | December 31, 2009 | 8:38 pm

While buying a new computer we get a CD that helps us to automatically install a program known as Norton Antivirus. It is a security software that keeps your computer safe from viruses, spywares and other malwares that can almost damage your computer. There are many people veteran in this field may suggest you security software that are better than Norton Antivirus.

Experts may differ but Norton antivirus is one of the most popular antivirus software. If you want to install Norton antivirus in your computer or simply want to collect information on it you have to contact Norton antivirus support team. Here are some tips following which you can easily communicate with them.

Occupies too much computer resources

If you go through the website of Symantec to know how to get in touch with Norton antivirus support team you may not get sufficient information. You can only get an overall view of the resources that will be utilized to run the program. Most of all computer users install Norton antivirus to ensure the safety of their computer. But if you get in touch with them you may get lots of information regarding this program. It may take too much resource while running at ultimate speed.

You will not get refunds

Most of all computer users opt for Norton antivirus for the security of their computers as it is relatively cheaper than the other security software. Those who do not know much about the software may contact Norton antivirus.

The support team of the Norton is helpful enough to solve all your queries and offer a number of links through you can visit their website for more information.

Everything is fine till now but after a few days you may have pop ups like you need to upgrade Norton Antivirus to protect your PC. Once you opt to upgrade it they will charge a certain amount of money from you.

When you purchase the software from a Norton store you should make it clear that whether you have to pay to upgrade it. Otherwise you will not get any refund later. It is specially suggested for those who are buying it for the first time. Otherwise you may not get respond from their end later when you call them for help. Though it is not their fault you may feel frustrated.

Other options

There may a number of reasons due to which you may want to contact Norton customer support team, or sales department but before that you should do a little research on the internet for other options i.e. other anti spyware applications. Though Norton is considered as the most reliable and effective there are a number of antispyware programs are available online. Some of them are even free. You can easily download and install one of them and enjoy computing. But before downloading and installing an antivirus online you should check whether it itself is a spyware. Otherwise in spite of protecting it may further damage your computer.

If you are unable to find any solution yourself you may get in touch with remote PC support company. There ate many such companies that provide remote PC support that includes antivirus support to the customers worldwide.

James Anderson, from Georgia, is a passionate technical writer. He writes on myriad versatile subjects related to hardware and software issues. His articles have been published across the web. His topic of discussion is remote support of PC’s. Industry experience provides him with profound knowledge about the subject.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/get-in-touch-with-norton-antivirus-1648028.html

Uninstall Malware Defense Easily – How To Remove Malware Defense Quickly
jim | December 31, 2009 | 8:38 pm

What’s the deal with Malware Defense? Is it legitimate or is it a scam? If you’re familiar with viruses, then you know that this software is malicious. It’s the kind that will try to corrupt your entire system, block your programs, and scare you into purchasing what it claims as “full protection”. It provides nothing of the sort. Its cousins are FakeAlert and AntiMalware spyware. You will want to get rid of this spyware immediately, because if you do not, you will be harrassed with fake warnings, popups, and virus scans every time you start your computer. You will be continually threatened. You must remove this spyware threat before it does any damage to your sensitive system files.

How do I Know I’m Infected With Malware Defense?

When Malware Defense creates its false reports, you will see viruses mentioned such as Backdoor.Win32.Agent.ich and Virus.Win32.GPcode.ak. Don’t remove these files manually, as in many cases, this spyware will randomly select legit system files and attempt to trick you into deleting what you shouldn’t. Malware Defense will trick you with fake system security alerts like: “There is unauthorized antivirus software detected on your computer. It is recommend you to remove it, otherwise it could conflict with Malware Defense. Press ‘OK’ to terminate.”

It will claim that your browser and instant messenger are also infected. It may alter your firewall and proxy settings. You have to get rid of this nuisance before it does any serious, irreparable damage.

How Do I Remove Malware Defense?

If you consider yourself a tech-wiz, or are comfortable adjusting your system registry values, then you can manually remove Malware Defense. You will need to delete all associated registry DLL and LNK files, block related websites, stop related system processes, and remove all related programs and folders. You must be extra careful not to delete the wrong files, as doing so can render your system unstable. The safest and surest method of removal is automatic removal using a trusted, authorized spyware removal + antivirus tool. I use these myself, because they save me time, energy, and headaches. The best part is they protect the user’s PC in the future against the next onslaught of viruses and spyware.

Are you sick of worrying about the safety and security of you and your family? Remove Malware Defense and get rid of the headaches associated with identity theft and PC corruption.

Bob Walker is a veteran IT consultant with over twenty years of experience in the industry. He’s helped clean up the computers of everyone from fortune 500 organizations to individual users and families. His website is dedicated to anti-spyware and virus removal research, where he ranks the most efficient anti-spyware and anti-virus programs currently available.

http://www.spyware-review.net

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/uninstall-malware-defense-easily-how-to-remove-malware-defense-quickly-1650597.html

Avoiding Malware and Spyware Online
jim | December 28, 2009 | 10:07 am

Avoiding malware and spyware online is getting harder, its becoming more and more common and a lot of the time people get infected without even knowing.

The problem is most people are not very clued up when it comes to internet security, some people will browse the web on an old web browser (Internet explorer 6 for example) and no anti virus, this alone is a very dangerous combination as IE6 is vulnerable to all kinds of exploits and without any anti virus protection you could be a victim to a ‘drive-by’ web exploit.

Drive-By exploits – A drive-by exploit is when a malicious website is setup that attempts to automatically install malware or spyware once a user visits it. Users are often lured to the site through malicious links in emails or various other advertising techniques whereby a user thinks the page contains something of real value. These exploits are normally ‘0-day’ which means that have been recently discovered by hackers and most the time will not have any kind of fix for them, because of this the success rate for infection is normally quite high. With a drive-by exploit unless your Anti virus manages to stop it you will have no idea what has happened and malware will be silently installed onto your machine.

With this is mind then its important to always use an up to date browser (personally I recommend firefox) and an up to date anti virus. It also wont hurt to use a malware scanning tool such as MalwareBytes AntiMalware to do a weekly scan of your system to make sure your not infected.

Remember that no anti virus / anti malware software will ever offer 100% protection, new threats are constantly being created and it can take time for anti virus vendors to find these and add them to their detection lists. This is why it is important to excercise caution whilst online; never visit any suspicious links and always be careful with what your downloading!

Bubba Vine is a freelance writer and co-owner of http://dysonvacuumcleaners.info. Visit Bubba And read more about the best vacuum cleaners on the planet at http://dysonvacuumcleaners.info

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/avoiding-malware-and-spyware-online-1630591.html

How to Remove the Trojan Downloader
jim | December 26, 2009 | 1:10 pm

The Trojan-Downloader is a kind of Trojan, which once running will generate infection files, modify Registry and add Startup items, in order to make itself run at the computer startup. Then, through network connection, Trojan-Downloader downloads a great number of Trojans which are able to run automatically. The downloaded Trojans then modify the associated files of .exe file, and disable exe file from normal function. Meanwhile, Trojan-Downloader is so stubborn that lots of antivirus software can do nothing to it. Or, even though it was reported to be removed successfully, you can still find it later.

If you are careful enough, you will find that after being activated, Trojan-Downloader will generate the files XXX.exe and XXX.dll in the directory %systemroot/%system32. Then, you can go to this directory and find out and delete these files. If they can’t be removed, then they are possible the files run by Trojan-Downloader. In this case, you can try the following method: download a robust antispyware program to remove Trojan; start up your computer in safe mode (Press F8 at computer booting up); use the antispyware program in safe mode to detect and remove Trojan-Downloader, and after which please download the Registry repair tool to repair your system Registry and check the startup items.

Other Methods to Manually Fix the System Infected by Trojan-Download:

Go to C: /WINDOWS/system32/drivers and find out the file X.sys. Open Spyware Cease, use the File Deletion function. Add the files needed to be deleted, and execute the forcible file deletion. (Note: The File Deletion function is very powerful and no file can be restored once deleted. So make sure the file name is correct. ) Find out Trojan-Download in C:/WINDOWS/system32, and delete it with the same method. Then, Start – Run – type regedit to open the Registry Editor, and delete the Registry keys of Trojan-Download from the following

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/Controlset001/Services
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/Controlset002/Services
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Services

Want to Try a FREE SPYWARE SCANNER NOW? Protect you computer against spyware, virus and other PC threats with a good spyware removal tool, please read here http://www.bestspywarescanner.net/

About Author: Amy Zhou is a professional computer technician and virus threat analyst that contributes to the security software company. She is also a security software expert who is fond of reviews many antispyware and antivirus software in the market. She would like to help computer users to know more essential computer knowledge and take good care of their daily friends-the computers. Read more http://www.bestspywarescanner.net/

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/how-to-remove-the-trojan-downloader-1624653.html

Computer Virus Removal – How to Remove Computer Virus Manually and Automatically
jim | December 25, 2009 | 3:27 pm

Computer viruses have been a common term to all of the computer users. However, though we use computer daily, do you really know how to remove computer viruses when you are suffered by these terrible unexpected intruders? Actually, as long as you read this article, and learn some basic knowledge about computer virus, you should know several ways to manually or automatically remove them. They are just not that horrible. Get rid of viruses now!

Do You Have a Computer Virus?
If you suspect that you may have a computer virus, please confirm it first. The common symptoms for a virus-compromised computer are: computer running very slow, popping up with many unknown errors, displaying constantly ads windows, random PC reboots, or blue error screens, etc. In a word, a compromised computer just runs abnormally. If any of the above happens, your computer is likely infected by viruses. Then do not panic. Be assured you can also fix your computer viruses yourself.

How to Remove Computer Viruses Automatically?
The fastest and easiest way to remove a computer virus is to run antivirus software. Definitely, you need to have a virus removal tool installed to secure your computer.

1. Close all running processes. Before you run the antivirus software, please make sure you have saved and shut down all the running programs, files or any other applications. This is because most of the antivirus software requires a reboot of your PC in order to disable any process of the computer virus. Run a scan on your computer with the antivirus software. Remove the detected virus.

2. Update your antivirus software. In order to catch up with the latest spreading viruses, good antivirus software should always have update on its virus definitions database from time to time. So, before you run the virus removal tool, check the virus definitions update first.

3. Detect and remove computer virus. Run the virus scanner of your antivirus software to detect the computer virus as well as any other malicious PC threats. Then, remove the detected computer virus and other malicious items.

How to Remove Computer Virus Manually?
Usually, it is ok and easy to automatically remove the computer virus or other malicious PC threats with a virus removal tool. But some people might have the idea to do both the automatic and manual computer virus removal! Well, it is a good idea anyway. If you also want to know the way for a manual virus removal, you can try the following manual steps:

1. Remove suspicious programs from Add/Remove Programs
Most of the computer viruses intrude into your computer with the spyware programs, so you need to remove any suspicious programs from your computer. You can first start you PC in the Safe Mode by pressing F8 while your PC reboots. Then, click Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs. This will list all programs that are installed on your machine. Look for those associated with the virus or Spyware and delete them. Meanwhile, you can search online to get a list of programs corresponding to a particular virus.

2. Delete Virus Files
The list of files related with a specific virus can be searched for through the Internet. Then, you can just look for these files on your computer and delete them permanently.

3. Delete unnecessary Registry Entries
Viruses add some Registry entries into your system Registry when they install on your computer. Again search information from the net and remove these redundant entries to completely flush out the virus from your computer.

Note: Anyone who wants to try the manual computer virus removal should be careful enough to avoid the risk of deleting needed files and entries. To clear viruses from your computer and to know more about the best virus/spyware removal tool you can go to the following link.

Want to Try a FREE SPYWARE SCANNER NOW? Protect you computer against spyware, virus and other PC threats with a good spyware removal tool, please read here http://www.bestspywarescanner.net/

About Author:
Amy Zhou is a professional computer technician and virus threat analyst that contributes to the security software company. She is also a security software expert who is fond of reviews many antispyware and antivirus software in the market. She would like to help computer users to know more essential computer knowledge and take good care of their daily friends-the computers. Read more http://www.bestspywarescanner.net/

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/computer-virus-removal-how-to-remove-computer-virus-manually-and-automatically-1624717.html

How to Prevent a Computer Virus and Protect Your Email?
jim | December 25, 2009 | 3:27 pm

Viruses and other malicious PC threats can easily infect our computer systems. Basing on my personal experience and study from the Internet, I would like to share some tips about how to prevent computer virus and safeguard your email.

How to Protect your Computer from Viruses?

1. Never open the attachment from the unknown email or unexpected email, even if the attachment seems to be a.jpg image file. This is because Windows allow users add multiple suffixes on the file name, while many email applications usually display the first suffix only. For example, if you see an attachment named wow.jpg, its full name actually is wow.jpg.vbs. Therefore, to open this attachment will result in the running of a malicious VBScript virus.

2. Before you insert a floppy disk, CD-ROMs and other removable media, make sure they have been scanned for viruses. And, make sure your computer can automatically check for viruses when the removable media inserts or emails and network file are received.

3. Guard against fraudulent virus. If you receive an email from your friend which claims that there is a most lethal new virus and requests you to forward this warning email to all your friends. This may be a fraudulent virus actually. You are suggested to turn to the antivirus software vendors, such as Symantec’s website, to confirm the claim.

4. Use other forms of documents, such as.rtf (Rich Text Format) and.pdf (Portable Document Format). Common macro viruses spread through Microsoft Office programs. Therefore, the less use of these files types will lower the risk of being infected by viruses. Try to use Rich Text to save your files. This does not mean that simply use.rtf suffix in the file name, but that in Microsoft Word use “Save as” command, and in the dialog box select Rich Text format to save the file. Although Rich Text Format may contain embedded objects, it itself does not support Visual Basic Macros or Jscript. The pdf file is not only a kind of format available in many platforms, but also more secure.

5. Use the client-based firewall or filtration solution. If you are using the Internet, particularly the broadband, and you are always online, then it is very necessary to use a personal firewall to protect your privacy and to prevent the unexpected visitors to access your system. If your system does not have an additional effective protection, your home address, credit card number and other personal information could be stolen.

6. If there are share files set with full access by users in the local area network, viruses may very easily come in. This also brings the frequent access of the infected computer to the share files, and results in network congestion.

How to Protect your Email Security?

Improve the security level of the email client. If you use Outlook Express, please change its security level like this: Tools – Options – Security – Select the Internet Explorer security zone to use: Restricted sites zone (More secure). The setting for Outlook is similar to OE: Tools – Options – Security – Select the Internet Explorer security zone to use: Restricted sites zone (More secure). As for Foxmail, please go to Account Properties – Fonts & View – select Embed Internet Explorer to view HTML message.

To maintain your computer security, you need also pay attention to update your Windows from time to time. Microsoft always has updates released for its Windows vulnerabilities, so you can download and install those updates to keep your system from vulnerability risk. Alternatively, you can also use some security tool, such as Spyware Cease to update your Windows with ease. Spyware Cease is also a good spyware removal tool to protect your computer security. Anyway, you can just try yourself and believe in what you see.

Want to Try a FREE SPYWARE SCANNER NOW? Protect you computer against spyware, virus and other PC threats with a good spyware removal tool, please read here http://www.bestspywarescanner.net/

About Author:
Amy Zhou is a professional computer technician and virus threat analyst that contributes to the security software company. She is also a security software expert who is fond of reviews many antispyware and antivirus software in the market. She would like to help computer users to know more essential computer knowledge and take good care of their daily friends-the computers. Read more http://www.bestspywarescanner.net/

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/how-to-prevent-a-computer-virus-and-protect-your-email-1624808.html

Eco AntiVirus is Deceitful Malware
jim | December 25, 2009 | 2:37 am

If you have been receiving frightening security warnings, you may believe that Eco AntiVirus is a genuine tool to remove spyware and other parasites.  Beware; this application is actually a rogue security program designed to trick you, so that you will spend your money on the useless product they promote.  There are many scams out there that claim to protect the security of your PC, and this is one of them.

This malicious program displays numerous false security warnings, stating that your computer is infected with malware, spyware and other parasites.  You are then invited to download a free scan, so that these infections can be detected and removed.  Once the scan completes, you are informed that you must purchase the product to remove the parasites.  Eco AntiVirus cannot perform any of the functions it claims to.

How spyware gets on your PC

Whether your PC is infected or not, you may be curious as to how this happens in the first place.  If you are fooled and download the free scan, Eco AntiVirus may install at that time.  Other ways this frequently occurs is by downloading files you enjoy, visiting malicious websites or sharing networks.  Malware often “bundles” with other files you download such as music or games, but you won’t realize it at the time.

Symptoms of malware

If malware does get placed on your PC, there are some common signs you can’t help but notice.  Your PC will probably become very slow or even unstable.  The incessant fake system notifications and pop-up ads will drive you insane.  Your browser may redirect you to strange websites you did not intend to visit, and your home page may change.

Risks associated with spyware

Rogue security programs put your computer and your personal identity at risk.  Your activities may be tracked, so that your interests can be transmitted to third parties.  Private information such as personal passwords, credit card numbers and other business data may be accessed, which puts you at risk of identity theft.

Malware is nothing but bad news.  Not only can it harm the performance of your PC, but it can also gain access to things you would rather keep private.  In worse case scenarios, your computer may even crash.  

You can remove Eco AntiVirus yourself, but manual removal is difficult and may damage your PC.  To remove this infection automatically, it is best to use a reputable antispyware tool that is made specifically for this purpose.

Spyware is dangerous and risky. To remove Eco AntiVirus automatically, visit http://bluepenguinsoftware.com/spyzooka for a free scan with SpyZooka, the only antispyware tool that is 100% guaranteed.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/eco-antivirus-is-deceitful-malware-1616796.html

Eco AntiVirus is Deceitful Malware
jim | December 24, 2009 | 4:20 am

If you have been receiving frightening security warnings, you may believe that Eco AntiVirus is a genuine tool to remove spyware and other parasites.  Beware; this application is actually a rogue security program designed to trick you, so that you will spend your money on the useless product they promote.  There are many scams out there that claim to protect the security of your PC, and this is one of them.

This malicious program displays numerous false security warnings, stating that your computer is infected with malware, spyware and other parasites.  You are then invited to download a free scan, so that these infections can be detected and removed.  Once the scan completes, you are informed that you must purchase the product to remove the parasites.  Eco AntiVirus cannot perform any of the functions it claims to.

How spyware gets on your PC

Whether your PC is infected or not, you may be curious as to how this happens in the first place.  If you are fooled and download the free scan, Eco AntiVirus may install at that time.  Other ways this frequently occurs is by downloading files you enjoy, visiting malicious websites or sharing networks.  Malware often “bundles” with other files you download such as music or games, but you won’t realize it at the time.

Symptoms of malware

If malware does get placed on your PC, there are some common signs you can’t help but notice.  Your PC will probably become very slow or even unstable.  The incessant fake system notifications and pop-up ads will drive you insane.  Your browser may redirect you to strange websites you did not intend to visit, and your home page may change.

Risks associated with spyware

Rogue security programs put your computer and your personal identity at risk.  Your activities may be tracked, so that your interests can be transmitted to third parties.  Private information such as personal passwords, credit card numbers and other business data may be accessed, which puts you at risk of identity theft.

Malware is nothing but bad news.  Not only can it harm the performance of your PC, but it can also gain access to things you would rather keep private.  In worse case scenarios, your computer may even crash.  

You can remove Eco AntiVirus yourself, but manual removal is difficult and may damage your PC.  To remove this infection automatically, it is best to use a reputable antispyware tool that is made specifically for this purpose.

Spyware is dangerous and risky. To remove Eco AntiVirus automatically, visit http://bluepenguinsoftware.com/spyzooka for a free scan with SpyZooka, the only antispyware tool that is 100% guaranteed.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/eco-antivirus-is-deceitful-malware-1616844.html