Spyware, viruses, & security : Anti-Malware and Security Advice Needed!

Your Start Up List Is Enough

to give me a heart attack! Having looked it over, I think the easiest
way to deal with it, is to describe my start list from msconfig.

Of 3rd party programs listed there, I have check marks in the boxes for
4 items: AVG, Erdunt, Tea Timer (Spybot) & dump prep. That's it!
All my other programs have manual start by clicking on desktop Icon or
by starting from start>programs> appropriate .exe. My sys tray by clock,
has only clock,AVG & Tea Timer + 2 little computers showing LAN active.
Everything else is disabled from start-up either for efficiency or for security blocking reasons (example MSnmsgr, remote connect everything incl. external printer sharing, remote help, net bios, remote desktop Adobe (all including flash & shockwave etc.). Almost everything that gets called by keyboard or on net will activate from stopped when called upon.

Example: My printer is powered but the managing software that monitors ink levels etc is off. When at a site & I want to print the page, I click "print" and given a few seconds to auto-load, it then prints. I'd rather wait 3-5 seconds for it to start printing than be slowed down all the time I'm not actively printing.

Given your lists, probably best I give you the following link to Black Vipers XP start up configs. He gives what they are and several options on what to disable; from keeping most to middling stopped to radical blocking (Even I haven't gone THAT overboard!!).

http://www.blackviper.com/winxp/servicecfg.htm

Sadly CastleCops is gone along w/their start up list, but this is still available & good:
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm

Malwarebytes has a tool you run to clean up un-necessary start items.
I haven't used myself but the sites VERY reputable & you might like to try it: StartUpLite: http://www.malwarebytes.org/products.php

Personally, I don't care for all-in-one answers but your post shows you do by the historical choices. So I've tried to work w/ that(McAfee).

Once you've gone thru stuff in above posts (Spybot, Ad-aware, removal of other AV including using removal tools for each, start ups, background "check for updates" (including MS updaters which check for updates every 5 minutes: go manual and don't let regularly download in background,slowing you down) you should be fairly conflict free & noticeably quicker all over. Good way to see progress is to boot machine from cold and time how long (including log-on)'til on desktop with no hour glass showing blinking to wait (ready to go). Record this as original time then note that time again after major changes. My XP Pro went from about 2 minutes to 45 seconds!

IF you chose to NOT go all-in-one, then I'd like Avira Free AV (just AV) + MBAM.exe (w/ pay added protection module ?) with SAS Free as on demand scanner, & possibly Spybot free(just 'cause I trust them) and possibly free Spyware Guard & Spyware Blaster from Javacool since they get along w/ just about everybody. All above are in the "Tools" sticky
at top of this forum or via "advanced search" area.

Hope this helps some...Good luck & let us know what you decided & how it's working. Please remember that "convenience is the opposite of security" in computers!

Re: Anti-Malware and Security Advice Needed!

by Carol~  - 3/14/09 5:15 PM

JandNLarson...

In your original post you noted the disappearance of the Anti-Spam toolbar in Outlook 2003. If you're still looking to fix the issue, I would look towards the McAfee Forum's, where you'll see threads like, "Anti-Spam in Outlook no longer works". You'll most likely find a fix there before you will at MS's Outlook 2003 forum. The McAfee Forum doesn't have a specified sub-forum for Total Protection, but running a search of Total Protection should bring up some relevant and interesting threads. To include one such as, "Ad-Aware conflicting with Total Protection".

You also mentioned, it was suggested that "email protection was unnecessary and only creates difficulties". There are varying opinions on the subject. I happen to agree with it. Please read, "Viral Irony: The Most Common Cause of Corruption".

You wrote in another post "Our computer also runs pretty slowly, although we have maximized the available memory". As a start, based on the below statements, I would strongly suggest you run all of the following tools, if you haven't done so already.

"Several years ago, we used Norton's antivirus and antispyware"

Norton Removal Tool
http://service1.symantec.com/Support/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005033108162039

"We have tried AVG"

AVG Remover
http://www.avg.com/download-tools

"Avast found two trojans within *.exe files yesterday"

Avast! uninstall utility
http://www.avast.com/eng/avast-uninstall-utility.html

If at any point in time you find Total Protection too problematic and decide to uninstall it, use the MCPR.exe removal tool after first removing it via "Add/Remove". It will remove any leftover files and registry entries which Add/Remove fails to do.

I would also urge you to download and install the "slim version" of CCleaner. Instructions for setting it up are HERE. It should help clean a lot of unnecessary files which may be on your system.
http://www.ccleaner.com/download/builds

=========

"What protection do we actually need, and what are the best and least-expensive sources?"

If you're not going to keep McAfee's Total Protection, I would suggest either Avira's AntiVir or Avast. Both are free.

I would also suggest Javacool's SpywareBlaster. It's a "prevention software that protects against ActiveX based Malware installation. It also protects against known tracking cookies being installed in Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and adds thousands of known Malware installing sites to the Restricted sites zone of Internet Explorer". This tutorial isn't current, but current enough where it will be of help.

Again only my opinion, but I would replace Ad-Aware with either Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware or SUPERAntiSpyware FREE Edition. As an added note, Malwarebytes' also has a free utility to help you with your start up items. StartUpLite is a lightweight application that will allow you to speed up your system startup. It provides a safe and efficient way to disable or remove unnecessary startup entries from your computer.

Hope this helps..
Carol

You're welcome. Answers to (2) More Questions

by Carol~  - 3/18/09 6:45 AM

JandNLarson..

1- How can we get rid of deleted programs, such as Sophos, that still appear in Add/Remove Programs?

Download the (free) Revo Uninstaller.

"Revo Uninstaller helps you to uninstall software and remove unwanted programs installed on your computer even if you have problems uninstalling and cannot uninstall them from "Windows Add or Remove Programs" control panel applet."

I still feel CCleaner is an important tool to use and keep, as was suggested in my previous post. (Not to use in place of the Revo Uninstaller, but for general clean up purposes)

- The A/V removal tools listed in my previous post should help remove any remnants leftover from the various A/V software you previously installed . If you haven't used any of the tools before, I think you might be surprised at the difference it will make. It may be over-kill, but if you also want to double-check to make sure all leftovers are gone, "Unhide Files and Folders" and do a "search". Search for the name of the program and also the company name. Each software will vary. Some will have additional file names. You might also want to look in the following places yourself, for leftover files or folders. C:\Program Files folder and C:\Documents and Settings\{YOUR NAME}\Application Data.

2 - Are you recommending we cancel our McAfee subscription and use the free programs you and tobeach suggested instead? Our subscription lasts through September 2009

No. I am not recommending you cancel your McAfee subscription. You say you've used it for "the last 3 versions". Apparently, it's served you well for quite some time. The only thing I am suggesting is, if MTP has become problematic you might want to either deal with the issues which are creating the problems, or consider switching. Had you already decided to uninstall MTP and make a switch.. I suggested AntiVir or Avast. It's just my opinion and ultimately your choice to make.

With all the above said, I would question why you've been installing and uninstalling different A/V software. Is it try them out? Or are you having problems with each? Additionally, in one of your posts you stated, your system was running slow. You indicated while you had MTP installed, "Avast found two trojans within *.exe files yesterday". Having the two installed might be contributing to some of your slowdown issues. (Here's a very thorough explanation of why, from a CNET Community Newsletter )

Best of luck ..
Carol

Re: Two More Questions

by Carol~  - 3/31/09 6:07 AM

J or N..

I attempted to reply to your post (from the 28th) but had a problem with my provider and was unable to "submit" it. This is what it said:

You wrote in your previous post, "Although we run weekly "full scans" with McAfee, we almost never find anything; yesterday, for the first time in months, we got an alert, and it was about a program we downloaded and installed a number of months ago: the ALot Toolbar" Only a comment about each. Just because an A/V "hardly ever finds anything", doesn't necessarily mean it's ineffective. My A/V never finds anything. There's nothing for it to find! That is not to say some A/V's aren't better than others. (See "A-V Comparatives" ) Has the Alot Toolbar been completely removed?

You also asked about removing McAfee's Total Protection. Perhaps, you over looked my first post where I wrote:

If at any point in time you find Total Protection problematic and decide to uninstall it, use the McAfee Consumer Products Removal tool (MCPR.exe) AFTER first removing it via "Add/Remove". It will remove any leftover files and registry entries which Add/Remove fails to do. Did you remove all the remnants leftover from Norton, AVG and Avast, as suggested in my post referenced above? It might help insure a clean install of the new A/V you choose. Keep in mind, when you remove MTP, it's firewall protection will be removed with it. Either make use of Window's Firewall, or if you have a third-party firewall in mind, have it "set and ready" to turn on.

Best of luck..
Carol

You're Welcome & Thanks for the Clarification :)

by Carol~  - 4/4/09 5:59 AM

J & N..


A clarification on my end. If it seemed as if I was "pushing" McAfee, it was far from my intention. In fact, I'm not a fan of security suites. My misunderstanding, in that you were looking to replace it.

You are correct, in that "total" protection does not exist in one piece of software, despite what's advertised. Be it McAfee or anyone else. I'm also of the opinion, there's no such thing as "best". Many factors play into it.

I suggested SpywareBlaster and Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware or SUPERAntiSpyware. (I have SpywareBlaster installed and use the others as stand-alone scanners) In the years I've been posting, I've rarely made suggestions, only because it's one persons opinion. If you do a search at the top of the forum, you'll find countless different opinions. One person may believe a piece of s/w is the greatest "since sliced bread", while another will post and say "dump it". That said, I just did a search. Please read this post. I think you'll find just what you're looking for. The post contains a list of excellent free programs to choose from and you can also trust it's source.

Hope this helps..
Carol

(NT) You're welcome! Good Luck!

by Carol~  - 4/4/09 2:00 PM