Ultimate Malware Removal Guide -- Purge Your PC of Junk Files!
Quote: Malware is everywhere. You can't browse on any Internet tech forum without someone mentioning this word (with disdain), usually in search of a remedy after being infected with spyware. No matter how careful you are, we’re guessing that many of you have had malware inadvertently installed on your system and may have even ended up reformatting your computer as a last resort. While that may have been the most thorough solution, it is in a sense admitting defeat. Or worse yet, you took your computer to get cleaned and was charged anywhere from $50-300 -- a high price for humiliation. But don't fret, because you can actually purge your system of malicious software for free! Just follow our comprehensive guide. Read more at: Ultimate Malware Removal Guide -- Purge Your PC of Junk Files! | Maximum PC
what could be causing my computer to boot up so slowly? If anything i thought it would be faster since I just removed a bunch of spyware and a virus too. I had to use stopzilla because live one care was not detecting it .I could see a trojan in my files so I bought stopzilla and it found no less than 34 infections, I removed them all and now is when i actually notice weird behavior from my computer.
When man first booted the PC, he saw the BIOS screen: a jumble of monochromatic numbers that made about as much sense as the binary language of load lifters. Sadly, not much about the BIOS has changed since the DeLorean and skinny ties were cool. Decades later, in our modern, visual-based world, we’re still greeted with a screen full of text from machines 1,000 times faster than those that were around when the ol’ BIOS was born. Most PC lightweights simply ignore the BIOS and wait for their OSes to take over. Power users, however, know that the BIOS can be a friendly and rewarding place to go spelunking.
So just what the hell is the BIOS? Short for Basic Input Output System, the BIOS is a tiny bit of software embedded in your motherboard that gets executed when your PC is turned on. The BIOS is responsible for chores such as sizing up the amount of available RAM, detecting the hard drives, and setting the CPU speed. Once the system house-cleaning is done, the BIOS boots the OS from the hard drive and hands over control...............
Microsoft released many new screensavers for Windows Vista and Windows 7 that look great. However, for some reason they never made option screens for them. All of the new screensavers have settings that you can tweak to completely change the look and behavior. Without an options screen, the only way to do this is with editing the registry directly. This guide will help you use registry hacks to customize the Windows screensavers including:...
Donna over at Calendar of Updates has posted a second test regarding the viability of free anti-malware and free anti-spyware programs - Malware Detections of Free Anti-Malware/Anti-Spyware. see Malware Detections of Free Anti-Malware/Anti-Spyware - Calendar Of Updates
For those who don't know, Donna also previously posted another test, Rogue Detections: Old, Not So Old and New Threats see Rogue Detections (old, not so old, new threats) by malware scanners - Calendar Of Updates
Some people are unsure on how to overclock the GPU. Quite frankly, the GPU is the easiest thing to overclock in a system. Lets start from the beginning. This will void your warranty if you have an ATI video card. The first thing I recommend is to grab some useful programs and the latest NVIDIA WHQL drivers. The programs I recommend are EVGA Precision 1.7.0 or Rivatuner (for the overclocking/monitoring), GPU-Z 0.3.3 (monitoring/GPU info), and ATItool (artifact testing). ForceWare 182.50 WHQL DriverWinXP 32 bit WinXP 64 bit WinVista 32 bit WinVista 64 bit Proper uninstallation/installation of video drivers (Vista, in XP it should be somewhat similar):Download and install Driver Sweeper or something similar. Right click on computer, click Device Manager (on left) Select your display device (video card), uninstall video device software. Delete driver folder (C:NVIDIAWinVista641xx.xx) Reboot in safe mode (repeatedly hit F8 during boot sequence). Run Driver Sweeper or your equivalent. Only clean Display driver. Reboot. Download and install your desired driver. Reboot. When installing new drivers, make sure all anti-virus software is disabled. EVGA Precision 1.7.0 Download , GPU-Z 0.3.3 Download, ATItool.26 Download , Driver Sweeper 1.5.5 Download
What is overclocking? Firstly, it is currently the mostly widely used word that does not appear in the English dictionary...... Secondly, it is operating hardware (particularly CPU, RAM, motherboard, and video card) above and beyond rated specs. Rated specs are the level to which a particular piece of hardware is expected to, has been tested to, and is warranted to perform. What this equates to in the real world is a certain price tag for a certain level of expected performance.... Overclockers strive to determine not what hardware should do, but what can do.
Overclocking is more of an art than a science. There is no combination of settings that will yield the best results for every system...... Greater experience does make the overclocking process less cumbersome, but it is and always will be a trial and error process..... Don't be afraid to experiment, but always take things slow and be aware of temperature and voltage limits. Overclocking Basics (particular to Intel systems, though many of the concepts apply to AMD systems as well)
1) Limitations - Each hardware component has physical limitations that, at a minimum, meet the rated (stock) specifications..... In the process of thoroughly overclocking a system, the actual limitations of various components will be found. In general, the CPU, RAM, and motherboard will control the overclock, but other components such as the PSU and cooling will have a major impact on overclocking abilities..... Depending on which of the three primary components (CPU, RAM, and mobo) is the first to reach its limits, different steps can be taken to squeeze more out of the other components. Video card overclocking is generally independent of overclocking the components previously listed.
2) Overclocking in the BIOS vs. overclocking software - Whenever the option exists, manipulating BIOS settings is the best way to accomplish overclocking..... BIOSes on value/low end motherboards and on proprietary systems such as Dells and HPs generally have few to no options available for overclocking....... On such systems, there is the potential to overclock through software, though there is not a single piece of software to overclock every board............
After trying to install drivers for an HP printer resulting in a total wipe out and reinstall, the Asus tech called me and suggested this guide. He said to always try to connect the new device and see if Vista-64 "sees it" properly, and then uses the Vista drivers.There should be no compatibility problems. But if Vista-64 "cannot" recognize it, one had better go to the device site and ensure it's 64 bit compatible and if new drivers exist.Otherwise, forcing the install could lead to problems.
After having sucessfully updated my Realtek HD Audio Driver, I now need to know how I go about setting it all up in Realtek HD Audio Manager. My audio engineering and setup skills are limited by the fact that last time I ever attempted anything in this field, it involved two tin cans, and a piece of string![System FAILED!....Error: String snapped!] What I need are easy-to-follow instructions, for the entire setup process of Realtek Audio Manager, from start to finish. I don't want to make a mess of the audio system by barging in, without a clue as to what I am doing, and clicking willy-nilly all over the place. I also note that the Realtek HD Audio Manager Setup page does not show a? Help button for the lesser forms of life, and for this reason ask if there are PDF/User Guide/Instructons etc. anywhere that lead you through the Setup process for the HD Audio Manager?
A recent TV guide update appears to have resulted in a loss of all channels from 32 to 71. I have COMCAST (Portland, OR) and for over 1.5 years my guide updates have always shown Ch's 1 - 71. For the last 48 hours the upper channels are not even listed. My TV can still access those channels, so they haven't been dropped. I've rebooted & downloaded the most recent guide.
I've re-ran TV Setup & elected "No Guide" then rebooted & tried again, electing to use the guide, but still same results. I've been searching/reading 100's post trying to get an idea why this is suddenly happening and how to resolve. So, the guide is downloading & displaying channels, but not channels 32-71. Oh, I can manually add and access the missing channels, which will work in a pinch, but of course the channel lineup shows "no data available."
I bought a new Toshiba laptop while I was in the states and got it home here in the UK to find that it already has an ID and password on it. How do I clear all accounts and set it up with me as the administrator?
I know that some graphics cant be removed if they are integrated, but most of the cards I have seen don't specify whether they can be changed. Can the Intel GMA 4500 be changed? (any model of it e.g. 4500, 4500MHD. Can the Ati Radeon HD 3200 be changed?
I was attempting to do a fresh reinstall my vista operating system and instead of installing it on the same partition as the original one so it would replace it. I installed it on a different partition. Now when i start the system up i have two vista operating systems to choose from. I was wondering how to remove the unwanted system?
I tried command prompt logging in as administrator and BCDEDIT/enum to get the boot info. And I read about how to delete the unwanted system by typing bcdedit/delete{identifier}/cleanup but that didnt work. Please forgive my ignorance because i am not familiar with this stuff at all. I finally did get my operating system installed/restored properly but still have the other partition that i would like to get rid of.
For toolbars started in the Vista taskbar, how do you remove the Title? The option doesn't seem to exist any longer.
i.e. under older windows you could:
If you add one or two toolbars to your Windows taskbar, regain some space. Right-click on your created taskbar and on the popup menu that appears, uncheck "Show Title." This removes the title description for your taskbar. If you know the programs on the taskbar by their icon and don't need to see the names of the programs, uncheck "Show Text" as well.
Does this no longer exist in Vista and that I can no longer reclaim the space?
When I use the CD drive, it would open and bluescreen the comp. This is a new issue, it only happened today. I restarted and then tried to update drivers(they were the newest and vista compatible drivers, and they have worked fine for months) to no avail. I then un-installed the drives and tried to reinstall them. Vista bluescreened right away not allowing me to re-install them. On every start-up try from then on, it would get to the welcome screen and then bluescreen right away. Safe mode is the same way, loads the drivers then blue screens. I had to remove the cd-roms to boot and then check for any soultions.
I keep getting the windows Malicious removal tool. i guess it comes with windows? I ran many of my virus scans and they shows nothing. this shows up System alert: virus Virtob.Win. it pops up randomly...... is there a way to remove it? I am more than 100% i don't have viruses.
I recently replaced a bunch of things in my computer - basically everything other than the drives and sound card. Reactivation was a pain but seemed to go smoothly. I updated all the drivers in ths OS (Vista Ultimate, 32 bit) and let it "burn in" for a couple of days by running Prime95 and keeping an eye on temperatures, stability, etc. Everything worked fine - no apparent problems with hardware or drivers and things would chug along quite nicely.
I notice that SP2 is lurking in Windows updates, so figure what the heck - improve performance and stability a bit. So I went ahead and installed it. Unfortunately, to my dismay, there was a background installation of an updated version of Avira Antivirus that I had forgotten about. Something blew up and I had to hard reboot. SP2 had not been completely installed it (did not go through the part with the reboots). In any event, I tried it again and this time it did finish - no installation problems at all with SP2. Also completed the Avira installation, which also went fine...................
A few days ago, the Antivirus 2008 pop-up appeared on my friend's new computer. It stated that he had 41 infections. HIs access to the internet was blocked, as well. In order to remove them, he had to pay for the service. After a bit of research, I discovered that it was a scam and attempted to remove it from his computer, via standard means (control panel, programs and features, uninstall). It appeared that some files were removed, but some were left behind. Those that remained still indicated that he had 41 infections and blocked his access to the internet, by indicating that the websites posed a threat........
Since I'm using components (Programs) of Windows Live Essentials, is there a way to remove all the Vista built-in stuff like:,Windows mail and News,Windows Photo Galery,Windows Calendar and Windows Contacts.Gets confusing after a while.
As a general home user, using windows vista home premium i have Avast anti virus, Windows defender, and the Malicious software removal tool. I am always unsure as to weather this is enough security as you here people saying "you don't want that use this, this is better than that etc". Its probably a matter of tast for some people, but these three security programs i have is this ok for now.
I own a Gateway NV52 that I purchased almost a year ago. Last month, I installed Windows 7 64-bit on it since I missed having Best Buy do the free upgrade. After the install, I re-downloaded and re-installed my old programs and somewhere during the process, the laptop keep freezing - just a black screen. It tended to happen when I plugged in my wireless mouse.
After trying to fix the issue for Win7, I gave up and re-installed Vista 64 from the Gateway recovery disks. After this fresh install, my USB mouse still seemed to be the issue, so I stopped using it. It seems to not be the problem, however, since it freezes randomly while in the middle of working in programs or idle and nowhere near transitioning to screen saver.
I've run antivirus and antispyware software and come up empty. I'm unsure what to do next, since Gateway tech support seems to be stumped as well. Are there any options I should check before breaking down and shipping this out?
I have started using the MSRT to clean PC's infected with Malware. My experience to date is that this tool does a better job, albiet much slower, than others available. An advantage is that unlike Spyware Doctor and Spy Huntwer it DOES NOT remove system files as malware, and I have found it will detect more spyware variants and remnants that other programs, including Malwarebytes leave behind. "The Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool does not replace an antivirus product. It is strictly a post-infection removal tool. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you install and use an up-to-date antivirus product.
The Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool differs from an antivirus product in three key ways: The tool removes malicious software from an already-infected computer. Antivirus products block malicious software from running on a computer. It is significantly more desirable to block malicious software from running on a computer than to remove it after infection. The tool removes only specific prevalent malicious software. Specific prevalent malicious software is a small subset of all the malicious software that exists today. The tool focuses on the detection and removal of active malicious software. Active malicious software is malicious software that is currently running on the computer. The tool cannot remove malicious software that is not running. However, an antivirus product can perform this task." The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool helps remove specific prevalent malicious software from computers that are running Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, or Windows 2000............
after downloading spybot s&d i ran it with brilliant results, it cleared my laptop apart from two entries (win32.fraudload.edt)it said after a restart it should clear these,but said after being restarted it couldn't due to these files being still in use(eg memory),they don't seem to be affecting my laptop but what do i know,i mean does anyone know what they are,what are they doing, and how to get rid of them,i'm on windows vista basic ultimate 64, after a restart it takes about two hours to try and get rid of them but to no avail and i've tried about six times.
I got Zlob malware!! From Facebook, a trusted friend of mine (of course it was a fake message). SIGH. Note, that I had AVG running and updated, and Lavasoft Ad Aware running and updated. They just cannot detect it. Windows defender did. But still I cannot get rid of it. I downloaded Spybot and it can detect it and clean it, but apparently not completely and I am back to same situation. IExplore is redirected to shopping sites (if not porn...). I searched the forums for solutions, but there is nothing specific for Vista (eg Smithfraud does not work). Also i tried to follow manual removal instructions, but I could not find the mentioned files. Yet the computer is infected. Any procedure for specific for Vista?
I have Avast 5 and it scanned and found two malware files. Here is the picture, They will not be deleted or to be moved to Chest. I can't get the whole information from that folder because it won't allow me to check from Avast. I also used two malware scanners. They found nothing about those two malware files. They also found some files from Spyware.MarketScore. Here is the log from malwarebyte,
I run AVG, Spybot-S&D and Rapport Setup,(web protection e.g.Bank's) but the computer from time to time warns me that I have no protection for Malware and to check the settings.
How do I check the settings? (I am a self-taught user)
