I'm running Win 7 64 bit. On my previous systems, I generally rely on the following 3 free utilities for system protection:
- Avira AntiVir
- Spybot Search and Destroy
- Ad-aware
I've heard a lot of good things about Microsoft Security Essentials, and at least as a AV tool it's up there with Avira, Avast, etc. But how about its effectiveness as a malware / spyware blocker, detector, and remover?
Can it safely replace all 3 of the aforementioned products? Or should I use something else in conjunction with MSE?
I am trying to restore my dads Toshiba Satellite laptop to a good state as it has been running for years without any regular service and was running extremely slow.So far I have - - Restored laptop to factory settings - Installed Avast Antivirus Free - Installed over 100 'important updates' from Windows Updates - Defragmented hard drive - Run Avast thought a Boot-time Scan - Run TDSSKiller...and unwisely run ComboFix witThe computer now seems to run faster than it was (although this seems to fluctuate), and all the tests I've ran have come up with no signs of spyware/malware, but the laptop still seems to shut down unexpectedly whenever I try to run an anti spyware/malware program when the laptop is already running in a normal windows start-up.I also have Malwarebytes installed which I'm sure I've tried to run already unsuccessfully ('i've been trying to sort this laptop out since lastnight), but most recently, I installed/run Glary Utilities 'one-click' solution and all seemed to be going well until the 'spyware checker' started to run, after which the laptop shut down again.
I recently had some spyware hit my computer and then removed. Since removing the spyware, one of the things i have noticed that is not working properly since is that when i click on the "Start" Menu, then try to highlight and open one of the programs in the "All Programs" folder, i get a message sub the program saying "empty" and then the programs will not open. i have tried to update windows and also run a command prompt computer scan.
My laptop is 2 weeks old and i am having trouble downloading itunes 10.6. The download appears to be successful until you try to open itunes. Windows just says itunes has stopped working. I am also having trouble installing spyware. Windows installer is telling me that the programs are not installing correctly. I am running win 7 64. I have tried downloading from internet explorer as well as Mozilla.
So I was trying to load up the Tribes: Ascend beta client, and it refused to load. Looking to the diagnostic tool that comes with the download, it gives me this:"The system is unable to connect to the update server [URL] due to a likely spyware/malware infection on port 6522" EDIT: Didn't want for it to actually post a link, because it makes my post look sketchy. So I added in the [dot]s. It doesn't work going straight to it anyhow.So I naturally go, "Say what?" and immediately run MalwareBytes. Didn't find a thing. I download a little utility I found called TCPView and can't even locate the port (6522) as being active. "Hmm," I say. So I netstat. -ab. -naob. Still don't see the port. To hell with it. I am going to ask the port if it's talking to anyone. I make a .bat file with this inside:
@echo getting port 6522 info (only) @pause @netstat -s 6522 @pause @cls @echo @exit
I see the port. I see it is receiving packets, doing port things, but I have no idea what is going to or from it. Now I am questioning whether I am infected, or if this beta client is just screwing up and thinking a process is hostile when it isn't. But I would really like to find out in case, you know, it's actually something malicious.I am currently running AVG as kind of a last-ditch, but it's almost finished and I don't expect it to find anything, especially after MalwareBytes didn't. I have only seen one other person online say they had the same problem, and someone on Yahoo answers told them to go for the old run Rkill, then run MalwareBytes, but seeing as I'm neither getting the signs associated with the Rkill/eXplorer.exe processes, and there are about ten utilities each designed for a specific variant, I am not so keen on trying every single one out when that doesn't seem to be the problem.
�Windows Defender� is built into Windows 7. Does Windows Defender remove Spyware and Viruses? Windows Defender has a scanner. Is Windows Defender reasonably reliable in removing bad software?
The laptop is a Toshiba L455D-S5976 with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. how to take it off of the computer but it was to no avail- downloading Spyware Doctor wasnt possible because the machine's internet connection is shot (due to Win 7 Antispyware 2012). I had Malwarebytes previously installed from an earlier fix, I update the definitions and scanned the PC, it came back with a few results but removing the found items had no effect. Same situation for SuperAntiSpyware and AdAware. I had to yank the malware out through the registry and now nothing can install, the PC is saying that there is no hardware (no ethernet controller, wifi, audio or anything). Windows Aero is disabled and isnt available to be selected- as if the graphics card doesnt support it.
I'm running windows 7 professional 32bit, Virgin broadband so i have their free virus and spyware program, virgin media security (old PCGuard) .
Recently when i perform a virus scan it has started to hang up when it reached the C: / Windows / temp / tmp00002b12c folder. So because it was hanging i decided to empty the temp folder.
All items went to the C:recycle.bin, then i performed the virus scan again, this time it now hangs on the same particular folder when scanning the C: / recycle.bin
So i emptied the recycle bin and even now it still hangs on the same folder and is unable to complete the virus scan, the virus scan stops dead as soon as it reaches this point, just hangs there until i force close the anti virus software.
I have read and digested a lot of information explaining that the files do not get deleted, only the index to the file when emptying the recycle bin, but i can not seem to find a way to solve my problem, how do i get access to this file that exists on my drive to clear it to allow me to complete a virus scan??
Just want to know how the programs that free up ram work. What exactly do they free up? Is there any of these that are good with windows 7?? Does the program actually use more ram than ram it can free up???
I'm happy with my 1.5gb of ram right now and don't want to buy more but if these programs can really free up ram then I guess why not give it a go?? Yes I also use readyboost.
I really apologize for the vague title, all I can say about these BSOD's are that they've occurred with increasing frequently over the past week, and are seemly random. I have noticed that they happen more often whenever Shockwave crashes in Chrome and does not recover. I've also noticed that I get a BSOD whenever I attempt a full scan using Spyware Doctor. Otherwise, these BSOD's really just happen wherever, whenever.
identify drivers etc - especially if you bought a computer with pre-installed stuff on it but you want to upgrade the OS to full retail or another version then I suggest - BEFORE installing the new OS try one of these FREE programs -- - they are STAND alone -- they don't require logging in to Driver max.
So over the past few days it seems that I have lost control of my C drive and all of its contents.I can no longer properly access it, and everything opens in "Read-Only". I can no longer install programs or modify existing programs.According to the security permissions, I have none. Nor can I change my permissions because in order to change them I need access to the C drive, which I don't have.I have tried creating other users and putting them in the admin group, etc. but nothing is working.
Today I decided to install some stuff on my computer as it was out of date..I installed Java, Flash player and adobe reader X but when I go to add/remove they are not showing up in that section?
Every time I start up normally into Win7 everything is fine for a couple of minutes. I'll open a few programs, then after a few minutes of them running they'll hang and enter the 'not responding' mode. (firefox, steam, IE). If I don't already have task manager running the system will basically be unresponsive and the only thing I can do is reboot manually. If I have task manager running I can sometimes end a process or two but some will remain open & unresponsive. Any programs that are working (including task manager) disappear when I minimize them and no programs appear on the task bar, (though they can be retrieved with alt+tab).
McAfee also has 'real time scanning' permanently disabled.
This is all very strange as there was nothing wrong four days ago when I was away, and the symptoms occured within 2-3 minutes of booting up this evening. The system runs in safe mode.
I have just bought a new acer aspier 5750z-4830 intel core b940 processor 4gb ddr3 memory 500 gb hdd 3 days ago and I am unable to install any new programs.I have tried to download meny sotwer not at the same time but the results are horrable.google chrome: 7 hours and never downloads. yahoo mesenger: connection is always lost and retrys never work. when i click cancle it says that it maybe my firewall but even when i allow the progrom through it won't work. so i turned if off for a little while still nothing. java: my laptop dose not come with java so i tried instlling it...121 hours to install this is rediclious.The download speed may not be so good right now beacuse we where hit by a storm 3 days ago however i have to ability to downlod but not the ability to install which i think is a bit weird
This fault is occur a after using Iobit Uninstaller. I closed this program before uninstrallation process of selected programs completed. After this only 5 programs are showing. I restore syatem by Iobit Uninstaller. but no any change.I checked registry (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionUninstall). There is only 5 keys. How do I recover these registry keys.
I downloaded Adobe Shockwave Player which is needed to view a file (.swf), and it appears in the control panel as an installed program. However, it does not appear as a default program when I am trying to use the "associate a file type or protocal with a specific program" even when I press the browse list. The program also does not appear when I "right click" the file itself and use the open command. The program also does not appear in the list of programs on the "All Progams: list when clicking the windows icon. So, can someone tell me how to get programs onto the default list....(Please, I have seen a number of threads that talk about how to "set" the default program which I am well aware of...I need to know how to get a program to be recognized and incoroporated as part of the list).
first when I try to open microsoft office starter 2010 a box appears...click to run configuration error....so I went to programs and features to repair it and many of my installed and pre-downloaded programs aren't listed.. they are in the start menu and they work but they're just gone. Microsoft office and all related programs and features are among them....I had about 60 or 70 items before and now 23...I've tried system restore and nothing...
i am running windows 7 and suddenly my 160 gig internal c: drive went from having over 60 gig free to having less than 1 gig free....i have run a known good anti virus software including a complete scan and removal of viruses...no go.....still very little free space.....the c:users folder is using up over 115 gig....but when you look at all of the files and folders in there nothing uses more than 50 gig...and even so there was over 60 gig free befor
I install Windows 7 64 bit in a 60 gb partition of my HDD (C drive). I have about 200 GB free space in D drive. Now I want to make a 60 GB partition from the free space of D drive.
