96 replies to this topic

[chazyb]

I hope it's ok to post screenies, please get rid if not. I tried the fix for the browser problem first and it asks me to look for a long string of numbers to delte but these are all that appear and I don'y know which to go for if any



thanks
chazy

[Doug]

Chazyb,

Since the GUID is not found in the string that you show investigated in your screen shot, ....
Go have a look in the location indicated in Step #5 of the PCPitstop instruction:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Internet Settings\ User Agent\ Post Platform.

You will be able to find User Agent alphabetically listed toward the bottom of that same screen shot.

[chazyb]

Hi Doug

Found the browser thing and deleted it, now onto reducing system restore. Mine was set at 4% so I moved it to 1% is this enough, I haven't changed it yet



thanks Doug, I am not sure what the figures mean, would you see if that amount is enough for my pc please

thanks
chazy

Edited by chazyb, 23 February 2008 - 02:14 AM.

[Doug]

That would be "OK" but I'd go down one more notch if possible. 200mb is about enough for (3) three full System Restore configurations. There is little reason to hold onto more unless you are installing and uninstalling dozens of new applications regularly. I'd be happy with something close to 800 - 1024mb. Good work finding the GUID.

[chazyb]

Thanks Doug, will be back after next lot of fixes lol Ok, it would not let me go down, well it would but that would only leave me with 200mb so I have left it at 1% = 1937mb.

Edited by chazyb, 23 February 2008 - 04:05 PM.

[chazyb]

Hi Doug here are my new test results

http://www.pcpitstop...Q1LSWLLU3QSWCMG

A} Cannot remove that browser thing, tried 3 times, tried shutting down IE and restarting but it was still there, I was wondering if this needs a re boot to take effect?

B} Cannot reduce restore points anymore than have done {do I need to create a new one, it goes on to give a warning or something}

C} The Internet stuff will not be correct cos I don't know the correct values but I am happy with the net as it is really

D] it says something about security but I do have Nod 32, Zone Alarm and Peer Guardian plus I do Ad Aware/Spybot scans nearly every day

I think that covers everything apart from I haven't done the clean up and defrag in safe mode yet but I will as soon as I get the chance

Oh just remembered how do I get rid of things in start up, you said I had loads lol?

thanks
chazy

Edited by chazyb, 23 February 2008 - 05:24 PM.

[Doug]

Hi Chazyb,

A.) Browser Tracking.... I very much recommend you give this some more attention, because the various websites that you visit "will" be gathering that identifying information about your machine and your internet activity. I will do some more research for additional locations/methods to investigate. It is "possible" that one of your installed applications is renewing the tracking code after you remove it, and that the situation will persist until you discover additional information.

B.) Your Restore Point settings are "tolerable". There is a complex method to even further reduce space reserved for Restore Points, but the gain would not be worth the difficulty of the procedure. I'd leave it this way for now.

C.) "The Internet stuff will not be correct cos I don't know the correct values" <-- not sure what you are referring to here
You "will" benefit by adjusting your TCP Receive Window size to 64240.
Go to this instruction page: http://www.pcpitstop...p/IntBuffer.asp
Follow instructions #1.... #10 at the bottom of that page.

D.) "it says something about security" <-- These references refer to allowing Firefox to "remember" website login passwords and to "auto-complete" information and address strings instead of manually typing them in. For the convenience, you give away security because Firefox carries that personally identifying information to all sites that you visit.

Want to see your "saved passwords"?

In Firefox
Click on Tools - Options - Security - Press - Show Passwords
By default, Firefox shows a list of websites for which you have saved usernames and password.
By default, Firefox only shows the username in the second panel, but press the button "Show Passwords" on the second panel again to have your password also appear in a column.

You can make this significantly more difficult to display by creating a master password to protect the passwords........... but realistically if you have configured Firefox to automatically log you in to a website, it saves the information for retrieval.

If Firefox can retrieve it, how hard do you think it would be for a hacker to retrieve it?

D.) (Continued comment from your D.) "security")
1. You appear to be running Ad-Aware actively on your machine from Boot (from the instant your machine loads Windows)
This is neither necessary nor recommended, since you already have NOD32 antispyware running active.

2. Your JAVA JRE (Runtime Environment) is sorely out of date and vulnerable.
Recommendation: uninstall "all" JAVA and JAVA JRE items via Control Panel - Add/Remove
Install the latest JAVA JRE from here: http://java.sun.com/...loads/index.jsp
(fourth item down on that page)

3.) Your Spybot Search and Destroy is sorely outdated.
Recommend that you Uninstall Spybot Search and Destroy via Control Panel - Add/Remove
Install the latest version of Spybot S&D (1.5) from here: http://www.safer-net...rors/index.html

4.) Do you use the installed Yahoo ToolBar? If not, uninstall it via Control Panel - Add/Remove
_________________

The above may be enough to accomplish for now.
Complete those steps and post a fresh PCPitstop Full Test

In my next reply (after reviewing your fresh PCPitstop Full Test), I will address the StartUps and some of the resource hogs and the matter of Ashampoo realtime defrag vs. possibly better options.

[chazyb]

Hi Doug and thank you

Ok, I did the TCP thing and re booted as told and got these 2 messages at start up, not sure what to do with them?

C.) "The Internet stuff will not be correct cos I don't know the correct values" <-- not sure what you are referring to here

I had to enter the upload and download values but I don't them.

I never use Firefox but sometimes it automatically opens say if I get a windows error message and I send it to Microsoft. Is there something I should do in Firefox about the password thing?

I don't know why it thinks I run Ad Aware at start up??? I have to click on the Icon for it to start and there is no Icon for it in the bottom tray like I can see Zone Alarm, Windows Messenger Icons ect? How Do I stop it in start up if I cannot see it?

I am just going to do The Java and Spybot and get rid of Yahoo then will get back to you, please could you explain the above screenies and what I should do?

thanks again for your time and patience
chazy


PS What do I do with this from Java?

https://cds.sun.com/...ationTypeFilter

Sorry just clicked on that page above and it's not what I got, I will have to do a screenie

Edited by chazyb, 24 February 2008 - 12:31 PM.

[chazyb]

Hi Doug

I have done the above and done another pitstop scan,

http://www.pcpitstop...GJASWLLU3QSJ9MG

I wonder if the Sub Optimal Internet Performance has not changed because I need to do something with the start up boxes above?

thanks Doug
chazy

Edited by chazyb, 24 February 2008 - 02:21 PM.

[Doug]

Double-click to download the "Offline" installation of JRE 6 build 4 Disconnect from the internet Install JRE 6 build 4 ____________________- You can put a checkmark/tick in the alert panel about System Configuration Utility X don't show this message again. It will therefore not show again, until you use MSCONFIG (system configuration utility) again. I'm not sure what you were doing in MSCONFIG, since none of my prior instructions required going there. Maybe you were anticipating and starting to "disable" a few of your unnecessary startups? You can safely "disable" any/all of them, except your NOD32 antiVirus and your Firewall. Ad-Aware is "running in the background" (you won't necessarily see it) but it's there and active. You can "disable" it via MSCONFIG

[chazyb]

Doug, those messages at startup came from doing this

C.) "The Internet stuff will not be correct cos I don't know the correct values" <-- not sure what you are referring to here
You "will" benefit by adjusting your TCP Receive Window size to 64240.
Go to this instruction page: http://www.pcpitstop...p/IntBuffer.asp
Follow instructions #1.... #10 at the bottom of that page.

then re booting, I don't know why it was in misconfig mode


Ad aware is in services but not in startup on misconfig, do I disable it in services?

thanks
chazy

Edited by Doug, 26 February 2008 - 04:47 PM.

[Doug]

Instructions #1...#10 involve the Registry Editor - regedit.exe Did you make the corrections in Regedit.exe? It's a mystery to me, how your MSCONFIG got involved. But placing the Checkmark/tick as I mentioned above will get rid of the nag screen.

[Doug]

Ahhhh.

Ad aware is in services but not in startup on misconfig, do I disable it in services?

That's when you went into MSCONFIG.

Everytime you enter MSCONFIG, you will get that nag screen, until you checkmark it to go away.
_______________

As for Ad-Aware and disabling its service.
"I personally" would do so.
I just don't use Ad-Aware very much anymore.

[chazyb]

Doug is there somewhere else I can download Java from, I cannot even get to the screen I had before I now get this



Oh and I did check the accept box

thanks
chazy

Edited by chazyb, 24 February 2008 - 02:58 PM.

[chazyb]

Hi Doug

I think this last scan is about as good as it's going to get lol

http://www.pcpitstop...GJASWLLU3QSJ9MG

I just need Java to download now and get rid of some software and start up items { I just don't know which items to stop/delete

thanks for the help Doug
chazy