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Security and Protection For Your PC After It Has Been Infected and Cleaned
You say to yourself "Now what can I do to Prevent this happening again??" Besides the instructions given you by the person who responds to your logs, here are some general instructions to Protect your System from another attack. Please take note of the tools that may prevent the fix from working. Please familiarize yourself with each instruction and when your PC is clean make sure you are protected by following these instructions:
Diskmgr, Disk Cleanup or Cleanmgr to delete Temp Files, Temporary Internet Files, empty the Recycle Bin, and Active X Controls aka Downloaded Program Files. Go To Start –> All Programs –> Accessories –> System Tools –> Disk CleanUp. Double Click on DiskCleanup and the wizard will check your hard drive for files to delete in the above areas. When it locates all the files, it will ask you what you want to delete. Put a check mark beside: Temp Files, Temporary Internet Files, empty the Recycle Bin and click ok. Those folders will be safely emptied.
If you are using WinME, or Win XP Reset and Re-enable your System Restore to remove bad files that have been backed up by Windows. The files in System Restore are protected to prevent any programs changing those files. This is the only way to clean these files: (You will lose all previous restore points which are likely to be infected.)
1. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. On the System Restore tab, put a check mark in the 'Turn Off System Restore' check box.
3. Click OK, and then click Yes.
4. Restart the computer.
5. Repeat steps 1 - 2, this time clearing the box beside 'Turn Off System Restore', click 'OK'.
MOST IMPORTANT: You Need to keep Windows and Internet Explorer up to date even if you are using another browser for surfing the Internet. Internet Explorer is an integral part of Windows and therefore if it is not updated, you are at a much greater risk of infection from Spyware, Malware, Viruses, and Trojans. To get all the Latest Security Patches to protect your computer from the Malware and Spyware please go to: Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer Updates for the critical updates.
If you are running Microsoft Office, or any portion thereof, go to the Microsoft's Office Update site and make sure you have all the cirtical updates installed (Free) Microsoft Office Update
Microsoft responds with patches when it becomes aware of an insecurity in any software it markets, so please check the Microsoft Update Site? for patches that have been posted for any Microsoft Software you have on your PC.
Do You Have An AntiVirus Program? Is it up-to-date with this week's Virus Definitions? If it isn't, then it is essentially useless. There are two AntiVirus Programs available free that give good basic AV protection.
AVG Free AntiVirus with email protection
Avast Free AntiVirus with email protection
In this day and age having a Firewall is an absolute necessity. There are two free Firewalls that are available:
Zone ALarm Free Firewall Easy to setup.
Sygate Free Firewall a little more complicated Firewall to set up.
The Following Tools & Programs Should be Installed After your computer is completely clean All of these tools and programs can interfere with the tools we use to fix your computer. If installed, it may take much longer for your computer to be repaired and these tools and programs will have to be disabled before your computer is fixed.
Three free programs which we recommend for running on a weekly basis to find any bad files or cookies that you may have downloaded inadvertently are:
(Real Time protection means that the tool scans for spyware in every file you open and then prevents Malware from being executed if it is detected on your computer. Some also have download and Active X protection.)
Some of these tools make identical entries in your Registry, but they do not conflict when run together.
You say to yourself "Now what can I do to Prevent this happening again??" Besides the instructions given you by the person who responds to your logs, here are some general instructions to Protect your System from another attack. Please take note of the tools that may prevent the fix from working. Please familiarize yourself with each instruction and when your PC is clean make sure you are protected by following these instructions:
Diskmgr, Disk Cleanup or Cleanmgr to delete Temp Files, Temporary Internet Files, empty the Recycle Bin, and Active X Controls aka Downloaded Program Files. Go To Start –> All Programs –> Accessories –> System Tools –> Disk CleanUp. Double Click on DiskCleanup and the wizard will check your hard drive for files to delete in the above areas. When it locates all the files, it will ask you what you want to delete. Put a check mark beside: Temp Files, Temporary Internet Files, empty the Recycle Bin and click ok. Those folders will be safely emptied.
If you are using WinME, or Win XP Reset and Re-enable your System Restore to remove bad files that have been backed up by Windows. The files in System Restore are protected to prevent any programs changing those files. This is the only way to clean these files: (You will lose all previous restore points which are likely to be infected.)
1. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. On the System Restore tab, put a check mark in the 'Turn Off System Restore' check box.
3. Click OK, and then click Yes.
4. Restart the computer.
5. Repeat steps 1 - 2, this time clearing the box beside 'Turn Off System Restore', click 'OK'.
MOST IMPORTANT: You Need to keep Windows and Internet Explorer up to date even if you are using another browser for surfing the Internet. Internet Explorer is an integral part of Windows and therefore if it is not updated, you are at a much greater risk of infection from Spyware, Malware, Viruses, and Trojans. To get all the Latest Security Patches to protect your computer from the Malware and Spyware please go to: Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer Updates for the critical updates.
If you are running Microsoft Office, or any portion thereof, go to the Microsoft's Office Update site and make sure you have all the cirtical updates installed (Free) Microsoft Office Update
Microsoft responds with patches when it becomes aware of an insecurity in any software it markets, so please check the Microsoft Update Site? for patches that have been posted for any Microsoft Software you have on your PC.
Do You Have An AntiVirus Program? Is it up-to-date with this week's Virus Definitions? If it isn't, then it is essentially useless. There are two AntiVirus Programs available free that give good basic AV protection.
AVG Free AntiVirus with email protection
Avast Free AntiVirus with email protection
In this day and age having a Firewall is an absolute necessity. There are two free Firewalls that are available:
Zone ALarm Free Firewall Easy to setup.
Sygate Free Firewall a little more complicated Firewall to set up.
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The Following Tools & Programs Should be Installed After your computer is completely clean All of these tools and programs can interfere with the tools we use to fix your computer. If installed, it may take much longer for your computer to be repaired and these tools and programs will have to be disabled before your computer is fixed.
Three free programs which we recommend for running on a weekly basis to find any bad files or cookies that you may have downloaded inadvertently are:
- The First free program is :
Ad-Aware SE Personal by Lavasoft
Install Ad-Aware SE Personal according to the instructions at How To Install and Setup Ad-Aware SE - The Second Free Program is :
Microsoft Antispyware Beta - one of the best new programs out there to kill Spyware. (requires Genuine Windows Check) - The Third free program is : Spybot Search & Destroy 1.4 by Patrick Kolla
Please follow the instructions on How To Install & Setup Spybot Search & Destroy 1.4.
There are many settings in the Advanced Section of Spybot S&D that, if activated before your computer is fixed can prevent the fix from working, leaving the Spyware, Malware, Virus, or Trojan etc. on your PC. We recommend activation of them after your computer is clean. If installed, we ask that these tools be disabled until your Computer is clean
(Real Time protection means that the tool scans for spyware in every file you open and then prevents Malware from being executed if it is detected on your computer. Some also have download and Active X protection.)
Some of these tools make identical entries in your Registry, but they do not conflict when run together.
- Firefox - alternative to the Internet Explorer web browser.
- Google Toolbar - Blocks many unwanted pop-ups in Internet Explorer. (install in non-sponsored mode to prevent tracking for statistical purposes)
- IE-SPYAD - Adds over 5,000 bad URLs in your restricted sites zone in Internet Explorer. This protects you if you end up at one of these sights by not allowing any information to flow from your computer to that website and prevents downloads from that site. (Choose between IE-SPYAD and IE-SPYAD2).
- Spyware Blaster - Blocks bad ActiveX items from installing on your computer. Spyware Blaster runs silently in the background and does not need to be open to protect your PC.
- SpywareGuard - similar to Spyware Blaster's Real Time protection including downloads and Browser Hijacking Protection.
- WinPatrol - by BillP Studios multiple Spyware file detection and deletion
- Tom Coyote's List of Installed Protection Programs by Tom Coyote Wilson
- Basic Surfing Habits And Browser SetUp by TonyKlein
- "So how did I get infected in the first place" more information about how to better secure your computer.