One of the worst things a Windows user can do is to always log on as a user with administrator rights. The first thing to do to protect yourself is to create a normal user account with limited rights, and log on as that user unless you are installing hardware or software. The limited user account does not have sufficient rights to modify the system registry. Even if you came across a booby trapped website or a virus infested email, the damage will be very limited. You can always log off and log on as an administrator and undo the damages by running msconfig to suppress the auto-launch spyware and disable virus related services which probably could not install anyway because of the limited rights of the account.
Macs are a lot safer, not only because there are fewer spyware and viruses targeting MAC OSX, but also because Macs require the user to confirm operations which may potentially be dangerous. Windows 7 does that in a way that encourages users to just answer yes so the safety measure is more or less useless.
In your case when the malware kept asking you to install more crap, the best thing to do is to bring up the Task Manager and kill all Internet Explorer session with brute force. Your system was still okay up to that point. Whatever Malware you might have installed could easily be removed using Msconfig. Once you willing clicked on installing the fake virus scanner (probably as an administrator, no less!), your windows was FUBAR.
Norton is mainly for consumers. Symantec also sells Endpoint Protection which is geared for businesses. It does not expire every year like its less expensive Norton branded products. EPP also has less overhead and uses less system resources.
Posted By: WTFandWOW
Not by a lady though so don't get your underwear in a bunch! Ha!! But important just the same since it happened right after clicking on the link in whitney's ad this week. Again, I am NOT blaming whitney but rather think the site she hosted her pic on must have gotten infected with a virus and then my computer became infected when I went to the site after clicking on the link.
She herself later posted that she couldn't get back on her hosting site. Anyway, I had clicked on the link and within 20 seconds my computer was popping up with all sorts of warnings of malware, viruses and trojans. Norton popped up saying it caught 2 only. Something else popped up repeatedly saying I had 26 of them. The kind that steal your bank info, send out emails to everyone in your contact lists, etc. And, I was pushed to purchase a firewall called "Smart Internet Protection 2011". I tried to ignore it and ignore it. Everytime I x'd out of it, it popped up again and started flashing how many viruses, how many were trojans, how many were attacking my email, etc etc. I thought it strange that Norton would not catch them but there are so many new viruses every day, I thought maybe it was possible that it didn't. So, I am embarrassed to say. I finally caved in and purchased 6 months worth of this smart internet protection 2011 for just over $50 after tax. I downloaded the program and it quaranteed all 26 viruses. Yay!!
Tonight, when I rebooted my computer, the program "Smart Internet Protection 2011" that saved my computer has completely disappeared from my computer. Gone. The only thing left are dead shortcuts. So, I googled it." Turns out "smart Internet Protection 2011" is the virus/malware. Initially, it is the only malware but if you do not remove it right away, your computer will become bogged down with pop ups and additional viruses to the point of crashing!
So, here is a link with more info about this malware and how to get rid of it. And, do not click on that darn link!!! Perhaps, Puck could remove it from whitney's thread since it is too late for her to edit it herself? It would save people headaches and possibly money. I called the toll free number on my "receipt" and of course it is just dead air and then goes dead. Total scam. I paid with a vanilla visa so at least I know they cannot keep charging and stealing my money in the future. I just won't use that card again for anything else.
End of PSA and back to your regularly scheduled extracurricular activities.
