Whilst we're on the subject I had the idea of having a kind of help desk for all sorts of PC problems and suggestions. We have PC users of various levels of expertise so I thought we can maybe help each other a bit with problems.

First one in my humble opinion is Protection.

My suggestions are this


Basic requirements:

Anti Virus software

If you haven't got any then get some NOW! To use the internet without AV software is asking for trouble. You will get a virus at some stage, its just a matter of time. Using music download programs without anti-virus protection is about as safe as parking your car in Owton Manor with the keys in it. Completely free and very good is AVG.

http://free.grisoft.com/doc/2/lng/us/tpl/v5

Just click the download button and follow the instructions. Remember to update the definitions regularly - AVG does it automatically.

Adware / Malware / Spyware killer

As you trawl the internet, various files are plut onto your computer, this is particularly relevant if you have kids who install lots of smileys and free stuff from the internet. Invariably these 'free' programs install tonnes of spyware which you agree to in the small print when you click 'intall now.

To rid yourself of this crap install AD-Aware / Spybot / etc

Ad-Aware is very simple to use and again, its completely free. You should run a full scan on a weekly basis. Click the red 'download button and select 'RUN'.

http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-SE-Per ... l&tag=top5

I think the benefit of both AVG and Ad-Aware is that they cost nada! Besides, I'm not convinced that the stuff you buy off the shelves in Pc World is any better.

Backups. I completely agree are essential. My problem is that I've got backups of backups of backups. I have so many different backups of old machines that I must sort out sometime. I just have a mental block about deleting backups.

As a self-proclaimed "guy who knows a bit about computers", the biggest and most useful piece of advice I can give to anyone using Windows NT/2000/XP is NEVER run as "administrator" unless you absolutely have to. Create a user account without administrator privileges and run exclusively under that name. If there are other people using the machine create similar accounts for them.
Similarly if you are running Linux NEVER run as "root" or any other "power user" account. Run with the weakest set of privileges by default.

Why?

Dead simple: you can't install nastyware or viruses without privileges (unless you are very naive!). I always run "bareback" and don't have any problems.

For Mac users, soz, dunno much about the Mac; but it is based on FreeBSD so there must be an equivalent of "root" (the administrator account) and non-privileged accounts.

Just noticed this, excellent point Mr Head.

You're quite right that the Mac's OS X is UNIX-based, so does have a root user, but by default all logins run in a restricted mode.
If any app needs root privilege, there is a popup asking you to ok it.
The next version of Windows, Vista works in exactly the same way.
Another good free antivirus package is Avira Antivir, available from http://www.free-av.com , although it is a bit of a pain with popups nagging you to buy the full version. It found some trojans that AVG missed.
Microsoft's own anti-spyware package, Windows Defender is also quite good, and free (they didn't develop it, just bought a small company).
another good free one is Spybot http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html
There doesn't seem to be one single anti-spyware app that does everything, but using Adaware and the two I've mentioned will probably cover everything!
Another app to look at is CWShredder http://www.intermute.com/spysubtract/cwshredder_download.html
This was originally developed by a Dutch guy, to stop your browser being hijacked.
Finally Use Firefox http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/ instead of Internet Explorer as much as possible

This was posted over 2 months ago, and I thought at the time sounds like good, and straightforward advice, I had better turn off our 'administrator' accounts.

I have finally got around to doing it today. The 5 members of our family each have a user account on the BP computer. 3 of which had been set in admin mode. I have changed 2, but it won't let me change the third saying you have to run 1 admin account. Any advice?

Create an extra account that is admin only?

It's perfectly normal for you to need to keep one administrator account - otherwise you'd never be able (for example) to install software.
But that doesn't mean you have to log in to that account for normal use. You just leave it lying around for when you really need it!
If you create the standby administrator account then XP will let you "deprivilege" the third account.

BTW this administrator/unprivileged user business is pointless unless you're using a file system that features security settings (NTFS in the case of XP).
If your disk is formatted using FAT32 you're up shite creek without a paddle!

Whooosh.........................................



Sorry didn't understand a word of that Monty!!

Open the Computer icon on the desktop, right click on the hard disk icon, select properties.
The information displayed includes the file system. If it says NTFS you're OK. If it says FAT32 or FAT anything else for that matter you're wasting your time trying to protect your computer!

Woohoo.......

It's NTFS.

Thanks for that Monty. I set up an admin account yesterday, and changed the last user account.

how do i do this?

its ok i rummaged around in some old drawers and found it...thanks

Just to back up what everyone has warned about virus protection, I'd count myself as a quite experienced user, although not to the standard demonstrated above, and have Symantec AV and Windows Firewall running.

A careless click on a pop up installed a Trojan Horse in my registry.

What a bounder THAT was to get rid of. These little fuckers are BRILLIANTLY written to cause maximum disruption and they grow like vines in your system.

To get rid, I had to turn off System Restore, it's in there just waiting to pop out again, then I had to go rooting around in the Registry to find it and delete it, very dangerous. It was deep, deep in the system. Then it came back like a bastard persistent wasp. It'd installed itself in my start up programs so even though I'd iniolated it, it was hiding round the corner. So I started again and swatted it completely, then downloaded a patch.

THREE WEEKS later and by this time I'm running Symantec Scan daily, it only takes a minute and works in the background, I got 85 results on the scan, each of which was quarantined as dangerous and unremoveable.

So even if you've got a good AV programme, as Mr I says, update regularly. These virus writers are clever bastards and once they've found you, they'll have a go regularly.

And are also employed by the major computer companies!!!!