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computer issues: part infinity

Re: computer issues: part infinity

MadTownSioux said:
Has anybody ever tried one of those 'Double my PC Speed' products? They give you a free scan, tell you how much crap is bogging down your PC, then charge you x amount to do the cleanup. It seems from what I've seen they also load software on your PC that runs in the background all the time. Do they do any good, or is the crap they put on your PC just as bad as what they remove?

Alternatively, what are some favorite Spyware or Virus remover products? I have the Microsoft Security Essentials' running, but it doesn't seem to ever catch anything, and It has stuff running that sometimes seems to completely bog down my PC.
Help would be appreciated, my computer is old and very slow (especially Windows or Google Chrome).
Click to expand...

Assuming you're using WinBlows, Spybot S&D is one of my faves, at least for Spyware.
 
Re: computer issues: part infinity

MadTownSioux said:
Has anybody ever tried one of those 'Double my PC Speed' products? They give you a free scan, tell you how much crap is bogging down your PC, then charge you x amount to do the cleanup. It seems from what I've seen they also load software on your PC that runs in the background all the time. Do they do any good, or is the crap they put on your PC just as bad as what they remove?

Alternatively, what are some favorite Spyware or Virus remover products? I have the Microsoft Security Essentials' running, but it doesn't seem to ever catch anything, and It has stuff running that sometimes seems to completely bog down my PC.
Help would be appreciated, my computer is old and very slow (especially Windows or Google Chrome).
Click to expand...

MalwareBytes is a good program if you think you have a problem. Avast is good free antivirus.

Personally, whenever I get a new compy my first move is to install the following:

- Firefox (or Chrome, or Opera, or whatever you prefer...anything but Internet Explorer)
- AdBlock Pro for Firefox (exactly what it says on the tin)
- NoScript for Firefox (blocks/controls Javascript, may be a little intimidating for the non-1337)
- Updated HOSTS file available here (prevents your computer from even being able to access a lot of the nasties out there, and updates regularly)
- Avast (free antivirus)
- OpenDNS (free DNS service, has a large DNS database so it can recognize and load pages quicker)
- Microsoft Security Essentials
- MalwareBytes (anti-malware)
 
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Re: computer issues: part infinity

MadTownSioux said:
Has anybody ever tried one of those 'Double my PC Speed' products? They give you a free scan, tell you how much crap is bogging down your PC, then charge you x amount to do the cleanup. It seems from what I've seen they also load software on your PC that runs in the background all the time. Do they do any good, or is the crap they put on your PC just as bad as what they remove?

Alternatively, what are some favorite Spyware or Virus remover products? I have the Microsoft Security Essentials' running, but it doesn't seem to ever catch anything, and It has stuff running that sometimes seems to completely bog down my PC.
Help would be appreciated, my computer is old and very slow (especially Windows or Google Chrome).
Click to expand...

Never ever ever use those crap programs like mycleanpc.com or whatever it is. Those things go in with a chainsaw and hack things off. Malwarebytes and fresh installs every two years or so are far, far better.
 
Re: computer issues: part infinity

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm trying some of them and hopefully it will prolong the life of my PC a bit.
 
Re: computer issues: part infinity

Twitch Boy said:
MalwareBytes is a good program if you think you have a problem. Avast is good free antivirus.

Personally, whenever I get a new compy my first move is to install the following:

- Firefox (or Chrome, or Opera, or whatever you prefer...anything but Internet Explorer)
- AdBlock Pro for Firefox (exactly what it says on the tin)
- NoScript for Firefox (blocks/controls Javascript, may be a little intimidating for the non-1337)
- Updated HOSTS file available here (prevents your computer from even being able to access a lot of the nasties out there, and updates regularly)
- Avast (free antivirus)
- OpenDNS (free DNS service, has a large DNS database so it can recognize and load pages quicker)
- Microsoft Security Essentials
- MalwareBytes (anti-malware)
Click to expand...

What is that HOSTS thing? Is it a file that I download or am I changing directories on my PC... That page has me a bit confused.... Although that is something that is relatively easy to do when talking me and technology :p
 
Re: computer issues: part infinity

RaceBoarder said:
What is that HOSTS thing? Is it a file that I download or am I changing directories on my PC... That page has me a bit confused.... Although that is something that is relatively easy to do when talking me and technology :p
Click to expand...

Your HOSTS file is just a text file that lives in your Windows directory. Basically, it acts as sort of a phone book for your computer. When your computer gets told to load USCHO, for instance, it first tries to look up www.uscho.com in the HOSTS file, and get the website's phone number (called an IP address.) If it finds it there, it goes ahead and calls it, loading the website. (If it doesn't find it, it has other ways, but that's a bunch of gobbledygook for another time.)

What you're doing is downloading and installing a new phone book that has a giant list of malicious websites linked to a intentionally bad number. (It's 127.0.0.1, which is a special number that always leads you back to your own computer.) That way if your computer gets told to go somewhere nasty by a pop-up or hijack or script or something, it simply dials the bad number and loads nothing. Nice little extra layer of protection.

Just follow the instructions on the website. You can't really mess anything up by trying it. Note that there are special instructions if you have Windows Vista or 7 (they're actually easier.)
 
Re: computer issues: part infinity

joecct said:
Can you open the box / base and remove the drive and then get the sucker out?
Click to expand...

MarkEagleUSA said:
There should be a little access hole on the faceplate that you can stick a paperclip in to manually open the tray.
Click to expand...

burgie12 said:
Unless you have a Mac. Then you're screwed.
Click to expand...

RaceBoarder said:
Not sure what Thinkpad you have Bob, but on mine, it's just to the right of the button to open the drive....
Click to expand...
Found the hole, and I'm sticking a pin through it, but nothing's happening.
 
Re: computer issues: part infinity

2.5 year bump.

My Mac was having a huge problem with battery drain, to the point where it was only getting about 2 hours fully charged with the screen turned all the way down to 1 of 16 brightness. It was also getting incredibly hot, to the point where it burned me a couple times (not enough to leave a mark, but enough to make me quickly take my hand off) and the fan would sound like a jet trying to cool it down. I'd been opening up Activity Monitor to specifically close down the Firefox plug-in for flash, which would always have the most ports running and sometimes be running as much memory as Firefox itself. As soon as I closed that down it would quiet and cool down a little bit, but it was getting to the point where even that wouldn't work and it would still be loud.

Decided to install Ad Blocker plus today. Probably an idiot for never doing it before, but that honestly seems to have fixed it. Web pages are running much faster, no heat, no loud fan, and the battery has such a workload taken off it's projected to go another four hours with 68% left at 8 of 16 brightness. It's amazing one little plug in can help a computer so much.

Anyway, that's all. Cool story, bro. No problem now but didn't want to start a separate thread just for this. So, if you haven't, install Ad Blocker.
 
Re: computer issues: part infinity

Why not just go with their free modem with built in wireless? I think it cost me $5 a month before I moved here.
 
Re: computer issues: part infinity

Slap Shot said:
Why not just go with their free modem with built in wireless? I think it cost me $5 a month before I moved here.
Click to expand...
If it costs you $5 a month, its not free. So in 2 yrs (normal contract) that free modem cost you $120. You can get a pay one for cheaper than that, and keep it a lot longer. :)

If they do offer an actual no cost one, then go for it.
 
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