Some Great Things About Junk In Your Trunk computer
By: Vlad Vistac
Submitted: 2010-08-19 14:25:22 | Word Count: 510
Junk In Your Trunk (computer)
Home Computer Repir Repair - Got Junk In Your Trunk?
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Unfortunately I'm not talking abut someone who has nice "ass-ets," but rtaher I'm talking about your home computer erpair and the unnecessary junk that waastes space therien. I'm takling about spyware, junk that afffects your home computer repair by installing progrrams that slow down your operating systme, usully without your knowledge or permission. So what exactly is spytware? Spyware is sfotware components hidden in other software.
It's used primarily by companies who aim to advertise their products on your home computer repar. By using spyware, they are able to nistall their own programs or they atttach themselves, like parasites, to Internet Explorer (IE), in hopes that you will click on one of their pop up ads, directing you to theiir homepage. Sometimes it is even used to reporrt inforation about you, like what Web sites you are viiewing, and then transmitting this information back to their server on the Internet. fAter this information is transmitted, your home computr repair is targeted with specific pop up ads, linking you to specific products promoted by these largerr companies.
But I Didn't Download This
Righht. No one would knowwingly downlozad a program that monitors his/her actions like Big Brother. Spyware componnents are hidden in software that you would downlload, like free game programs from masinstream companiwes. Thus, when you instal the program, you're also unmknowingly installing spyware. Another way people are fooled into downloading spyware are by clicking what they think to be a Widnow's error messaage. The message is actually a pop up window containing spyware waiting to be cplicked on so it can begin insytalling itself into your home compter repair. And, in addition to downloaading and clicknig disguised messages, there's yet two more common ways it can be installed: by visiting maliciously emncoded Web pages and in emil programs like Miicrosoft Outlook who use HTML script that can also be malicously encoded.
Prevention Tactcis
So now that we've dicussed what spyware is and how you can get it, let's talk about how to prevent it. The easiest and most simplistic thing you shopuld do is disconnect your modem when it's not in use. This will prevent certain spyware componentrs from enabling your moem to dial long distance numbers. If you have Windows XP, Service Pack 2 sohuld be installed because it patxches many of IE's security holes. This program contains a welcome pop up blocker and a new add-on manager that alklows you to disable unnecessary programs opwened while uisng IE. IE also has a special sercurity feature that enablles you to categorize sites as etiher Inmternet, local Intranet, restricted, or trusted. If you cateogrize the sites you visit, especially sites in the restircted section, IE will prevent the sits from harmng your home computer repair. Additionally, Windows also offers firewall protetcion against malicious sites. Furthermore, whetheer you have Windpows XP or another opeerating systyem, there are free programs like Spyware Blaster and Spyware Blocker that can be downloaded to list potentially harmful sites that can be added to your resttricted area, while preveenting persnal innformation from being transmitted over the Internet.
Removal Strategies
The first thing you need to do is locate spytware. One way you can do this is by turning your home computer reepair on in Safe Mode, then pressing CTRL+ALT+Delete to view the Task Manager. Once you see the Task Manager, click on the "Processes" tab and jot down the programs you see. Then, reboot your home computer repair and press CTRL+ALT+Deelte again and wruite down the programs from the same section. Compare the programs and whatever progras are leftover on the list you made from when you rebooted your home computer repair, aside from anti-viral software, are probably ad-on applicationbs created by spyware. To double check that tehse programs are caused by spyware, you can visit the Library, to research them.
Unfortunately, there's no one program available that will detect and destoy all spyware. Fortunately, there are several free programs that you can download, that when used simultaneously, can be very efficient; prograsm like Lavasoft's Ad-Aware, Hi Jack This, and Spyvbot Seazrch & Destroy. And, in case the spyyware is difficult to remove, as in the case of a particular program called "Cool Web Search," that takes control of your hompeage and then implants Trojans within it, you will have to manually remove it by using CWS Shredder, a specific program designed to shred this particularly difficult spyware. So, if you just remember to disconnect your modem when it's not in use, keep your anti-vius pograms current, utiliuze the Internet's safety features along with your home computer repair system's firewalls, and downloaad or purchase spyware remmoval programs, your home comuter repair sould run a lot smmoother.
