Fed up with getting viruses/Malware

debitcardmayhem

closed wrote: »

Are you saying everyone of those products mentioned let something through and couldn't deal with it? If so, you have either been terribly unlucky, or need to be more careful/selective when browsing (assuming infections came from browsing)

If you backup with disk imaging software, then a virus now and then isn't a problem, just a minor nuisance.

Host files need a server running to answer 127.0.0.1 queries if you don't want your browsing experience slowed down.

cookies are nothing to do with viruses and can be cleaned automatically in the browser settings or by using ccleaner at startup

Doesn't slow mine at all

kerrypn

I am not keen on changing the OS because we have a touchscreen and it has certain apps on it like finger tapps which the kids use and I would lose them, which is a shame because the ubuntu looks good.

Can I be really honest? I do not understand a word written on the hosts link given. I feel like I am reading russian. What does it do, how does it work please, in a nutshell?

Should I pay for Kapersky?

Thanks closed, is it just inevitable then, if I want to use the net, I will end up with a virus?

What else could it be? I am still under warranty so if you think it could be a pc problem, I can send off for repair....

closed

dcm - tried the back button on a site with blocked contents?

closed

its not inevitable, antivirus scanners should stop infections, but they sometimes miss one (often because they are new).

No 1 protection is to do regular disk image backups - macrium reflect free
No 2 is good antivirus, eg free avast and free malwarebytes.

on top of that you can use ccleaner, host files, ghostery, sandboxie, and a whole host of other things, but no1 and no2 are far more important.

Theres no need to pay for any software.

also create the windows recovery dvd if your machine didn't come with one.

hosts file works by blocking known bad sites, but good antivirus software already does this

127.0.0.1 www.knownbadsite.xxx

means if you browser tries to go to a bad site, it will be redirected to 127.0.0.1 which is actually your own machine, it's a little like royal mail redirection.

kerrypn

Would you recommend I dump the bitdefender then(came with pc) and get avast?

Malware bytes-is this available on download.com(i remember getting avg from there)

ccleaner/ghostery? (sorry these are new to me-what are these for please?)

Thanks for that, I would just like to be a less cautious browser and be able to look at other things, but given the bad experiences, I am a bit worried in case I get something that totals the pc

closed

If you are worried about something that totals the pc, see No 1

what browser are you using?

http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx
http://www.filehippo.com/download_avast_antivirus/
http://www.filehippo.com/download_malwarebytes_anti_malware/
http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/
http://www.ghostery.com/download

If you use the hosts file, try this alongside it http://www.funkytoad.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14&Itemid=32

gonzo127

in some ways it would be better to see the 'type' of virus's your getting as they could just be tracking cookies which some anti virus software flags to make you feel that its doing something but which are not actually doing any harm.

otherwise as much as i hate to say this, i feel if you are getting a lot of proper virus's on a regular basis, someone is lieing to you about what sites they are visiting, as although people do get some virus's from the sites you have stated get used, you shouldnt be getting them on a regular basis

Tyler_Du

Best free anti virus at the mo is Microsoft security essentials

I_luv_cats

Do you every click on links that friends/colleagues etc. send you? They could carry spyware etc.

I had a false positive the other day which was confirmed when I sent it for analysis. (laptop touchpad prog. but better a false positive than something missed)

kerrypn

closed wrote: »

If you are worried about something that totals the pc, see No 1

what browser are you using?

So just to be clear-even if I get a really bad virus-if I have a back up disk I can retrieve the normal settings? I am comfortable using the restore to factory settings-will this always work no matter what the virus?

I use IE 9 but have heard firefox is good...would consider this/would sandbox be just as good?


@gonzo lol believe me me and my DH have had many a conversation about sites etc but honestly, aside from a month ago when I did use UCAS for a uni application or very occasionally when we need to access a shop site like tescos, those sites really are all we use, and if we have been on a new site we always do a full scan afterwards.

I think what worries me most is bitdefender only vaulted something today when things started going badly wrong-and all I had done is switch the pc on! I was actually in the process on backing up when all these boxes started flashing up, bitfender vaulted something and then I started system restore.