How did I get infected?

I would like to add something to 2. : NO .ZIP!!! One time I was st-st-st-st-STUUUUUUPID ENOUGH to download a .zip file. Five seconds later, my command prompt was up, deleting files and wreaking HAVOC on my system. To go along with that, a countdown box. How did I survive? THANK YOU ROLLBACK RX!!! I told the bleep who sent it to me on a link ( not email, in a chat) to go...... HIMSELF, after that I promptly blocked him.

Edited by Amazing Andrew, 08 October 2009 - 01:42 AM.
Mod Edit: Removed Profanity - AA

[*] Do not go to adult sites. I know this may bother some of you, but the fact is that a large amount of __________ is pushed through ________

Fill in the blanks!

In post #1 it was recommended to install SpywareBlaster. Is this still a valuable recommendation?

I would say get spywareblaster, I DL it a few weeks ago as a compliment to spybots hosts.
It cant hurt to have too many blocked bad sites

I still have it on both my XP and Vista systems.

Very good advice, from a very good site, cheers you guys.

I notice that you advise keeping Windows Updates up to date and i can well understand why, considering IE being full of vulnerabilities etc.

But may i ask if anyone else has the same complaint as me? Namely:

Whenever i download a Windows update for SECURITY reasons, i find windows has updated loads of other aspects THAT I DO NOT WANT! -most noticable are the ICONS for desktop and folders, but plenty of other irritating little changes too, sneaked in under cover of URGENT SECURITY UPDATE No. 9million+2.

WHY?? It seems to be a case of 'change for change sake' - a common problem in an industry where so many jobs are dependent on constantly re-inventing the wheel. Why can they not at least give one the option of changing or not?

Or am i imagining the whole phenomena?

[5] Another tactic to fool you on the web is when a site displays a popup that looks like a normal Windows message or alert. When you click on them, though, they instead bring you to another site that is trying to push a product on you. We suggest that you close these windows by clicking on the X instead of the OK button. Alternatively, you can check to see if it's a real alert by right-clicking on the window. If there is a menu that comes up saying Add to Favorites... you know it's a fake.

I would like to add the " ALT + F4 " key combination to this. Specifically, I have come across other popups where the "red X" WAS part of the linked image, and the only "Close" on it was a discreet link on it. I wouldn't trust the red X 100% of the time. I haven't personally seen it, but there isn't anything that says you can't have a similar border-less popup with a single unlabeled pixel serving as the "close" function.

One use Trend Micro anivirus software. It is a cool antivirus software which easily detects virus. It has a huge databse stack. The database is also very active of it. One can be fruitful using it. Trend Micro doesnt hamper other OS file while it delet and detects virus files.

question on the firewall. what happens if something happens to your third party ie software firewall? if something is in your computer it can disable anything a software firewall doesn't necessaraly keep things from happening to your computer. (knows this from experience on my xp system) had problems a while back with not having any control over the system at all and the only way of gaining control was to force shut it down and reboot hoping that it didn't hang on. usually after the third reboot or so it was fine. I thought installing a firewall would stop this from happening but it didn't. I just use the one that is with the OS anymore.

If Online Armor is turned off it activates the Windows firewall.

um Online Armor? sounds like a spyware program :S I have had many instances where my programs aren't recognised as even having been installed from the security center Icon. and if you have something go wrong with the firewall...you are basicaly left hanging. that is why I usualy just use what is supplied. the logs in the firewalls I have had make no sense to me as it sees my address usualy as the intruder address going out to another computer....and that is even after a fresh reformat lol

As I was following this topic, I noticed something called "NosScript". I don't know what that is. Any guidance will be appreciated.

um Online Armor? sounds like a spyware program

Rage Skywolfe

As I was following this topic, I noticed something

called "NosScript". I don't know what that is. Any

guidance will be appreciated.

bsgranpa

Online Armor by Tallemu is one of the top software firewalls. It has been number one, according to Matousec, but now is rated number three in a tight race; its free version is number seven in the world according to Matousec.

NoScript is an Add-on/Extension for Mozilla Firefox, Flock, and SeaMonkey. You can check it out here.

Thank you, I'll add this to my Firefox.

I use NoScript and cannot overstate it's usefulness. Aside from blocking most avenues of attack from a website, it also serves to block nasty, annoying animated advertising!