The Steel Guitar Forum

I use 3 accounts with my service. When I originally signed up I opted to not install the security package. And have been surfing since in Yahoo and Explorer without it. I just created a new user and decided I'll try the works. I'm happy I did it, but am confused as to why the security package is now active in all accounts. Basically, I loaded it from a subaccount. Saves me work, but am surprised a subaccount is allowed to alter the main account.

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-johnson


It's funny how the spyware program detected a highjack browser file. When I went to delete it a pop-up said it would be non-retrievable, could affect my system, and may violate my service agreement. So I assume it detected the very file planted by Yahoo to control and track my browsing.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by erik on 23 May 2006 at 05:31 PM.]</p></FONT>

Erik I was wondering how you like the Yahoo DSL?? I have been considering going to it from Charter cable, two reasons, it is considerably cheaper and the cable is not working a lot of the time, I don't use the cable for TV as we get nore programs from an antenna than minimum cable service
Thanks for replying
Larry

Eric and others who rely on browser-based anti-spyware "protection;"

Get some real protection on your computers. I have links to the major free anti-spyware programs, and spyware removal help forms, on my Blog (see link in my sig), on the right side, under my own website's links. Use these links to download and install at least Spybot Search and Destroy and SpywareBlaster. Update them often. Read the documentation that is included. Scan for crapware with Spybot, after checking for and applying any available updates.

You can have multiple anti-spyware programs with no ill effects. However, you should only allow one to monitor and challenge system/browser changes. Spybot uses a feature called Tea Timer to monitor for changes. Windows Defender has a similar function.

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Bob "Wiz" Feinberg
Moderator of the SGF Computers Forum
<small>Visit my Wiztunes Steel Guitar website at: http://www.wiztunes.com/
or my computer troubleshooting website: Wizcrafts Computer Services,
or my Webmaster Services webpage.
Learn about current computer virus and security threats here.
Read Wiz's Blog for security news and update notices</small>

Hi Larry,
I went from dial-up to DSL last October, or maybe the one before. Anyways, I love it. Specifically, I have SBCYahoo, which is now ATTYahoo. I have the base speed. Connects around 900kbs. Sometimes over 1m. Downloads are always around 170kbs though. My DSL only went down once for half a day. I rarely experience bottleneck, almost never. The free security suite works very well. Never had a billing issue because it's includud in my phone bill. I am very satisfied. I think Wiz has the same service but Pro speed. If you move large files regularly, you may find the basic is not enough. Hope this helps.

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-johnson

Eric;
Right click on that suspect file and read it's Properties. On the Version Tab you will find the owner of the file. If it says Yahoo, Inc you are right about it. If there is no copyright or owner listed it may be malware that needs removing.

The Yahoo Security thingy must have an uninstaller. Look in Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs.
<hr>
I am indeed on DSL, through SBC/ATT/Yahoo! I get a steady 1,304 Mbps download and 329 kbps upload throughput rate. I am paying $14.99 a month for the service, based on an annual commitment.

I have never installed anything that came with the modem that has to do with SBC or Yahoo. I typed my SBC User name and password into the modem, and it automatically connects directly to the DSL center. To protect my computer and network I was using a D-Link Di-604 Broadband router with firewall and had cloned the MAC address of my main computer. This way the DSL modem thought that it was connected to my computer, even though there are four output ports on the router and any computer at all might be connected.

Unfortunately, the Di-604 began slowing down my uploads to almost half the rated speed, or around 170 kbps. It might have been a firewall setting, or just component drift from heat and age. I was not able to upload as fast as when I first bought it.

To remedy this I just acquired a Netopia Cayman 3500 Series ADSL Gateway modem/router/firewall, which it is a one piece unit normally sold to static IP customers. It has four ethernet ports, a Dead-Reaconing Firewall, VPN and so many advanced features I will never use them all. The Netopia rocks! I am back up to full speed, up and downstream. If I turn off the Cayman it has no trouble logging back in when I turn it on again. Sometimes I had to reboot the D-Link router to get it to accept a new IP from the Modem, after it was off overnight. I have been on DSL for two years now and had such a little amount of network downtime that it is not worth mentioning.

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Bob "Wiz" Feinberg
Moderator of the SGF Computers Forum
<small>Visit my Wiztunes Steel Guitar website at: http://www.wiztunes.com/
or my computer troubleshooting website: Wizcrafts Computer Services,
or my Webmaster Services webpage.
Learn about current computer virus and security threats here.
Read Wiz's Blog for security news and update notices</small>

Wiz, I have encountered a few issues this morning. I went to download.com and found the link to download Spyware Doctor. I turn off all running programs in my system tray before installing. Upon installing it would not open and froze my screen. It even froze when I tried uninstalling. It did uninstall. I did a scan with my PCRescue and found 17 damaged files related to active X componants, and uninstall files. They were the property of both Yahoo and Spyware Doctor. Fortunatley PCRescue repaired them all. So what happened? Also, My security system for Yahoo is supplied by CompAssoc. I ran a complete scan Spyware and Virus and came up with only the file mentioned in my first post. Unrelated: When I went to read the virus scan report it said scan start time, stop time, and in between those said the following:

C:\WINDOWS\WIN386.SWP - scan failed

What in the world does THIS mean?

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-johnson

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><HR><SMALL>C:\WINDOWS\WIN386.SWP - scan failed

What in the world does THIS mean?
</SMALL><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I should have asked what version of Windows you are running. From that filename I assume you have Windows 9x or ME, correct?

Win386.swp is the Windows swap file used for Virtual Memory in the Windows 9x and ME, and cannot be deleted while Windows is running. http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000358.htm

If you are unable to install Spyware Doctor, which does run on Windows 9x/ME, something already on your computer is preventing it. Go to this page at PC-Tools and run the free scan for spyware. It won't remove anything it finds but will give you a report that can be printed out, or the page can be saved for reference.

Other things that can interfer with installing and uninstalling programs, and desktop freeze-ups include:

• crosslinked files: run scandisk
• fragmented drive: run disk defragmenter
• corrupted system files: reinstall OS
• viruses and desktop (explorer) hijackers
• Rootkits infections
• corrupted downloads

If you are going to keep this out-dated OS I would recommend reinstalling it, then go directly to Windows Update and obtain all available updates and patches. All support for Win 9x/ME is coming to an end on July 30, 2006.

Let me know if the scan finds any problems.

<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Wiz Feinberg on 24 May 2006 at 08:22 AM.]</p></FONT><font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Wiz Feinberg on 24 May 2006 at 08:23 AM.]</p></FONT>

Ugh Wiz, what a nightmare. That link is the exact one I used. I downloaded it again and same problem, only worse. It froze up my computer, would NOT uninstall. Finally, I just deleted folder from the Windows Program files. That was easy. My computer immediately worked fine again. I had to repair a number of files though, ALL OF THEM from Spy Doctor.

I have all the WIN98 updates, one of which made my Word inoperable.

The reason I run an old OS and computer is because it cost's nothing. My computer does everything I need it to do, surf, record wav, convert to mp3, record streaming audio, play online games, ebay, order online, etc. The only things it can't do is professional recording, Itunes, Wal-Mart digital downloads. I could spend 24hrs a day on this thing and never run out of things to do.

My ONLY concern is security.

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-johnson

Eric;
As you can tell I am also concerned about computer security. That is why I, and my customers, no longer have any computers that run on Windows 98. Most new anti-spyware programs will not install on anything older than Windows 2000. Anti-virus programs are rapidly dropping support for older OS's as well. I applaud you for keeping the old gal up and running despite all of it's limitations.

One thing that I dislike about Windows 9x is that the OS will run out of "resources," no matter how much Ram is installed, causing the desktop to freeze, your work-in-progress to be lost, and requiring you to reboot, then run Scandisk to fix corrupted files. I recommend that you install a link to the Windows 9x Resource Meter into the Startup folder, so you can monitor the remaining resources as you work. When it drops into the yellow bar you had best start closing applications fast.

Go to Start Menu > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Resource Meter. With that link displayed right click on it and select COPY. The right click on the Start Button and select OPEN. Navigate through the Programs folder to the Startup folder. Open it and right-click in it and select PASTE. This should place a copy of the Resource Meter into the Startup Folder. Double-click that icon to start it right away so you can monitor you current resources. It will automatically load each time you restart the computer. Check the box that says Don't show this message again and you're good to go.

How long has it been since you performed a system install? With Windows 9x I used to reinstall the OS over itself avery two months, then run Windows Update to get everything up to speed. That worked wonders for restoring speed to the system, along with running Scandisk and Defragmenter from Safe Mode.

A lot of Window errors are caused by invalid entries in the Windows Registry. Get a utility to clean out invalid entries from your Registry, most of which will slow your computer down. Google for "windows+98+clean+registry+program" or a variation thereof. Be sure what you download is for Windows 98, and virus scan it before installing it.

Along that line of thought, I used to use RegClean from Microsoft (unsupported, no longer available) and it removed a lot of crap entries. I also used to have a DOS batch file that contained commands to Export the Registry to a new file, then Import that file into the Registry. This had the effect of compacting the free (wasted) space, making the Registry load quicker.

IHTH.

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Bob "Wiz" Feinberg
Moderator of the SGF Computers Forum
<small>Visit my Wiztunes Steel Guitar website at: http://www.wiztunes.com/
or my computer troubleshooting website: Wizcrafts Computer Services,
or my Webmaster Services webpage.
Learn about current computer virus and security threats here.
Read Wiz's Blog for security news and update notices</small>

<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Wiz Feinberg on 24 May 2006 at 10:29 AM.]</p></FONT>

Thanks for the ideas. I use PCRescue to fix file errors (reg, componants, etc.). I also perform clean-ups and defrag. Since using PCRescue(healthycomputerclub.com)I have not had to reinstall my OS. My system has been running fine up 'til the Spy Doctor. The system requirements are very basic for that program. It must be conflicting with my proprietary security system installed through Yahoo.

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-johnson

You are probably right about the conflict between the two security programs. Usually anti spyware programs play nice together, but not always. Of the two, I would point my finger at the Yahoo Security program first, and PC-Tools last. I know nothing about the quality of the Yahoo security suite, but Spyware Doctor is very highly rated in the anti-spyware community. It comes in right behind Spyware Sweeper by WebRoot.

I personally will not allow a program to remain on my computer if it doesn't provide an uninstall link in Control Panel, or at least in it's Programs link-group.


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Bob "Wiz" Feinberg
Moderator of the SGF Computers Forum
<small>Visit my Wiztunes Steel Guitar website at: http://www.wiztunes.com/
or my computer troubleshooting website: Wizcrafts Computer Services,
or my Webmaster Services webpage.
Learn about current computer virus and security threats here.
Read Wiz's Blog for security news and update notices</small>