Charolotte Caxton Posted April 11, 2012 Author Share Posted April 11, 2012 Thank you, Perrie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luc Starsider Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 The thing is, it's not difficult to make an email seem as if it comes from a specific email address. (As far as I know. Which may not be much ) The worrying part here is that mails are sent to your SL contacts which should not be available or accessible outside of SL (unless you store the names on your PC as well.) - Luc - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Scorpio Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Luc, in her case it is not her SL contacts getting spammed it is the contacts on her email account. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luc Starsider Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Ah, then I get. Thanks Darren. Then, yes, Malwarebytes and possibly a new email address. - Luc - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggy Paperdoll Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 There's another way.......take the nuclear approach. Get one of those disk wipe programs (I use "Drive Scrubber" by iolo). I think I paid about $25.00 at Best Buy a couple years ago to replace a free one I had burned to CD called "Kill Disk" years ago. Save all those pictures, videos, and mp3's that are important to you (be careful about which files you save since maleware could be hidden in those in files.....ones you recieved from known clean sources and from your own camera, camcorder and other sources should be maleware free. It's those that some casual friend might have sent you or those cutesy ones you picked up for fun might be suspect). Write down the URL's for all the online programs that you want to keep (SL etc). Make sure you have the installation disks for the other programs (especially your operating system disks). Write down the driver versions (and the URL's for the driver download sites) for all your hardware devices. Make sure you know the POP3 and other setup information for you ISP provided email (but it might be easier to just call them later). Write down all your contacts' email addresses (I wouldn't just save them but that's up to you). Save all those documents that are important. Burn everything to removable disks or flash drives. You can do a system backup to removable media too......but be careful about what you backup since you know there's maleware somewhere on your computer and you don't know where it's hidden. Check to make sure your boot sequence is set so that your computer will boot from a CD before it boots from your hard drive (my boot sequence is drive A, my optical drive, then my drive C). You do that in your BIOS setup. Then clear off a day and a half where you don't need your computer. Take a deep breath, insert the disk wipe disk in your CD/DVD drive and shut down your computer. Wait a minute or so and boot back up. Your computer should start from the bootable disk wiping progam disk.......follow the instructions to start the wiping process. You'll get some choices about just how thorough a wipe you want to perform (single pass, DOD standard, or the insanely extreme 7 + passes). The process is very slow since it writes ones and zeros to every sector of your drive...the larger the drive the longer it will take. I wiped the drive on a computer I inherited from a friend who went to the darkside with a laptop about a month and a half ago (I use that computer as a second computer connected via a KVM switch.....it has Vista on it instead of Windows 7 like this computer). The drive is 320 gigs and I did the DOD wipe............it took about 20 hours to complete!! The DOD standard is 3 passes. For your purposes (if you go the nuclear route) a single pass would probably be enough since you want to distroy a virus or trojan, not prevent a snooper from peeking at your data. Once the wipe finishes install your operating system and anti-malware, drivers and the programs you want to re-install......make sure you get all your operating system updates before you get too far into the restoring of your computer system. I don't believe any virus, trojan, spyware or keylogger will survive a disk wipe....especially if you do multiple passes (though that would be overkill, in my opinion). Here's what you're going to find out as a side benefit..........you're computer is really going to perform for you. Just like it was when you first brought it home from the place you purchased it. The next best thing to a brand new machine. I actually wipe my drives about once a year or a year and a half and have done that for years. It's time comsuming and even tedious at times (especially getting all those Windows updates and service packs.......that Vista machine I just did took over 6 hours to finally get the operating system installed since the disk I had didn't even have SP 1 on it). To install the programs, put the pictures and mp3's on it, setup the email only took an hour or so. Maybe that's why I don't seem to have the problems many people have with SL......or maybe I'm just lucky (who knows : ). And I would not use the same email address that was compromised. Resetting the password is not good enough in my opinion. I still say close it perminately through the provider. Maybe I'm paranoid about security or maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment but nuking your drive once in a while gives me peace of mind and keeps my machines running fast and trouble free for years (until I get around to replacing them). All it takes is planning ahead and time. It's not as scary as it sounds either. Consider the nuclear option.............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Scorpio Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 LOL Peggy. That is a bit extreme and really not necessary. If your OS has you that paranoid consider turning to the dark side and use Linux. With hundreds of distros out there you will even find one that makes the whole Windows to Linux transition a lot more enjoyable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charolotte Caxton Posted April 11, 2012 Author Share Posted April 11, 2012 Thanks, Peggy. I think. You kinda lost me at write stuff down, like with a pen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggy Paperdoll Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 I had Unbuntu a couple years ago..........I didn't like the duel booting pain in the butt and I am very familar with Windows so I won't ever go completely over to that side of the fence. So Ubuntu was removed during one of my annual disk wipes. And here's my take on Linux being such a "safe" operating system It's only "safe" because of it's user base being such a minor player among the computers being used in the world. As that user base grows the OS will become a more attractive target for the cyber-criminals. I remember all those Mac users telling Mac's were immune to virus' and maleware........look at them today! Mac's are growing up and having to deal with what Microsoft has been dealing with for years. Linux will get there too someday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luc Starsider Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Darren Scorpio wrote: LOL Peggy. That is a bit extreme and really not necessary. If your OS has you that paranoid consider turning to the dark side and use Linux. With hundreds of distros out there you will even find one that makes the whole Windows to Linux transition a lot more enjoyable. I agree - It is a pretty severe suggestion. There is another option... She could turn to the bright side and use - dare I say it - a Mac... ***Gasp*** (/me ducks and covers.) - Luc - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggy Paperdoll Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 "... You kinda lost me at write stuff down, like with a pen?" ---------------------------------- Yeah.......those things that are tube shaped and have a pointy end that leave marks on paper (that other stuff that is flat, usually white, and flimsy). :smileyvery-happy: The reason I say write it down over saving is that maleware can exist hidden in almost type of file. Saving a file that contains the maleware is saving the maleware to re-install once you restore your system. I tried be humorous with my nuke option. But, really, I'm serious...........I do wipe my drives about once a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charolotte Caxton Posted April 11, 2012 Author Share Posted April 11, 2012 Haha. Yeah, that does sound rather extreme, but if the problem were serious enough, it could be an option. I also like the idea of having my system almost back up to like new. I am always so hesitant to do anything on a new computer cause I don't want to slow it down with junk. My first computer I ever had I messed up so bad by downloading music and stuff that I had to do what I think you are saying, just reformatting it like a blank cd and then readding all the programs from the install disks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perrie Juran Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Peggy Paperdoll wrote: There's another way.......take the nuclear approach. Get one of those disk wipe programs (I use "Drive Scrubber" by iolo). I think I paid about $25.00 at Best Buy a couple years ago to replace a free one I had burned to CD called "Kill Disk" years ago. Save all those pictures, videos, and mp3's that are important to you (be careful about which files you save since maleware could be hidden in those in files.....ones you recieved from known clean sources and from your own camera, camcorder and other sources should be maleware free. It's those that some casual friend might have sent you or those cutesy ones you picked up for fun might be suspect). Write down the URL's for all the online programs that you want to keep (SL etc). Make sure you have the installation disks for the other programs (especially your operating system disks). Write down the driver versions (and the URL's for the driver download sites) for all your hardware devices. Make sure you know the POP3 and other setup information for you ISP provided email (but it might be easier to just call them later). Write down all your contacts' email addresses (I wouldn't just save them but that's up to you). Save all those documents that are important. Burn everything to removable disks or flash drives. You can do a system backup to removable media too......but be careful about what you backup since you know there's maleware somewhere on your computer and you don't know where it's hidden. Check to make sure your boot sequence is set so that your computer will boot from a CD before it boots from your hard drive (my boot sequence is drive A, my optical drive, then my drive C). You do that in your BIOS setup. Then clear off a day and a half where you don't need your computer. Take a deep breath, insert the disk wipe disk in your CD/DVD drive and shut down your computer. Wait a minute or so and boot back up. Your computer should start from the bootable disk wiping progam disk.......follow the instructions to start the wiping process. You'll get some choices about just how thorough a wipe you want to perform (single pass, DOD standard, or the insanely extreme 7 + passes). The process is very slow since it writes ones and zeros to every sector of your drive...the larger the drive the longer it will take. I wiped the drive on a computer I inherited from a friend who went to the darkside with a laptop about a month and a half ago (I use that computer as a second computer connected via a KVM switch.....it has Vista on it instead of Windows 7 like this computer). The drive is 320 gigs and I did the DOD wipe............it took about 20 hours to complete!! The DOD standard is 3 passes. For your purposes (if you go the nuclear route) a single pass would probably be enough since you want to distroy a virus or trojan, not prevent a snooper from peeking at your data. Once the wipe finishes install your operating system and anti-malware, drivers and the programs you want to re-install......make sure you get all your operating system updates before you get too far into the restoring of your computer system. I don't believe any virus, trojan, spyware or keylogger will survive a disk wipe....especially if you do multiple passes (though that would be overkill, in my opinion). Here's what you're going to find out as a side benefit..........you're computer is really going to perform for you. Just like it was when you first brought it home from the place you purchased it. The next best thing to a brand new machine. I actually wipe my drives about once a year or a year and a half and have done that for years. It's time comsuming and even tedious at times (especially getting all those Windows updates and service packs.......that Vista machine I just did took over 6 hours to finally get the operating system installed since the disk I had didn't even have SP 1 on it). To install the programs, put the pictures and mp3's on it, setup the email only took an hour or so. Maybe that's why I don't seem to have the problems many people have with SL......or maybe I'm just lucky (who knows : ). And I would not use the same email address that was compromised. Resetting the password is not good enough in my opinion. I still say close it perminately through the provider. Maybe I'm paranoid about security or maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment but nuking your drive once in a while gives me peace of mind and keeps my machines running fast and trouble free for years (until I get around to replacing them). All it takes is planning ahead and time. It's not as scary as it sounds either. Consider the nuclear option.............. could save some time by just using this magnet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Scorpio Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 LOL Luc. Peggy, dual boot installations have become so easy nowadays right now I am triple booting, Windows vista, Linux Mint 11 and Linux Mint 12. By the way Mint is a much better option than Ubuntu is for those just trying to make the switch from windows. And Luc, Pear OS Linux is made to look like Mac but without the Mac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charolotte Caxton Posted April 11, 2012 Author Share Posted April 11, 2012 Perrie Juran wrote: could save some time by just using this magnet Now I am concerned, should I not be sticking refrigerator magnets to the side of my tower? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggy Paperdoll Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Probably not a good idea, but, really, those little magnets are very unlikely to cause any problems. The enclosures that hard drives are put in shield magnetic interference quite well. I tried to "clean" a disk using what I thought was a powerful magnet. It didn't do a thing to the drive. You'd have to remove the disks from the box to damage the data on the disks.......and that ain't an easy task. I had to take a 4 pound mini sledge to a hard drive I wanted to see the insides of!! Which is really not all that impressive but those disks sure are bright and shiney. I did find the two magnets that do the writing to the disks come in handy for things you need a magnet for....those little suckers are powerful (they will pick up something that weighs about 10 pounds!! But Perrie's electomagnets would probably do some serious damage to the hard drive data........plus just about everything else in the case. Those refrigerator magnets put your memory chips in jeoparody though..........so, don't do that anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charolotte Caxton Posted April 11, 2012 Author Share Posted April 11, 2012 Oh, I don't, I was just, joking pulls magnets of kittie pictures off besides, do magnets stick to brushed titanium? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggy Paperdoll Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 About as well as they do to alumimum. I knew you were joking. But I did want to say that the hard disk enclosures are shielded quite well........and they are are really tough to get into . Not everyone will think that's important though (I'm weird that way). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charolotte Caxton Posted April 11, 2012 Author Share Posted April 11, 2012 lol, I know you knew I was joking but that is interesting about the hard disk enclosures. Do you know that my tower is accessible from the side, with a hinged door? and lights come on if you open it, whether it is plugged in or not. I think that's pretty cool, but I haven't found a need to go inside my computer yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggy Paperdoll Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Cleaning? About once a month is about the minimum time between those blow jobs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Jaxxon Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Peggy Paperdoll wrote: Cleaning? About once a month is about the minimum time between those blow jobs. I don't blow mine, I suck it...with a vacuum :matte-motes-silly: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charolotte Caxton Posted April 11, 2012 Author Share Posted April 11, 2012 ummm...I am not too sure, but I think you two are thinking of something else. the day I have to blow or suck my computer, is the day I stop using computers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charolotte Caxton Posted April 11, 2012 Author Share Posted April 11, 2012 (don't get me wrong guys, I'm just talking computers ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Jaxxon Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Charolotte Caxton wrote: ummm...I am not too sure, but I think you two are thinking of something else. the day I have to blow or suck my computer, is the day I stop using computers hehe, my bad...I didn't read the whole thread, was just playing off Peggy's last comment...not sure what her intent was :smileysurprised: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perrie Juran Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Charolotte Caxton wrote: (don't get me wrong guys, I'm just talking computers ) I think they are talking abut how they use their USB ports. I do like things that are just plug and play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charolotte Caxton Posted April 11, 2012 Author Share Posted April 11, 2012 Perrie Juran wrote: Charolotte Caxton wrote: (don't get me wrong guys, I'm just talking computers ) I think they are talking abut how they use their USB ports. I do like things that are just plug and play. Oh, Perrie, you had me at usb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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