PC's, porn, viruses

[suckseed]

I'm getting my first PC ever next week. I've always had Macs, and the few viruses they got I'd just get rid of by initializing the hard drive and reinstalling everything. This PC is for use as a digital audio workstation, and unless I can convince myself that I can surf and look at and download porn with it safely, I'm just going to keep the Mac ad upgrade it. Do you guys have problems
generally?

[johnie]

i never have a problem and i even download from usenet. just run a good anti virus and don't click on suspect links, just be smart. i haven't had a problem in years.

[kukm4]

Update windows, (internet explorer)asap
After that

Use Firefox or Opera for web browsing
http://www.firefox.com/
http://www.opera.com/

GRISOFT AVG (anti virius)
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/2/lng/us/tpl/v5

Spyware Blaster (spyware defence)
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

Spyware Scaners (use both)

Ad Aware
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad-aware_se_personal.php

Spybot Search and destroy
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html

[Stoerosov]

Don't use, remember, DON'T USE Internet Exploder & Outlook Express for browsing/emailing!

I Recommend Opera, this is the best variant; or Firefox(Flock, K-Meleon) for browsing and Thunderbird for emailing.

If you start using Opera, i highly recommend yoг to read 30 Days to becoming an Opera Lover (http://operalover.tntluoma.com/)

Antivirus+Troian+ADware scanner/exterminator ypu can download here (http://z-oleg.com/avz4en.zip) this is AVZ -- Zaitsev's AntiVirus. Freeware of course... B-) Sorry, people, but website of this program only in russian. link is direct link 2 english version of the program.

Next, i recommend two things:
1)Spampal -- the best email proxy program. Working using email blacklists. Download here (http://www.spampal.org/)

2)Proxomitron -- local HTTP web filtering proxy. Small, freeware, highly configurable. Download here (http://www.proxomitron.info/)
Documentation, filters, configs, skins for proxomitron here (http://www.geocities.com/sidki3003/prox.html)

PS All programs recommended by me, i tested myself and use every day.
PPS Sorry, people, english is not my native language.

Good luck!

Use firefox and any PC associates av and you're gonna be alright.

Congrats on your upgrade from the apple mac.

[EdelweissFan]

Suckseed,

At this point, anti-virus software for PC's is quite good.

The real problem with PCs and web browsing is spyware -- truely pernicious pieces of shit that install "drive by" mode. That is, with viruses, you usually have to do something stupid like agree to a download or open a link.

Spyware just downloads itself if you go to the wrong website, and hijacks your browser in various ways, changing settings that are almost impossible to change.

Recently, I helped a neighborhood kid with his computer that had spyware problems. I ran a check and he had something like 70 or 80 spyware programs running, from going to gaming sites.

We decided there was no way to get rid of them (they re-install themselves everytime you browse by going back to the infected web site) and decided to reformat the harddrive.

Unlike the good old days of DOS and windows 3.x, there is no easy way to re-install windows without going to a pc repair shop and paying about $100. The shop we went to said 80-90% of their business was reformatting and reinstalling windows as a result of spyware.

So get a really good spyware program. These work pretty well.

[partlycloudy]

i think the most important software you need, that surprisingly hasn't been mentioned yet, is a good firewall. you can get zonealarm free from www.zonelabs.com.

[JohnnyWalkerBlackLabel]

All of the above suggestions are good and should be taken seriously as these folks have been pc users for quite some time.

BUT

If you are going to do it, do it right.

#1 If you haven't already purchased a pc, consider getting one with a motherboard with Nforce technology that has a built-in firewall. Less stress for you and better overall defense than a software firewall can give you alone.

#2: If you have purchased a pc already consider buying a REAL router with a built-in firewall. I cannot emphasize the gains you'll have with a hardware firewall, it's a big difference.

#3: Most anti-virus programs are as stated earlier good enough by today's standards, but no one has really spoken to you about is the cpu time some of these programs need to complete their processes, Kaspersky is a very good antivirus program that does the job without lagging your pc time.

#4: When you begin get Firefox 2.0 (it just came out) and get Internet Explorer 7, both are excellent.
with Firefox you want to get a few extensions:
a. NoScript: this will prevent Java activating until you right click and tell it to
b. AdBlock: blocks those annoying ads you cant stand on various sites

#5: PeerGuardian 2 from phoenixlabs.org is a must have especially if you do any kind of downloading from torrents or p2p programs, it protects you from various things, wonderful program

for the record Outlook Express is a good program, depending on what you designate as your POP3 email account. I use it with Google's gmail and never have a problem. I would not use it with the account given to me by my ISP, as that's where 99% of the poor innocent victims get attacked by viruses, etc.........

this is just my advice, I hope it helps

[suckseed]

Thanks a lot - for now I'm just keeping my 400sc off the net til I learn what I'm doing. Here's my next question:
What is a (IP address) anonymizer for? Why is it a good idea? How do you know if it's working?

[Stoerosov]

<...>
What is a (IP address) anonymizer for? Why is it a good idea? How do you know if it's working?

Keyword is "anonymiser". This is program or program compex for hiding or replacing your IP address (i think you don't want to ask what is IP?) B-). BUT all companies, who have working IP anonymising services ALWAYS have protocol of all connections. Think about it...

[suckseed]

An anonymizer just sounds like something you wouldn't care about unless you were doing something you shouldn't be - so it's a strange thing to have on offer. I guess I don't really get it.
I posted on my main music forum as well, and got nothing but "Don't do it" from other computer using musicians. When you're talking about thousands of dollars of software, plus the fact that I paid the seller to optimize the computer for all the various plugins and settings, it's not worth the risk. Turns out I do have to download a few additional drivers, cause I bought some additional cards and devices. But my plan is to go directly to the sites and then right back off again.
I'm going to buy another machine that'll be my main net/media aquisition box. Then I'll take all this advice to heart. Many thanks.

[latrix67]

Update windows, (internet explorer)asap
After that

Use Firefox or Opera for web browsing
http://www.firefox.com/
http://www.opera.com/

GRISOFT AVG (anti virius)
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/2/lng/us/tpl/v5

Spyware Blaster (spyware defence)
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

Spyware Scaners (use both)

Ad Aware
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad-aware_se_personal.php

Spybot Search and destroy
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html
AVG free stops on 15th Jan2007
I think they're replaceing it with a new free one but I'm not sure...