[ham] [Rhodes22-list] Dummy with computer needs help--badly

[Todd Tavares]

Michael,

   Yeah,  this computer has probably exceeded its useful life.  It is 3+ years old.  I have Norton systems works 2001, McAfee firewall, virus scan professional, and a group of other McAfee products, ie instant updater, guardian, clean sweep,shreader, safe & sound, and visual trace.

   The problem is that I have not enough time or knowledge to configure them efficiently.  The firewall for instance, if I use it to block much at all, I cannot get pages like msn.com to load even.  If I set it to filter, I get 20 windows a second asking do you want to allow this program access, and I cant even read my e-mails.

  I will probably take the dumb guy approach with the next computer and save all of my personal files to cd.  So when it gets too bad, I can reformat the hard drive and go from there.  
----- Original Message -----
From: Michael Meltzer <mjm at michaelmeltzer.com>
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 2003 00:30:28 -0500
To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Subject: Re: [ham] [Rhodes22-list] Dummy with computer needs help--badly

> you got hit by a porn dialer(that what they call it, they started the trick), what is does is highjack your modem line and call
> 1-900 number or a oversea call, it is called fraud.
> 
> 1)call the phone company, they will take it off the bill, you might have to ask to speck to a supervisor, SOP is they will let you
> off the hook for the first time(check the current bill while you at it), if nice is not working get pushy, you might have to remind
> them that this is a fraud, from other complaints they should have know it was a fraud, you did not knowingly make the call, by them
> billing you they are a party to the fraud, willing to go to the state attorney general. ask them to place the "blocks" on your line.
> If you need help with the scream job, I do it for a living, conference call :-)
> 
> 2)now for the computer, the problem you have is that any Microsoft product that is not absolutely current is not fit to be connected
> to the internet, frankly I think bill gates should loss a class action law suit, their is really no reason for it.
> 
> Hopefully http://www.safer-networking.org has removed the dialer by now.
> 
> the problem you have window98Se, is End of life, MS is no longer suporting it, then next step for you is upgrading to windows98me,
> but ms is going to EOL that soon also, you could upgrade to windowsXP but most like any computer that started out with windows SE
> does not have the power to run XP (skip win2000 in your case), for about 400$ you can upgrade to alot better assuming you can reuse
> the monitor, witch will include 100$ your would have to pay to upgrade the OS, might want to think about it.
> 
> For DSL or Cable modem you beed a hardware firewall, they will also allow you to share the line with outer computers in the house,
> linksys, dlink, smc, etc, thay cost about 100-150$, look for the words "statefull packet filtering fallwall", zone-alarm will alway
> be second best to a real firewall(the virus disable zone-alarm but donot touch the hardware firewall)
> 
> zone is ok for dialup, if no other resion that thier is nothing else.
> 
> I like Mcaffe for my anit-virus on the decktop pc, Norton has been slipping over the years(my option).
> 
> bottom line, must be always up to date on the OS, must be running antivirus, have a firewall. should be sueing MS or get linux :-)
> 
> MJM
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Todd Tavares" <sprocket80 at mail.com>
> To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2003 2:39 PM
> Subject: [ham] [Rhodes22-list] Dummy with computer needs help--badly
> 
> 
> > HELP MJM, Mark, Will, Steve, Rik, or any of you smart computer guys, HELP!
> >
> >    I am ready to trash my computer and start over and do not want this particular problem to reoccur with a new computer.
> >
> > I have been having problems with my computer for about a month now.  I use win98SE and have slow dial-up service.
> >
> >    About a month ago I started getting pop-up ads trying to connect to the internet, even when I was sitting down watching TV and
> not near the computer.  I had no idea where they were coming from. Deleting the history, cookies, changing my security settings
> didn't stop them.  I brought the task window and viewed the properties for the files running, but when I did a search in the
> directies named...these files did not exist...not hidden, archive..nothing.
> >
> >    I have a Norton 2000 maintenance software package (Norton Works 2000?) that monitors, cleans, defrags etc.  Half or more of the
> Norton items wouldn't run.
> >
> >    I deleted all unfamiliar downloaded programs and items.....still the pop-ups came.   They only stopped after I went through
> windows explorer and deleted or uninstalled unfamiliar files/directories.
> >
> >    I thought I was a genius until I opened my telephone bill and today found a $398.00 internet charge.  It seems that I had
> picked some sort of downloaded software that dialed up and connected to the internet at 2:00 AM while I was sleeping and went to a
> pay site somewhere in the Camoros Islands off the coast of West Africa.  I know it wasn't wifey or the kids.
> >
> >    This charge was an add on from ATT.  I do not use ATT.  ATT CSR said this is happening with increasing frequency, but refused
> to remove the charges from my bill.
> >
> >    So my questions are  (yes there is a question in here somewhere) what can I do to stop this from happening again?  How can I be
> sure this software is not still in my computer hiding? Is there software that I can buy to prevent this?  Can my McAfee Virus or
> Norton firewall software be configured to catch it?   Short of trashing the computer and getting a non-telephone internet
> service...what should I do.
> >
> >     And a second subject,  my windows defrag keeps restarting because a file is trying to write to disk.  How can I stop this?
> Are these two problems related? (hopefully this is an easy fix)
> >
> >
> > Todd
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -- 
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