Fox News on how to clean your computer

I like the garbage down in the text:

Yep - that's the first thing I do when an infected machine hits my bench...not! rolleyes

Say what?

Good stuff, Tim. :-D

 

I love how all the comments have one vote! Everyone voting for themselves? I'm glad to see TimW doesn't have a vote and stayed out of the restore point debate.

Thanks TimW, there's 2 minutes of my life that I'll never get back. What a waste of virtual ink.

 

They could have at least offered a link to Google.:-D Preferably something clickable for the republicans who frequent Fox.

 

I looked around the site a little. WTH is a Homicide Map 2011? Neighborhood Crime Tracker? Of the 6 sections of local news, that's what two of them are. Sounds a little obsessive or paranoid. Who is running the news there, it's a crazy site!

Oh better -- went to the Most Popular section. Deaths, traffic accident and a link to an article about Conflicker.

I'm kind of stunned. How is TimW so normal??

 

They might as well just link to Topix, was about as useful.

 

Well I had to sign up to vote for Tim :-D
Plus to add my two cents. Thats a "conky" site my post landed up on top of Tim's

Cheers..

 

"So before you call in the experts, try fixing your PC yourself. Believe it or not, the answer to making your computer run faster and smoother might just be a click or two away.

Kelly Bergin, owner of “Your Computer People” in Bryant, warns of the dangers of unknown websites.

“Just because it’s on the internet, doesn’t mean it’s safe to play in,” Bergin says.

She says that your first step to computer health is an easy one.

“Make sure your anti-virus is up to date and running.”

Next, do a little research.

Companies including Microsoft and Apple have free online forums where you can find out how other people have solved the same problem you’re experiencing. ***(Maybe go to MajorGeeks.com.)***

After that, it’s time to clean up your toolbar.

“Those will slow your computer down,” Bergin said. “If you have installed something and you see that it installed a toolbar, remove it.”

Then it’s time to sweep up the crumbs. In computer terms, that means clean up your cookies and internet history. Doing so will speed your PC up."

That part is actually decent advice. The defragling of the hard drive was mentioned as a performance/maintenance thing. ***comment*** added by me. :-D

 

Yeps, that is why I don't get my compruter fixing ideas from the local fish wrap. :-D

But jeez, have you ever worked on one of the noob's computers with 20 toolbars, 80 processes or more running at startup, and a drive that is a virgin as far as defrag goes? :cry In all honesty, with the newer faster drives, I don't see as much improvement after defragging as I did with the computers several years ago. Still do it more out of habit. But no, a defrag has nothing to do with the interweb nasties. :cool

 

IMPOSTER!

That wasn't me. How creepy, what does his/her age have to do with anything? I posted in the facebook thread too so I guess someone was bored! I'm not that interesting, they don't want to live vicariously through me.

No, I had to refrain myself, I think this medication I'm taking has a side effect akin to 'roid rage. I'm ready to rip people's heads off the last few days. Good thing it's almost finished. Can you imagine me loose on the malware forum? You'd have to ban me!

 

I'm probably the evil half at the moment!

When i started reading i was thinking it was going to be one of those spam posts. Hi, I'm 30 and I think this is a great article. My older boyfriend agrees with me too, I met him on dumboldemptywalletmen.com.

It was a nice post for MG though. Creepy for me, but nice.

 

This is the part that really cracked me up.

I guess if something goes wrong with my desktop, I should just rid of it, it is getting close to being 4 years old. :-D

Hey yahoo answers has good quality answers :-D

 

will you answer my questions on yahoo answers?

 

I don't have any questions. LOL Haven't been there for ages, I just wanted to see if you would answer them if I needed good advice.

 

from the comments about removing malware:
Having an effective AV is the best solution and BTW there are very few that are actually effective, second to that is researching and removing the virus manually when possible. Make sure your technician is CompTIA A+ certified.

I've been darn lucky then, I've used some really amazing software, apparently. I haven't manually removed malware in maybe a decade. I did once use a 3.5" disk though!

OK, who in here is CompTIA A+ certified?? I want to see those certification letters in everyone's title!!

I'm sure we have people with some great certifications in here. I'm not ready to admit to mine and completely not ready to admit how old they are!

 

I like how they refuse to disclose the name of whichever hack wrote that "article"... it's encouraging to see a publication care about the safety of their writers.

If I read this right, this is how you get rid of a serious virus:

1. Update the antivirus that allowed the malware to take root in the first place. And after you updated it, make sure it's running. There's a lot of anti-virus software out there that updates without actually running, so you want to make sure.

2. Flounder helplessly in the bottomless abyss known as "online forum search".

3. Get nowhere, get frustrated and angry.

4. Remove your toolbars, your cookies, and clean your internet history. That last bit is especially important, since your browser history contains all sorts of identity-thieving trojans just waiting to pounce on you. rolleyes

5. Defragment your hard drive.

According to the above cruel prank masquerading as actual helpful writing, the severe virus infection is now gone.

 

I especially liked the suggestion that if your computer is over four years old it wasn't worth trying to correct any issues it had confused)

The core of my "main" computer is over six years old - and while I am pedal to the metal on upgrades the thing still does what I need it too, and even plays newer games on decent settings. It would run Win 7 just fine the way it is, in fact (a bit more ram would be optimum . . . but I digress).

Tell ya what - you get some malware on your "old" computer and decide to trash it - send it to me! I'll clean it up and give it to someone who will appreciate it.

 

Some members here think I am crazy. I am not sure what certification is required. I am pretty sure at least 2 members here will stand by my certification as crazy, or at least half crazy. :-D

 

My wife tells me all the time I am certifiable . . . does that count? :confused

 

:wine I'll second that motion.

 

CompTIA A+ certified?? Hell, I didn't even finish high school...:-o

 

At least you seem to know what it means... you have an unfair advantage right there.

 

:highfive , Lady Mims...

 

I would take everyone here over some wanna-be tech with a certification working the backroom at Best Buy

Well har har on me, hubby just brought me his laptop. Total disaster. It's going to take some registry edits -- by hand -- to have any hope of loading any tools.

Now let me start that defrag . . . .

 

That was on the national site? I thought it was an affiliate site out of Little Rock, Arkansas? Channel 16, or something like that . . .

I just wonder how many computers are now going to end up in Little Rock landfills now because they are "old" . . . rolleyes

 

I took the CompTIA A+ classes for fun. Never tested for the cert. As far as Fox, and the other networks, in my opinion it is all junk. I watch maybe 30 mins a week of TV, and that is at work or at friend's homes. My TV has been silent since they went digital a while back, and I don't miss it all. Well, maybe an episode of Cops all along would be OK. :-D

 

Yeppers . . . that pretty much covers it. Although I do watch all of them from time to time.

The difference in them is fascinating, in a train wreck kinda way . . .

 

Will leave the train wreck with you to supervise. :-D I do notice the difference on the news I get online. Interesting times we live in is about all I can say about it. I will admit I get a lot of laughs on the comment section of yahoo's home page.

 

I was there when this was filmed and let me tell you it seems that allthe great advice she gave was cut, they were there for 30 minutes and only filmed a few things, and they cut it odd..... She went thru a lot of different things. I guess they just wanted to dumb it down.

I know for a fact that they part of run and update the antiviruses was stated on how to HELP PREVENT not clean viruses... They cut out everything she said about cleaning after the fact.... She even gave easy steps that anyone could do. One of the guys even talked about laptops and that didnt make it on. It was all out of order, but whatever.... Never believe what you see on tv.....

 

I suddenly want to register just so I can add;

3 steps to fixing all virus infections
1. Format your computer.
2. Install Linux
3. Never worry again.

:-D

Make all sorts of blind statements about how cmd.exe is a virus and you should delete it.

I have more, but probably shouldn't even start.

 

Fox News has all the facts rolleyes to Fix a PC. :-D