I'm Back But Behind On Tech, & Fuzzyheaded

I've long trusted MajorGeeks for understanding & accessing important security software. However in the past couple years, my household has been through LOTS, including me now having 2 chronic illnesses that make me have to postpone everything by months or more and give me "brain fog", which is a real medical symptom that comes from lack of bloodflow to the brain and results in inability to focus or retain information. This symptom is enough to make a formerly bright person suicidal. I bring it up not for sympathy, but so that it will be understood the level to which I may need things explained or need reminding of basics, and that I'm not being deliberately lazy or silly.

I am at the point in my world where all my hardware has become obsolete. Seriously. I am now being crippled weekly with some forced software upgrade that doesn't work with my OS or whatever. I'm living in the dark ages & don't have much time to address it, and certainly not uninterupted, focused time. So here I am, in desperation rather than calm planning mode.

Confession: I am still running a laptop with XP. I know how big a deal this is, so please don't slap me. Maybe now you realize how big the issues are that have taken over my world that I have had to let this slide.

Next confession: A year ago I bought a new desktop, and that is where it has been--on my desktop behind my laptop. Turned off. Because I am scared to start it up & hit the internet without up-to-date Major-Geeks-approved security software (and encryption? Can I hope??) on it before it gets invaded through wifi or something unplanned. It arrived New Year's Eve A YEAR AGO during a brief moment of false hope that I would be well enough to set it up correctly. The anxiety has just snowballed since then. I do realize that XP is probably far less secure than that desktop with no security, but I am living day-to-day, and urgent overtakes important, and ill health overtakes even urgent.

So what I need is someone to tell it to me like I'm 5. A list of links. Steps. What to check before each little item. Leave nothing assumed. I know this is annoying and a lot to ask, but I'm far from an old granny who knows zilch--I used to be a software development project manager. So any help I get will also make me feel a lot less suicidal. Not being melodramatic, just frank. I'd like to believe there's a brain still in my skull somewhere if I can just nudge it back awake. But I do get overwhelmed (and distracted/interrupted) very easily.

So what is the really truly absolute first step I should take, and where do I go from there?

Many thanks to anyone brave enough to reply, and many wishes for excellent health to all of you in 2016.


P.S. Once the desktop's done, I also need to get my printer & iPod working, and my tablet & android secured!

 

Hi ZenPup and welcome back. What operating system do you have on your new desktop?

 

Thanks for jumping in, KatKat!!

It's Windows 8.1. Probably out of date by now??

FWIW, on my laptop I've been running Firefox (43.0.4), Privacy badger, NoScript, Carbonite, and HTTPSEverywhere (and of course Flash is turned off), so I was expecting to head in the same direction, only more so.

 

I have Win8.1 and I use the preinstalled Windows Firewall and Windows Defender. That will get you started safely on the internet until you can decide what firewall and virus protection you want to use.
There are going to be a lot of updates for Windows Defender. That is a good place to start.
When you get ready to do the Windows Updates it is going to offer you a free update for Windows 10. I would advise you to wait a little to do the Windows 10 update since you have some catching up to do. Also advise you don't start downloading a lot of software programs just yet. After you get Windows Defender updated and the Windows important updates caught up you can think about other software programs like Malwarebytes Anti Malware and make decisions about Virus software and Spyware software.

 

Ah, super, this is good info. Thank you so much! No wonder you're a Sgt Maj! I'm feeling braver already!

 

I'm back! Took a few days--restored system with flash drive from Dell because it no longer recognized (or I wrote down incorrectly?) my user password from a year ago. Got it up, connected to wifi, all the Win8 updates done, firewall turned on.

However... it says my Defender is off, but when I click to turn it on, nothing seems to happen. It also tells me McAfee anti-virus & anti-spyware are off, but I don't want that brand anyway.

But it almost seems as if the Defender is linked to the McAfee--they're mentioned in the same sentence. So is it possible they were bundled & my year of idleness has caused my "free" McAfee to expire, so now I can't use Defender?

 

Sorry to bother you about something that should be so simple, but Windows 8 is greek to me. (Had a heck of a time even finding the Control Panel.) For the sake of not dragging this out into February, where exactly do I uninstall software? My ironically named "Action Center" window will not let me click on anything except "close". And the whole thing seems rigged to only allow me to update & activate (& PAY FOR) McAfee.

 

ZenPup...

Ways to access Control Panel in Windows 8.1:

http://www.digitalcitizen.life/introducing-windows-81-9-ways-access-control-panel

McAfee removal tool:

https://service.mcafee.com/webcenter/portal/cp/home/articleview;jsessionid=765Xo7b51Mnkqg8ZuSRT8cYCM8FPF9AhYqQhvhIMYmxwBljSKPoq!-1745577616!-297249396?articleId=TS101331&_afrLoop=2254310109712431#!@@?_afrLoop=2254310109712431&articleId=TS101331&centerWidth=100%25&leftWidth=0%25&rightWidth=0%25&showFooter=false&showHeader=false&_adf.ctrl-state=d4473zbq5_4

For McAfee, you might be better off with this tool. You can add GeekUninstaller later. I have heard it's a good recommendation, so thanks to dr. moriarity for that idea. Sounds like you want to keep things ultra simple to start with, and the McAfee tool is designed for removing the program.

I am guessing your desktop came with a free trial of McAfee that has expired. That's why you are getting the messages to pay. It is important that you remove it, so you can go on to Defender as Kat suggested...

 

Thanks to both of you! I feel so well cared for here

Last night before I saw your replies, I did indeed find the uninstaller in the Control Panel & uninstalled McAfee. Then I let Defender do its quick scan & it's now running in real time mode.

Now what? Do I use IE (blech!) to go fetch recommended anti-malware & anti-spyware & an adblocker & Firefox? I've long said that I want to encrypt my next system (that'd be this one, I guess) out of principle, but I know zero about doing it. And most importantly from a practical point of view, at what point am I safe enough to do my online banking?

 

I'm only running Windows Defender and Windows Firewall in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 and I do my online banking/bill paying in either version of Windows and feel safe (unfortunately though, no antivirus is 100% successful. But, running more than one antivirus can cause conflicts and render all of them ineffective). Windows Defender's definitions get updated at least twice/day.

 

Take a look here at Major Geeks Top Freeware Picks. http://www.majorgeeks.com/news/stor...er-2&at_pos=4&at_tot=5&at_si=54c26271745c808f

Besides Windows Firewall and Windows Defender I use CCleaner, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and SUPERAntispyware. Using the free versions you will have to check for updates and install them.
If you don't like IE you can choose a browser there also. I have Pale Moon as my backup browser.

 

You might want to go have a look at this guide. http://forums.majorgeeks.com/index.php?threads/malware-question-virus-trojans-spyware-etc.147935/

 

Like mdonah I too do all that stuff - a lot of it - behind only Defender and the Windows firewall, but the banks I use also recommend using Trusteer Rapport, software that ensures that the bank site you are connected to is the right one, not some fake site. No problems over many years.

 

I have Control Panel on my Desktop along with my User Folder, This PC and Network (see att'd). To enable this, go to the lower right of the Desktop to bring up the Charms Bar, click on Settings then click on Personalization. Clickon Change Desktop Icons and check mark the icons you want to show on the Desktop (see att'd).

 

I really like this idea. I made a tile using Control Panel in Windows 10 but I think it would be great to pin it to the task bar or do as mdonah and place it on the desktop.

You mentioned you were using Firefox and the security plug ins. The plug ins are super easy with Firefox, so that's a great start for a browser.

If you get seriously into security and online purchases and banking (maybe you can post back later if you don't care to do this now), Comodo Internet Security has an online buying desktop. Actually, you can use it for all of your internet activities. It also has a sandbox you can use for your browser.

I like CIS, but it seems to make things disappear for me. I use some hand made batch script instructions for some things on PCs here, and CIS seems to go after them and also some normal installers and files. I get the feeling I must be doing something wrong, but I can't find any reference in the logs of any event or any trace of the files in quarantine. Still, this is a very effective program with a very large following. There is a large amount of information on sites like MalwareTips.

CIS is a-v plus firewall, but there are also free standard a-v programs that have online protection for buying and banking. Comodo is the best I am sure, but 360 Total Security has anti-keylogging and a buying mode for sites that it recognizes. It also has a sandbox that you can use to run the browser. The anti-keylogging and buying mode also work for Paypal and banks.

I go with 360 Total Security and I keep MBAM on the PC. I do run Private Firewall, but it would be better to use Comodo Firewall for most people I think . Private Firewall comes with a VERY intense learning curve...like years...

 

I did the same in Windows 10.

Personally, I found CIS and 360 too obtrusive and for me, there were too many "false positives" in both. For the antivirus in Win 8.1 there's the option of installing Microsoft Security Essentials as Windows Defender doesn't create a System Tray/Notification Area icon that you can use to launch the app. You have to create a Desktop Shortcut to access it without having to use the Start Screen -> All Applications -> Windows System -> Windows Defender.

And once again, I did the same in Win 8.1 and Win 10.

 

I haven't used 8.1, and I haven't yet looked at the MS security settings in W10. I am using the stock whatever that is, primarily using W7 at this time. Sounds like good options you are going with in 8.1 and 10.

The only reason I mentioned CIS and 360 is that they are the only two free security options that I know of that have specific features aimed at online buying/banking. I agree with you about the pop ups, but they are good for me. I need something to keep me on my toes I guess...

 

I like the idea of customizing the desktop to show Control Panel! Did it. Happy

What's a sandbox?

I hadn't realized there were things that verified your banking site--thank goodness!

I know & trust Comodo from my current (previous?) system. It can be a bit over-zealous and disruptive to getting work done, which is tough on me with my medically-induced ADD. I would much prefer something that requires less micro-managing on my part. I realize there are probably a lot more new, good players/programs out there now, which is why I'm here Lemme read up & catch up, and if I have new questions, I will put them in another thread.

Y'all have exceeded my hopes! Glad to be in a safe & helpful place!!

 

Sandboxes are not as complicated as they seem when first learning. When you select a program to run in a sandbox, all the changes made by the program while the program is running are placed into a sandbox folder. Whatever sandbox you choose to use (Comodo or 360 TS or Sandboxie, etc.) has rules applied to the sandbox, so that executables in the sandbox cannot run. This is great for a browser, since malware executables that download themselves from a link cannot run.

The 360 TS sandbox is kind of a pain in a few ways. When I download a program to install, the installer downloads into the sandbox folder instead of downloads. The installer won't run in the sandbox, so I have to fetch the installer and move it to the normal Windows downloads folder. This is a minor inconvenience for me, and I would think for most it would be the same. Another challenge is the fact that Firefox (the browser I use) thinks it has crashed every time I open it. Another minor inconvenience as FF just cannot find all the information from the last session in its normal place, because it's in the sandbox. I just press a button to start FF to get by the dialog. It does open correctly and with the correct tabs from the last session as I have it set to do. The last thing is that normal cleaning of the Firefox cache, as with CCleaner, doesn't clean the temporary internet files. This is because they are located in the sandbox folder. CCleaner can be set to remove them from that folder, so this is not a major problem either.

Sandboxing is present in a number of security programs. I just started using the 360 TS sandbox, and I like the feature for browsers. I would also use the feature for an e-mail client if I were importing e-mails from the internet onto the PC. For now, I am just using online mail to handle mail...

 

This is great info! Thank you! I can handle a few extra steps. Knowing how to allow for it like this is important info to have beforehand. What I don't like is getting a pop-up box & having no earthly idea which option to choose, knowing that behind one is a tiger & the other a handsome man. I get paralyzed second-guessing myself & parsing the wording on the warning, etc.

 

You will get a lot of different opinions on which software is best for security. Don't get overwhelmed by all the suggestions. Use what you are comfortable with.

 

Getting frustrated with what I presume is NoScript.

I did a couple online banking sessions with just Firefox & the firewall, etc. All was great!

Then I got the NoScript add-on for Firefox because that's what I had run on my XP system. I imported my settings from XP so the whitelist would not have to be recreated. Now I cannot get past the login screen at my bank site. Just a big blank screen, no info, nada.

I have tried temporarily allowing every combination of sites, verified that all the settings were exactly as they are in my XP machine, have tried turning on Java & Flash, etc.

I tried to find a way to turn off or uninstall NoScript, and even resorted to uninstalling Firefox. But when I reinstalled it, NoScript was already/still there.

I feel like I have shot myself in the foot. Hating life again. Not a happy day.

Sorry if I am whining instead of reading previous posts, but I HAVE BILLS TO PAY QUICK and no time for this foolishness (even if it was self-inflicted). I don't even know if it was appropriate to post it here on my previous thread or if this cry for help belongs in another place. But when I searched for "NoScript", nothing came up; neither for "Firefox Add-on". (And NoScript has zero support, being made in Italy.)

I am feeling like an overwhelmed dinosaur. Maybe I should just find a nice retirement home ((((( Everything seems so unnecessarily complicated these days. I can't get things done. I don't have time to become an expert on every piece of software and hardware that I was forced to upgrade to because of planned obsolescence! (Have I mentioned I'm hating life over this?) I feel like the world is forcing me off-grid because I don't have time to play around with every new gadget! I just want it to work. GRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!

Any help at all to get me functional (technically--I acknowledge that emotionally is beyond any human ability) will earn tearful appreciation galore. (In the real world, I'd bake you brownies.)

 

ZenPup...

Sorry to hear about these woes. We are all in the same boat I am afraid or at least for the most part. The pains of change are TOO real sometimes.

Have you tried this page:

https://noscript.net/

There is a forum listed on the NoScript site. Any time you need to find the above link, click on your NoScript icon in your Firefox bar and then click on "About NoScript". On the menu that pops up is the link above.

As far as I can tell, NoScript is one of the best kept programs I have ever run into. The developers have been amazing, moving the addon forward with improvements at a very sharp clip. I think you should be able to find the help for your situation there on the forum.

Please keep us up to date if you decide to use the forum. The only thing I can think of that could be a problem for you is the that you moved the settings from XP to 8.1. Normally for a plugin, I would think that would work fine, but they should be able to help you determine what is happening.

PS: I use NoScript too. I like the add on very much and have been using it for 2+ years now. I haven't attempted to export the settings, so I'm not sure where the program/add on is with this feature. For sure, I haven't to date run into a problem such as you are having...

Again, please keep us informed...

 

Oh, ZenPup...

Did you attempt to "Allow all this page" for your online banking site? I have run into situations where temporarily allowing a page will not lead to a temporary allow for the pages that follow. This usually happens on complicated sites where the domain lead changes when moving through the site. An example might be some thing like allowing http://www.sports.infosite.com and then following a link on the site to their regular news at http://news.infosite.com. In this case, NoScript could return a blank page (in my experience).

What I do is go to the home/main page for the site (assuming it's a site I 100% trust) and then choose the "Allow all this page" for that page. Then I find that NoScript is more likely to allow me to see all pages of the site without having to choose the "Temporarily allow all this page" option for all pages on the site.

I think changes to internet domain names can also be a little bit of a challenge with NoScript. Sometimes site URLs change slightly...

 

So why not just stick with it? I've been doing just that, plus Trusteer Rapport, for donkey's years and haven't had a single problem with internet banking or payments.