Tarq57
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Posts posted by Tarq57
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In Ccleaner>options>settings do you have it set to normal file deletion, or secure? And if secure, how many passes?
If normal, then it is only the file header that is removed and any recovery program worth the download should be able to recover the files.
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It'll be here when it's here.
No hurry, really, Avast 4.8 seemed to do fairly well.
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The pagefile (or swap file) is used by the OS and rebuilt at every system boot.
To delete it, in any particular computing session, see MS KB314834
Applies to XP.
Makes shutdown take 1-2 min longer.
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Yep, I'm glad all is well. Maybe K-lite was a factor. Don't know. And it probably doesn't matter.
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I don't see how that is different to what I'd posted, except possibly for syntax. If something was unclear, please tell me, so I can change it next time.Okay, that's a little different than how I was told earlier. I'll give your instructions a try. -
Assuming you are malware free, and the Avast services are actually running, the next step would be a full re-install from scratch.
Download the full Avast setup file (Direct download from Avast, 36.99Mb).
Download the Avast uninstall utility.
Disconnect from the internet.
Right click the Avast tray icon, select "Program settings>troubleshooting" and disable the self defence module.
Right click the tray icon and select "Stop on access protection".
Go to control panel>add/remove programs" and uninstall Avast.Reboot.
(You will loose any custom program settings you had, and anything that was in the quarantine will be deleted.)
Run the Avast uninstall utility. If there were any problems with the uninstall before (and you would know) you'll have to run it in safe mode. Reboot.
Install Avast from the setup file. Go through the setup prompts - if you are sure you are malware-free, you might prefer to skip the Boot scan, it can take a while.
Reconnect to the net, get updates.
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You mean stop all Services? That's not right
No, it isn't right.
You only stop the ones indicated in the step by step.Windows Management Instrumentation, and Security Centre.
If they aren't' stopped, you will not be able to delete the repository file. (Try it, if you want. Windows will say "Unable. In use by another...")
After the file has been deleted, the reason for the reboot is (1) Windows will rebuild the file, using up to date information, and (2) the services you stopped earlier will restart with Windows. All should be good.
If you are happy your AV is installed why not just tell security center you monitor your own stuff.That's an option too. The security centre is not always a perfect warning system.
Personally, I like it present, in case something happens (hasn't yet) or I forget something (has happened) and there is almost always a warning produced.
So I treat it as a handy warning light, that can sometimes be wrong.
+ if you have something on your computer, and you're like me, you want it working correctly.
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Oh, step one (which I should have posted first, but just barged into the repository reset following the earlier post) is to check your system date and time.
And were there any other AV's installed prior to Avast, or even still installed now?
If the above steps don't work, I can talk you through a full install. If you had (or have) another AV I can supply you with the uninstall tool.
Believe it or not, you don't have to visit porn sites to get an infection. Totally legit sites can be hacked. (The webshield and network shields are excellent at preventing this sort of thing. Disabling automatic scripting in the browser is an almost fail safe way of preventing a lot of this sort of exploit.)
All that has to happen is the site is using out of date or vulnerable software. (You wouldn't know.)
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Oh, step one (which I should have posted first, but just barged into the repository reset following the earlier post) is to check your system date and time.
And were there any other AV's installed prior to Avast, or even still installed now?
If the above steps don't work, I can talk you through a full install. If you had (or have) another AV I can supply you with the uninstall tool.
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It's not scary, don't worry.
It seems complicated, but it's not.
When you open "services", you'll see an interface with the services listed, and they can be ordered alphabetically. When you right-click each service, there are various options, including "stop". Stop those listed. Check under the "startup type" each is set to automatic (which is the default - you shouldn't have to change a thing.)
Then you can close that.
Then use Windows explorer (or the method listed - it's just another way of getting to the same place) to locate the file indicated. Right click and delete it. (You may need to enable "view hidden and system files" to find/see it. Put that setting back later.)
Then reboot.
This is a fairly common requirement, believe it or not. Hopefully it's the second (and last) step of this troubleshoot.
Windows Security Centre sometimes gets itself all bewildered, the poor thing, and just needs a bit of a poke to put it right. This is that poke.
I've had to do this myself, once, (+ twice more, for practice) and seen it suggested dozens of times. It usually works.
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There is a manual way of doing it, which is basically the command line translated from nerdish into wannabe geek.
The instructions are for XP.
1. Go to control panel and open Administrative tools.2. Click on services.
3. Go down to Windows Management Instrumentation.
4. Stop this service. Stop Security Center service too.
Set them to Automatically start.
5. Exit out of this area, to your desktop.
6. Right click Start, and choose Explore.
7. Go to c:\windows\system32\wbem\repository.
Delete this subdirectory ONLY.
Leave the others there.
8. Exit back to your desktop and reboot your computer (you might need to boot twice).
This will rebuild the deleted folder, and the database.
Once restarted, Windows Security Center should show the correct info.
Antivirus, and firewall, should now be recognized.
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This (Adobe Flash Player) is probably the most well known and often installed.
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+1 for Avast. Been using it for about three years. Very stable, does a good job (especially as part of a layered security strategy), and has very good forum support, when needed.
Avast 5 likely to be released round the end of November, Support for 4.8 likely to continue for around a year after the release of 5.
I'd install 4.8, rather than the Beta of 5. You'll have about a years use out of it before having to think of updating.
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You're welcome, and ditto.
I'll just make sure that none of the other users (=1) mess with it.
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From the OP link:
Vulnerability #2 is addressed in the upcoming avast v5.0 (due this November) but there are no plans to do anything about it in the current version (4.x branch)Doesn't bother me at all.
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Yep, Avast 5 is scheduled to come out in a few more days. I have the latest beta version of it right now, and it's running even better than Avast 4.8. No FPs, no issues, no slowdowns, no nothing.
Likely to be released around mid to late November, but not before it's ready.
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This should not be used where AV protection is required. It is very strictly a Beta, and some features (updating etc) are unavailable.
Just a warning for those who may be tempted.
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thanks tarq, so i take it you recommend pctools firewall over windows firewall
If you want that safety net, yes.
PCTools is one of the easier firewalls to set up. Good for beginners. It's application-based (like Comodo and Online Armour) rather than rules-based (like, say, Jetico).
Expect a lot of popups as it learns what is allowed to connect (and not.) Anything asking to connect that you are unsure of, "Google" the files name.
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Any two way firewall has the edge over a one way firewall, such as the Windows one.
The Windows firewall will very capably block unwanted stuff coming in. It's good at that. But if something comes in through your browser, that matches what was asked to be bought in, it won't block it, of course.
This would normally be the content of a webpage, a video, picture etc. It could also be a malicious script, or a download for something bad disguised as someting good.
Once the malware is on your machine, (assuming it gets past any other security programs installed, which it might if it's new, or the security program is poor) the outbound control of a two way firewall is your last chance to prevent the malware connecting outbound.
Hope that's clear.
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Nothing wrong with the Vista firewall, from what I've read. Bit complex to configure, apparently, so don't mess with it unless you have a tutorial.
One of the members of the Comodo forum wrote a script to help remove leftovers from a Comodo install. Don't know if it works for all versions. Did you read about it/run it?
I've attached it below, if you are interested. Have a look. To run it, just rename the extension from .txt to .bat, and it should clean any leftover reg entries. Caveat emptor
My own experience is that I had to delve into the registry and reset the permissions for certain keys before I could remove them. Bit more involved than I was used to doing, but it worked.
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Frankly, I would have nothing to do with AdAware. (But then, I was put totally off it after poor experiences with it and their forum some time back.)
Nothing in any reviews/reports/recommendations etc I've read recently makes me want to try it again. There are at least two so much better alternatives. (SAS and MBAM.)
Avast does an above-average job. Why not hang on to Avast, leave Windows Defender running, and perform an occasional demand scan with MBAM, just to verify your security strategy is working?
Alternatives to the Comodo Firewall include the straightforward PCTools firewall, and Online Armour. I use the former. Never a problem. I've read good reports about the latter. The support is supposed to be good, too.
Making sure that scripts are not automatically allowed to run in the browser, especially from across different sites, is also an important protection. (The Noscript add-on for Firefox has, I'm sure, prevented heaps of nasties infesting those users who have it installed.)
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If you had Ccleaner set to overwrite (secure delete) the files your chances of getting them back are, unfortunately, pretty much zero.
A forensic recovery facility might be able to advise you of the likelihood. Probably cost a fair bit, though, even if it can be done.
If Ccleaner was set to "normal file deletion" the chances of getting them back using the methods above, are very good. But only if you don't go defragging/wiping/doing a lot of work on the computer. The more you do on the computer, the greater the chance of the data being overwritten.
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Here is a link to it. It's from the Dutch Nod32 site.
May be worth running, just to be sure.
Advice on security.
in Windows Security
Posted
As a happy long term user of Avast, I'd happily recommend it. There are probably a large number of users who would also recommend Avira, and quite a few that would recommend MSE, and maybe even a few that would recommend AVG.
Why don't you try each of those you are interested in for, say, two weeks each, have a look at the help forums for each, cross-check the machine from time to time with MBAM, and then settle on the AV you find overall best.