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Pastimes : Computer Learning -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: mr.mark who wrote (36232)	8/30/2003 2:03:34 PM
From: Martin E. Frankel	Respond to of 110652

Mr. Mark, Good day to you kind sir. Regarding my son's laptop computer (Compaq Evo N800c) with WINXP Pro, I found that FxxK.com listed in add/remove programs and deleted it. This was after I did a search in files and folders for it and came up empty. When I deleted it with add/remove programs, I got a message saying that it was empty and I just deleted the entry. I couldn't convince him to let me install a firewall or Ad Aware or a an anti-trojan program, but I did activate the WINXP firewall and updated all the WIN XP Microsoft critical patches. He is running Norton Antivirus 2003 and has been keeping it updated with LU, but I put on a desktop icon for him for IU so he can check daily for updates. He's a sophomore at UCLA and is more interested in downloading music, playing games and using AOL Instant Messenger than protecting his computer. Kids today are different... or maybe we were the same at his age. He has a 3.98 academic average... so he's no dummy, but my old age tells me that a little advance protection can save tons of wasted time! He thinks I spend too much time on the computer and he's probably right. Interestingly, after he got the so called "FxxK popup" he started having intermittent dial-up connection problems. I doubt if the program it installed has anything to do with it, but sometimes when he plugs his dialup connection modem cord into the wall jack, it disables both the house lines (separate numbers). Taking the plug out of the jack brings back the dial tones. This happens even if the computer is completely off. Compaq overnighted him a new modem, but still the same problem... and it occurs on different jacks throughout the house. Sometimes it works fine and connects and other times it knocks out the dial tone on both lines just by plugging into the jack. Had the phone company repair service check it out and they replaced the one jack he regularly uses, but the repairman said he doubted if that was the problem as it knocked out both dialtones to the separate lines. Compaq says it might be a bad motherboard and he overnighted it back to them (after I made him backup his data on CDs). Strange problem, especially since it's fine sometimes and knocks out both dialtones totally disabling our house phones at other times. Nobody at the phone company or Compaq ever heard of a problem like this where both lines are knocked out just by plugging the modem cord into the jack... especially since the modem only uses one line. And, yes, we did try another modem cable. Anyone ever heard of a problem like this? Thanks in advance. Marty

To: mr.mark who wrote (36232)	8/30/2003 2:23:09 PM
From: Martin E. Frankel	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 110652

Mr. Mark, Sorry to be a pain about this, but I'm really confused about some of the security programs to install. I'd like to keep it as simple and safe as possible. (1) I downloaded BOClean last night and updated it this morning. Already stopped Gibson's leak program: "08/29/2003 17:13:29: LEAKTEST 1.2 TROJAN STOPPED by BOCLEAN! Trojan horse was found in memory. Active trojan horse WAS shut down. System now safe." (2) Going to download Trojan Hunter today. (3) Would like to install AdAware and/or Spybot program(s), but don't know which version to install... free, plus or pro. Any suggestions and why? (4) Have to put up a firewall and think ZA is the way to go, but, again... what version? I see you are using ZA Pro. The Cow posted a screen shot showing ZA Plus. And some thread members are using the free version. I want it to do the job, but don't know about the pop-up stoppers, etc. on the Pro version. Also, I don't like the idea of shutting down my NAV e-mail scanner to use ZA's e-mail scanner. Would seem better to shutdown ZA's e-mail scanner if it's possible. Do you use all the extras on the Pro version versus the Plus version. (5) Installed Regcleaner (found a site linked to Wilders that had it for free download). How much do you trust it to delete entries and how do you find out what some of the entries are? I know this is a lot to ask, but I would appreciate your input as well as the input of anyone else on the thread. Sorry for the long posts. Many thanks, Marty