A copy of some of the tools from the SysInternals web site can be handy for those b'stard nasties that keep killing any process that might be used to remove them. Had one that not only took out all known virus scanners and adware removers, but also killed regedit (both versions), the command prompt and the task manager! It did not even fall for the extract a new copy of the task manager to a new filename and run that trick.
I still use strn (using it to post this article). I did use rn as an undergrad (being taught by Bob in fact ;-)) and then progressed to trn. I've tried tin and slrn but I just can't get out of the habit :)
strn still works fine for me and I use usenet fairly heavily.
Darren
Some of us are still using the same news reader (well, a varient of).
13 years ago I was using rn. I'm now using strn. :-)Darren
Well I had an eye-opener today... usually a combination of HijackThis!, Spybot S&D, SpywareBlaster and CWShredder works, but I was at one today for over 5 hours getting nowhere for a LONG time...
Key to all this is an *up to date* Norton Internet Security - read on :-}
After installing the usual suspects (as above) i`d clear all the suspicious looking crud from the startup, but following a reboot it was back again - I was obviously not clearing the right crud :-} - one of the files being executed on startup was in a nested directory deep in the system, and I investigated further via CLI only to discover a few more were lurking (probably older variants of the same shyte) and deleted them
- found another directory a few hops away with more unknown executables which had no visible calls to execute them, so wiped them too. IE had toolbars patching in despite clearing them all out from HijackThis and I was starting to pull my hair out and swear (moi ? ;-p) - i`d already installed Firefox 101 so knew I was "relatively" safe to hit the net while IE remained affected, so did lots of trawling for suspect executables - which on a Hewlett Packard machine isn`t always that easy - lots of HP specific apps in use :-}
Getting annoyed now... I grabbed the aforementioned Sysclean from Trend and ran that in anger. Almost immediately it found a memory resident worm (agobot variant), and a full file scan eventually found one other infected file - both cleaned without incident. Skip forward 2 hours...
In a final act of desperation, I threw Pest Patrol at the system, and it threw out 77 hits - some were simply toolbar urls, but it discovered a lot of remnants of Lop and imesh that nothing else had picked up on - I selected everything that wasn`t VNC (which i`d just put on from a clean source), and held my breath while I rebooted.
The upshot:
Windows is shit, IE is dangerous Pest Patrol has now joined my list of recommended apps A free Trend app whups the ass off Nortons "pisspoor" Internet Security
and finally :-}
I`m still not entirely sure its 100% clean, but when someone uses IM apps and IE, you`re certain to be in trouble a long time before you realise you have a problem.
They`ve been told in no uncertain terms NOT to use IE unless absolutely necessary (with the exception of Windows Crapdate), and I came away out of pocket for transport getting to them to try to help !
You mean plausible.
Yes, but there are two attitude problems.
A) you did and do get at me because of what I use
B) you have a critical, negative approach to what you see as a problem without explaining to your victims what are suitable alternatives and suggest how they can be obtained and how they work. There's a n awful lot of geek jargon bandied about which doesn't endear anyone to your cause, rather it can make someone dig in his/her heels.
You're not alone in doing this by the way. It's become worse than boring.
Everyone needs a hobby.
Can I suggest that you use you spell checker before posting, to enable easier and more effective communication?
Mary
Mary
>Well that's going to convert users isn't it!
That sort of statement is another reason why I don't say what protection I have. I'm not prepared to be damned yet again.
Then you need to review your price structure to take account of such variables.
Nobody's perfect you see :-)
Mary
Hopefully. Not a lot more I can say on this point other than USE A DIFFERENT BROWSER !
That`s fine, but if you do use Nortons, beware that its virus detection abilities have fallen way behind over the last 3-4 years and are no longer acceptable or adequate for the majority of seasoned computer users.
There was a live worm active in memory on the machine I was looking at, and despite Nortons being up to date it missed it completely. Trend caught it within about 5 seconds of starting up as it scanned the memory.
I have a link to the free Trend Sysclean app at :
I had / have no intention of villifying you, and if I came across that way I apologise :-}
We`re all castaways on the ocean known as the internet, and should be willing to help learn and teach others about the tricks and tips we pick up - using Internet Explorer can only be likened to pouring fish guts overboard then taking swimming lessons in shark infested waters !
Price structure ? - I only ever offer help for free !
Least of all me :-}
Take care :-p
But if I choose a different browser how am I going to know that it meets with your approval?
And if it does, will it meet with everyone else's approval?
And who is right?
If it matters, I don't.
I agree, but you don't help. You only damn.
That sort of language, without offering alternatives in kindly words, doesn't help. That's my point.
Then don't complain about the expenses.
Nor me
Oh, I do, I do.
Mary
Sod "my" approval - we say these things out of concern for the safety of others on the net. Its in all our interests that "you" (as in anyone) don`t get infected as it only results in more spam, trojans and worms for the rest of us :-}
The ones who recommend not to use IE !
Its just nice to get a little "consideration" at times without appearing to be a parasite :-}
I can tell when you are narked, you start correcting my spelling... ;-)
In your humble opinion?
I thought I made it clear that I don't have a problem with what you use (because of the responsible way in which you use it). I do have a problem with the software that you use when it is not used in safe way. This is a criticism of the software, not the people who use it.
Part of the difficulty here is that I have do have good memory (for some things at least!), and as a result I remember spelling out in some detail on several occasions exactly what software can be used that is not blighted by so many problems, and where to download it from etc. This information was provided in direct response to some of your postings the last time you raised this objection. Hence I assumed I would not need to duplicate this information since you presumably already know it.
However in my post above I seem to recall recommending:
"I was suggest > You have a point in that there might be other systems which are > better for certain uses but you didn't suggest what they were or in > what precise ways they were better.
I replied:
"Well to an extent, pretty much any of the applications designed as news posting/reading clients will tend to do a better job.
However if you would like a specific recommendation, then I would suggest that for people used to OE or Outlook they might like Thunderbird. It has a nice (but not too different) UI, and you get a number of advantages like good junk mail detection, ability to disable running any active content in news/mail messages, support for RSS news feeds etc.
If you don't mind paying for usenet software, then "The Bat" gets very good reviews.
Ports of traditi > If anyone is tempted by these applications, where are they obtained, > how much do they cost, how are they installed ... etc.
I replied:
"The simplest to get on with would be Thunderbird:
The Bat - easy to setup and use - can also do the MS Exchange integration that usually requires Outlook:
I assume your heels to be well entrenched by now and I see no particular need (for me at least) to shift them.
Accept my apologies for the jargon, I have been doing this stuff since I was 10 and it is kind of natural to me. It is not intended to intimidate or confuse. It is not always easy to put yourself into someone's head, and so as work out exactly where to pitch an explanation. I hope you realise by now that you only need ask for clarification on a term or topic and I will attempt to provide it.
If you fancy a good online dictionary of everything "computer", then look here:
Generally I do, alas they are not perfect. I am dyslexic, so neither am I, but between us we muddle through.
me
I remember finding it difficult to set up a news account that required a password on Thunderbird, so I gave up. Now that text.news.ntlworld.com seems to be functioning normally again, I must give it another try.
You are not prompted to enter your news server password until you go to initially download the full list of Newsgroups. Similar to the mail accounts on Thunderbird, that again do not prompt you until you send your first mail. (You can alter/delete them later using Password Manager).
One got'cha with Tunderbird mail it that it will default to having authentication enabled for sending email as well. For many SMTP servers this will actually prevent emails being sent. So you need to remember to turn this off in those cases.
But in your posts you merely condemn.
True, but you still shouldn't gripe to others who are not responsible for your expenses.
Mary
This is the one area I can't seem to get Thbd to sit up and beg for me. My ISP has changed newsserver access to require password access, and I can't seem to trick Thdb into *remembering* that password - I have to keep typing in the login and password - once on each invocation of tbrd, and at 'random' occaisions later. It's a niggle, not a showstopper - but if you have any incantations to suggest, I'll try them willingly. (I did just try Refresh-ing the list of ng's, but that doesn't seem to have tickled it.)
A couple of years ago I tried Mozilla Mail, and had exactly the same issue. In the end I gave up on it, and went back to OE. However after a friend recommended Thunderbird I gave V0.8 a spin. Been fine and I'm on V1.0 now.
Have you ever had Mozilla Mail on your PC ? AIUI the 'origins' of Thunderbird lie with this, I suppose it's possible that some of the original attributes still lurk in 'Documents and Settings', though I'm clutching at straws now.
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