A Tip For Avoiding Spyware/certain Viruses

[random guy]

I just thought I'd share a little hint I use for keeping spyware progs/viruses/pop-up ads on the internet at bay. It's not a hugely technical thing, but I bet a few people won't have heard of it. Here's what you do:

(note I use internet explorer 6 so the info is for this)

 

go to tools: internet options: security and choose a custom level of security. Then click on the 'customize button'. The first 5 or 6 options are about ActiveX controls. Change all of those to prompt (except for maybe "enable unsigned ActiveX controls, which I've disabled all-together).

Now, when you go to a site which has activeX scripting, you can choose whether or not you want that to run. It will say something like, "Do you want to allow software such as ActiveX controls and plug-ins to run?"

The best idea is to say "no" to every website that doesn't have a SWF window, because I don't know of any other legitimate reasons for activeX controls to have to run, and it doesn't seem to create any problems if you don't run the controls, unless there's a flash window, in which case it won't run.

 

So there you go. If you screwed up and stopped a flash-movie from running, all you have to do is refresh the page and click on "yes" instead of "no", and next-time you visit a site that has embedded nasties in the activeX coding, they won't be able to infect your computer.

[StriderSkorpion]

I use SpywareBlaster. It protects you against spyware and tracking cookies. They also have other useful tools there like SpywareGuard, which I used to use. It acts kinda like anti-virus software. It alerts you if a program is trying to alter certain settings or if it has detected spyware.

[random guy]

Yeah, I use 'webroot spysweeper' which is the best anti-spyware program I've used. this thing even removes all the tracking cookies google tries to send whenever you search. But still, this way it doesn't have to do as much.

[ken_cinder]

I have a better suggestion.......

Don't use that POS "browser" (It's not a browser, it's an "HTML Renderer") Internet Explorer. ActiveX is bullshit, and no website needs to be using it. Get yourself Mozilla Firefox, and leave that hobbled piece of crap behind.

[StriderSkorpion]

I would, but IE is such a pain to uninstall. I liked Mozilla, but some sites aren't rendered correctly with it (or FireFox). Case in point: Dream Generation. If you go to the downloads section of the hack roms, you can't click the main link "expanding" it showing the hacks available for the game.

[PLasticSlug]

i use addaware, my question is there any programs that remove cookies on the spot, like a popup blocker, or do you have to manually do a search to remove cookies?

[ken_cinder]

I would, but IE is such a pain to uninstall.   I liked Mozilla, but some sites aren't rendered correctly with it (or FireFox).  Case in point: Dream Generation.  If you go to the downloads section of the hack roms, you can't click the main link "expanding" it showing the hacks available for the game.

That isn't a fault with Mozilla, that's a problem with them coding their website to be "IE Friendly" using tags improperly. Trust me.

As for un-installing IE, you can get rid of it.......but you shouldn't. To do Windows Update you need IE, otherwise (in the case of me using Firefox) you get this......

 

Thank you for your interest in Windows Update

 

Windows Update is the online extension of Windows that helps you get the most out of your computer.

 

You need to be running a version of Internet Explorer 5 or higher in order to use Windows Update.

 

Download the latest version of Internet Explorer

 

Once Internet Explorer is installed, you can go to the Windows Update site by typing http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com into the address bar of Internet Explorer.

 

If you prefer to use a different Web browser, updates to Windows may be downloaded from the Microsoft Download Center.

 

Why could one possibly REQUIRE IE? No idea......don't see why, it's just Microsoft being their pigheaded anal retentive selves.

 

Keeping IE around for those poorly designed websites is also a good idea too, but I still went and did the "Add/Remove Programs" thing so the icon wouldn't keep forcing it's way back onto my desktop. (Pesky f**cking icon, I don't even like icons on my desktop at all)

[Wizard]

Why could one possibly REQUIRE IE? No idea......don't see why, it's just Microsoft being their pigheaded anal retentive selves.

To those who are lazy to get FireFox/Opera.

 

To those who have used other browsers such as FireFox and Opera before but found them to a pain.

[StriderSkorpion]

Yeah, I know that the site's probably coded bad, but it's my only source for Neo Geo hacks. Not that all are that impressive, but some like the Metal Slug series hacks are fun to mess with. PlasticSlug, use the SpywareBlaster software that I mentioned above. It'll prevent you from downloading (or whatever) tracking cookies. You could also search for Cookie Cop. It'll let you regulate which sites you can get cookies from.

Edited April 19, 2004 by StriderSkorpion

[lancerx]

I have been isung opera for a long while and i like it 1000 times better than IE, faster and never had any problem with it, well except with opening mov files from the source.

 

I use SpyBoot S&D and works flawless to me.