Spyware

Has your computer slowed down?  Robert Morris School as well as other schools are now facing a battle with POP-UP ad programs and spyware programs.  These computer programs seem to take-over your PC with POP-UP advertisements even though you are not visiting any sites. .  Kazaa is one of the programs that adds lots of spyware on your PC.   Thought Kazza was free! Well the spyware is what pays for that program.  These programs, running in the background, watch where you go and the places you visit.  They send that information to places that use the date to find out what people are searching for.  The company then pays the site for that kind of information.  With the addition of XP computers in 2003, students login and only have "user" ability on that PC.  That feature has stopped the infection of spyware dead in it's tracks.  Something discussed in the Anti-virus page.  Without the ability to change the registry, spyware is unable to run or install.

UPDATE NOTE:  I visited a senior citizen that is coming to Robert Morris for some "computer education" through a grant.   Believing here computer was infested with spyware due to a long startup time I visited her home.  I discovered her newer 2.66 Ghz computer had 128 Megs of memory and she uses AOL.  As any tech person knows AOL installs a load of software when you start the PC.  I checked for spyware, finding none I showed her the 10+ programs AOL must load before it starts.  Adding a 256 Megs or 512 Meg memory chip would surely help any AOL user with just 128 Megs of memory on an XP computer.  UPDATE - June 2006.  That senior citizen purchased Verizon DSL for her home.  When she removed the AOL from her computer, she stated it ran much faster without all those programs.

There are two program available to rid your computer of spyware, created by frustrated computer users who had the same problem.  These can rid your computer of these program that strain your computer and slow it down. 
UPDATE NOTE:  There are MANY spyware removal programs, many are actually spyware themselves.  They remove the "competition" and keep their program running.  Usually stating to use their "hotbar" for safe searching.  This just sends your searches to their company.  

The best program is called SpyBot is available for free at www.safer-networking.org.  (Warning: other sites use similar web names !  This is the correct link ) Once the program is downloaded it needs to be updated.   Go to the UPDATES on the bottom left of the program.  One trick is, after you look for updated, look for the drop-down arrow for “MIRROR SITES” and make sure you choose the USA update site.   This program may take some time checking your PC and may require you to restart the PC and then check again to rid it of some of the nasty spyware that attaches to your PC.   There is an IMMUNIZE program that you can run and make sure you click the + IMMUNIZE setting at the top.  Also go to ADVANCED SETTING and click on TOOLS, check the HOST FILES, then click on HOST FILES, then "ADD host list".  That will add sites you should NEVER EVER visit.  You can check your computer every few weeks if needed and check for updates.  They come out every few weeks.   This program is used at our school.  Read their page on other things you can do to protect against spyware.    As with any program, this can make other “spyware programs” not function correctly.  I have run SpyBot on some 100 computer and have not had any problems.

Another free program is called Ad-aware available at www.lavasoftusa.org   I use the former program most of the time but having these two installed will not cause a problem.  How do you get spyware programs on your computer?  There are web sites that include them behind false and misleading “click here” offers.  Other times just visiting a site can mislead you to install these programs on a computer.  If a web site offers a “free download program”, be very careful as more than one program can be included.  These include programs stating you will always "get the correct time on your computer", "free weather" or most kinds of  "hotbars" added to Internet Explorer or search engine tools, such as Bonzo Buddy and the like.  Google, Yahoo and MSN search "toolbars" engines are not included on that list.  In fact,  the Google "Toolbar" is an excellent item to stop the typical POP-UP advertisements.  I use it on my home and work PC.  POP-UP ads are different from spyware.  Many site have POP-UP ads as part of their "free" web space offering or POP-UP a new window when downloading files.  Most sites have warnings to temporarily disable the POP-UP when using their site.  I would only do this on trusted sites such as major companies when getting drivers or updates.  Some web sites will continue to run their POP-UP ads even after you leave their site.  Closing all Internet Explorer windows will not always end those ads.

A third place to get information on spyware is this resource page, click here to go to it.

Have you have lost the ability to have Internet Explorer do anything even when you are on the Internet ? 
Mr. Butkus has a small program, that is very hard to find on the Internet, that can fix that very difficult to remove spyware.   It can be placed on a floppy.  Bring in a floppy and I'll provide a copy.  This is a last resort program but one of the schools PC did recover it's Internet access by this program's ability to remove this particular spyware program.