Official Luthiers Forum!

I recently upgraded my computer memory from 256 to 768, and then ambivalently installed the Windows Security pack. Although my machine functions normally, it has a peculiar abberation of the screen going black with two square white cursors. It returns to normal within a few seconds. I've got a DSL connection with Trend Micro's PC-Cillin Internet Security. I've run all the scans and I don't have any viruses. What gives

Hi David, Welcome to the New OLF. SP2 has a lot more than just secruity stuff. I've had to load several new drivers after I upgraded. You might want to go to the website of you video card's manufacturer and check if they require a new driver for SP2.

Did you check for other 'required' updates using the Windows Update tool? Want to install those as well.

Oh, and do you have (at least one) Anti-Spyware program running? I like Lavasoft's Adaware SE (free edition). If you don't regularly scan for the stuff, you might be surprised (frightened) at what you find, and cleaning that up will speeds stuff considerably.

Firewalls and AV programmes don't do squat to stop spyware/malware creeping in, doubly so if you use browsers full of security holes (aka IE). Had a few hundred first time I checked (and I rarely if ever use IE), just checked again after about a month of surfing, and had another 26 to remove. Mostly it's just annoying privacy-invading stuff, but it can bog down your system.

Most video issues are either driver related or could be BIOS related. You did not mention whether your machine had a separate video card or is using shared memory (video chip on the motherboard). I would agree that you should check for an updated driver first.

There are other drivers that may be out of date as well so check them at the same time.

Regarding anti-spyware/adware, some of the best free packages are Adaware (as was mentioned) as well as Spybot- Search and Destroy. Both can be found at large sites like http://www.download.com .

Another interesting alternative is that last month Microsoft bought a company with a very good commercial product, Giant software. Giant's software which in the past was expensive but very good is now being called Microsoft Anti-Spyware "beta1" and is available for download at http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/de fault.mspx. To see Microsoft's strategy to defeat spyware and other type sof attacks see http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/strategy.ms px.

The "beta" of the Giant software is free from now until September and is essentially getting the same version that Giant was selling up till now for free. I have used all of the common antispyware products and by far the Giant product is one of the best. It does daily scans, has real time agents to trap attacks and is very user friendly.

As a matter of full disclosure, I work for Microsoft as an engineer so I am biased but having said that my machine at home can be just as vulnerable to attacks from spyware as anyone elses machine because I have 3 teenagers!!

Shawn,
I'm using the Microsoft bata 1 version and its not catching anything? I installed it 2 weeks ago, it runs a scan every night, and finds nothing. That said, I just downloaded and installed the lavasofts AdawareSE and it found 141 bugs. Now they were just data miners, cookies, but still, why didn't the MS product catch any?

Both at work and home I'm getting the same results.

Thanks
Lance

_________________
Support the OLF! Bookmark our STEWMAC link Today!
Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I downloaded drivers for the chipset and video; however, Sp3 didn't have a SP2 driver available. I don't have a separate card, but perhaps I should consider installing one if only for the purposes of being able to get updates for the computer. Trend Micro's Internet Security PC-cillin includes a real-time anti-spyware program, so I think I'm clean on that regard.

Any thoughts?

in almost all of the anti-spyware products they use different criteria as to what they look for and catch. Another thing is that they can find things the second or third time they missed the first two.

The nature of spyware is that it gets installed albeit unknowingly with the users permission so most install so cleanly that it is tough to root them out as opposed to viruses that change core files so they are easier to catch.

One of the things you may have seen in the Giant software (MS antispyware) is an option to report it to the anti-spyware community...this is to share info regarding new types of attacks that have not been seen and for authors to share what and how they build thier list as to what they scan.

There is no one right product, this is relatively virgin territory for all companies as no such product existed even 2 years ago.

One thing that will uncover more in MS anti-spyware is to do a through scan, not just memory as it is much more complete.

By the way I did a complete scan with Adaware right before I ran a complete scan with Spybot- Search and Destroy before I ran a through scan with MS anti-spyware (I uninstalled between each) and in each case they found something that had been missed by the others. I am sure that no matter which order I tested them in that they would all find more and things that the others missed.

Microsoft's strategy is not to compete with any of the products out there but to provide a base level of protection that is not there today. It is scary to think of how many people think that they are covered against viruses just because their Dell (or whatever) PC came with a 90 day trial of Norton or McAfree... Microsoft will be at some pount releasing a general AV solution as well but just like any version of windows, Microsoft makes sure there is room for 3rd party solutions that enhance the product...(there will always be a Norton or similar) for windows.