for your info. malware infections

CACTUSWENDY · Jul 17, 2010

As several of you know I picked up an infection of sorts on a free game site recently. I just spent 4 days running around the web and my computer trying to get rid of it.

I already have two programs that do scans for my computer and have felt pretty safe with them until this happened. The clue I had an infection was that when I would be reading posts here on AW.....special 'flagged' words would become green in color with a double line under them. When I would highlight the words a box about 2 1/2 square would pop up and have some kind of site I could go to to find more information about the 'word'.

I finally found, bought, and used a program called 'exterminate it'. It found about 100 little things....cookies?....bugs?....that generated from that free game site. (Gamevance is the bugs name.) It had such a sophisticated hide out program with it that my own two scan programs did not find them.

My only advise to any of you is that .....nothing is free when it comes to games and such. Even the free coupon sites have this stuff. I do my best to keep my computer pretty clean. I delete cookies and defrag with regularity.

Have fun and carry on....hugs :Hug2:

Deleted member 42 · Jul 17, 2010

People using Windows might want to check out Microsoft's free security suite:

http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

But also do keep in mind that installing multiple programs can cause problems.

Matera the Mad · Jul 17, 2010

"Free" games (and screensavers, and other useless toys and eye-candy) all too often have a hidden price. When in doubt, search. You will see what trouble others have gotten into with the same shiny toys.

There are plenty of safe, no-strings free goodies out there, but you have to learn not to click on the first thing that pops up in your way. Especially if it pops up. Good free things don't advertise in pushy ways. Nothing that pays for advertising is free. Sponsored links aren't there to give you anything, they are there to lure you into something.

Sites that rely on advertising (MSN, Yahoo) won't lead you to any pot of gold either. They are in it for the gold. I won't even mention the other three-letter idiot-trap. Stay out of those boxes. Their game is to keep you tied up, not to inform you.

The Queen of Free hath spoken. :rant:

Oh, and I second the reccy for MSE. Just don't install it on top of other AVs. It beats the carp out of Norton or McCrapee anyway.

Doccy · Sep 1, 2010

My other half got a virus on his windows 7 laptop and I used a program called Malwarebytes (recommended by Toms Hardware I think), killed the little critter dead.
Mac or Linux all the way for me though.

cryaegm · Sep 1, 2010

Most cookies aren't malware. Malwarebytes has been highly recommended by computer techs.

Also, there are free games through indie developers, such as PixelProspector, but that's more video game based game than the norm games most click on.

Just don't click on every single thing and don't fall for the same old, same old. Research on something before you click, though a lot of people seem to get click happy at times.

;

thothguard51 · Sep 1, 2010

Nothing is free...nothing.

I learned this as a hippy in the 60's, even free love is not free... ; - )

for your info. malware infections

CACTUSWENDY

An old, sappy, and happy one.

Deleted member 42

Matera the Mad

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint

Doccy

cryaegm

Snakecakes

thothguard51

A Gentleman of a refined age...