September2002newsletter

September 2002: The Klez Calamity and Managing Popup Ads

Tuesday, September 10, 2002

* Please be assured that I will never sell or share your email addresses with anyone else! I respect your privacy!*

Hello to all!

Well, I know it's been a long time since you have heard
from me. I have been making notes every time I deal
with something that I think would be of interest to you.
I have had to rescue many computers lately from the
Klez virus, and I feel compelled to review this dastardly
virus with you, and the prevention of it. I have also noticed
a huge increase in pop-up ads, as I'm sure you have, as
well, and I'd like to share some information on how to deal
with these. I'd like to give you some shortcuts to some
Windows utilities that can help out when you get those pesky
error messages, and I'd also like to share a new program
that you can download for free that will help you with the "Out
of memory" messages that we all get (when you know darned
well that you're not out of memory because you have 256 Mb).
How's that for some information?! I know that this is going to
take two newsletters to include all this information, I'll be sending
one today, and one tomorrow. So, let's get started...

On the Klez virus, it's the worst I've seen. This virus is the
longest running virus ever! It is like a real human virus in many
ways; it just keep mutating like the flu. It hangs around the
internet/email and we keep getting a vaccine for the pesky
thing from Norton or McAfee or many other Anti-virus software
companies when we download the anti-virus definitions. It
just keeps changing, though, and we have to get a new shot
of anti-virus definitions to combat it!

A couple of notes here on anti-virus software:

I have previous newsletters that tell you about updating and
renewing this software:

http://www.rockyreport.com/arm_yourself_against_viruses.htm

http://www.rockyreport.com/New_Virus_Norton_Subscr_Renewal.htm

The subscription renewal has gone up from $9.95 to $19.95 for a year,
but that's still half price of what it would cost you to buy it new. I
also would like to say that the renewal process has been simplified and more likely to work than it used to, just be sure to read the WebPages to understand the entire process, and you won't have any problems. I would advise that you move to the next version if you have anything less than the 2001 version of Norton Anti-virus software. I recommend Norton to everyone because it is the simplest to use, and the simplest to make sure it is updating. Anything less than the 2001 version has to be manually updated from the internet, all other later versions can be set to automatically update every time you get on the internet, or connect to check your email. Never have two anti-virus softwares installed on your computer. This is like battleship to your computer; it will slow down to a crawl, and more is definitely not better in this case. One anti-virus software can adequately protect your computer from viruses as long as you make sure that you have downloaded the most recent virus definitions; this is how your program knows about the newest viruses. Windows 95 users must install Norton 2001, and it is available on the 2002 version.

Back to the Klez virus, the other things I want to make you all aware of is that this virus makes itself appear as if your friends are emailing it to you. A lot of hurt feelings have come up over this culprit because of the nature of this virus to collect names and subjects of people you know, and putting it in the subject area so that you think it's from someone you know. If it wasn't such a painful virus, I'd say it was brilliant of whomever thought this up. Too bad this person or persons doesn't use their talents toward good, they'd be very effective. Anyway, you all need to understand that the responsibility of
keeping your computer free of viruses is YOURS. I want you to understand this; it's no one else's fault if you get a virus, but YOURS. You need to actively protect your computer, and do not blame anyone else if you get a virus. Klez has made so many enemies of computer buddies just because it knows how to disguise itself as a "friend sending you email". That's why I hate this virus so much, and I want to get this cleared up for all of you.

You can read more about his crappy virus at ZDnet, and do click on
this link and educate yourselves. Knowledge and anti-virus software are your best defenses against Viruses! When your software detects a virus, in your email or during a routine weekly virus scan of your hard drive ( and I know you're all doing the weekly virus scan, right?, very important to catch the viruses that squeak by your email protection), don't try to repair it, delete it! You can't repair it, and it will just be more frustration. Be sure to click Ok when the box pops up in your email program that a virus is present, because if your click cancel, you'll cancel your protection from this virus. You can also set your anti-virus software to automatically delete the virus, and that's the best idea. The 2002 version of Norton even lets you "delete without bothering me". Your computer can get reinfected over and over
with this virus, and who needs that. Open your anti-virus program and
click on OPTIONS to find these tools.

Klez.h worm continues to spread, read about it at ZDNet at this website address:

Tech Update ZDNet

You can download the Klez removal tool, if you suspect that your computer is infected. You might have the Klez virus if your computer is running very slowly (painfully slow), erratic, and will not let you install anti-virus software. It may even disable your anti-virus software that you have installed, if it is out of date. Here's where to download, and be sure after you download the removal tool that you use it in Safe Mode (restart, hold down F8 key).

All the instructions are listed on this page:

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE KLEZ REMOVAL TOOL

If your computer is infected with the Klez virus, you will have to download this tool and run it on your computer before you can install anti-virus software.

I hope you are not bored with this newsletter, there are some things that I feel you need to understand to really be an informed email/internet user, and I hope that this will make your computer experience a little more enjoyable. Not having to fight these battles with viruses makes everyone happier.
_______________________________

On to the annoying Pop-up Ads, I hope this doesn't seem like a
negative newsletter. :) I'm just trying to address many of the issues
that people email me about; more fun things are going to be coming
in Part 2 of the newsletter.

There are numerous pop-up ad destroyers available today,
and I don't really know if one is better than another. Here are
some to download and try, some have a free 30 day trial, and
some are absolutely FREE:

1. ADSUBTRACT: free 30 day trial, $29.95 for the full version.
http://www.adsubtract.com/offer/google/g001B.html -- Two recent
awards from the technology press:

"AdSubtract walked away with our Best Bet prize by blockading
every ad we encountered."
PCWORLD, May 2002

"This is the best all-around ad-blocking program we can find, with
good privacy controls."
CNET, March 2002
*******************************************

STOPZILLA: free 30 day trial, $29.95 for the full version.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FREE TRIAL

Even has an 800 number for support, impressive!
Need help? Call Toll FREE: 1-877-877-9944
Live help chat through the website, too!
*******************************************

3. PopUp Killer-- this one is COMPLETELY FREE!

http://www.rocketdownload.com/Details/Inte/6422.htm

A good Samaritan! I'm impressed, read more on the
PopUp Killer, seems very good:

There's nothing worse than visiting the wrong Web site and getting subsequently pounded with dozens of pop-up ads. To make it worse the pop-ups usually peddle unimaginable cyber-sleaze. Now, even some of the more mainstream sites have resorted to this brand of advertising. Thankfully, PopUp Killer is just the solution for eliminating these pesky windows. The program works as a companion
to most major browsers (except AOL), monitoring both legitimate and illegitimate Web sites for pop-up windows. Using its own "Smart" engine, it identifies and closes pop-ups before you even see them.

Unlike similar programs, PopUp Killer gives you full control over its functionality. PopUp Killer allows you to create a black list of unwanted pop-ups. Of course, this can take some time, but you'll be able to synchronize your list with one on the developer's servers. This global list is compiled by PopUp Killer users, and you'll be able to share the ads you've found with others. In some cases, you'll need access to a certain window to complete a task. The program lets you maintain a list of pop-ups that are excluded from automatic closing.
**************************************************

These three programs are just the tip of the iceberg on what's available
to get rid of popup ads. You don't have to take it anymore! If you
are experiencing many popup ads, and who isn't, as you look at your
taskbar, you've opened one webpage, and it looks like you have several pages on your taskbar, you have just been bombarded with PopUps. These can be dealt with in a couple of ways:

1. You can right click on each ad on your taskbar, and click "close:
in the menu. That will get rid of them without you even having to
read them.

2. Or you can click on each one, to check it out, and often times,
these pesky little ads are located over to one side so you can't click on the X to close. You are not powerless, you can right click on the upper left hand corner, and click close from there. Zap 'em!

If you have had an unpleasant experience with a cyber-sleaze website, and it takes over your home page (opening page when you click on your internet browser), and some of them are that invasive, here's how to change that back to your friendly page:

In your internet program is Internet Explorer, Click on Tools, internet
options, type in the address of your home page back to your friendly page (like www.rockyreport.com :) ), click apply, and then OK; your opening page should be back then. Or click on start, settings, control panel, internet options icon and this will take you to the place to change your home page, too.

You may also need to empty your History file, your temporary internet
files, and your cookies while in the internet options:

Delete the history file in the Internet Options : click "clear history".
Temporary internet files are located just above that. You can click on "delete files".
To delete cookies: click on settings, view files, there are the cookies,
click edit, select all, and file, delete.
You have now deleted all the past history, temporary files, and cookies
on your hard drive. This will free up some space on your hard drive and get rid of some files of the unpleasant side of the internet.

I'll be back with some tricks for you to use with your windows
operating system, and a great free program to download that helps
your computer manage your memory much more efficiently. One
more thing, I have a friend, Bob McElwain, who has several web
sites, and he has asked me to let you all know about a neat new
site that he has put together for all the "undiscovered and unrecognized authors out there". I think it could be very exciting and I'll let you in on all of that in December!

Hope you enjoyed this newsletter. I'm trying to help, and if you have
any subject that you would like me to address, please email me @:

rocky1@rockyreport.com

I appreciate all of you. Remember that I will have all these monthly issues of my newsletter available at my websites, along with other information:

http://www.rockyreport.com

And

http://www.internetguideandmore.com

Thanks for reading!

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TELL A FRIEND! THANKS!

Sincerely,
Rocky Hamilton
Owner of Internet Guide and More since Jan. '98
email: rockyham@nts-online.net
phone: 806-795-8829
fax: 806-780-7968

website: www.internetguideandmore.com
"Home of Free Computer Advice"
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