Windows XP Solutions - An Outline - PLEASE READ

Zxian · #16 10-26-2004, 11:00 AM

Glad to be of help.

Play_The_0dds · #17 10-27-2004, 12:32 AM

been a while since i posted much here, nice to see new faces, welcome Zxian.
very good post, i would like to add a bit,...spyware removal is a good thing, prevention is better, there is no way to stop it all but know that if you download free icons, screensavers, wallpaper, themes, third party software of any sort, get ready for tons of spyware. p2p programs are bad with installing a ton of spyware, audio galaxy was one of the worst i remeber,(they may not be on-line anymore). the worst thing about p2p programs is downloading viruses.BUT, you do not have to do anything to get a virus now, just go on-line.
this just happened the other day. i was working on a couple computers, one i had just reloaded xp home, didnt have nothing but xp. it installed it's dial-up modem and network adapter with default xp drivers. i needed to get another computer online so i dialed up on that one and used a crossover cable to get the other one on the net(the second computer had everything, firewall, anti virus and did fine) the computer with a fresh copy of xp home, had 6 viruses after being on the net for 20 minutes. bare in mind i did not open a web browser, use any internet applications other then dialing up, it just sat there. the xp firewall was turned on but configured to share access.anyone who says you dont need a firewall does not live in the real world and has serious issues. there are several FREE ones like kerio, sygate, and zone alarm that work very well. also though it was listed on the orriginal post avg anti virus has a FREE version which is very good.

Jazz · #18 10-27-2004, 05:30 AM

Quote:

anyone who says you dont need a firewall does not live in the real world and has serious issues.

I've lost count of how many times I say that same thing PTO. If I had a pound for every time I've advised that, I would be a rich man by now. Not saying that I'm not already though. LOL

Personally, I think it's getting to the stage where a software Firewall and a router are mandatory nowaday. I won't go online without both. Simple as that.....

Play_The_0dds · #19 10-28-2004, 07:05 PM

agreed, there was a time when you could config a router to block most everything and not use a resource sucking firewall. not anymore, not only do you have to have a firewall, it needs to be a very good one that updates.

Jazz · #20 10-29-2004, 06:11 AM

Agreed. In addition to being properly configured as well.

It really amazes me how many posts there are on the majority of quality forums whereby users actually admit to not having one enabled, even though there are one or two efficient free ones available, in addition to the fact that XP has one inbuilt.

I was round a friend's house not too long ago and he was stating that he didn't need a software Firewall. We loaded a Ghost image on his box and about 4-5 after he connected....

Did I laugh; of course I did!! Served the cocky little sod right. LOL

Ignorance is no excuse in my book, I'm afraid. This has been publicised Worldwide for a very long time and not just in the IT community either.

Ultimately, anybody not using, at the very least, a quality, properly configured software Firewall, updated at all times, should revert to pen and paper, as they obviously live in a cave....

Zxian · #21 10-29-2004, 12:24 PM

Hi there,

Sorry for the late reply.

Thanks for the recognition, Play_the_Odds.

Agreed that firewalls should be another high point on the list regarding security.

On my laptop right now, I don't use a firewall, since whenever I connect to the internet, I'm either behind my university's firewall (with a VPN connection), or I'm at home behind my router.

Granted, routers are not completely secure (nothing really is), but router manufacturers are releasing updated firmware for their products to help increase the security that they provide.

On my desktop, I am currently running Norton Internet Security 2005. I hadn't updated my router firmware since I got it, and NIS would still pick up a couple of attacks per week or so. After I downloaded the updated firmware from Linksys (and configured it properly), I haven't had a single attack since.

As a student getting into the depths of programming, I can understand how it would be (relatively) easy to crack through software to access another computer. When you change firmware however, it becomes much more difficult. Cracking a complicated circuit is not very easy to do (if at all possible). Since a router with firewall is almost purely circuit based, it makes it much harder for someone to break in from the outside. Most hackers will simply realize that the IP address in question is firewalled and will move on (unless it's the CIA or something of the sort).

Oh, and by the way Jazz, tell your friend that he would never have run into that problem if he had properly updated his Windows.

P.S. I don't live in a cave...

Jazz · #22 10-29-2004, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Oh, and by the way Jazz, tell your friend that he would never have run into that problem if he had properly updated his Windows.

I never meant any disrespect towards you Zxian, honestly.

That was merely a generalized comment iro the way a lot of users still view Firewall's. We see it day in, day out, especially on the very hard hit forums, like Annoyances for example. Note to self: That's gonna cost me (The Tool) *LOL*

Suffice to say that this is a very informative thread that, hopefully, users will take the time to look at when they visit.

Zxian · #23 10-29-2004, 09:54 PM

Don't worry about it Jazz. I didn't take any offense to your post what-so-ever. I was just merely pointing out that you should tell your friend about my outline so as to not have that happen again.

A general comment about computers nowadays (and this is becomming more the case with high-speed internet available). Computers are just like any other machine. They need to be maintained. Even people who use Apple computers need to maintain their systems every now and then, especially if they network with PCs (Apple computers can be carriers for viruses and spyware without being affected by them). Just like your car needs an air filter to keep the dirt and grit in the air from getting into your engine, computers need an Anti-Virus program (at the least) to keep viruses out of their computers.

Jazz · #24 10-31-2004, 05:21 AM

Quote:

A general comment about computers nowadays (and this is becomming more the case with high-speed internet available). Computers are just like any other machine. They need to be maintained. Even people who use Apple computers need to maintain their systems every now and then, especially if they network with PCs (Apple computers can be carriers for viruses and spyware without being affected by them). Just like your car needs an air filter to keep the dirt and grit in the air from getting into your engine, computers need an Anti-Virus program (at the least) to keep viruses out of their computers.

You wanna see the state of my car, man.......*LOL*

No, it's not that bad, honestly....

Excellent analogy though............

Denise · #25 11-01-2004, 11:47 AM

Hi,

This is a most useful thread, thank you all.

These may be silly questions, but being a person that gets in more trouble by “wondering what will happen if I push this button”…. I have to ask, in regards to a couple of replies:

Re: Virii: Always disable System Restore prior to running an AV scan!!!!!! Re-enable it after if you wish to.

What does Virii mean?
Why should I disable System restore before running my AV scan?

Re: Ultimately, anybody not using, at the very least, a quality, properly configured software Firewall…

I am using Sygate Personal Firewall; I hunted around for the “configuration” and am at a loss. I’ve run various scan test at sites such as Shields Up and do not appear to have vulnerabilities at this time. Can I assume, that my firewall is configured properly?

Thanks for help - Denise

Jazz · #26 11-01-2004, 12:47 PM

Hi Denise

No questions are silly if they can, or have to be answered. We all started at some point, namely the beginning, or at least I did anyway! LOL

Virii is the plural of the word virus as far as I am concerned. Others are bound to disagree, as you may do. Virii, viruses, whatever.

Quote:

Why should I disable System restore before running my AV scan?

Unfortunately, System Restore backs up the bad with the good, thus a problem occurs when malware is present on the system and gets included in this restore point. When users later scan their system with AntiVirus software, they may receive a message that a virus was found in either the _RESTORE (Windows ME) folder or the System Volume Information folder (Windows XP) but the Anti-Virus software is unable to remove it.

To remove the virus/es/virii, etcetera, you must first disable System Restore, then scan the system with up-to-date AntiVirus software, or use an online AntiVirus scanner - allowing it to clean, delete, or quarantine any virus/es/virii found. After the system has been disinfected, you may then re-enable System Restore. This also applies to using any scanner, whether it be Anti-Virus, anti-spyware, anti-adware, etcetera. Hope that explains it.

Quote:

I am using Sygate Personal Firewall; I hunted around for the “configuration” and am at a loss. I’ve run various scan test at sites such as Shields Up and do not appear to have vulnerabilities at this time. Can I assume, that my firewall is configured properly?

The reviews I have seen regarding the Sygate Personal Firewall appear to be positive ones. Regarding configuration, read the following article, direct from the official Sygate website. Chapters include setting up protection based on programs, setting permissions by application, configuring advanced rules for security, etcetera: -

Sygate Personal User Guide

I, personally, use a quality software Firewall, properly configured and up-to-date at all times, as you have read, coupled with a Network Address Translation enabled hardware Firewall router. IOW, the 'NAT' router uses one set of IP addresses for internal traffic and a second set of IP addresses for external traffic. In theory , this effectively masks/hides your internal IP address thus making you invisible when you are online.

However, saying that, no system is 100% foolproof, whether it be your Firewall or Anti-Virus software product. If 'they' want to get in, 'they' will. All you can do is ensure that you are adequately protected, as best you can.

Denise · #27 11-01-2004, 05:47 PM

Hi Jazz,

Thank you very much for your help. Disabling Restore makes perfect sense now. The link to the Sygate guide is also appreciated. It’s a bit overwhelming for me. I feel as if I will forever be a novice when it comes to computers.
I already have a couple restore questions, as well as others unrelated, but will poke around a bit & see if I can find answers.

Thanks again - Denise

Jazz · #28 11-01-2004, 05:59 PM

You're welcome Denise.

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have regarding computers, bearing in mind the various forums, and we'll do our utmost to answer them........

Play_The_0dds · #29 11-02-2004, 10:20 PM

I read Zxian's comments on his last post on this thread, was going to reply but got busy. anyway, software firewalls can be bypassed true enough, so can hardware firewalls. a "hacker" is looking for open ports, if you are on the net you have some. most things can be blocked but a software firewall is a good secondary defense. I have been on irc chat, yahoo and a few other places and listened to teenage boys discuss how to, and how they have got around most software and hardware firewall setups. it is the most amazing thing to listen in on, they have no fear of law enforcement. they love to brag though. If they could channel what they know for constructive things the software industry would take a big leap foward. i was reading the news just a few minutes ago and came accross a article that reminded me about this post.
http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/01/tech...walls/?cnn=yes

Tiiger · #30 11-15-2004, 05:04 PM

NICE Zxian...

Quote:

If you want a better defragmenting program, check out PerfectDisk. They've got a great defragmenting tool that will speed up your computer even more.

I checked out PerfectDisk v.7(the lastest one) its not for free,only 30 days trial. So i was wondering if v.6 will be FINE.

tiger