Question about tricking spyware;

hogleg · Post by **hogleg** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 5:37 pm

Paths, Im sure its written into the code of spyware, like install blah blah blah to C:\winnt\system32.

Question: Would it screw up ur system to change WINNT folder name to WINNTS?

There fore disabling the spyware from working.

If not could I change C:\documents and settings folder without effecting my sys? Cause spyware uses that folder as well.

thx

Post by **Rookie One.pl** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 7:16 pm

No. There's system variable called %SystemRoot% which will return your windoze directory no matter what it's called. Apart from that, it's stored in the registry in quite a few places. So, there's no point in changing the directory name. You'd better fetch Ad-Aware.

hogleg · Post by **hogleg** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 7:33 pm

Yeah thats kinda what i figured. I've got:
*AVG
*STOPzilla
*Microsoft Antispyware
*CCleaner
*RegSupreme
*Ad-Aware SE

Its a pitty

My friends pc is so infected that none of the above worked. I worked for hours deleting files and deleting crap in the reg to no advail

any suggestions

Post by **Bjarne BZR** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 9:31 pm

Clean install, firewall, spyblocker, use Mozilla Firefox, then stop opening attachments promising bigger penis

hogleg · Post by **hogleg** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 9:37 pm

LOL, maybe my larger penis quest will have to stop.

Is there a better firewall than the one that comes with xp?

Master-Of-Fungus-Foo-D · Thu Mar 24, 2005 10:04 pm

lo... oh what will i do without opening an e-mail promising a bigger penis! oh the world will end!

i use the mcaffe one... i guess it works, and i have a router firewall, but i took it out because it wasnt letting moh thru

Post by **Rookie One.pl** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 10:13 pm

Iptables + a good set of rules.

Deutsche Dogge · Post by **Deutsche Dogge** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 12:14 am

hogleg wrote:LOL, maybe my larger penis quest will have to stop.

Is there a better firewall than the one that comes with xp?

A hardware Firewall, like the ones in routers.
I use a router, mcafee 9.0 and Firefox for "suspect" websites and never get any troubles. only an alert about a file in the temp internet files from time to time. Also avoid trying "the newest coolest software" that comes popular with all your friends that can include spyware installations, like the excitation everybody gets when a new "better" peer-to-peer program comes out.

The first question that pops in my mind when someone tells me he got a virus/spyware is "Are you using any peer-to-peer sharing software?" and most of the time, the answer is "yes"... related? i really really think so but they all say it's no revelant... i let you decide.

Being carefull is the key, no protection software will ever be 100% good and bulletproof enough, imo.

Deutsche Dogge · Post by **Deutsche Dogge** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 12:17 am

Master-Of-Fungus-Foo-D wrote:[...] and i have a router firewall, but i took it out because it wasnt letting moh thru

Did you try to configure it first?
Put yourself on a static IP and set a port forwarding. It's easy.

panTera · Post by **panTera** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 12:59 am

SPybot-Search&Destroy http://www.safer-networking.org/en/mirrors/index.html
Next to Ad-Aware I use Spybot-S&D, which always seems to trace down some stuff that other anti-spyware progs seem to overlook.

Background Tasklist overview. http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist ... sklist.htm
Very useful page that lists virtually all of the known applications that may be running in the background.

Post by **Bjarne BZR** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 1:28 am

hogleg wrote:Is there a better firewall than the one that comes with xp?

Well, the windows integral firewall is a good idea, unfortunately it allows wondows to do stuff, and as lots of hackinga use windows deficiencies: it may be bypassed.

http://www.zonelabs.com/ offers ZoneAlarm in a free personal version ( not for commercial use ). There are more, but try it and if you dont like it, find another. ZoneAlarm is pretty good,

Deutsche Dogge · Post by **Deutsche Dogge** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 4:17 am

Also have a look there, it's good to disable services/processes you don't wan't running or simply don't need running, though windows starts them.

http://www.theeldergeek.com/index.htm

tltrude · Post by **tltrude** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 2:05 pm

I have problems with Windows Explorer slowing down after I play a game or watch a lot of videos. Rebooting fixes it, of course, but also running my three cleaning programs will make it speed back up to normal--two are reg cleaners.

Anyone else have Explorer speed problems?

I use WindowsXP set on windows classic. I read somewhere that it could be the windows folders ini files--windows checks thousands of them when the desktop returns.

Deutsche Dogge · Post by **Deutsche Dogge** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 2:23 pm

When you are running games in fullscreen, explorer don't need as much memory as when it displays something. I've experienced similar performances slowdown, but after a few minutes back to explorer, it gains back it's normal speed, no need for any tool. It frees the memory for the graphics operations, sicne it doesn't need to repaint itself.

Check the amount of memory used by explorer.exe in the taskmanager before playing a game, then play, then when you are done, have a look at the memory used by explorer.exe, you'll probably see it dropped when in-game and will use more after a few minutes.

You might also have unecessary services running that are influenced in a similar way as explorer.

And you did good to set the shell to "classic windows". The cute XP shell uses too many resources. I personnaly adjust my shell from:
computer right-click->properties->advanced tab->performance settings-> adjust for best performances or custom and then i check some of the options in the list. Using best performances can increase sheel speed up by about 30% i estimate.

And, explorer is a memory eater anyway, so it's no surprise you might need to reboot it after only a few days running, but everytime you play? it should not be necessary. Have a look at theeldergeek link i posted above, very usefull to unload unused processes.

tltrude · Post by **tltrude** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 2:47 pm

I have 19 services/processes running when I am not online. And I have turned some off using a program called WinTask. But, it is hard to tell what some of them are for.

That eldergeek site has to many links to know which one you are talking about.