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On 2006-09-02, [censored] spake thusly:
>
> Jim wrote:
>> On or about 2006-09-02 Saturday 15:26, I did witness the following events
>> concerning BearItAll:
>>
>> > Roy Schestowitz wrote:
>> >
>> >> Ways to unclog children's too-slow, spyware-stuffed IBM laptops
>> >>
>> >> ,----[ Quote ]
>> >> | Q. I am at my wits' end with my two sons' IBM laptop computers that are
>> >> | riddled with spyware and viruses to the extent that the computers are
>> >> | almost unusable.
>> >> |
>> >> | [...]
>> >> |
>> >> | I have purchased software that takes care of viruses and software that
>> >> | takes care of spyware, but it never seemed to work the way it should. I
>> >> | don't want to add more software to the mix and would rather have a disk
>> >> | that I can use on any computer that disinfects the entire machine. They
>> >> | have so much garbage on their computers that I feel adding an
>> >> | anti-virus/anti-spyware program will just complicate things.
>> >> `----
>> >>
>> >> http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/living/15414766.htm
>> >
>> > I can understand how the man feels desperate.
>> >
>> > A machine with updated XP and up to date Symantec Internet security
>> > couldn't find a worm on one of my work machines. The only way was to put a
>> > secound drive in, boot off that and let the anti-v on that drive check the
>> > first drive.
>> >
>> > The person replying said that if someone came up with a way to clean the
>> > machines they would make a fortune, well I just did it so where's my
>> > money?
>> >
>> > By the way, if the Live distros come with an anti-virus (I can't say I've
>> > ever looked for one) then that may be a good way to clean the systems.
>>
>> Google "Vexira". Nice Linux-based liveCD antivirus solution right there.
>> Doesn't clean NTFS though, but it does tell you what's where so you can go
>> in manually and rip out the offending files (you did remember to cycle
>> system restore, didn't you? This is where a lot of malware installers hide
>> themselves, being as the restore folder is not user-accessible).
>> --
>> I hereby testify that the above statement is an accurate recollection of the
>> events mentioned therein.
>> http://dotware.co.uk
>> Registered Linux user #426308 -*- http://counter.li.org
>
(pregnant pause)
> The first thing I'd do is teach your children to actually learn about
> the computer they use and not just jump in and download everything that
> looks pretty.
Absolutely. Although if you have a Linux system, it's alot easier to
manage the kiddies computer use through accounts, passwords, access control
and log files.
> That means they actually have to TALK to you more, I know
> it's a sin but...
Parents need to learn to learn to parent. 'Nough said.
> Second, and of course this is a 9X user, clean the
> temp files more than once. If it doesn't go away after that (or
> disinfecting, but 99% of it seems to be in the temp files and just
> deleteing or shredding them deals with the source), unplug it/remove
> the main battery for a good while and let memory-resident stuff die,
> yank the cmos battery and reset the BIOS if you need to. Same junk I'd
> have to do occasionally with an AMD Slot A 700 MHz MSI K7Pro
You have got to be kidding. You advocate doing all this to get rid of
nasties that the OS should have stonewalled to begin with? This makes
sense to you?
AMD Slot A 700 Mhz MSI K7Pro?
Impressive techspeak. Whatever.
> I'm using
> NOW with Me. I always back up data and image files etc to CD-R anyway
> and it's pitifully simple for me to do if I only have less than a CD
> full in 10 years, but you can image yours almost as easily now (can't
> you)?
Backups, in anything, is important, and this is common sense.
Makeing an image of a drive or making a virtual drive is cool, but so is
riding a Harley. You don't need to do either, but you might find it
engaging.
Anyway, one of the things that you discover when you get away from
windows, is that you only need to back up *your* home directory, and
only for catastrophic failure or archival purposes. The other thing
that is delightful is the fact that you don't have to worry about
corrupted personal and system files. It's *very* hard for malware to
get a foothold in a system that is used with even a bare minimum of
self awareness, such as not running as root as your user account.
) Why worry about "sanitizing" your system when your shouldn't
even have to consider it to begin with.
) Why worry about shredding files because you _suspect_ they
could have been corrupted by malware to begin with? For that
matter why would you accept that *having* to delete files for
proper OS operation and self protection is OK and business as usual?
) Why on earth would you use an OS that would need periodic removal
of the battery and resetting of the BIOS (whatever that means) etc.
just to fuction properly?
> PS I don't even have a firewall, and I DO have DSL, but I do know
> operating any computer means you need to know how to maintain your
You claim to know how to, and understand the importance of, maintaining
a computer and it's core software, yet brag about not having a fire wall.
You further reach into the depths of horror by apparently advocating this
lack of the most basic prophalactic protection by declaring that your
(assumed) permanent connection is DSL.
Utterly amazing.
Bad karma on a massive scale.
> system as much as changing the oil in your car or knowing what the
> noise it makes means.
That noise you hear is the sound of your computer life signs monitor
grinding to a halt.
> Good luck, and there are no passive computer users.
Yes there are. Yes there should absolutely be if thats what the user
wants. Why on earth would you insist that any user *have* to know anything
about the system to be productive _and safe_ with it. That's the job of
a properly designed and implemented operating system. Not the user.
Regards,
Mather
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--
"Always do the right thing: It will delight / Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanies
some and astound the rest" - Mark Twain / Psychotronic protection, low prices
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