Received this article by email, J. R. Corkrum
|
What’s the Difference
Between Viruses, Trojans, Worms, and Other Malware?
How much do you really know about viruses, spyware, scareware, trojans, and worms? Here's a helpful guide to understanding all the different types of malware. The point of today's lesson, of course, is to help you teach your friends and family more about the different types of malware, and debunk a few of the common myths about viruses. Who knows, maybe you'll learn a thing or two as well. What is Malware? The word Malware is short for malicious software, and is a general term used to describe all of the viruses, worms, spyware, and pretty much anything that is specifically designed to cause harm to your PC or steal your information.
Viruses Wreak Havoc On Your Files The term computer virus is often used interchangeably with malware, though the two don't actually have the same meaning. In the strictest sense, a virus is a program that copies itself and infects a PC, spreading from one file to another, and then from one PC to another when the files are copied or shared. Most viruses attach themselves to executable files, but some can target a master boot record, autorun scripts, MS Office macros, or even in some cases, arbitrary files. Many of these viruses, are designed to render your PC completely inoperable, while others simply delete or corrupt your files—the general point is that a virus is designed to cause havoc and break stuff. You can protect yourself from viruses by making certain your antivirus application is always updated with the latest definitions and avoiding suspicious looking files coming through email or otherwise. Pay special attention to the filename—if the file is supposed to be an mp3, and the name ends in .mp3.exe, you're dealing with a virus.
Spyware Steals Your Information Spyware is any software installed on your PC that collects your information without your knowledge, and sends that information back to the creator so they can use your personal information in some nefarious way. This could include keylogging to learn your passwords, watching your searching habits, changing out your browser home and search pages, adding obnoxious browser toolbars, or just stealing your passwords and credit card numbers. Since spyware is primarily meant to make money at your expense, it doesn't usually kill your PC—in fact, many people have spyware running without even realizing it, but generally those that have one spyware application installed also have a dozen more. Once you've got that many pieces of software spying on you, your PC is going to become slow. What many people don't realize about spyware is that not every antivirus software is designed to catch spyware. You should check with the vendor to make sure the application you are using to protect you from malware is actually checking for spyware as well. If you come across a PC that is already heavily infected, run a combination of MalwareBytes and SuperAntiSpyware to clean it thoroughly.
Scareware Holds Your PC for Ransom Scareware is a relatively new type of attack, where a user is tricked into downloading what appears to be an antivirus application, which then proceeds to tell you that your PC is infected with hundreds of viruses, and can only be cleaned if you pay for a full license. Of course, these scareware applications are nothing more than malware that hold your PC hostage until you pay the ransom—in most cases, you can't uninstall them or even use the PC. If you manage to come across a PC infected with one of these, your best bet is to Google the name of the virus and find specific instructions on how to remove it, but the steps are usually the same—run a combination of MalwareBytes, SuperAntiSpyware, and maybe ComboFix if you need to.For more on scareware, including a full walk-through of how a PC actually gets infected in the first place, check out the guide I wrote on removing Internet Security 2010 and other fake antivirus malware.
Trojan Horses Install a Backdoor Trojan horses are application that look like they are doing something innocuous, but secretly have malicious code that does something else. In many cases, trojans will create a backdoor that allows your PC to be remotely controlled, either directly or as part of a botnet—a network of computers also infected with a trojan or other malicious software. The major difference between a virus and a trojan is that trojans don't replicate themselves—they must be installed by an unwitting user Once your PC has been infected with the trojan, it can be used for any number of nefarious purposes, like a denial of service attack against a web site, a proxy server for concealing attacks, or even worse—for sending out buckets of spam. Protection against trojans works the same way as viruses—make sure that your antivirus application is up to date, don't open suspicious attachments, and think long and hard before you try and use a downloaded crack for Photoshop—that's one of malware authors' favorite spots to hide a trojan.
Worms Infect Through the Network Computer worms use the network to send copies of themselves to other PCs, usually utilizing a security hole to travel from one host to the next, often automatically without user intervention. Because they can spread so rapidly across a network, infecting every PC in their path, they tend to be the most well-known type of malware, although many users still mistakenly refer to them as viruses. Some of the most famous worms include the ILOVEYOU worm, transmitted as an email attachment, which cost businesses upwards of 5.5 billion dollars in damage. The Code Red worm defaced 359,000 web sites, SQL Slammer slowed down the entire internet for a brief period of time, and the Blaster worm would force your PC to reboot repeatedly.Because worms often exploit a network vulnerability, they are the one type of malware that can be partially prevented by making sure your firewall is enabled and locked down—you'll still need an updated antivirus software, of course. Glad to finally put a name to the annoyingly threatening scareware? Does it irritate you when somebody calls spyware a virus? Be sure to send this article to them, and share your malware war stories in the comments.
|
___________________________________________
|
Maximize and Restore Down Button Clicking the tiny Maximize button located in the upper-right corner of any window can be a challenge for many. For a larger target, double-click a window’s Title bar instead, to maximize a window. Double-click it a second time to restore the window to its previous size.
|
|
Do I need to
defragment a hard drive?
|
|
Change Desktop Icon Size (Vista Only) If the icons on your Vista Desktop are too small to see clearly, or you think they’re taking up too much space, there’s an easy way to resize them. When you right-click an empty part of the Desktop and select View, you’ll be able to choose between Large, Medium, and Classic (WinXP style and the smallest) icon sizes. If you’re not satisfied with any of the three size options and you’ve got a mouse with a scroll wheel, you can further fine-tune the size of your Desktop icons. First, click somewhere on the Desktop, then hold down the CTRL key. Now, move the mouse’s scroll wheel up or down to grow or shrink the icons. |
|
Tabbed Browsing in Internet Explorer 7
There is more
than one way to add a new tab, I find this the easiest To add a New Tab 1. Open the web site you want to add to your tab 2. Click the arrow on the right of “Home” 3. Click “Add or Change Home Page” 4. Click “Add this web page to your home page tabs” 5. Click Yes
|
Demo: Create a multi-tab home page
To view the Demo, click on the link below than click Watch the demo
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/33ecda79-b6aa-42af-8034-87be9322ac181033.mspx
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Windows Photo Gallery Demo
Click on the address below to see a demo
to on
Windows Photo Gallery
http://www.vista4beginners.com/windows-photo-gallery
________________________________________________________________
When installing a program
|
When installing a program you may have to choose between a “custom installation” and a “typical installation”, so what is the difference? A “typical” installation automatically installs only those program components that people use most often. In a “custom” installation, you select which components are installed, where they are installed, and so on. The custom option is best suited for experienced users, so you are usually better off choosing the typical install. |
______________________________________________
Arrange Your Favorites By Name
|
If you have accumulated lots of
Favorites in Internet Explorer , wouldn’t it be nice to have them in
alphabetical order? All your Favorites should be in alphabetical order
Jbourque\ Favorites in Internet Explorer
|
_______________________________
|
When installing a program you may have to choose between a “custom installation” and a “typical installation”, so what is the difference? A “typical” installation automatically installs only those program components that people use most often. In a “custom” installation, you select which components are installed, where they are installed, and so on. The custom option is best suited for experienced users, so you are usually better off choosing the typical install. Jbourque\customtypical
|
_________________________________________________________________-
Set a New Default Font in Microsoft Word Processor
|
Whenever you open a blank document, Word's default straight from the box is
12 point Times New Roman. To designate a different font : 1. Open up Microsoft Word If you are not happy with the font or just want to make another
change,
|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pin Your Favorites on the Start Menu
| Instead of counting on WindowsXP to display frequently
used programs on the Start menu, you can pin them there yourself, ensuring they’re never more than two click away.
From now on, a shortcut to the program will appear on the left side of the Start menu. To remove it from the Start menu:
This will not remove the Program from “All Programs”. Jbourque\ Pin Your Favorites on the Start Menu
|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
Tip from Howard Gransden This came direct from a
system administrator for a corporate system.
|
_____________________________________________________________________
Windows XP
Hidden Help
Good help
on viewing, sharing, organizing your Digital Photos also
help on Making Music, playing, Internet radio, create
CD.
Their is a few other Walkthroughs, for beginners leave them
alone.
1. Left-Click "Start"
2. Left-Click "Help and Support"
3. In the "Search" box type "Walkthrough"
4. Left-Click the "arrow' or click "Enter' on your Keyboard.
Five result is found for Walkthrough,
Left-Click any one of them and begin learning
_____________________________________________________________
|
Spell Check in Microsoft Outlook Express Spelling is not my best subject, how can I have my e-mail check before I send it? Email clients such as Microsoft Outlook Express can be configured to automatically check your spelling before each message is sent. With Outlook Express running, click Tools and then Option, click the Spelling tab and then select the “Always check spelling before sending” box. I also suggest that you check “Suggest replacements for misspelled words”, “The original text in a reply or forward” and “Internet address”. Now click “Apply” and “OK” to save your changes. Whehn all is done you shuold not be embrarass with your seplling erorrs again. Jim
|
_____________________________________________________
Reduce the Cost of Ink
I have just purchased two new ink cartridges for my HP printer at a cost
of $53.78,
another $50.00 or less I could have bought a new printer.
Printer supplies are expensive, and users who rely on printers for nonessential
jobs
probably spend more on ink than necessary.
Most printers have a Draft, Economy, Everyday or Fastdraft mode that reduces
the amount of ink applied to the page, it also reduces the print quality.
In Windows XP, click Start, Control Panel,
(in Category View click Printers and Other Hardware)
then click Printer And Faxes
Right click your printer and select Properties.
From the General tab, click Printing Preference,
under the Quality tab I have four mode setting,
Best, Normal, Everyday and Fastdraft select a lower mode
and click apply, OK and X out.
You can always go back to the original setting if you are not satisfied
with the print quality.
This procedure may be a little different with your computer
Good Luck, Jim
_____________________________________________________
|
To alphabetize the Programs List To alphabetize the Programs list, in
Windows XP. To alphabetize the Programs list, in
Windows98, & Windows ME. Jbourque\ To alphabetize the Programs list
|
_____________________________________________________
|
Control Panel: Old or New
1. Click “Start” 2. Click “Control Panel”
Having gone thru all of the Windows programs and from the old school
|
_____________________________________________
If your are not impressed with the Windows XP pointer, you can change it.
I have change mine to a larger and a more visible pointer.
Remember you can always change it back.
Here How:
1. Click Start, 2. Click Control Panel, 3. Double-click Mouse
The mouse properties dialog box opens.
4. Click the Tab “Pointer”
What works best for me is,
5. Under “Customize” select “Normal Select”
6. Under “Scheme” click the down arrow to Magnified (system scheme)
7. Click OK and close all open Windows
If you don’t like my selection choose another.
When you are making changes in Control Panel make sure that
You make notes of the past setting,so you can always go to back to your old
settings.
Good Luck Jim
Jbourque\WindowXPpointer
_____________________________________________________
Drive Storage Space in (C:) Drive
How much space do I have on my Hard Drive (C: Drive)?
Here is an easy and quick way to check.
For Windows XP user
1. Click Start
2. Click My Computer
3. Right-Click (C:) drive
4. Click Properties
5. Click the Tab, General
a graphical image displays the ratio of free space and used space
accompanied by the number of bytes in each.
-------------------------------------------------------
For Windows ME & Windows 98
1. Click My Computer on your Desktop
2. Right- Click (C:) drive
3. Click Properties
4. Click the Tab, General
a graphical image displays the ratio of free space and used space
accompanied by the number of bytes in each.
_______________________________________
Windows XP comes with a robust Help And
Support function.
The function provides access to various help files within Windows,
as well as access to numerous internet links with helpful information.
Open the Help And Support Center from the Start menu
or press the Windows key and F1
_______________________________________________
|
When you find a
portion of a Web page you want to print, Including pictures, You will print only what you have highlighted
|
__________________________________________________________
|
A useful feature in Windows--one click on the icon launches the program. To turn on Quick Launch, right-click the Windows taskbar and select Quick Launch from the Toolbar list. To add an item to the Quick Launch toolbar, click a program or document icon (even from the Programs menu in the Start menu) and drag it into the toolbar. To remove an item from Quick launch, drag it off of the toolbar and into the Recycle Bin. Don’t be alarmed, the item itself is safe -- You’re only deleting the shortcut, not the program itself.
|
___________________________________________________
Default
I am asked this question at every Beginners Class, it's some what
hard to explain.
I hope these few explanations will help.
A selection automatically used by a computer program in the absence
of a choice made by the user.
Default is the action that takes place when you don't make a choice.
Default as such is a value assigned automatically by windows or other
programs if the user does not specify his choice.
__________________________________________________
|
The Taskbar is the status and control center of your desktop. Every open window has a button on the taskbar. You activate a window by clicking its button. Only one window can be activated at any given moment. The active window's button is highlighted. |
_____________________________________________________
|
A left-click gives you quick access to programs and files. Right-click gives you access to a menu box; in it you will find Open, Explore, Search and other programs. |
________________________
|
Displays the name of open Windows on your
screen. This let you easily switch between the open Windows. In Windows 98/ME &
XP you can add shortcuts to programs on the Taskbar. These Shortcuts will be
located on the left side of the taskbar and call Quick Launch. On the far right
the time and running programs is displayed. If you leave the mouse pointer on
the time, today date will appear.
|
____________________________________________
|
You can change the location of the Taskbar, by clicking a blank area on the Taskbar hold the click and drag it to any of the four sides of the desktop. This action is call Drag and Drop, _________________________________________
|
|
Right-click the time on the Taskbar, click Adjust Pate/Time and the Date/Time Properties Windows appears. Go to the Date/Time tab. Under Date, select the item you want to change To change the month, click the list and then click the correct month. To change the year, click the arrows in the year list, or type the correct year. To change the day, click the correct day on the calendar. Under Time you can adjust the time and AM or PM. To Change the Time Zone clicks the tab. For Florida it is the Eastern Time, and check the box for Automatically adjust clock for daylight saving changes. When you are done with the new setting, click Apply or if you do not want any changes made click Cancel.
More on Taskbar in class jbourque/taskbar
|
_____________________________________________________
|
The screen of your computer's monitor is called the
Windows 95/98/ME/XP desktop. The desktop is never bare. it contains at a minimum
two/three icons: Icons are small pictures that stand for objects. An Icon is usually designed to help remind you of the object it represents or what the object does. For example, the My Computer icon on the desktop represent your actual physical computer. Arranging Icons Auto Arrange
Hints: Line Up Icons Stacking Order
Jbourque/desktop IconsI
|
______________________________________________________________
|
If you use a mouse with a scroll wheel, by default Windows XP scrolls a document or Web page up or down one line for each notch in the wheel. To increase or decrease the number of lines the wheel scroll at a time. 1. Click Start Mine was set at three I reset it to one, I will give that a try. If you prefer to scroll a screen for each wheel notch, I don’t know for what
reason, Jbourque\Scroll-Wheel Mouse
|
______________________________________________________
|
Java, I've
heard about it. What is it? |
______________________________________________________
|
Delete an item
accidentally
|
_______________________________________________________
|
Loose Your Taskbar? Windows XP users can also prevent the Taskbar from moving or change it's size. Click an empty area of your Taskbar, select Properties, under the Taskbar Tab, place a check mark in "Lock the Taskbar"
|
__________________________________________________________
|
Give Your Eyes a Break |
_______________________________________________________________
|
Drive can’t read disc
OK, so it’s not just you. The disc is properly inserted into the correct drive, and the drive is still not reading it. But don’t assume that your drive is suddenly incapable of reading any disc simply because it did not read the disc you just inserted into the drive. Pop another disc into the drive to see if the drive can read it. Audio CDs are especially good because they’re stamped discs, and any optical drive should be able to read them. If you insert an audio CD into the drive and it works, you know the drive isn’t the problem. It’s the media. The main reason a drive does not read or recognize a disc is simply because the disc is dirty. Take a look at the backside of the disc (the shiny reflective layer the drive reads). If it’s scratched or dirty, that’s almost certainly the source of the problem. CDs and DVDs are fairly durable, and they can handle some fingerprints and the occasional small scratch, but they can only take so much. Use a lint-free cloth and a CD-cleaning solution to clean a dirty disc. If the disc is severely scratched, it may be beyond repair and you’ll have to replace it. |
________________________________________________
|
Turning On Mouse Trails To Make Your Pointer Easier To
See Do you frequently lose track of your mouse pointer as it moves across the screen? Have you tried everything, including slowing down the speed of your mouse and still having problems. You can add mouse trails to help you find the pointer easily. Here's how. For Windows 98/ME 1 - Click Start/Settings/Control Panel 2- Select "Mouse" 3 - Click the "Motion" tab 4 - Under the "Pointer Trails" section, select the "Show Pointer Trail" check box. 5 - Move the Short/Long sliding control to adjust the length of the trail. 6 - Click the "Apply" and "OK" buttons. For Windows XP 1- Click Start/Control Panel
|
________________________________________________________
|
To alphabetize “Favorites” in Internet Explorer. 1. Left-click “Favorites”, the “Favorites” list will appear.
|
_________________________________________________
One of the easiest
way to check the quality of a monitor is to check its dot pitch.
The dot pitch measures the distance between the dots of light on a monitor.
When these dots are close together, on-screen images look sharper
than when the dots are not close together.
High-quality CRTs have a dot pitch of .25 millimeters (mm) or less.
Don’t buy a monitor that has a dot pitch of more than .28mm.
Jim B.
___________________________________________________
We showed you last week at the Beginners Class
how to
Maximize a Window
and how to Restore Down the Window.
In any Windows Operating System )95/98/ME/XP) their is
always more than one way to do something.
Try this, to Maximize or Restore Down your Windows.
Left-Click twice on the Title Bar, to Maximize or Restore Down.
Jim B.
Click bug
for Home page