InstallationBeware of fake system messages
Posted on December 27th, 2006
Thousands of users per day fall in this trap. Messages that appear to be legitimate and display information about your system, the user clicks on it and it gets infected by a malicious program, most of the time these messages are designed to look like part of your operating system and trick the user into thinking that by clicking on it the fake problem will be eradicated. The problem begins when the user clicks on it.
Not to long ago I cleaned a computer, deleted old files, junk and optimized space. The system was running better than ever. Today I get a call from the same user explaining the situation and it was something like this.
“I was reading an article and a message appeared saying that my system had instability issues and asked me if I wanted to fix them, I clicked NO and then the computer crashed and now it’s slow and I get pop-up ads all the time”
After a few clicks it was obvious that the computer had one or more viruses.
The culprit? This little message.
The user was a victim of fake online ads or fake warning messages; They appear to be legitimate, but no matter where you click, they still pose a threat to your system by installing malicious software.
How do they work?
As soon as you click on ‘YES’ or ‘NO’, a virus gets installed in your system and starts calling ads from a remote server and your computer gets slower everyday and you get ads as soon as you boot up. What happened here is a typical case of clicking before looking, fake ads look official, they are meant to grab your attention and to deceive you.
What to do…
The easiest way to prevent any program from being installed is to ignore them, if you must close them, always choose the red x located in the upper right corner of the window.
SAMPLE: Free Laptop #1
SYSTEM STATUS: Your Urgent Attention is Required.
“You have been chosen to receive a FREE laptop PC. This exclusive offer is only available online. Limited time only. FREE shipping and handling! To claim your FREE laptop PC click Next button. Hurry before time runs out! See Details.”
SAMPLE: Free Laptop #2
CONGRATULATIONS
“Your banner ID# 12098223 qualified for our FREE* hourly prize. Please click “Next” to accept your new Laptop ! *Participation required FREE LAPTOP”
SAMPLE: Infected computer (read message below the message has a typo)
Warning – if your computer has been running slower than usual, it may be infeceted with Adware or Spyware. To scan your computer, click yes below.
SAMPLE: Vertical Warning
Warning – your computer may have spyware or adware installed. To scan your computer for such infections click yes below. Yes No.
Clean your system.
Posted on December 11th, 2006
Personally I’ve done hundreds of computer clean ups, but nothing is more time consuming than clearing all the junk files, temporary folders, old installation files, internet cache, etc.
I found this program last year and it really helps, not only cuts down cleaning time by 95% but it is also recommenced for people with no experience cleaning systems. It also includes a registry checker which fixes common problems and deletes unused entries, maximizing performance. We’ve tested it many times and in some cases it even reduces Windows loading times.
You should use this program:
If you have a slow computer.
If web pages do not show updated content.
If you haven’t cleaned your system in more than a month.
If you want to delete any trace of visited pages, history and temporary internet files.
Internet speed
Posted on December 9th, 2006
Lately we’ve been noticing that there are people that still use a dial-up connection, most of them don’t even know the alternative (broadband). Prices are very competitive for DSL and if you want a more speed you will probably need cable internet. It all depends on what you do online.
For those of you who want to test your connection speed here is a user friendly interface that will allow you to know your upload and download speed.
Instructions
1.- Click here to access SPEEDTEST.NET
2.- When the animation loads, select a server (preferably, the one marked in yellow or closest to your location)
3.- wait…
Google as a homepage
Posted on December 8th, 2006
I started using Google back in 1999, it was a big change from the regular Yahoo! page which offered (and still does) hundreds of links to news, sports, entertainment and other cool stuff. The problem is that if you are testing a connection or your browser is having problems, it is much easier to load the Google page than the Yahoo! or MSN page. Less processing means less time loading and waiting, even if you have broadband connection.
One of the good things about Google’s design is its simplicity which has not changed much since it started.
