tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53798838762838677012011-07-31T03:54:05.462-05:00Online Security Tips, Virus & Spyware Information, Security Software Reviews, And Windows InformationDCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.comBlogger281100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-27989269725068670392010-03-04T09:53:00.000-06:002010-03-04T09:53:44.140-06:00

Spring is just around the corner. We'll be opening the windows and letting in fresh air. Winter has played havoc on our homes, lots of dust collects everywhere, especially in your computer tower. The image above demonstrates the accumulation of months of case fans sucking in dust and dirt from our homes. Our computers need to breathe. If the cpu fan becomes clogged it can no longer keep the

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-35847898214533464752010-02-22T13:49:00.003-06:002010-02-23T14:57:21.652-06:00

While I'd like to say they were right, I cannot. I have had 3 machines in the shop this week with the dreaded blue screen of death. I hand removed the update in question and all three machines booted normally. Of course after the Microsoft announcement yet again that it "isn't" their fault, I ran several anti-virus scanners, malware detectors and rootkit detectors. I then kept the clients

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-7631956003158764212010-02-16T13:25:00.002-06:002010-02-16T13:31:41.450-06:00

Just this past Tuesday's Microsoft released several security and patch updates for Windows. One or more of these updates have left Windows XP computers un-bootable. Microsoft has acknowledged this issue and has removed the patch from Windows update.For those of you already affected by the update, all is not lost. The patch(s) can be removed by hand and your system will work properly again without

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-61870767917103070912009-08-19T11:17:00.005-05:002009-08-21T11:10:18.739-05:00

I get asked this question alot so I thought I'd write a little bit about the subject. Let me start by explaining how anti-virus software works.Anti-virus programmers use a database to store information on known viruses and many other malware types. As each new threat is discovered it is added to the database and sent to the user as a virus signature update. They also implement a huerisitics

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-6299975947869875652009-07-31T09:21:00.002-05:002009-07-31T09:30:54.069-05:00

I've heard this question alot lately. Windows 7 is due to ship in October 2009. I have pre-ordered a copy for the office machine. I participated in the beta trials and sent 1000's of bug reports and suggestions to Microsoft. The RTM or release version appears to be stable however, there are still compatibility issues with hardware and older software.When compatibility is mentioned however,

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-45340208265564898952009-06-30T11:50:00.013-05:002009-06-30T12:33:43.367-05:00

We all use anti-virus and anti-spyware programs to help fight online threats but what about those we willfully let in with our e-mail clients. Here are a few tips you can use to make incoming and outgoing e-mail a little safer.1. Don't allow your e-mail client to completely render HTML e-mails.It is much safer to have your e-mail client render your incoming e-mails with limited HTML or better yet

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-6675546678790762672009-06-18T14:10:00.002-05:002009-06-18T14:23:05.815-05:00

Dell, HP, Acer are all selling the new Netbooks. I'll review them from 2 points of view.As a computer user I find the netbooks small, extemely low end, and usually running a low end obsolete operating system. The screen size is difficult to read, the keyboard smaller still. With no cd or dvd rom, limited usb ports or the power to properly power external hardware at 299.00 its no bargin.As a

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-60491089149465321022009-06-04T09:00:00.003-05:002009-06-04T09:20:00.978-05:00

This week a new round of javascript injections are infecting legitimate websites. The active exploit site uses a name similar to the Google Analytics domain (google-analytics.com), which provides website stat services to webmasters.If a user loads the site with the injection code they get passed onto a site that tries to exploit Internet Explorer or Firefox vulnerabilities to infect the users

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-80689869181457707612009-05-29T09:24:00.002-05:002009-05-29T11:27:40.026-05:00

Morning Folks,It amazes me how many people ask this question and others much like it. P2P programs don't give you viruses and spyware, the files you download do. Everyone wants something for nothing.Now I'm not saying all p2p users are sending out viruses and spyware, that just wouldn't be true.And p2p programs are nice for sharing legitimate files with others, however there will always be

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-53107974278844605392009-05-12T11:07:00.003-05:002009-05-13T07:37:58.385-05:00

It is estimated that over 60% of us still use Windows XP.Microsoft ended Mainstream support for Windows XP in April 2009.This means customers will no longer receive complimentary support, be able to request design changes, and other kinds of updates for the product, but it doesn't mean we can't contiune to use it.XP is still available for purchase at some online retailers. I have downgraded many

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-25334365036758531832009-05-12T10:31:00.003-05:002009-05-12T10:38:09.055-05:00

I thought I'd take a moment to clarify many misconceptions users face when their computer is affected by some form of malware. Today the term Malware is used to lump all computer infections together.I get many calls daily asking what it costs to remove a virus. 99.9% of the time the user has spyware or grayware, many users aren't awareof the different terms related to computer infections. Maybe

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-15407957443113480642009-04-29T13:09:00.002-05:002009-04-29T13:19:14.331-05:00

Adobe Systems late Tuesday acknowledged that all versions of its popular Acrobat and Reader software, for Windows, Mac and Linux, contain at least one, and possibly two, critical vulnerabilities that leave users open to a javascript exploit.Until a patch is released Adobe is recommending users disable javascript to avoid this issue.Windows users can disable javascript in Reader and Acrobat by

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-55174238277359137982009-04-28T09:05:00.002-05:002009-04-28T09:18:35.993-05:00

Whew busy busy busy, to many machines infected with spyware, rouge anti-virus and pop-ups. Many of you are probably already aware that several browsers have the ability to allow surfing the Internet without add-on's.Internet Explorer and Firefox both offer safer browsing without add-on's. Add-on's are those lil programs and scripts that allow us to see and hear the cool stuff in web pages.While

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-77346687718809575922009-04-10T15:24:00.004-05:002009-04-10T16:16:49.471-05:00

Conficker UpdateI had a feeling this threat wasn't to be written off so easily. The Conficker worm released a new update to infected pc's via P2P programs in the last few days.Conficker.e is downloading and installing fake security software. Often called rogue anti-virus or scareware it advises users they are infected with bogus malware and then opening 100's of pop-ups until they spend $50 to

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-24469182227081336242009-04-07T15:21:00.004-05:002009-04-24T21:16:37.443-05:00

While this may not seem to fall in my normal category of security, it really does. Microsoft may be done with Windows XP and I realize its 8 years old, however many of us have several years left in our "newer" computers that simply won't run Windows Vista or the new Windows 7 slated to ship in 2010. I don't know about you but I am not ready to run out and get a new computer just because Microsoft

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-36104184306873612432009-04-02T07:49:00.003-05:002009-04-02T07:52:04.513-05:00

Thanks to all of you that read this blog and voted on your favorite anti-virus.Avast Anti-Virus was the Winner among you. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.This month we'll look at the favorite spyware removal tools you like best. I look forward to the results.

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-63891481982350478502009-04-02T07:31:00.002-05:002009-04-02T07:48:37.305-05:00

The conficker worm which showed up about 6 months ago has became one of the most talked about and reported on malware since the cih virus of 1998. While its not destructive in nature it has the potential to cause havoc for many computer users. There was big hype this week about a mass launch on April 1st, 2009.News sources seem to think that the writers of Conficker, also known as downadup was

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-86672365337722886282009-03-26T15:18:00.002-05:002009-03-26T15:27:03.314-05:00

New attack code has been released today targeting the Firefox Browser. This new attacks has sent Firefox developers scrambling to patch the flaw. Until it is patched, this code could be modified by attackers and used to install unauthorized software onto a Firefox user's machine.This bug affects Firefox on all operating systems, including Mac OS and Linux. This vulnerability tricks the user into

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-66165017417697673542009-03-25T07:47:00.003-05:002009-04-24T21:17:48.204-05:00

There was a security hole found in Adobe Acrobat Reader and Acrobat 9. Adobe reports..This vulnerability would cause the application to crash and could potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system. There are reports that this issue has been being exploited for over 2 months.This patch is important.Many of us disable auto-updates, or just don't bother to install the newest

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-39770175113852190552009-03-22T22:27:00.003-05:002009-03-22T22:45:09.301-05:00

The ProblemInteresting job I had in the shop today. Windows XP Home sp2 and Internet Explorer 7 on an old hp. The computer would restart everytime Internet Explorer was opened. It never even fully loaded. The computer has AVG 8 free edition so my first thought was a Windows issue. But I have a system diagnostic routine I follow on every machine so using my own security tools, Malwarebytes

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-41427493514194053492009-03-12T14:29:00.004-05:002009-03-12T14:43:42.412-05:00

Per usual scammers are using e-mail scams to try to steal your personal information. Social Security numbers, Bank Account information and more. The new scam comes as an e-mail appearing to be from the IRS asking you to provide personal data to ensure delivery of your stimulus payment. The IRS or any government agency will ever solicit this type of information by e-mail. Users receiving this type

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-53423026519456479072009-03-11T22:35:00.001-05:002009-03-12T14:42:49.308-05:00

Hackers took advantage of a Symantec issue today to flood search engines with more troublesome redirection to rouge anti-virus sites. Apparently Symantec periodically sends its users PIFTS known as Product Information Framework Troubleshooter which is a diagnostic program that anonymously collects information such as the operating system and version number of the product being used in order to

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-46247450687078914522009-03-02T12:54:00.004-06:002009-03-02T13:11:57.834-06:00

It appears this nasty peice of work is causing many issues. As I have mentioned in my previous post, at this time it cannot be removed and a format is necessary.From my research The transmition of this virus seems to come from an infected movie type file. This file informs you you'll need a codec to view it, when you agree it infects your system. When installed it injects code into running

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-8252154321663035742009-02-27T14:02:00.002-06:002009-02-27T14:10:57.418-06:00

DCS Computer Services has launched a tech support forum called DCS Tech Corner. You can get help with Microsoft Windows, computer hardware, computer software, networking, virus & spyware removal, and much more. Contributors are welcome to join and share their knowledge. Hope to see you there.DCS Tech Corner

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-28368980025080534022009-02-19T09:15:00.004-06:002009-03-02T13:06:32.829-06:00

I recently got a machine in the shop which failed to boot after what appeared to be a Microsoft Update. Apparently this was NOT a legit Windows Update Icon and when installed infected all called exe files on reboot.This Virus is known as W32.Vitro. It is a polymorphic virus. Polymorphic viruses were first seen in 1990. A polymorphic virus is one that replicates itself every time a legitimate

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-12242707870663296832009-02-10T14:16:00.005-06:002009-04-24T21:18:51.697-05:00

I am impressed with the new Malware scanner by Malwarebytes. This scanner does an exceptional job of identifying and removing malicious software from your computer.There is a freeware scanner that can be updated and run manually or a very reasonably priced resident scanner. This tool is a must have for any Internet user.You can download the free scanner here:Malwarebyes Anti-Malware

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-91313404200471753672009-02-10T13:53:00.006-06:002009-03-02T13:09:41.019-06:00

The newest trend in security issues seems to be Rogue Anti-Virus Software. While not a threat exactly it's a major annoyance. The bogus company or web site throws up a alert window informing you that your computer is infected. The truth is it's probably not. Unfortunately selecting cancel does not solve the issue If you encounter this situation, using CTRL, ALT, DEL and ending task on your

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379883876283867701.post-2848239537893821472009-01-30T13:47:00.006-06:002009-04-24T21:20:03.151-05:00

Ever need help with your computer and when you call tech support they tell you they will answer your question for 39.95 since your computer is out of warranty?We offer a Free Help Desk. You can submit your questions and recieve a response in approximately 24 hours.DCS Help Desk

DCS Computer Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372631468214340296noreply@blogger.com1