spyware

Infopackets Reader Sandy D. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have screensavers installed on my system -- and I don't even know how they got there (and it worries me!). What's worse is that I don't know how to remove the screensavers because I can't locate ... them in the computer! I would appreciate any help you can offer. Thanks! " My response: Unfortunately, a lot of the "free" screen savers floating on the Internet come bundled with Spyware. If you have screen savers and aren't sure how they got installed on your computer, I would recommend you do a Spyware scan. Spyware Doctor is ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Morris K. writes: " Dear Dennis, Whenever I click on my EarthLink icon to start the Internet (and to launch Internet Explorer), my computer freezes up for a few minutes -- and then all the sudden, I have 50 or 60 copies of ... Internet Explorer (IE) sitting in my task bar! The odd thing is that if I try to close some of the windows, more IE Windows start re-launching. I am stumped how to solve this. Is there a way to reinstall or repair Internet Explorer? " My response: It's possible that your computer was infected with Spyware and the Spyware infection wasn't ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Joe B. writes: " Dear Dennis, I've been desperately trying to clean my computer of a nasty Malware / Spyware infection for the last 5 days. A characteristic of something that is going on is that while I'm typing along in a window, ... the window is suddenly de-activated and I have to mouse back to the window to activate it and continue typing. It's most irritating! I believe I have resolved the majority of the Spyware infection, however there are 4 files that keep reappearing even after I delete them. I can't seem to find instructions on the web, either. I'm not sure what ... (view more)

Spyware is a broad category of malicious software intended to intercept or take partial control of a computer's operation without the user's informed consent. While the term taken literally suggests software that surreptitiously monitors the user, ... it has come to refer more broadly to software that subverts the computer's operation for the benefit of a third party. Spyware differs from viruses and worms in that it does not usually self-replicate. Like many recent viruses, spyware is designed to exploit infected computers for commercial gain. Typical tactics furthering this goal include ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Leonard M. writes: " Dear Dennis, I sure hope you can help with this one -- My web page links will not open properly in Outlook Express (OE). Often times, I'll try and click a link in an email, and it just opens a blank window and ... goes no further. The links simply won't open! I had to copy and paste your web address into the Internet Explorer (IE) address box in order to get here -- and it's a royal pain in the butt! I am thinking that maybe my Popup Stopper or Spyware programs have done something to my system and I'm not sure how to get the link functionality back. ... (view more)

Synopsis: Fact: The moment you are connected to the Internet, your system is vulnerable to outside intruders, even with an anti-hacker Firewall in place! So how would you know if your system is being hacked right now? Answer: using VisualWare ... CallerIP, of course! With CallerIP, you get realtime monitoring information -- visually -- so you can instantly identify suspect activity to *and* from your computer (such as Hackers, Spyware, and Trojans). VisualWare CallerIP is so useful, it should have been renamed to VisualWare Internet "Caller ID"! VisualWare CallerIP: Screenshots Click to ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Henry H. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have Spy Sweeper installed in my computer, but last week after running Norton Antivirus I discovered a threat called 'Adware.Ezula.' Thanks to an article of yours I also downloaded Acronis True ... Image , which I have found fantastic, so I was able to revert my system back to a previous state (and without the Adware.Ezula on my system)! I was so impressed with True Image that I decided to examine the entire Acronis product line. I came across their 'Acronis Privacy Expert Suite', and I would appreciate your opinion on whether or not I ... (view more)

Yesterday, I announced that our web site will be hosting a special fund raiser. To quickly recap: I will be compiling special reviews (once a week over the summer), featuring really great software at ridiculously cheap prices; a percentage of the ... proceeds will be used to fund our web site. Yesterday's Summer Sizzler was "SpeedUpMyPC": an award-winning system optimization program used to monitor and boost your PC's performance when you need it the most (click here to read -- you won't want to miss it!). Today's newsletter announcement is an email I received this morning, and deals ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Jack J. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have a question that has been bothering me for some time. I appreciate the professional advice you give in your newsletters to other Readers, and would be very thankful if you could please set me ... straight on my problem. My dilemma has to do with Secure web sites. Occasionally, I will buy a product online -- meaning that my web browser often redirected to a secure web page, where I can complete my transaction online with my credit card. I have been told by friends that providing my credit card information is 100% secure, and that I ... (view more)

Speed Defrag SpeeDefrag is a program which restarts your computer and runs only defrag.exe with optimized windows settings. This makes defrag work faster. SpeeDefrag will automatically shutdown your computer after completing the defragmentation ... process. http://www.geocities.com/coolvicki7/SpeeDefrag.html Spyware Warrior A wealth of resources to help you fight spyware and adware. http://www.spywarewarrior.com/ (view more)