Security on new Win 7 64 Pro computer

[jholland1964]

Done.
Then do you want me to reinstall CodeStuff Starter?

You mean you uninstalled it? Why? Because it just showed on that list? That's all it is, a list. On virtually ALL Windows systems if something shows on a "list" you can simply remove it from the list, removing a program just because it displays on some sort of list is extremely drastic. If you make a list on paper and you put something on that list that you don't want , you either crossout or erase the unwanted item from the list you don't throw out or tear up the entire list.

If you previously uninstalled all the programs that showed on that list then you have undone pretty much everything we have done here.
You take awfully drastic steps which are totally unneeded. Keep doing that kind of thing and you are going to end up "toasting" your system.

You need to really get to know Windows 7 before taking any type of drastic steps. It IS very different than the other operating systems of the past but if you get to actually KNOW it I believe you will find it is one of the easiest operating systems to use that they have ever released. Some are cosmetic differences, many are changes that make things easier to do. The programs that the user recently used added to the Start Menu incluced in both of those. Some of the cosmetic changes have made some things appear to be more difficult, but once you learn those you will find that the cosmetic changes also make sense and also make things easier to do.

After seeing that you have done this with just this little tiny program, then I have to say that your repair install of the system itself on 6/4/2012 frankly was also probably very drastic and likely unnecessary step to take, which I have really suspected all along, I just didn't say so.

Did the techs do wrong when they set up your system by putting questionable unwanted programs on it? Yes they did, but based on what we really finally found, that shows me that your reinstall or repair install was totally not needed at all.

Part of the problem for you was the not knowing Windows 7, not those questionable programs, and your repair install likely exacerbated the removal of those things because the repair install likely hid or deleted the easy ways to remove them.

When I click Explorer>All Programs>
I show a folder named "Startup."
In that folder is a program named "Hotkey"
In that folder, to the best of my knowledge, was also a shortcut to Codestuff, before I uninstalled it.
When I click on C Drive> Programs
I find no folder named "Startup."

Get to KNOW Windows 7. Windows Explorer on Windows 7 is NOTHING like it was in previous versions. You are running a 64bit system also, listings are also different because of that.
C drive> Programs will show you the 64bit PROGRAMS installed. C drive> Programs (x86) will give you the 32bit PROGRAMS installed.
The Startup folder you see in All Programs, Start up is NOT a program, it's the folder containing starting additional files that are either added by default, hotkey would be one of those, or other files or maybe shortcuts that you personally added there.

[jholland1964]

Judy: I uninstalled Code Stuff Starter. The WOT was not comfortable with the Tripod download site. I ran Superspy after reinstalling it. Superspy then found six tripod files to delete
and WOT popped up an "untrustworthy" seal. So I uninstalled it. OK if I put off Start Menu management for the time being?

Are you comfortable with making a system image for restore purposes at this stage? The vendor will take me and the machine through this if and when
the system is clean. I feel it will never run better than it is running now.

No, at this point I am not because, to be perfectly honest, I don't feel you really know what you are doing.

First of all, I gave you the CORRECT web site link to get Codestuff and that web site was Snapfiles and all you had to do was click the link. No typing/searching involved, just click the link and you would have been taken directly to Snapfiles, which has an EXCELLENT WOT Rating.



http://www.snapfiles.com/get/starter.html

WHO told you to go to Tripod??? I certainly didn't.

Secondly, even if I had told you to go to a Tripod link to download the programs the Tripod link receives a GOOD WOT rating, NOT an untrustworthy one, so you obviously didn't even go to that correct one.

Look for yourself, click this link:

http://codestuff.tripod.com/products_starter.html#down

You will see a GREEN WOT rating, and it is rated GOOD. Just as shown in my attachment.

The tripod web site itself is not really a download site, though they do have some downloads there, it is a Website building, Blog hosting web site. It also has an EXCELLENT WOT rating.

Look for your self and see my attachment

http://www.tripod.lycos.com/

Now the "tone" of this post may make you feel I am getting somewhat frustrated, well to be honest I am. You asked for my help, which I am more than happy to give, however, you have taken steps not given and then delayed telling me. You have not gone to the download sites I have given you used others instead.
Your comment that the WOT rating for a web site, that I did not give you, was an unsatisfactory web site and therefore you uninstalled the program I gave you based on a rating from a web site that I did not recommend and obviously was not even the site that YOU thought it was because the actual site has a good rating.
This implies to me that you think I would have recommended an unsafe program and an unsafe website...neither of which are true and would never be true.

I honestly don't care one way or another if your use Codestuff or not. I only gave you that so that you would not be tempted to use msconfig to control your start ups because that is not what that is for, Microsoft state that very plainly themselves...It is a Troubleshooting tool ONLY and should not be used to control auto starting programs.

[ed_shaw]

I think the tripod site was a link that came along with the CodeStuff folder. In either case, it had nothing to do with your recommendations, and I apologize for not realizing that my comments might have reflected that. You have been a lifesaver, now and in the past. The reason for the uninstall was that I had placed the program in a Startup folder instead of creating its own folder on the D: drive. The similarities in the name, and the other factors of stress, caused me to overlook that. So I went the uninstall reinstall route.
Please bear in mind that when I came to you for a Security assessment I had no idea of the problems that were present, and no idea of what problems the suspected DNS redirect was going to cause. If this is a hint as to what is going to pass for legitimate business practice on line, the future generations are going to either demand a change or find the going rough.
I am dealing with a new to me OS, totally different from Win2000, a machine that probably attracts attention on line, a new concept for me in multiple hard drives, risk, and backup. On top of that, a completely new concept to me in video editing. You are absolutely right, I have no idea what I am doing. Add to this the fact that I want to get this software installed and machine configured as soon as possible, then get it offline as soon as possible, because I am a babe in the woods for the dangers online. The sooner the on line part is done, the better. Obviously now, thanks to you, I won't be nearly the target I was when I have to go online to get updates or do what needs to be done. Even the email was compromised!
It is easy to place blame around considering the results of the scans. However, I have to stick to the policy of taking full responsibility for everything I have brought to the table. I hope you understand that when I contacted you for the right way to protect the machine it was with the full understanding that it would be a routine meeting that would go without a hitch. How wrong I was. Tjere are just too many variables to feel comfortable assigning blames. All I know is that you and I did the best we could under trying and changing circumstances. I for one would never ask for more than that.
Thanks again for the patience, the expertise, and the kindness to help people in need, people who, as you know, can be at the end of their rope. Hopefully I will repay the community with improved media support for worthwhile people and maybe even place in the growing field of secure networking. Keep your fingers crossed!
Thanks, again, Judy.
Your friend,
Ed Shaw

[jholland1964]

Part of the problem Ed is you are making suppositions that have no basis:

I think the tripod site was a link that came along with the CodeStuff folder

No link would come in the program. I just tested this myself, on two machines, this one I am running Windows 7 and my other machine that runs Windows XP. I uninstalled Codestuff from both. Downloaded a brand new copy on both. I received the exact same thing I received in the first place, the CodeStuff Starter program, period. No link anywhere, just the program.

The ONLY way you get a WOT warning is through a browser, when you go to the link that is what the WOT add on is..A Browser Add-on, it doesn't work on it's own without being attached to a browser. As I said, whatever it was that you saw and however you got there was not because of the Codestuff Starter program and the link you got could not have been the real Tripod, Tripod has an excellent rating from WOT.

I am dealing with a new to me OS, totally different from Win2000, a machine that probably attracts attention on line

Nobody online knows what operating system is being used. Only thing online nasty people look for is an operating system that is not fully up to date. They don't care WHAT system it is, though for the online nasty people...the OLDER the system likely the better because older operating systems are much less secure, but they don't see or even care what the operating system happens to be. Windows 7 is much more secure than any of the older systems.

On top of that, a completely new concept to me in video editing.

These are my concerns for you Ed;
You absolutely, positively need to learn the operating system FIRST before you also try to do something else brand new. You will never be successful using either one if you don't take the time to learn each one fully FIRST and in order to do video editing you FIRST need to know how the operating system works, and it DOES NOT work like Windows 2000.
If you don't learn this system first then you are at great risk of losing it all, you won't know WHY because you won't know what you have done to have possibly made it happen. You will have no idea on how to backtrack. You have to learn the system first.

The reason for the uninstall was that I had placed the program in a Startup folder instead of creating its own folder on the D: drive. The similarities in the name, and the other factors of stress, caused me to overlook that. So I went the uninstall reinstall route.

That statement right there really says you don't seem to have even basic computer knowledge. All you would had to do is MOVE the program to the proper location, OR if you preferred, though it would not have been necessary either, Uninstall the PROGRAM and reinstall it. A reinstall of the operating system for this very small issue is really comparable rebuilding a bookcase because you placed a book on the wrong shelf, or cutting off your hand because you have an ingrown fingernail, two things you would never do. Totally unnecessary.

[lopis]

ESET online antivirus didn't help? Try another ones, for example, VurusTotal or Dr Web CureIt, they are free.

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