How to idiot proof a computer?

[JediSpork@gmail.com]

I always get stuck fixing family and friends fudged up computers for
free. Usually it comes to needing a reformat they are so bad. Of
course they can never have their stuff backed up so I need to deal
with that also.

Anyway I always make sure windows has all updates and service packs
and then I install antivir.
Usually there is a outdated norton doing nothing so I always remove
that. It just gives people the wrong idea that they are protected. I
also install firefox and strongly suggest they use that over IE.
Is there anything else free that I can do? This usually seems to work
for a while but on the rare occasion I have been called back the next
day after a complete reformat and update.

I have started to tell people they will always have problems until
they improve their internet habits.
Is there anything else I can do to further idiot proof a computer? I
usually install something like Super Anti Spyware and tell them to use
that once a week but that doesn't happen. I just dont understand
because I can go years without needing to reformat.

Are there any real time spyware detection programs that are free that
could help? I'm thinking of buying SaS for myself because it seems
they have free upgrades for the life of the product deal going on now.
I'm also going to suggest this to some family members.

Would that be a good combo to go along with antivir?

Also wondering if there were any firefox extensions that can help? Or
a program that auto updates the hosts file so I could keep them from
the crap sites all together.

thanks so much for any help you can give.

[Alan Biddle]

A completely unhelpful comment is that it is difficult to foolproof
something because fools are so darned ingenious.

About the only way I have found to deal with similar cases is to
automate as much as I can in the way of backups, spyware updates and
scans, etc, and if the OS and location permit, configure their account
to a limited user account. Of course this causes other issues, but at
least you will be mostly adding things under your control, rather than
fixing their screwups.


--
Alan

[Buffalo]

JediSpork@gmail.com wrote:
> I always get stuck fixing family and friends fudged up computers for
> free. Usually it comes to needing a reformat they are so bad. Of
> course they can never have their stuff backed up so I need to deal
> with that also.
>
> Anyway I always make sure windows has all updates and service packs
> and then I install antivir.
> Usually there is a outdated norton doing nothing so I always remove
> that. It just gives people the wrong idea that they are protected. I
> also install firefox and strongly suggest they use that over IE.
> Is there anything else free that I can do? This usually seems to work
> for a while but on the rare occasion I have been called back the next
> day after a complete reformat and update.
>
> I have started to tell people they will always have problems until
> they improve their internet habits.
> Is there anything else I can do to further idiot proof a computer? I
> usually install something like Super Anti Spyware and tell them to use
> that once a week but that doesn't happen. I just dont understand
> because I can go years without needing to reformat.
>
> Are there any real time spyware detection programs that are free that
> could help?


SpywareBlaster is free and it stops a lot of spyware from ever getting
installed in the first place. It is worthwhile as an aid. Check it out.
I use the paid version of SAS for real-time protection.


>I'm thinking of buying SaS for myself because it seems
> they have free upgrades for the life of the product deal going on now.
> I'm also going to suggest this to some family members.
>
> Would that be a good combo to go along with antivir?
>
> Also wondering if there were any firefox extensions that can help? Or
> a program that auto updates the hosts file so I could keep them from
> the crap sites all together.

I think SypwareBlaster uses the hosts file. The free version has to be
updated manually.


> thanks so much for any help you can give.

[Ichibod]

Buffalo wrote:

> I think SypwareBlaster uses the hosts file. The free version has to be
> updated manually.

Don't think so. Spybot has immunization which it writes to the Hosts
file but I believe Spywareblaster adds entries to block via the registry.

[Leythos]

In article <b273616d-6cec-447e-8b31-1268035d0f42
@f20g2000yqg.googlegroups.com>, JediSpork@gmail.com says...
> Is there anything else I can do to further idiot proof a computer?
>

Having been in this position for decades, my solution in the past couple
years, for the terminally ignorant users, to install Ubuntu.

While they complain that they can't play a lot of games, their computers
continue to run and offer them the basics of email and web browsing and
they've not had to have them rebuilt since.

--
- Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.
- Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented worker" is like calling a
drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist"
spam999free@rrohio.com (remove 999 for proper email address)

[JediSpork@gmail.com]

Linux would be a great idea but I'm afraid I would get to much
grumbling. I'm going to try out spyware blaster and train them how to
update it along with doing a SaS scan once a week.

I intend on purchasing the Pro Version of SaS. Would I still get any
benefit from using spyware blaster? Is that just basically a program
that updates your hosts file? If they do a good job updating it sounds
like that could avoid all the nasty sites

[Leythos]

In article <4341f851-f69d-4150-85e9-a941a18d7751
@f3g2000yqf.googlegroups.com>, JediSpork@gmail.com says...
> Linux would be a great idea but I'm afraid I would get to much
> grumbling. I'm going to try out spyware blaster and train them how to
> update it along with doing a SaS scan once a week.
>
> I intend on purchasing the Pro Version of SaS. Would I still get any
> benefit from using spyware blaster? Is that just basically a program
> that updates your hosts file? If they do a good job updating it sounds
> like that could avoid all the nasty sites

None of those things will prevent them from screwing up the computer.

Nothing short of them LEARNING and using Limited User accounts, FireFox
in place of IE, and having a good Firewall Appliance as well as good AV
will keep them from getting re-infected.

--
- Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.
- Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented worker" is like calling a
drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist"
spam999free@rrohio.com (remove 999 for proper email address)

[Buffalo]

JediSpork@gmail.com wrote:
> Linux would be a great idea but I'm afraid I would get to much
> grumbling. I'm going to try out spyware blaster and train them how to
> update it along with doing a SaS scan once a week.
>
> I intend on purchasing the Pro Version of SaS. Would I still get any
> benefit from using spyware blaster? Is that just basically a program
> that updates your hosts file? If they do a good job updating it sounds
> like that could avoid all the nasty sites

I think you will benefit from installing SpywareBlaster along with SAS.
SpywareBlaster stops a lot of spyware from getting into your computer.
Free SAS, finds most of what got by and corrects them.
SpywareBlaster uses basically no resources. I use both.

[JediSpork@gmail.com]

On Dec 7, 11:31*am, "Buffalo" <E...@nada.com.invalid> wrote:
> JediSp...@gmail.com wrote:
> > Linux would be a great idea but I'm afraid I would get to much
> > grumbling. I'm going to try out spyware blaster and train them how to
> > update it along with doing a SaS scan once a week.
>
> > I intend on purchasing the Pro Version of SaS. Would I still get any
> > benefit from using spyware blaster? Is that just basically a program
> > that updates your hosts file? If they do a good job updating it sounds
> > like that could avoid all the nasty sites
>
> I think you will benefit from installing SpywareBlaster along with SAS.
> SpywareBlaster stops a lot of spyware from getting into your computer.
> Free SAS, finds most of what got by and corrects them.
> SpywareBlaster uses basically no resources. I use both.

I bought SaS Pro and installed spywareblaster.. On reboot it used
preferences for my old configuration with the free version and had to
do setup all over again. I found this quite strange. Maybe it was
because i changed my user account to standard. Also had to set it up
for my girlfriends user account on the computer. I thought it would
set up for all accounts automatically.

Anyway everything works now. Hopefully it will save me some headaches
down the road.

[Buffalo]

JediSpork@gmail.com wrote:
> On Dec 7, 11:31 am, "Buffalo" <E...@nada.com.invalid> wrote:
>> JediSp...@gmail.com wrote:
>>> Linux would be a great idea but I'm afraid I would get to much
>>> grumbling. I'm going to try out spyware blaster and train them how
>>> to update it along with doing a SaS scan once a week.
>>
>>> I intend on purchasing the Pro Version of SaS. Would I still get any
>>> benefit from using spyware blaster? Is that just basically a program
>>> that updates your hosts file? If they do a good job updating it
>>> sounds like that could avoid all the nasty sites
>>
>> I think you will benefit from installing SpywareBlaster along with
>> SAS. SpywareBlaster stops a lot of spyware from getting into your
>> computer. Free SAS, finds most of what got by and corrects them.
>> SpywareBlaster uses basically no resources. I use both.
>
> I bought SaS Pro and installed spywareblaster.. On reboot it used
> preferences for my old configuration with the free version and had to
> do setup all over again. I found this quite strange. Maybe it was
> because i changed my user account to standard. Also had to set it up
> for my girlfriends user account on the computer. I thought it would
> set up for all accounts automatically.
>
> Anyway everything works now. Hopefully it will save me some headaches
> down the road.

Hope it helps out.