Q&A

Sometimes, we get heaps of  emails concerning the same topic, so we will be placing them here.

Q.   Why is it that most of my emails have trojans attached lately? I  run Vet anti-virus , Spysweeper, and Registry    Mechanic daily, but they pick up nothing.

A .   Keep updating and running those programs daily. The problem is not with you, but somebody you know who has your address in their address book. They have the virus.

Q.    I copied all my old work onto a floppy last year. When I placed the disk into the drive the computer asked me to format it, so I did. Why, now have I just lost all my work?

A.    Formatting basically is wiping the disk clean. Sometimes when you use one computer to save your work, your new computer cannot recognize the format it was saved on. It is therefore better to have several backups just in case..

 

Q      What does the Windows key do?

A.      These keys can be used for shortcuts such as:
        · Pressing the Windows key and E will launch Explorer
        · Windows + F will launch the Find File program
        · Windows + R will open the Run dialogue window
        · Windows + M will minimize all open programs
        · Shift + Windows + M will undo the minimize all
        · Windows + Pause/Break will show the System Properties
        · Windows + L will log off or switch the current user (Windows XP only)

Q.    Hi, One of my friends sent me a file. (sundae.pps) I can't open this file and never seen a pps file before. Can you tell  me what kind of file this is and how I can open it?
       

A.    It's a Power Point Presentation file. To open it you need the PPS viewer program that you can obtain from Microsoft at http://www.microsoft.com/. The file name is ppview97.exe

Q.      How do I change the resolution of my screen?

A.     1. Right-click the desktop.
          2. Choose Properties from the shortcut menu.
          3. At the Display Properties dialog box, select the Settings tab.
          4. Change the resolution by changing the Colors setting and the Screen area setting.
          5. Click Apply.
          6. Click OK to close the Display Properties dialog box.
 

Q.      What is DLL file and what is INI file? There are so many of them in my hard disk. What do they do in my system? May I delete/edit them? With kind regards.

 

A.      DLL means Dynamic Link Library. These files are used by various programs in Windows to perform common tasks. It is definitely *not* okay to delete or edit the DLL files in the windowssystem directory since those are used by multiple programs. It's only safe to delete DLL files that are in same directory of a program you want to delete. INI files are files used to store settings for programs. They usually stay in the same directory as the program they belong to, but some programs like to put them in the windows directory. These can be viewed and edited with any text editor, but it is highly recommended you back up any INI files before editing them. Some INI files in the windows directory are orphaned from the programs that created them. Only delete these if you are certain you won't need them anymore.
 

Q.     Why can't I finish defragging my computer?

A.    Defrag won’t be able to complete if you have background tasks accessing the hard drive while it is running. Press the key combination <CTRL> <ALT> <DELETE> and, for Windows 9x versions, ‘End Task’ everything except systray and
explorer. Then run defrag and it will run without interruptions. Reboot when it’s finished to enable all your programs again.

Same deal with Windows XP! End task all the running applications, and defrag will do a much better job. Close down anything still running in the Notification area as well.

Also, make sure you have no screensaver running. It it cuts in whilst defrag is running, defrag will start over, and over, and over...

I have been asked by several people of late how do you do a particular task. So here it is.

 

HOW TO:

1.Protect your computer       a) use a internet firewall.

                                            b) keep your computer updated

                                            c) use up to date anti virus software

                                            d) use a registry cleaner

                                            e) add a program that removes spyware/adware

                                            f) use a pop up killer

2.RemoveVirus found in the Java™ Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (JRE) cache directory

Malicious applets may be detected in the JRE cache directory by your CA antivirus solution. The default installation path for this directory can be seen below:

C:Documents and Settings<username>Application DataSunJavaDeploymentcachejavapiv1. 0jar

These malicious applets are designed to exploit vulnerabilities in the Microsoft VM (for more information on this vulnerability, please see Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-011).

For more information on these malicious applets and their use, please visit the Sun Microsystems Java Technology Help Knowledgebase here: http://java.com/en/download/help/cache_virus.jsp

Examples of malware/exploits detected:

Java.ByteVerify.exploit
http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/virusinfo/virus.aspx?ID=36725

Java.Shinwow
http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/virusinfo/virus.aspx?ID=36651

 

Here are the instructions on how to manually remove these malicious applets from the JRE cache directory:

1. From the Start button, click Settings > Control Panel
2. In the Control Panel, open the "Java Plug-in Control Panel"
3. Select the Cache Tab
4. Click the Clear button inside the Cache Tab, which will clear your JRE cache directory
 

3. Disabling System Restore on Windows ME and XP

When using Vet on Windows ME or XP, after scanning and cleaning an infection, you may still receive a message that files in the _RestoreTemp or the _RestoreArchive folders are infected. Due to the security settings associated with the System Restore feature, Vet may not have the system access required to clean these files.

What is System Restore?

The System Restore feature on Windows ME and XP installations securely stores data that can then be utilized to 'rollback' your system to a previous state when it was known to function correctly. In conceptual terms, it's like a backup of critical system information that can be used to fix your machine if things go wrong. Unfortunately, this feature is so effective that it may at times, also backup copies of viruses, trojans or worms that occupy system-critical files and locations on your system - although please note that the files in the data store are inactive and can be used only by the System Restore feature. 

Due to the importance of protecting the integrity of this data, Windows prevents external applications, (including antivirus) from modifying data stored by System Restore. There may be times when this feature must be temporarily disabled, or turned off, in order to completely remove an infection from your computer.

Warning: Disabling or turning off the System Restore feature will remove all existing restore points, and you will not be able to undo changes to your computer. When System Restore is subsequently re-enabled it will create new restore points and continue to monitor changes to your system.

Follow these instructions to disable or enable the System Restore Feature:

       Windows ME Users:

The System Restore feature is enabled on default installations of Windows ME. 

To disable System Restore:

       

The System Restore feature is enabled on default installations of Windows XP. 

To turn off System Restore:

1. Click Start, right-click My Computer and select Properties
2. Select the System Restore tab
3. Click to check the Turn off System Restore or Turn off System Restore on all drives box
4. Click Yes when prompted

   To enable System Restore:

   1. Click Start, right-click My Computer and select Properties
   2. Select the System Restore tab
   3. Click to uncheck the Turn off System Restore box

   Microsoft have provided additional information on disabling and enabling the System Restore Feature in Windows XP. Please visit Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - 310405 "How to Turn On and Turn Off System Restore in Windows XP" for further information.

   After disabling the System Restore feature, run a full scan of your computer with Vet. Infected files that could previously not be cleaned in the _RestoreTemp or the _RestoreArchive folders should have been removed.

   After ensuring that your computer is free of infections, re-enable the System Restore feature using the instructions above.