Spyware, Malware, Rootkit viruses

My friend David Turner wrote up some wonderful instructions on eradicating your system of malware and spyware---I'm including them here. Farther down in the instructions he refers to a "rootkit virus'. In my experience, you will know that you have one if Safemode fails to bootup--that usually means one of your device drivers has been corrupted. Combofix is a wonderful program to correct Rootkit viruses---I've written about it elsewhere, and you can find links to it on

http://www.mybleepingcomputer.com

Here are David' s instructions...

Hello Professor:

I saw your email concerning your computer problems so I thought you might like

some help.

As you already can see, most (all) antivirus programs don't work very well, at least not by themselves. So it takes a team approach to solve these infection issues, and a good

deal of time and patience as malware infects using the "buddy system"...one is active while the other is dormant but listening to see if the active one is removed whereupon

it executes a new copy for the most malicious.

Long story short, the following steps are ones that I have used many times and they

have NEVER let me down.

1) Disconnect from the internet (and of course any lan connections)

2) You will need the following programs:

a) Malwarebytes Antimalware (get it here:)

http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

b) WinPatrol 2010: http://www.winpatrol.com/download.html

c) Super Antispyware: http://www.superantispyware.com/superantispyware.html

d) Mozilla Firefox browser: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/firefox.html

3) Follow these steps next in order:

a) Reboot the computer into Safe Mode: usually keep tapping the F8 repeatedly

while pc boots. (could be a different key which will display on the initial splash

screen)

b) Select Safe Mode (this takes some time)

c) Once in safe mode execute (but don't scan) Malwarebytes followed by WinPatrol and then Super Antispyware followed by the MozillaFirefox browser.

d) Next run the Malwarebytes scan (WinPatrol will be active automatically.

(run this 2 or 3 times after an interval of time...5-10 minutes)

e) Next run your present anti-virus application (again more than once with

the time interval as well) (make sure that you DON'T download and run

any other AV program as 2 applications will usually lock up your computer)

f) Then run SAS (Super Anti....)

g) Review the results (kinda' like admiring your own programs...as you always said!)

h) If results look satisfactory and computer functionality has returned, rejoin your

network

i) Don't think that you're done yet.....next use Mozilla to go to the Internet and run an

online A/V scan...use Trend PC as it's the only one that works with Firefox

Go here and download the program and then scan:

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

When that completes (could be 5-6 hours..or more) you should be good to go..

unless you have been infected with a Rootkit... which requires more tools.

COMCAST Closed Captioning with an HD TV

I've been trying to get Closed Captioning to work with my HDTV through a COMCAST DVR forever--just found this forum which discusses the issue and says it is possible, although you will have to power off the DVR which can be a pain...

http://www.netjeff.com/wp/?p=411

Here's a direct link to a wikibook section on Closed Captioning

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_to_use_a_Motorola_DVR/Setup#Closed_Caption

Putting a lid on underage drinking in Cinnaminson, NJ

Check out this story in the Sunday Burlington County Times about a youth group attempting to stem the tide of underage drinking...

http://bit.ly/bbqXli

I'm glad to see that one of my favorite local merchants, the Wine Cellar, supports efforts to inhibit underage drinking.

Radio Stations in the Philadelphia area

Well, it's snowing (a lot), I'm snowed in and working on a couple of tax returns, and I thought I'd like to listen to the radio for some nice classic 40's music, the kind I was listening to last week in my friend Jim's car on the way to the Philly Auto show. Of course, he has Sirius satellite radio---I'm relying on the airwaves.

After scanning through the channels a bit, I thought that there must be a listing of Philadelphia area Radio stations, and there is...

http://www.ontheradio.net/metro/Philadelphia_PA.aspx

Palmyra Computer Company

Just drove by this place tonight---their website looks interesting...

http://www.secondsiteit.com/

Burlington County Web site gets a new look

I love public databases---it's amazing how much information you can gather there.

According to this Burlington County Times news article, Burlington County New Jersey has just given their web site a face lift

http://bit.ly/do3mUY

As an Information Technology guru, I find it interesting to note that there's no mention in the article of any member of the public being consulted---hopefully the designers did, as failure to involve the user in a design project is one of the chief reasons for its failure.

Here's the url for the web site---let me know what you think of it...

http://www.co.burlington.nj.us/

Red-light cameras move ahead in Cinnaminson (2010-02-03)

I reported on January 20th, 2010 that Cinnaminson was thinking about applying to the State of New Jersey for permission to install Red-light cameras at intersections on Route 130.

In a Burlington County news report today (February 3rd, 2010), they confirmed they are doing so--and will also ask permission to install a red-light camera at the intersection of Route 73 and Fork Landing Road, another very dangerous intersection.

Here's the link to the BCC story...

http://bit.ly/aaf3DR

Father Tom Hagen Update (02-02-2010)

Just saw this link to an updated article on Father Tom Hagen in Haiti--it's from the Philadelphia Catholic Standard and Times...

http://bit.ly/cEXkFc

Top Ten Cinnaminson Area Pizza Parlors (Updated: 2010-02-25)

I thought I would create this list as I just had for the first time last week a pizza from Pat's on Route 130, and it immediately vaulted to the top of my list.

My apologies to Dominos and Papa John's but I don't include them here--not that either one would make my top five.

1. Pat's Pizza (Route 130 Cinnaminson). Fast Delivery. Great Pizza. Great online ordering.
2. Milanese. Riverton. Delicious, nice size, reasonable prices. Tell Al I sent you.
3. Deangelos (Route 130 Cinnaminson). Fast Delivery---even in a blizzard. Starting to shrink a bit. Attached restaurant is very good.
4. Brother's Pizza (Acme Shopping Center, Route 130, Cinnaminson)
5. Wing King (Maple Shade, NJ). Fast Delivery.