The Underside of Using Movie-viewing Apps on Your Computer.

Everyone loves getting something free; especially if it works. This is especially so if the item is a free application that lets a user view the latest movies for free on their home computer. App stores are now awash with a variety of these programs, from classic Hollywood and tv movies to the latest in-cinema fare. Movie fans are voraciously downloading these programs despite the ongoing opposition of movie distributors and the Justice Department. Make no mistake: the war is on!

Times and methods are swiftly changing in this battle between movie distributors and movie-app developers. Each side keeps dreaming up new and more effective ways to counteract each other. Caught in the middle of this war are the unsuspecting app-users who are simply trying to watch movies. The Justice Department believes that these people are criminals, and as such, deserve to be prosecuted. App developers, on the other hand, argue that these programs benefit movie distributors and moviegoers equally. They advertise the work of movie-makers and enable movie-goers to wisely buy their big-screen experiences.

Regardless of the merits of either claimant, these applications have now become hot-beds of danger for users. Many of them are now being used to compromise the computers of unsuspecting users. Users find themselves directed to pages offering to upgrade their viewing programs for free or to update their apps. Some of these offers are so insistent that they don't take no for answer and will hold a computer hostage unless the user shuts down the computer or agrees to download the offer. Others find that ads have taken over their computers with no way to shut them off, or that the movie they tried to watch is drowned out by annoying sounds from unknown sources.

Based on experience, my advice to users of these apps: NEVER DOWNLOAD OR ACCEPT ANY OF THESE OFFERS !!! These are virus and malware-laden files which will immediately affect your computer. If your computer becomes unresponsive when you encounter one of these pages, RESTART OR TURN OFF YOUR COMPUTER. These programs can only hurt you if you download or install them. Always remember that every program is a series of instructions that must be loaded into your computer's RAM before it can become active. After restarting your computer, check your download folder for any new, suspicious files and delete them. Scan your computer with your antivirus and malware software to ensure that all is well.

I Repeat: Protect Your Computer from Malware

I see this time and time again. Some poor sap fires up their computer to search for some needed information and Sweetpacks, MyWebsearch or some other insidious piece of crapware has taken over the computer. They don't know how or when this happened, but their frustration is no less pronounced when they cannot get to the information they need because of the multitude of ads these programs promote. Not only that, but the amount of fake virus attacks and "warnings" they create serve to scare computer users and cheat them out of their hard-earned money by selling useless "protection" programs. Consumers are literally being hijacked in their own homes and businesses by cyber-criminals exploiting the huge loopholes in today's essential computer software and operating systems. Microsoft is a magnet for virus creators, whatever the cause. As a result, every computer user working with Windows-based machines is a target for cyber-crime. Now the prevalence of software-bundling program installers is making it super easy for cyber criminals to install malware on the computers of unsuspecting consumers. In cyberspace, "free" has always carried a price. Now crapware is really upping the ante on "free" software. Consumers who download "free" software from almost every software depository on the internet are now forced to use that depository's installer to set up the software. These installers are usually loaded with bundled malware programs, some of which are so persistent that they won't take "no" for an answer. Clicking "decline" on some of these malware programs tricks consumers into installing the crapware on their machines. The bottom line is that whoever you are and whatever your purpose for using a computer, if you are connected to the internet (and who isn't), you MUST protect your computer against Malware. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT rely on Windows' built-in firewall to protect your computer. It is a joke to cybercriminals. Windows Explorer, despite Microsoft's efforts to make it safer, is a highway for crapware infection. Bing is a parallel route. Fortify your computer with alternative browsers such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox (just examples) and reputable anti-virus programs such as Malwarebytes, Avast and AVG (examples). Do your research. There are tons of reputable antivirus programs available; some of them providing really free but effective, limited versions. Avoid those "free scan now" ads like the plague they are! My parting advice to you, dear reader, is to run a weekly anti-virus and malware scan of your computer system every 3 days to ensure that insidious malware infections do not colonize your machine while you are sleeping. Note that NO antivirus program, despite its propaganda, is 100% virus-proof. It is a good idea, from my experience, to install and use at least 2 trustworthy scanners. I would currently recommend Malwarebytes and Avast or AVG. But you are the ultimate judge of what works best for you.

Do You Know What's On Your Computer?

I visited my brother yesterday just to socialize and keep up with his well-being. Must admit my visits could improve in terms of quantity, but that's another post. While talking about various subjects, it occurred to me to perform a spontaneous virus scan on his Windows 8-based computer. He literally lives on the machine. As a consumer, he is no slouch and very literate. I asked him about his experiences with Windows 8 , now that he is very comfortable with the system and has been using it for more than a year. He expressed his satisfaction with the system and its ease of use (apps-wise). Just then, I noticed that his search process was being conducted by MyWebsearch and that SweetpackIm was prominently displayed in his Internet Explorer browser. When told that he was being hijacked, he responded that Sweetpacks was just a game engine. So I decided to shock his complacency a little bit. He already had Malwarebytes installed on his machine, so I cranked it up and updated the virus signatures and began a scan of his computer. What happened next shocked him. Malwarebytes reported 47 malware infections on his system within less than 2 minutes of scanning, and among the infections was Sweetpacks! He couldn't believe it. His eyes were popping as more and more infections were discovered on his machine. They had all been quietly doing their damaging work behind the scenes as he used his computer to do legitimate business. Some of them he had used in the course of his daily routine, thinking them, like Sweetpacks, to be harmless applications. Which brings me to today's question: do you know what's on your computer? How many malware infections are running on your system right now, as you read this? Are you further endangering your confidential data by unknowingly harboring malware on your system? You must realize that malware is not harmless! These programs are deployed for one purpose only: to make you a target for unscrupulous entities on the internet! Some of them blatantly steal your information and others expose you to exploitation by cyber-criminals. How do they get on your machine? By bundling them with games, pics and other applications that are mainly distributed for free on the internet. Beware the automatic installers that are prevalent on so many freebie websites. When activated, many of these installers try to bundle the application you chose with unwanted malware. This can happen even on sites that claim to distribute virus-free software. Many are paraded and disguised as anti-malware applications that then set up bogus virus-infection attacks on your system unless you purchase the worthless virus cleaners they are marketing. The best defense against malware infection is to acquire a trusted anti-virus from a reputable security company. Almost every anti-virus program has some user reviews online. It pays to research the programs you decide to use on your machine. Take the time to do the research, especially if you are running a Windows-based machine. Some of the programs I would personally recommend, based on experience, are: Malwarebytes, Avast Antivirus, Spybot Search and Destroy, just to name a few. Also, in the event of infection that prevents you from accessing the internet to find cleaners, Windows Restore function can help to reset your system to a time prior to infection, allowing you to then remove the offending program from your computer. Unfortunately, whatever the reason, every Microsoft operating system has its fair share of viruses and malware dedicated to its dysfunction and Windows 8 is no exception. If nothing else, it seems to be attracting the most attention so far, in my experience. I would recommend, therefore, that every Windows 8 consumer fortify their computer system with a few trusted anti-malware and anti-virus programs immediately.

Malware Has Evolved!!

Just a quick note to consumers infected with malware. Today's malware programs have become so sophisticated that you may not realize that your computers are infected until too late. And uninstalling these programs can be a real nightmare. Yesterday (Aug 17th) I had a call from my sister stating that her computer had become unmanageable, her browsers had been hijacked and she could not use her computer to work as she is accustomed to. She has a Windows 7 laptop. Her browsers had all been switched to "My Websearch". Try as she could, she could not return her system to her default homepage. All her web connections had to go through "My websearch", which conveniently kept her away all specific anti-virus websites. When I started my phone consultations with her, I figured on spending about 30 minutes removing the malware and resetting her system. Easy pickings, I thought. I am no stranger to "My websearch". I had removed this cursed piece of malware many times from clients' computers. So I walked her through using Control Panel's Programs and Features to locate and uninstall "My websearh". Surprise; it was not listed. Search could not find any such program or file! She could not get to specific anti-virus sites from Internet Explorer or Firefox. To complicate matters further, she had partially deleted Firefox prior to calling me. She thought that would have eliminated the problem. Instead, it had ground her computer to a halt when accessing other programs. She was too inexperienced to walk her through editing her registry and all her local anti-virus programs had been switched off by the malware. Several hours later, having exhausted all my regular regimen and too far away to go pick up her computer to work on it myself physically, I decided to fool "my websearch" into giving her access to some anti-virus sites. Since we could get online only through Internet Explorer in safe mode, I told her to search for non-specific anti-malware sites by connecting to Yahoo.com and following any story listed there. When she complied and was allowed to follow a story, I asked her to simply type in the search bar the broad term "anti-malware sites". We were able to locate MalwareBytes.org and download one of the most potent anti-malware programs on the internet: MalwareBytes! The download and installation went quite smoothly and, within minutes, we were well on the way to solving her problems. With the deployment of Malwarebytes, she was able to locate and remove 37 pieces of malware already on her system, the result of "My Websearch" turning off her local anti-virus program. I gave her further instructions to reset her system and hung up, exhausted. Then I got to thinking about the new invisibility tricks employed by "My Websearch", Sweetpacks and Snapdo. They are quite similar and fairly recently employed. They all do not list themselves in the installed programs file, hide themselves outside the registry, and make multiple linked copies of themselves so that their programs can function if one link is removed. They also make direct changes to the config files of the infected browsers and disable the reset commands there, ensuring that the browser remains compromised. I am pointing out these features here for 2 reasons. Firstly, consumers should be aware that new weapons must be employed in the fight against malware and, secondly; there is a need for technicians to pool their resources and exchange effective techniques in removing malware. Malware attacks all of us indiscriminately, causing thousands of dollars in lost productivity and aggravation. If you are a technician who routinely deals with malware removal, please link to this blog and tell us about your techniques. Thanks in advance.

Remove Snapdo- and Other Nasty Browser Hijackers

If you use Windows 8, chances are that you have been a victim of a nasty piece of software called Snapdo. This browser hijacker installs itself easily into Bing, Google Chrome and Firefox, changing your homepage to Snapdo and constantly running ads on your machine. Trying to uninstall this piece of malware is in itself a nightmare because it does not show up in Control panel's list of installed programs nor does it respond to a search request of your computer.

I recently opened my Firefox browser to a shocking piece of "information" provided by Snapdo. It presented me with an official-looking warning that my computer was running out of space and I needed to purchase a program to remedy the problem immediately! Then it proceeded to demonstrate its diagnostic ability by performing a visual "diagnosis" of "my computer" showing the seriousness of the problem. That was too much for me since I had seen this age-old trick before and knew its techniques. Heck, I have spent most of my technician life removing this bogus piece of computer blackmail from client's computers. Now here it was on my computer courtesy of Snapdo. I immediately turned on my Malwarebytes software to fully scan my system and remove all traces of malware it found. I was in no mood to fool around with this unwanted piece of malware that had injected itself into all my browsers and anonymously changed their homepages. After restarting my computer, I ran a little-known but highly-effective free program called Adware Cleaner. This program rocks! It removes all the malware it locates and leaves your computer in its previously un-infected state. Depending on the amount of content on your machine, the scan and removal process takes a few minutes. Mine lasted less than five minutes because I have a fairly new machine. As a confirmation process, I also used Avast's Browser Cleanup tool to ensure my browsers were thoroughly clean and my homepages were restored to the originals. This was, of course, overkill but I was so pissed off with the overall situation and, as I said before, I did not want to fool around with this nasty piece of malware. Any one of these programs could have done the job by itself but I was pissed.

I am happy to report that since blasting my computer with these programs, everything is functioning fine. The reason I am writing this piece is to keep my readers informed of effective ways to rid their computers of unwanted malware without spending an arm and a leg. I also intend to inform victims of Snapdo and other browser-hijacking software like Sweetpacks, that these programs are not needed on their computers and only provide entrances for other vampire programs. Windows8 is no different from other Windows versions as far as virus and malware providers are concerned. It is a Microsoft program and, therefore, a target for everyone who has a beef with Microsoft for whatever reason. All I'm saying is: Beef with Microsoft but keep your crap off my computer!

Windows 8 Pissed Me Off Again

As I previously stated, I hate constantly griping over anything. However, Windows 8 just keeps on piling on the stupidity. Every consumer I know buys a computer for their use and convenience. Over the years, computer users have become addicted,(yes, addicted)to using their computers to handle routine tasks. From writing letters, answering their mail to balancing their checkbooks, computer users have allowed their computers to handle such matters. That is one of the reasons that laptop computers have become so widespread. They allow people to keep in touch and to speedily execute routine or business tasks. So, imagine my surprise when I could not use my brand new laptop to help a friend. Microsoft locked me out of my computer. I could not sign in to my desktop. Mind you, I am a computer tech. I bought this laptop to facilitate my work, personal as well as business. I am always doing research, writing and solving computer problems presented to me,(sometimes, unexpectedly). I also bought a Windows 8 system specifically because it is Microsoft's latest operating system and I wanted to be fully prepared to assist my customers. But damn! Microsoft's designers and engineers have hit rock bottom on the glaring stupidities of this system's design. Everyone knows that a laptop's main attraction for the consumer is its portability. You can work on the go, almost anywhere. You don't need an internet connection unless you want to do some internet work. Well, not until now. Windows 8 forces you to stay connected to the internet if you want to access your computer! Heaven help you if you have major work pending and you do not have access to a random wifi connection where you are. If you believe (as I did) that a password protected your computer from unauthorized access by others, think again. Windows 8's sign-in account protects your computer from access by you unless you can connect to the internet. Can you tell why I'm pissed off?

I have already written about the inconvenience of Windows 8's indiscriminate automatic updates and the practice of locking you out of your machine in the midst of whatever you are doing at the time. Other consumers have complained to me about other inconveniences they have suffered, and I know that Microsoft has received a lot of criticisms from other consumers and techs around the world. As usual, Microsoft continues to release unfinished programs on the world because it can and to hell with consumers. This practice is not new and, apparently, Microsoft has no intention of changing this behavior any time soon. Although I am not an elite program designer, I do know that designing a computer program should begin with a flowchart outlining the problems to overcome and steps to take to do so. The flowchart should take into consideration the needs of the consumer for whom it is being prepared. To design an operating system that will be used on mobile equipment without considering ease of access is unforgivably inconsiderate. At least inform potential consumers that they will be unable to access their computers if they sign in only with a Microsoft account. That option is not presented to consumers on setup, so many consumers are currently oblivious that they are being held hostage by Microsoft. And many city-dwellers will never become aware of this fact because of the abundance of wifi hotspots in heavily populated areas. My advice to everyone who has only set up a Microsoft sign-in account on their systems is to also set up a local sign in account. This is in the event of having to use your computer in areas without wifi connectivity. Hopefully, you won't find yourself in my shoes; wasted time and effort and unable to complete routine tasks. My advice to Microsoft is to carefully consider the inconveniences they are causing their customers around the world and remedy them as soon as possible. Remember, you are never too big to need your customers.

Sweetpacks Virus vs Avastfree Browser Cleanup Tool

You may have recently encountered a persistent and annoying search program called Sweetpacks on your system. It mysteriously appears as part of your browser and, try as you can, you can’t get it uninstalled, even when you remove it using control panel. Of course, the first reaction is to try various virus removers to root out this sucker. When it still returns, even after doing some registry-cleaning, you throw up your hands and become absolutely frustrated. After all, what program continues to run even after removing its registry keys? Sweetpacks does.

I recently had a bout with Sweetpacks. It sent me reeling against the ropes. It was that tough. I used all the available tools and techniques at my disposal but still could not conquer this beast. It burrowed so deeply into Google Chrome that even Malwarebytes could not find it. Even Avast’s Browser Cleanup Tool could not remove it from my Chrome browser (easy pickings for Mozilla Firefox). I was stumped.

All my internet research was almost of no avail. Step by step instructions from “Malware Tips” could not be easily followed on the latest versions of Chrome, so those did not help. (I did not try Hitman Pro). I rifled through my internet options, changing my connection settings and related items but that did not help. I ran “regedit.exe” to remove all references to Sweetpacks from H_key_Current User (Software) and H_Key_Current Machine (Software), but when I rebooted my machine, there it was again! Other people afflicted with this curse had removed it from their systems, why couldn’t I? I put my thinking cap back on. (Had to take it off my smoking brains for a minute to allow my head to cool down. Lol)

Satisfied that I had done everything possible, I again turned to my antivirus software to see if I had overlooked any features. Malwarebytes said no, but lo and behold, Avastfree Browser Cleanup Tool asked me if I wanted to return my browser to its default setting? I highlighted Chrome and clicked “yes”. Shortly thereafter, I received a message that my browser had been returned to normal. Curious to see if this was so, I restarted my computer (to ensure a clean boot) and checked my offending browser. It was working perfectly now! How do you spell R-e-l-i-e-f?

Had I carefully scrutinized the Avastfree program, I could have restored my browser in a mere fraction of the time I had used working up a lather of frustration. In a previous posting, I have properly commended the produces of “freeware”, and extolled their praises. Once again, I wish to reiterate that some of the most effective programs on the internet are free of charge, including Avastfree Anti-virus. Kudos to Grisoft for making this tool freely available to consumers. I am, hereby recommending Avastfree Browser Cleanup Tool to all and sundry, especially those affected by the Sweetpacks virus.