PC tip

[Malak]

Ok, say you have a virus that won't let you run your removal program or any other program for that matter... what it is doing is screening to see if it is ending in ".exe". Well, today I had a revelation that screensavers are also executable programs, but they end in ".scr"!
So I renamed the Malwarebytes exe "mbam.exe" to "mbam.scr" and voila, after getting an initial error message, it ran & removed the virus! Haha, bastard virus writers! Take that!

 

[Nova]

Nice trick I will have to remember that.

 

[hotspurdotus]

Another trick is to rename your file (like mbam.exe) to iexplore.exe. Viruses need to let internet explorer launch to spread their garbage, so they allow iexplore.exe to function properly.

 

[Malak]

intersting, never thought of that, but you are correct

muahaha!

 

[talal101]

very cool, thanks for the great tips

 

[addy1]

great to know, now hope I remember if something ever happens

 

[vertigo72]

Here is another tip; if you are not a PC gamer, dump windows and install ubuntu. No more viruses. Your PC will be tons faster, much more secure, and in many ways, easier to use. Especially finding and installing software is a breeze with the software center, its like appstore on the iphone. Except its all free. As is ubuntu. Give it a try:
http://www.ubuntu.com/

You can boot it from an USB stick to test it and see if it works on your machine (it almost certainly will) and if you like it.

 

[Malak]

Already use it as a dual boot to rescue Windows. I disagree that it's easier. It's like learning a foreign language. It took me awhile to figure-out the basics and I've just started doing some more advanced stuff. But I am a huge gamer. Always been from Day One all the way back to Castle Wolfenstein! :-D Also, I'm a VB programmer, so I want to use an OS I can actually write programs for.

 

[vertigo72]

If you've used windows for 10 or 20 years, any other OS, no matter how friendly, will appear to be more difficult at first. For instance, I cant find my way around Apple's OS-X either, but it would be a stretch to call it a less user friendly OS because of it. Im just not used to it, while ive used windows and linux for 20+ and 10 years respectively.

But if you are not a windows expert, for most tasks, especially basic tasks like installing the OS, (not having to) install drivers, finding and installing (virus free, and $ free) software, keeping software and OS up to date etc, ubuntu will be considerably more user friendly. Its not because many of us have become so accustomed to buying antivirus programs, reinstalling windows every 6 months, updating 15 apps in 20 different places with 20 different UIs, that our harddrive is called C:\ and something ending in .EXE means its a program, that these things really are logical or easy.

Of course ubuntu wont make everybody happy, if you happen to have a printer or network card that is not supported out of the box, if you need itunes for your iphone, or some specific windows app that doesnt not work under wine (windows emulation), then suddenly ubuntu can become frustratingly hard, especially for a new linux user thats very experienced with windows (or OS-X). Thats why I suggest people try it. It works for many, including my 75 year old mother.

 

[Malak]

Yes it's great for just cruising the web or wardriving. ;-)
I think it's biggest asset is getting access to your files if Windows crashes. I've saved many a PC this way.
My fav OS was DOS 6.2 You had to have a brain to use it and I had no issues remember all the long commands. You could even play games. Not like now of course. Linux does remind me of it in that way.
By the way, years ago I had regular emails with a policeman in your country.