(No Fun at all) 'Norton Security Scan' hocum.

[The Dude]

"Where did I say I depend on this to protect a computer?"

You didn't.

You just lucked out that MB worked. Many times, it does not.
Depends on the virus...

Like you would know. I thought you didn't use free software? Either you do use free software, which means you're not telling the truth. Or, you don't use free software and you have no idea what you're talking about. Which is it?

[g1]

So it's like system restore then, sometimes you get lucky, many time not?

[The Dude]

Reasons to use MWB instead of system restore.

1) Using system restore may reinstall malware if it's written to the restore backups.
2) Using system restore will MOST OF THE TIME require you to reinstall any legitimate programs that were installed after the last restore point.
3) I have used both (unlike someone else posting in this thread). System restore, because of current malware being designed to work around it, DOES NOT WORK more often than it works.
4) Malwarebytes is free.
5) I have yet to meet a PC I couldn't save with MWB- not one, without having to restore programs or use corrupt restore backups. As I said in an earlier post it even works when you can't boot into Windows and you need NO additional media (Windows installation CD or the like).

Again, I'll stipulate that the free version DOES NOT have real time protection and you should either use the paid version or another Antivirus program with it. HOWEVER, if you've already been infected, I have not seen or used a better product than MWB- paid, free, or otherwise.

[Steve A.]

Pretty much 90% of all infected computers I fix...
Has Malware Bytes and Avast free versions installed.
And it don't do any good to protect it, at all.

I take your word on that- with those programs you need to be proactive. At the first sign of malware run Malwarebytes and then set to Avast! to do a boot scan the next time you reboot. I had to do the boot scan about 4 times before I finally disinfected a friend's computer.

BTW AVG has a free boot time scanner. I dl'd the ISO and burned it to a CD. When the program came up it was total greek to me, very possibly a very basic interface for a Linux command line. I couldn't figure out how to select a disk so I exited the program. But it did look like it might be effective if you knew how to run it...

Steve

P.S. Your 90% figure does not mean that MWB and Avast! have a 90% failure rate. I think it just means that people who are too cheap to pay for an AV program are not that conscientious about setting and running the programs properly. It might also have to do with "that kind of person" doing a lot of illegal file sharing...

If you are going to hang out on the shady side of town you need to protect yourself.

[The Dude]

Steve (and/or anyone else for that matter),

If you have MWB installed and you get a boot sector virus that won't allow you to get into Windows, or if you can get into Windows but can't run anything, you can do this. Boot to safe mode command prompt only pressing the F8 key after you fire up the computer. When you get the command prompt, navigate to the directory MWB is in- usually "C:\Program Files (x86)\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware". You can find it by typing "dir" at the command prompt to get a list of folders on the drive. Then, after you get to the directory, type mbam.exe. and MWB will run and remove any malware it detects. You can then reboot and everything is good again. It is important to update the MWB database files regularly. This is a cake walk for anyone that has a bit of MSDOS experience. For the untrained, it can be tricky to navigate to the folder. If anybody needs specific instructions, I'd be happy to provide them. I'd just have to reboot, run the process, and write everything down.

[soundguruman]

Like you would know. I thought you didn't use free software? Either you do use free software, which means you're not telling the truth. Or, you don't use free software and you have no idea what you're talking about. Which is it?

"Which is it?"

neither,
I do not use free software.
I observe how free software works when my clients, or other people install it.
Which is usually pretty poorly.

The better systems cost money.
$22 a year is 6 cents a day. It's worth it compared to being virus attacked.

the pro software updates several times a day
there are new virus signatures installed
all day long

Of course, no antivirus is 100% effective.
the rate of virus creation can outpace the antivirus and you can still get hit,
no matter how good the antivirus is.

But with the pro software,
I have a better chance of survival
Much less problems.

[The Dude]

I "observed" a TV show about brain surgery last weekend. I'm going to try it tomorrow.

[soundguruman]

I "observed" a TV show about brain surgery last weekend. I'm going to try it tomorrow.

On yourself?

[The Dude]

On yourself?

You come up with that all by yourself or did you "observe" someone else say it first?

[Steve A.]

If you have MWB installed and you get a boot sector virus that won't allow you to get into Windows, or if you can get into Windows but can't run anything, you can do this. Boot to safe mode command prompt only pressing the F8 key after you fire up the computer. When you get the command prompt, navigate to the directory MWB is in- usually "C:\Program Files (x86)\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware".

You could put a BAT file on the root of C: which would navigate to the MWB install folder and run mbam.exe with whatever options you need. I used to LOVE bat files and when the early versions of Windows came out I had a licensed copy of WinBatch from WilsonWindowsWare. Man, I loved those early days when you could carve out the computing environment you wanted with BATCH files. (Norton licensed a version of WinBatch which they included in Norton Desktop. I think that Mr. Wilson took the money and ran because I never did hear from him after that...)

Steve

[soundguruman]

Turnabout is fair play.

The general observation is:
Computer problems usually follow the installation of "free" software. The "free" program is installed, the computer starts acting up, and that's when the client calls a tech to fix it.

The tech then identifies what was installed, and removes it, the fixes the damage that occurred.

This damage ranges from "spam, malicious cookies," all the way to virus, or corruption of the boot sector, etc...
The tech needs to identify and act accordingly.

Some people prefer to use computer trouble free.
Some people download all kinds of crap, and screw around endlessly...having never ending difficulties...

The choice is yours.
Learning to avoid it, is priceless.

Have you adjusted "ON-line behavior" to avoid problems?
OR do you compulsively download "free" software?

[big_teee]

You Guys all know, and fix computers.
Just sounds like some different preferences.
And, Some like to spend more money than others.