Larian Studios Forums General Chat Chat (Anything) PC Protection

Here are a couple of links for some securty software. For the benefit of those who are unsure of what they need to browse the internet safely, here are my tips:

1. Always make sure you have the latest critical & security updates from from Microsoft.

2. Get any patches relating to threats (i.e. MSBLAST) and install them.

3. Get a good firewall. There's a free version of Sygate firewall which I use.

4. You also need a good virus checker. A virus checker must NEVER! go more than two weeks without an update. You can get NOD32 which is good.

No doubt people will join this thread with their opinions which you might want to check out too!

hmm Ad-Aware, Spybot and Spyblaster come to mind not too mention pop up stoppers for ppl who dont run mozilla et all or other browser with inbuilt stoppers <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Not so much protection, but maintenance: run Disk Defragmenter in your System Tools once in a while (monthly, perhaps?) It keeps the computer running smoothly and quickly. It can take a few hours to run so start it before you go out for the day. It's been a couple of years since I last did. Now I've run it again and things are going a lot smoother.

hmm in reply to HandEFood;try using a trial ware copy of Disk keeper(for ntfs, fat,linux and other partitions), it is by far superior than the Defrag (lite) version that comes supplied with XP, I do a 100 gig partitioned drive in roughly 5 -10 minutes every end of session and that keeps me up to speed <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

end of season.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />
i defrag...... weekly! along with scan, anti-v updates, as well as,
broken shortcuts and links, it all adds up. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

in response (heck that's for mea's 'in reply to' <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> ) to mea's diskeeper trial version, u might as well get the free Lite version of it. works in all Windows platforms.

Yo Janggut, this is Diskeeper executive and it is "FREE" <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

okies, but u won't get much out of it especially the scheduling part of the full version.

hmm lost in thought trying to figure out if I have been dense or my writing is not detailed enough or there's something you know and I don't? Cause it has scheduling <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

hmm does one pronounce schedule as shedule or skedule ?

Yanks = Shedule
Brits = Skedule

They're both the same though, so it doesn't really matter.

well no harm in pronouncing it shhkedule then. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

but then sedule does sound nice also. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />

I am a Brit i would say....Shedyule is how it's pronounced. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

Sch(ool) Sch(edule)

i agree.... see <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

The Art of Getting Back On Topic Without Really Getting Back On Topic

Aside from browsing the internet, there are other potential threats to your PC. For instance, somebody could come by your empty work station and do God Knows What to your computer.
Set passwords.
A trick I use at work where my computer is potentially vulnerable to a casual passerby with a head injury is as follows. (I work with head injuries.)
Make and save a picture of your desktop. Make that picture your desktop wallpaper. Now hide your icons--use a toolbar so you can get to them easily as needed. Hide the toolbars. Now anybody who comes by and tries to open an app by clicking on an icon will think the computer has frozen and they will leave it alone. Of course this also works as a practical joke on your sister's machine, but I am not endorsing such jokes. To heighten the effect change the cursor from an arrow to an hourglass.

People in the past have made a replica of the Windows logon screens. Naturally, people have entered their usernames and passwords into it, and the computer didn't log on. However, the program saved all attemps to log on to a text file (getting everyone's ID and passwords) for the er... Naughty boy to retrieve later...

Anyway here's another tip:

You can (Windows XP at least) encrypt your private files using the encryption tool in Windows. The encryption cannot, and will not be broken. But remember to decrypt the files and folders before formatting or transfer the certificate (Algorithm) to floppy first, as you won't be able to decrypt them when you reinstall, unless you have it.