Some PC questions

[Rastus]

From Internet Explorer, tools/internet options  That's where the settings are.  Now which ones to change depend on your surfing habits.  You can lower your default privacy level one notch, and that usualy does it.  It also makes AdAware mandatory.  So it's spybots and information cookies, or sites that use ActiveX to navigate, your choice.

[Kazbadan]

Hmm...i see, but maybe its better to have some spybots that i could remove later instead of being impossibilitated to visit web pages.

There are many internet pages that are blocked with no reason. Sometimes even AP forums itself it will be blocked! Damn it! I think i will install another anti-spyware and use it with Adaware, removing the threats from the majority of pages.

what about the other questions? do you know any pter good antispyware?

thanks

[astralspinner]

As well as anti-spware software, make sure you have a firewall installed & working at all times. Not only does this make it harder for spyware to get dumped on your machine, it stops the spyware being able to download MORE spyware. Most spam emails come from machines that have been hacked.

Active X is a security nightmare and if you can possibly cope without it, you should do so - some malware can screw your computer up so badly your only hope is to reformat and reinstall Windows. Don't fall into the trap of ignoring spyware because "I can remove it later", you often can't.

The best thing you can do to make your web surfing safer is to not use IE - by integrating it with the OS, they've made a tool that can **** up your whole computer just by accessing a web page. Even government agencies have been ordered to switch from IE to a browser like Mozilla's Firefox, and they've got some serious security software running.

Do a Google for people's experiences with spyware & malware, it makes for some frightening reading...

[Jenia_San]

also,for an other anti spyware prog,I'd reccomend "Spybot:search and destroy".
don't ask me where to get it...
also,I am using IE and it's perfectly safe for me []
Remember good ol' blaster worm?[}:)]
well I meddled with the source code of the thing,and changed it to be an impenetreble anti hacking/spyware prog. it also serves as a great security prog,cos' no one but me can make anything work [}:)]
one prob though: it was originally desinged to be a virus,so even when the code is corrupted,it couses a few probs...like making it impossible to access most parts of the control panel,even to me [V].

[Kazbadan]

About IE, my problem is that i dont know if Mozila or the like will work well with other applications.

Some CDs (demo Cds that you can purchase with a magazine for example) will onçy accept IE.

So, you think that i should leave intact the Active X thing?

[Nagual]

Mozilla should be able to display most pages.  Just be sure to install all the flash/shockwave/java pluggins; usually used for bloated menus and annoying intros...

[SomeBloke]

Xoftspy is good anti-spyware with free updates for life if you purchase it.  The free version only detects, doesn't remove.

[WalkerInTheWoods]

Mozilla and Mozilla Firefox web browsers are much better than IE. After having used them I dread the thought of using IE again, which I have to use at work. Most pages work fine with Mozilla. A few pages will show up weird, like here, but are still entirely functional. A small number of pages will not work so you don't want to uninstall IE. I have only found one site that does not work, which is for my online banking of all things. []

Check out Mozilla and see what you think. //www.mozilla.org It can't hurt to give it a try.

[astralspinner]

My gf had the problem of being unable to access her bank online using Mozilla - it told her "Only IE browsers can correctly access this site" or some such.

Which was utter garbage, they'd just deliberately shut out everybody not using the latest IE. Downloaded the Mozilla plugin that allows her to pretend she was using IE, and it works absolutely fine.

It's a pity AP doesn't work properly with Mozilla, but as you say, it's perfectly usable - you just have to hit Page Down before you can read the posts

[WalkerInTheWoods]

quote:My gf had the problem of being unable to access her bank online using Mozilla - it told her "Only IE browsers can correctly access this site" or some such.

Which was utter garbage, they'd just deliberately shut out everybody not using the latest IE. Downloaded the Mozilla plugin that allows her to pretend she was using IE, and it works absolutely fine.

Which plugin is that? I need to get that.

[astralspinner]

The User Agent Switcher plugin - http://useragentswitcher.mozdev.org/

[WalkerInTheWoods]

Sweet! It works! Thank you, astralspinner. []

[Nagual]

Talking about Mozilla extensions, I always install:
http://prefbar.mozdev.org/ (which has also the UserAgent spoofing)
http://adblock.mozdev.org/ (which blocks/hide unwanted content by regular expressions)

[Kazbadan]

1- I´ve just installed win xp again but when i go to some internet pages with ie (internet explorer) the page will be blank and there will be a message saying something like: "you cannot visit this page because of your current settings cannot run ActiveX dont-know-what,etc,etc." In other words, somthng related with a thing called "activeX2 its stoping from going to some sites in the internet. What the hell is that? how can i change that do go to the internet normally? Is it dangerous to chanmge that? why? etc


2- I use Ad-Aware as an antispyware. I read somwhere that it is needed to have 2 antispyware to have a good protection. Do you know any other good antispyware? Please, if possible indicate one that its freeware. btw, i heard that there is one called spybot i dont-know-what that it is just a rough copy/imitation of Ad-Aware and it will do everything that Adaware does. So, please, say one good spyboot thats its not an imitation.

3- DO you know if there is any good free regclean to download on the net?

thanks