Answers to frequently asked questions - 24APR04
From: Andrew Z Carpenter [MVP:Windows:Security] (azc_at_cirencester.ac.uk)
Date: 04/24/04
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Date: Sat, 24 Apr 2004 12:13:37 +0100
Answers to frequently asked questions. Please consult
this list before asking a question that may be answered
here.
Before you post, a reminder - it is advisable to use
a fictional email address when posting to this board.
If you use your real email address, you open yourself
up to receiving spam, virus infected emails, and more.
Answers to your questions will be posted here as a
reply to your original message, and not emailed to you.
Please remember, if you are asking for help with a
virus, it helps us to help you if you tell us as much
detail as possible, including the name of the virus as
was told to you by your antivirus software.
Q. My computer keeps shutting down - something about
RPC failure. What do I do?
A. You have been lax in keeping your computer up to
date with antivirus software and more importantly
in this case, critical security updates available
from Microsoft. A virus has been released which
takes advantage of a security flaw in Windows 2000
and Windows XP. Microsoft released a fix for this
weeks ago, but you haven't installed it. See the
further down the rest of this list to find out what
to do, including advice about antivirus software
and WindowsUpdate.
Q. I've recieved an email telling me that I have been
infected with a virus called JDBGMGR.EXE and that
I should delete it, and then warn everybody that I
know about this. What should I do?
A. The email you have recieved is a hoax, and no action
should be taken except to delete the email that made
these claims.
Q. Oops, I've already deleted JDBGMGR.EXE - how do I
get it back?
A. You don't need to. The file is only required by
software developers who program in the JAVA language.
Q. I've recieved an email that warns me about an email
titled either "It takes guts to say Jesus", "An
internet flower for you", or "Life is beautiful".
What do I do now?
A. Nothing. The emails you have recieved are more
hoaxes, all of which have been around for a very
long time. I suggest consulting one of the
following websites for information about hoaxes:
http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org and http://snopes.com
Q. I've recieved an email reply from 'Microsoft' with
an attachment. I didn't email them, and my virus
checker tells me the attachment is infected with
a virus! What do I do, and who at Microsoft should
I report this to?
A. The email is not from Microsoft, as their policy is
to never send files by email. The email you have
recieved is the result of someone you know being
infected by a virus as a result of opening an email
just like the one you recieved yourself. Delete the
email.
Q. A file called ~ keeps appearing on my desktop or in
other places on my computer. It appears to contain
my address book. Do I have a virus?
A. No. This file is produced as the result of a bug in
the current version of Outlook Express. Microsoft
are apparantly aware of the issue and will release
a patch sometime in the future.
Q. I think I might have a virus, how can I tell?
A. With antivirus software. If you don't have any, you
can get some for free from http://www.grisoft.com
Q. I already have antivirus software but it didn't
find virus X, why not?
A. To ensure your antivirus software can be able to
detect the latest virus threats, you need to keep
it updated. Many antivirus software packages come
with an auto-update feature. Ensure it is working,
and if not then check the website of it's developer
to see if a manual update is possible.
Q. If I install antivirus software and keep it updated,
is that all I have to do to keep my computer protected?
A. No! Antivirus software will only detect and prevent
infection by viruses. There are lots more nasty things
out there on the internet that are just waiting to do
the dirty tango with your computer. For one, you need
to keep your operating system up to date with all the
latest security patches. This is a free service
provided by Microsoft. All you have to do is go to
the WindowsUpdate website, scan your computer, and
apply any updates that are available. You can find it
at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
Q. So, if I install antivirus software, and keep my computer
up to date with security patches, is that me safe now?
A. Not completely. You should also install a firewall.
Q. What's a firewall?
A. A firewall acts like a bouncer on the door of a nightclub.
It controls what can enter and leave your computer.
You can get free ZoneAlarm from http://www.zonelabs.com
An alternative is Sygate Personal Firewall free from
http://smb.sygate.com/products/spf/spf_ov.htm
Q. I keep getting pop up messages while I am on the internet,
what can I do to get rid of these?
A. There are two types of popups. One uses the 'messenger
service' included with Windows 2000 and Windows XP. To
rid yourself of these, install a firewall (see above).
The second type of popup is triggered by web-pages you
visit. These can be controlled by a popup stopper.
You can get one free from http://www.panicware.com
Q. My browser home page has been taken over by another
website! Also, when I do searches I get taken to a
website I didn't want to go to! What's up?
A. Your browser has been hijacked, and your computer
probably is also infected with Spyware. You can clean
these nasties from your computer with some software
called Spybot Search & Destory, free from
http://www.spybot.info
Q. After I updated my computer with the security patches
available from WindowsUpdate, I was no longer able to
open attachments in Outlook Express! Why not?
A. This is by design, and was implimented to try and
control the ever-increasing spread of virsues. If you
are absolutely sure the attachment is safe to open,
you can disable this blocking by going to Tools,
Options, Security, and unticking Do not allow attachments
to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus.
Q. I have been infected with Virus [insert name here]. How
do I go about removing it?
A. Most antivirus software is designed to prevent infection
by a virus. If the software was not updated, and the
virus was able to infect your computer, you may find that
your antivirus software is unable to remove it from your
computer. In this case, do a search of the internet for
'[insert name here] removal tool'. Replace [insert name
here] with the name of the virus that you have been
infected with. This should give a result directing you
to a page with a tool that you can download and run that
will remove the virus for you.
-- AZC MVP (FAQ VER008)
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