Best Security Setup

[PP Mguire]

Always good to keep a toolbox handy, IMO. Can eliminate the need to fiddle around and waste time.

I have an external drive and 2 flash drives that I take to each "IT" job just in case. I do everything manually without the need for programs because sometimes a PC can be so locked down you can't install a program to do what you need. It's always better to know how to do things the hard way because if you get too used to letting programs do something for you you'll either forget something or the job wont actually be done when you leave.

does anyone have recomendations for ad blockers? i suspect many problems are created by malicious ads.

Adblock for FF and Chrome.

 

[s0l0m0n]

It's always better to know how to do things the hard way because if you get too used to letting programs do something for you you'll either forget something or the job wont actually be done when you leave.

I think this is important to differentiate that for a veteran IT personnel like yourself, it is necessary to understand the underlying problems without utilizing another program, but for the unseasoned user, a nice GUI and resources that are spelled out to an end-user, I still recommend Iobit's Advance System Care.

 

[PP Mguire]

My biggest deal with programs is they use short cuts to get the job done. For instance, a virus stuck in System32 usually wont actually be deleted, but registry entries associated with it are so the file doesn't get accessed then it's put in the "chest" so it isn't seen as a threat anymore. Problem is, it's still there. When I go through and delete it manually I know for sure it's gone. I'm also not jacking with the registry so there wont be any future problems. That's one such instance why I prefer it my way. It's time consuming, but I've never had somebody ring me back up saying the problem is back.

To further add to that, if that virus replaced an important .dll file I can replace it with a non-infected version so you don't have any critical system issues either.

 

[s0l0m0n]

How can you check for compromised .dll files? And can you just replace them off a fresh install?

 

[maddangerous]

^ true, the hard way is sometimes best, but you would still use an AV program to find said virus most of the time right? (keyword most)

and for the toolbox thing i mentioned, i was referring to portable apps. Portable AV, with updated definitions, if said machine you were working on had no internet/couldnt install AV because of virus blocking it, pop in your flash drive and use that OR boot from a cd (or flash drive) with ultimate boot cd or trinity rescue kit.

portable programs come in handy used them many times, with no problems.

 

[PP Mguire]

How can you check for compromised .dll files? And can you just replace them off a fresh install?

Most of the time people have AV installed and it lets me know. I do a highjackthis and a few other things to make sure, then in safe mode delete the file and replace it with a fresh one. Then to make absolutely sure I use Avast's boot up scan to do a pre-boot scan.
Other times without AV I can look at the task manager to see who is hogging resources or copying themselves in RAM. This was easier in XP, but I can still do it in Vista/7. I still use AV half the time after I've done the work myself to check for other flagged files but I've never had an instance where an AV picked up something after I was done.

^ true, the hard way is sometimes best, but you would still use an AV program to find said virus most of the time right? (keyword most)

and for the toolbox thing i mentioned, i was referring to portable apps. Portable AV, with updated definitions, if said machine you were working on had no internet/couldnt install AV because of virus blocking it, pop in your flash drive and use that OR boot from a cd (or flash drive) with ultimate boot cd or trinity rescue kit.

portable programs come in handy used them many times, with no problems.

I keep a downloaded copy of Avast on said external.