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| by Ed Krimen |
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Whether your computer is already virus-free or needs help, be sure to share your digital photos on Photobird.com. Your photo albums on Photobird.com are easy to make, easy to share, and make your photos really stand out!
The Photobird blog, the journal for photo enthusiasts, is where we share photo tips, news, and other fun stuff that's on Photobird.com and all around the photo community. Be sure to check it out when you're finished reading this article.
Make your computer virus-free
One of the most popular uses of computers these days is to look at pictures that you've taken with your digital camera. Unfortunately, viruses and other unwanted stuff that makes its way onto your computer can make looking at pictures a very unpleasant experience. Viruses, Trojan horses, spyware, adware, and malware wreak havoc on your computer, opening pop-up windows and making your computer run slowly while you're trying to look at pictures.
It's an extremely frustrating experience that can nearly force you to stop using your computer. If you don't know someone who has specifically dealt with this situation and can help you, you're at the mercy of computer stores and consultants who will charge a hefty fee to remove the viruses; and they may not even be successful, as viruses can linger and reappear later. Sometimes, you may even be persuaded that the free virus checker that your Internet service provider gives you will do the job, when it really won't.
You shouldn't need to pay anyone to remove this junk from your computer. And you'll need more than one piece of free software to solve this problem and prevent it from happening in the future.
You need a complete strategy that's proven effective not only by me, but by other people who have used a similar approach. And, perhaps best of all, the advice and the software is free -- which is what it should be.
I performed the following steps over 12 months ago and the computer is still running snappily, just like new, and is completely virus-free. Other people have successfully performed similar strategies on dozens of computers.
Consider the options
Before I describe the details of how to remove these viruses and prevent them from infecting your Windows computer in the future, let's take a step back and examine the bigger picture with alternative options. Should you continue to use Windows? I'm not going to do a hard sell and tell you to switch to the Mac, because the Mac may not be right for you. But, if you feel that you're due for a new computer, you should strongly consider getting a Mac for these reasons:
 The Mac is extremely secure and virtually virus-free. Experts disagree on the reason: either the Mac is simply designed to be more secure, or its overall market share compared to Windows is too miniscule to encourage virus authors to spend much time writing Mac viruses. Whatever the reason is, it's much more difficult to get a virus on your Mac. I've had mine for over 3 years without a problem, and I haven't done anything special to prevent viruses. Straight of the box, it works great and is virus free.
The Mac is easier to use for most people. Overall, the Mac feels less convoluted and is a better experience than using Windows. Diehard Windows users will disagree because they have a lot of time and money invested in their computers. Most people, however, are not diehard Windows users, and you will find that the Mac is as easy to use if not easier than Windows.
The Mac isn't the only operating system alternative available. There's Linux too. But I'd only recommend Linux if you have more time and patience to tinker with your computer than you already have with Windows. Yeah, I thought so. Therefore, Mac and Windows are your two options.
I don't want to mislead you: Moving to the Mac may not be a good option for you if you have someone readily available to help you with Windows, or if you use your computer for any unusual tasks, besides using e-mail, surfing the web, looking at pictures, writing letters, etc. Before you switch, I strongly recommend that you evaluate what you currently use your computer for, and make sure that the Mac will work for you in a similarly productive way. I'd be surprised if it didn't, but I don't know exactly what you use your computer for, so I can't say for sure. If you think the Mac may be right for you, but aren't sure, visit a Mac store, research the Mac online, or post a message in our forums with a description of what you use your computer for, and I'll try to help.
Prepare for surgery, Doctor
Most of the steps I describe below can be performed by someone with a moderate level of computer experience. You don't need to be an expert, but you will need to have some experience and some patience. If you occasionally need help from someone who knows more than you about computers, then you might need help from them on this. In fact, if they haven't seen this article, you should probably show it to them to be sure they have taken similar precautions with their computer.
The first thing you need to do is backup your documents, photos, music, and anything else that you can't afford to lose or to replace. In fact, you should backup your files on a regular basis; monthly is good, if you use your computer several times a week. If you only surf the web or read e-mail, then you probably don't need to backup your computer. But if you write documents, store your photos, and create other unique content, then you should backup those files somehow. If you have a lot of e-mail addresses and bookmarks or "favorites" for your web browser, then you should definitely backup those.
At the very least, you should have the settings for your Internet service provider and your e-mail accounts backed up or stored somewhere, even printed out or written down on a piece of paper. If a virus infects your computer so badly that your computer becomes unusable, then you'll need those settings to reconnect to the Internet after you repair your computer. Even so, if you follow my recommendation below for the best solution, the steps I describe will require that you have these details available to reconnect your computer to the Internet. You should also make note of the applications you have installed as you will need to reinstall them later.
If you only have a few files that you need to backup, under a 100MB or so, you can simply use a free e-mail account, or two, to store your files; e-mail accounts from Yahoo Mail, Hotmail, or Google Mail will work fine. Just be aware that your account may be deleted after long periods of inactivity, so you should check it on a regular basis.
One of the most effective ways to backup large amounts of files these days is with DVDs. DVDs store over 4 gigabytes of data on each disc. If you have large amounts of data to backup, such as photos and movies, then burning a DVD once a month, or when you've shot new photos, for example, is an easy way to backup your files.
If you don't already have a DVD drive, you can install one in your computer, or you can get an external drive. According to cdfreaks.com, there is no "best" DVD drive. So, my recommendation is to shop Amazon.com , J&R , and B&H Photo for their offerings.
When shopping for a DVD writer (or "burner"), there's a few things to keep in mind. You'll want an external drive, unless you have room inside your computer and you're comfortable installing an internal drive. You'll also want a drive that supports USB, if you're using Windows. (If you're using a Mac, you might be able to use Firewire or USB, but be sure to verify what your computer supports.) Make sure that your Windows computer has USB 2.0 ports, not just standard USB or USB 1.0. If you're unsure, check with the literature that came with your computer or check with the company you bought your computer from. Finally, you'll want to buy a device that burns DVD-R discs, and likewise, you'll want to buy blank DVD-R discs. It doesn't matter if the drive or the discs are 4x, 8x, 16x, or any other speed (unless you'll be doing something else besides backing up files). I burn my DVDs at 1x, and it's fast enough.
The Best Solution
The best solution to rid your computer of viruses is to wipe it clean and start over. Yes, reformat the hard drive and start from scratch. (But only after you've backed up your computer as I describe above!) After you've reformatted the drive, install and use the free software I've listed below to keep viruses off your computer.
Reformatting the drive is an excellent long-term solution and investment of your time. I performed this operation over 12 months ago and the computer is still as clean and virus-free as the day it was wiped clean. It's like a brand new computer.
If your computer is so heavily infected that it's become unusable, then the complete reformat is definitely the best solution. There may not even be an alternative solution -- except to live with the viruses and the pop-ups and the slowness. You can try clearing your computer of viruses by simply using the free anti-virus software I list below (without reformatting beforehand), but the anti-virus software may not be able to completely remove all of the viruses, due to the severity with which the viruses have infected and damaged your system. The viruses will probably resurface and Windows will not perform well due to the damage. Therefore, I recommend reformatting and starting from scratch.
Be prepared to spend several hours working on this. I don't want to discourage you; just setting your expectations. Backing up and reformatting your computer takes time, and fortunately, you won't need to spend the entire time in front of the computer; most of the time, the computer works by itself, asking you for input occasionally.
When you're finished, you'll feel great because your computer will be virus free, and remain virus free, without all of those annoying pop-ups! It'll definitely feel like you have a new computer. For free!
To reformat the hard drive in your computer and reinstall Windows, you'll need the original CD and product key that came with your computer when you purchased it. Or, if you bought Windows in its own box as an upgrade, then you'll need that CD and product key. In every case, you'll need the Windows CD and product key to reformat your drive and reinstall Windows.
1. To start this process, turn on the computer with the Windows CD in the CD drive, and Windows Setup will boot from the CD.
2. Press Enter to "set up Windows XP now".
3. Press F8 on the Licensing Agreement page.
4. If there are multiple partitions on your drive, press D to delete them. This will delete all of your data! Be sure you have backed up everything you need! You will not be able to get it back! Then press C to create a new partition.
5. Create one partition that equals the maximum size possible (unless you know what you're doing and want to create multiple partitions).
6. Press Enter to set up Windows XP on the new partition.
7. Format the partition using the NTFS file system, the third option in the list. Don't use the Quick option.
8. Follow the remaining prompts while Windows XP installs.
For more details on installing Windows XP, see the Related Links below.
Congratulations!
Your hard drive is reformatted, Windows is reinstalled, and you're off to a fresh start!
Configure your computer to connect to the Internet, but do not go to any websites, except the ones I mention below. Some websites contain links to viruses which could start to infect your computer again, and then you'd need to reinstall Windows all over again, which you don't want to do.
After you connect to the Internet, follow these steps to secure your computer, prevent viruses from invading your computer again, and ensure a pleasant computing experience.
A. Install Windows Service Pack 2.
1. Click Start.
2. Click All Programs.
3. Click Internet Explorer.
4. Go to www.windowsupdate.com.
5. Click the "Express" button to check for new software.
6. Follow the prompts to install Service Pack 2 and other updates to bring your computer up to the latest versions.
B. Configure the Security Center.
1. Click Start.
2. Click Control Panel.
3. Double-click Security Center. Firewall and Automatic updates should be on. Virus Protection not found is fine. Basically, they want you to buy something, which we don't want or need to do. If you click on "Not found" and then click the Recommendations button, you can click the "I have an antivirus program that I'll monitor myself" checkbox and then Click OK.
C. Download and install Firefox web browser.
If Internet Explorer isn't already open, then click Start, click All Programs, click Internet Explorer one last time, and go to www.getfirefox.com to download and install the Firefox web browser.
Firefox is just as easy to use as Internet Explorer, but it has more features, is faster, and most importantly, doesn't have the security holes that hackers take advantage of to create viruses and infect your computer.
When Firefox asks if it should be the default web browser, click Yes! This is very important! Whenever you click on a link in an e-mail message, for example, you want Firefox to open the link, not Internet Explorer!
D. Secure Internet Explorer.
1. In Internet Explorer, go to the Tools menu.
2. Go to Internet Options.
3. In the Security tab, choose Internet and set the security level to High.
4. Click OK.
5. Go to File.
6. Click Close.
7. Never use Internet Explorer again!
E. Remove Internet Explorer from the desktop.
Right-click on the Internet Explorer icon on your desktop, and click Delete to remove it from the desktop, so you don't use it anymore.
F. Download and install Ad-Aware 2008 Free free anti-virus software from www.lavasoft.com/software/adaware/. Be sure to use the Firefox web browser to visit the Ad-Aware website, not Internet Explorer!
After you have successfully installed and launched Ad-Aware SE, it should ask you to check for new definitions or updates. If it doesn't, then click "Check for updates now".
"Definitions" are data that tells Ad-Aware about viruses and how to fight them. Each anti-virus program has its own set of definitions. Definitions are updated fairly frequently, and each anti-virus program usually finds new updates if you launch each program every week or so.
If Ad-Aware finds new, updated definitions, click OK, and then click Connect to download them. When it's done updating, click Finish.
After the virus definitions have been updated, click Start on the main screen to scan for viruses.
On the next screen, click the Next button to use the default "Perform smart system scan". This scan may take a few minutes depending on your computer and the length of time from the last time you scanned for viruses.
When Ad-Aware SE is done scanning, it usually reports that it found something, even though what it found may be negligible and not harmful. Click Next to continue.
On the next screen, it will give you more details on what it found.
If it finds viruses, you should check the boxes of the viruses it found and click Next to remove them. If it finds negligible objects, or objects that don't pose a threat, you can leave them or remove them. On this pass, since you just installed Windows, your system should be clean.
G. Download and install Spybot Search & Destroy free anti-virus software from www.safer-networking.org/en/download/.
After you have successfully installed and launched Spybot Search & Destory, click on Search for Updates. If new files are found, be sure that "Detection rules" and "Immunization database" are checked. You can check any other files you want to download too. Then click "Download Updates" in the upper right. If you get "bad checksum" errors, try again later.
Then, click "Search & Destroy" in the upper left. Then click "Check for problems". If it finds any problems, you can click "Fix selected problems" to fix them. Click the red box with the X in it in the upper right corner to close the application.
When you're installing programs in the future, Search & Destroy may bring up alerts to notify you when those new installations change your system's "registry". This is a precaution because viruses often change the registry as a method to infect your system. If the program you are installing is legitimate and you get the alert, click the "Allow change" button. Otherwise, if you're not installing any programs and you think there might be a virus, click the "Deny change" button.
H. Download and install SpywareBlaster free anti-virus software from www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html. Spyware Blaster takes a snapshot of your system and checks against that snapshot when any potential viruses try to install themselves on your computer.
As their website explains: "Enabling SpywareBlaster's powerful protection is easy. Open SpywareBlaster. Click on the 'Enable All Protection' link under Quick Tasks. Exit the program - you're done!"
At the very bottom of the screen, click "Download latest protection updates", then click "Check for Updates", to check for new virus definitions. Simply use the Check for Updates feature at least once a week to download the latest protection (or consider AutoUpdate, in which you pay $10 per year and it will update itself).
When SpywareBlaster is done downloading the latest database, you can click Protection in the upper left to get back to the main screen, or click the red box with the X in it in the upper right corner to close the application
I. Download and install AVG Free for Windows free anti-virus software from free.grisoft.com/doc/2/lng/us/tpl/v5.
Although I don't have much experience with AVG, other people have recommended it. I checked it out briefly and it looks good, so it's worth adding to your arsenal.
When you launch AVG, it will automatically check for updates.
Then click the button next to Scan Computer.
Follow the prompts if anything is found. Click the red box with the X in it in the upper right corner to close the program.
Prevention
Your computer is now ready and set to fight off viruses. Here's how to keep it secure:
1. Use Firefox, not Internet Explorer to surf the web. I repeat: Use Firefox, not Internet Explorer to surf the web. Be sure that everyone who uses your computer uses Firefox too. Be sure you remove Internet Explorer from your desktop (see item E above) and consider putting a shortcut to Firefox on your desktop (if it's not there already), so you use it all the time.
2. Be very wary and vigilant of websites and links that you click on. People who write viruses will do anything -- and I mean anything! -- to try to coax you into clicking on their links and visiting their websites to infect your computer. Be very skeptical of what you're clicking on, especially if it sounds too good to be true.
One way to help guard against deceptive links on web pages is to move your mouse over the link, but don't click on it. As you hover over the link, in the lower left-hand corner of your web browser, you'll see the web address that the link will take you to. If the web address does not appear, has ".exe" at the end, is not recognizable to you, or is otherwise suspicious, then don't click on the link. Sometimes, surfing the web can be like being persuaded to play the shell game with a bunch of shady-looking characters in a back alley downtown. Be very wary.
3. Run the free anti-virus software listed above about once a week if you use your computer every day. If you use your computer less often, then once a month should suffice.
4. Each time you run the anti-virus software, be sure to check for new "virus definitions". Virus definitions are provided for free by each anti-virus software company and are unique to each anti-virus software. Virus definitions instruct the software about viruses that are available and how to combat them.
5. If the anti-virus software finds new viruses on your computer, be sure to follow the prompts in the software to eliminate the viruses.
6. Be cautious of links in e-mails -- even e-mails that are sent from your friends and businesses that you deal with. Your friends may inadvertently forward a virus to you that could be contained in a "hilarious program that you should check out" or in "the funniest story I've read on the web". If any of these require you to download and install software, then I strongly recommend against them -- or at least be aware that there may be a virus contained in the application and that you should run the anti-virus programs thereafter.
Also, hackers have become very skilled at "phishing", in which they send out official-looking e-mails, with logos and language that appear to be from banks, credit card companies, and other financial institutions, which try to coax you into visiting their fraudulent, official-looking websites. On their websites, they ask you to enter your username, password, and other personal, private financial information, so that they can steal your identity. When they first started phishing, it was easy to see that the e-mail was fake. Now though, it's very hard to tell, so be on the lookout.
7. Be cautious of installing applications from floppy disks, CDs, and other removable media that you are unfamiliar with. The media could include a virus, spyware, malware, or other software that will do harm to your computer.
Mind your clicks!
Computers can be fun to use, especially when looking at photos of family and friends. When your computer is invaded by a mutating swarm of viruses, spyware, malware, and adware, then using your computer is not so pleasant. Although the instructions above will take some time, the investment is well worth it. Be sure to heed the prevention tips and be very careful where you click! Happy surfing!
If you have any questions or feedback about this article, please post them in our Photobird Learning Center forum.
Updated July 2008
Published May 2006
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Ed Krimen is an accomplished photographer who has taken thousands of digital photos. As co-founder and CEO of Photobird.com, Ed wants to make it truly easy for you to create attractive online photo albums to share your photos with your friends and family.
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