Windows Tips and Tricks

The Microsoft site has many pages with computing tips. Some are very elementary and not very useful but there are also some helpful ones. Among these is the article Computer viruses: description, prevention, and recovery. It includes a list of possible symptoms of a virus infection. (The term “virus” is used here to denote malware of all types.) The list is not a definitive check on whether you have a virus; you can be infected and still not show any obvious symptoms. Your system can also display one or more of these symptoms from some cause other than a virus. Nonetheless, it is a list worth keeping in mind:

Symptoms of a computer virus

• The computer runs slower than usual.
• The computer stops responding, or it locks up frequently.
• The computer crashes, and then it restarts every few minutes.
• The computer restarts on its own. Additionally, the computer does not run as usual.
• Applications on the computer do not work correctly.
• Disks or disk drives are inaccessible.
• You cannot print items correctly.
• You see unusual error messages.
• You see distorted menus and dialog boxes.
• There is a double extension on an attachment that you recently opened, such as a .jpg, .vbs, .gif, or .exe. extension.
• An antivirus program is disabled for no reason. Additionally, the antivirus program cannot be restarted.
• An antivirus program cannot be installed on the computer, or the antivirus program will not run.
• New icons appear on the desktop that you did not put there, or the icons are not associated with any recently installed programs.
• Strange sounds or music plays from the speakers unexpectedly.
• A program disappears from the computer even though you did not intentionally remove the program.

Criminal activity through malware is a big business these days and an interesting (if depressing) review of the security scene is at Computerworld. Here’s an excerpt:

In contrast, today’s malware causes less overt havoc but far more deliberate harm. Most 21st-century crackers aren’t making malware to show off their skills or wreck systems for the sheer malicious fun of itall. They’re making malware that hides in your system so they can use your personal information and PC resources to make money. Welcome to the era of capitalist hacking.

In response, the security vendors come up with anti-malware programs, and we’re locked into a seemingly endless battle between crackers and the defenders for the safety of our networks, our computers and our personal information. At the moment, it appears the bad guys are winning. There’s more malware than ever before.

Beware of something called “XP Antivirus Protection”. It is a fake anti-virus program that will install spyware on your system. More details at The Blade.

Greg Keizer reports that Symantec has now counted over 1.1 million distinct malware threats since it started keeping track over 25 years ago. What is striking is not the total but how much comes from recent times. The total is through 2007 and last year contributed 711,912. So a large majority of all malware ever written was created in just the one year of 2007. There are no numbers given for 2008 but you can bet that there is no letup. And there is no way that reactive anti-virus software can keep up with such a deluge.