(Got to be careful I'm not missing an obtuse reference here...)Gloria wrote:David, you must share a friend with me.... He had a cooking fat...is it Reg?
Personally I wouldn't take any chances.... It sounds harmless and probably is. But if I was you, I would download cc cleaner and see if there are any executables that were left running. If your savvy enough.... Maybe look through resource monitor and see if there is a program connecting to the Internet that you don't recognise.Tripps wrote:I downloaded something a couple of days ago, and then soon noticed unwanted adverts, surveys, etc, intruding at random times. I see now that despite my best efforts to avoid them, Ive got two programs installed. They are called tinywork and linkswift.
Fortunately they were easily removable via Control Panel / Add Remove programs, and don't seem to have done any harm. Let's hope so.
Rule 1, never connect a Windows PC to the internet.Tripps wrote:I downloaded something a couple of days ago, and then soon noticed unwanted adverts, surveys, etc, intruding at random times. I see now that despite my best efforts to avoid them, Ive got two programs installed. They are called tinywork and linkswift.
Fortunately they were easily removable via Control Panel / Add Remove programs, and don't seem to have done any harm. Let's hope so.
That's really not a huge deal anymore. I've never had a windows virus!!!Pluggy wrote:Rule 1, never connect a Windows PC to the internet.Tripps wrote:I downloaded something a couple of days ago, and then soon noticed unwanted adverts, surveys, etc, intruding at random times. I see now that despite my best efforts to avoid them, Ive got two programs installed. They are called tinywork and linkswift.
Fortunately they were easily removable via Control Panel / Add Remove programs, and don't seem to have done any harm. Let's hope so.
On second thoughts, since Windows malware is a good part of my living, always connect a Windows PC to the internet.....
Yeah! I think you'll be fine. But if your intrigued at diving in head first with C CleanerTripps wrote:Thank you both for the advice. The main point seems to be "If your savvy enough..."
Well of course I'm not; so I'll just bash on and hope for the best - as usual. It's worked up to now.
The fact that Linkswift and tinywork seem to have their own website, and were easily 'removed' gives me hope, bit of course maybe that's what they are designed to do.
Your knowledge of these matters is awesome.This is worth knowing. http://www.howtogeek.com/173291/goodbye ... antivirus/Tripps wrote:Thanks for the advice Steven - I've found in the past though that such remedies usually get me deeper into the doodoo. I've bookmarked it though for when I'm feeling braver.
I went for Microsoft Essentials after Pluggy's advice in August -
" Almost all malware requires somebody to actually do something on the machine to get it infected (click on a link, opening a dodgy email, visit a ropey/hacked website etc). Since Microsoft started taking security seriously (circa 2004/2005), even Windows doesn't easily spread stuff without human help, providing it has been doing its job and updating itself."
Speaking of which.....Stanley wrote:One of these days someone will develop an OS that is free, stable, well-supported and doesn't need virus protection.
You don't.Stanley wrote:" I'm in dll hell at the moment. rundll32"
I didn't even know I had one!
No, nothing wrong with the SSD. Passed SMART, one bad sector. In an ideal world I would reinstall Windows but I have put too much work into customising the OS!! Although I hate automated software that attempts to fix machines I booted into the recovery and clicked next, walked away for 20mins. Came back and was showing the login screen, smirked, but somehow it worked! I've had no other errors (touch wood).Pluggy wrote:You don't.Stanley wrote:" I'm in dll hell at the moment. rundll32"
I didn't even know I had one!
dll errors could be any one of about 100 reasons. Windows often speaks with forked tongue in error messages, leading you to spend a lot of time barking up the wrong tree ( Metaphors ?, me ?, Nahhh.... ). Reinstalling windows is often the least stressful cure but I'd check the hard drive is good beforehand. I've downloaded Ubuntu 13.10, not got round to trying it yet. Next Aprils 14.04 LTS will hold a lot more interest. 12,04 stays put on my main computer until at least then.
Steven. I have deleted the para where you advocated illegal activity. What you do in private is your own affair but the site is responsible for any illegal posts as well as yourself. Stanley.Pluggy wrote:Been very busy of late, just counting up, my last post was the 6th in a fortnight, playing on OGFB takes a back seat to keeping up with the workload. I took on a couple of days a week work at a school in early September, something which is either fantastic or a curse depending on how much other work is coming in the door. The joys of self employment.
I gained a recentish, decentish, laptop from the school (I offered to repair it for the school, but they didn't want to bother, I offered them money for it, but they just said take it, so my gain). Got one or two sniffing after laptops but I think I'll hang on to it myself, A windoze box occasionally comes in useful and the the intact windoze vista license means I don't have to find money for a licence to stick a copy of M$ on a VM. (I presently have XP on a VM on my main machine but M$ are putting it out to grass in April). I might just make it dual boot with Ubuntu 13.10 on the laptop. Vista for all its faults will outlive XP. Ubuntu is a lot more useful than Windows for repairing Windows computers (Because a lot of technical software I need is either built in or available for no financial outlay and an O/S that will run on a computer with a mangled or even no hard disk is fantastically useful especially with M$'s draconian licensing issues) , but sometimes you just need a M$ box that isn't broken.
Glossary :
Windoze : Contemptuous alternative to 'Windows'
M$ : Microsoft - the $ being a back handed slur on Microsofts Money, not that they're making very much of late.
VM : Virtual Machine - an operating system running within another operating system. I can run a full copy of Windows on a Ubuntu/ Linux machine., (Or even vice versa if you're particularly desperate).
Ubuntu : A very popular distribution of Linux http://www.ubuntu.com
Linux : an Operating system that has nothing to do with Windows or Microsoft, the operating system and its software can be had for no financial outlay. Its free, but unlike Windows 'free' doesn't have an agenda.
XP : Windows XP, introduced in 2001,replaced by Windows Vista in Early 2007, now in its death throes.
Vista : Windows Vista, hugely unpopular, replaced by Windows 7 in late 2009.
Dual Boot : The ability to run two operating systems on one computer, you select which one you want to start in the early stages of the computer starting up.
Box : Computer
Machine : Computer
