All,
I have what I hope are simple questions...
Setup
5 home computers - 3 desktop 2 laptop
Main - Win Xp
Second/Third - Win 2000
Laptop 1 - Win 2000
Laptop 2 - (crashed right now, but using 98 when fixed)
Internet explorer (Bellsouth DSL)
Outlook Express
Norton Anti-virus (expired Dec 2004)
Westell Modem
Netgear router(supposed to have a firewall)
Questions -
1. I have read faq760-4962, good place to start. Do I run these procedures on every machine before I begin?
2. I am limited on funds (very, thus the expired Antivirus). Is there a free/cheap antivirus program out there? If so, do I install it on every pc?
3. I need a free adware/spyware program. I've seen names for many, but which are the best? I did a search on my c: and d: drive looking for all .exe files. There were over 100 returned. I know that I don't have that many programs installed, so how do I know which are bad?
4. What does "Hijackthis" do exactly?
5. Pop-ups are driving me crazy. My other 4 pc's have Yahoo! Toolbar on them and they never, never have popups. I downloaded it on my main PC, but the activeX control is disabled under Tools>Manage Addons> . I have tried to enable it, but it's greyed out and says that only the administrator can enable it. But who is the administrator?
Please let me know the best way to go. I have 3 kids on the internet daily and they constantly select OK without reading the box first, so I am sure stuff is there that should not be. I get popups offering to scan all the time, but I have never done that fearing that those ads were spyware or adware themselves.
Thanks,
Tearsmith
I have what I hope are simple questions...
Setup
5 home computers - 3 desktop 2 laptop
Main - Win Xp
Second/Third - Win 2000
Laptop 1 - Win 2000
Laptop 2 - (crashed right now, but using 98 when fixed)
Internet explorer (Bellsouth DSL)
Outlook Express
Norton Anti-virus (expired Dec 2004)
Westell Modem
Netgear router(supposed to have a firewall)
Questions -
1. I have read faq760-4962, good place to start. Do I run these procedures on every machine before I begin?
2. I am limited on funds (very, thus the expired Antivirus). Is there a free/cheap antivirus program out there? If so, do I install it on every pc?
3. I need a free adware/spyware program. I've seen names for many, but which are the best? I did a search on my c: and d: drive looking for all .exe files. There were over 100 returned. I know that I don't have that many programs installed, so how do I know which are bad?
4. What does "Hijackthis" do exactly?
5. Pop-ups are driving me crazy. My other 4 pc's have Yahoo! Toolbar on them and they never, never have popups. I downloaded it on my main PC, but the activeX control is disabled under Tools>Manage Addons> . I have tried to enable it, but it's greyed out and says that only the administrator can enable it. But who is the administrator?
Please let me know the best way to go. I have 3 kids on the internet daily and they constantly select OK without reading the box first, so I am sure stuff is there that should not be. I get popups offering to scan all the time, but I have never done that fearing that those ads were spyware or adware themselves.
Thanks,
Tearsmith