Is Anyone Else Using Online Tech Support?

[hausdok]

I'm curious 'cuz I just started it.

About 3 weeks ago I noticed that the computer was running dead slow and was hanging up a lot - something that it had only done a couple of times ever. I saw an ad on TV during the Tour de France for something called CleanMyPC.com so I checked it out on CNet, saw that they were reputable, and then downloaded their free scan - wuff! 681 errors!

I called their number for advice, the guy opened the registry and found a bunch of spyware, some viruses and even two key loggers running in the background. I had a McAffee subscription but the damned program had been coming on and screwing me up at times so I'd been exiting the program in order to get my work done - I guess some stuff got through.

I talked to those guys about what to do. They had a bunch of different options - none of them cheap. I decided to go with a one year unlimited service and support option for nearly $300 - I figured what the hell, for .81 cents a day it might be worth it. They had me download some software over the net so that they could work on my computer. Then a tech logged onto my computer, took over and spent the next six hours cleaning it up. In the process, they removed the myriad of spyware and virus detection programs that I had that were spending more time fighting with one another than protecting my computer and installed a spyware program and a virus detection program. Afterward, they recommended that I do something about backing up my data - I hadn't done it since Christ was a Corporal, so I asked what they recommended. They said, go out, get a desktop backup, bring it back and we'll take care of it. I made a quick trip over to Costco, picked up an external drive, plugged it in, contacted them, they logged on and installed it all - just like there was a computer tech sitting there. Then they backed the whole thing up.

So far, they've got about 8 hours into my computer and I can call them 24/7/365 for anything I need help with and they'll just take care of it as if they were a computer person working in my office.

I have to say, it beats the hell out of taking the damned box and loading it up in a car and hauling it to a shop somewhere and being told that they'll get to it when they can. Pretty happy with the service so far and the box is chugging along splendidly - better speed and performance than I've seen in years.

If anyone is interested, check out Cyber Defender.com

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Terence McCann]

There is also MajorGeeks.

If you don't mind rolling your own, with help from some really sharp folks , this is the place to go. There is a lot of freeware that will help cleanse your 'puter.

I have to ask, what kind of web sites you hanging around Mike? []

[Marc]

There is also MajorGeeks.

If you don't mind rolling your own, with help from some really sharp folks , this is the place to go. There is a lot of freeware that will help cleanse your 'puter.

I have to ask, what kind of web sites you hanging around Mike? []

I lost nearly everything on my hard drive in Feb, 06' to some type of malicious software. The Mc Affee gave no protection against it. A professor friend of mine suggested F-Secure. It's about $45.00/year and nothing has gone past it in 4 1/2 years. I've always avoided online social networks. I don't consider TIJ to be one, the TIJ software is a different kind of animal, but Mike/Rose can correct me if I'm wrong..

Marc

[Jim Morrison]

That's part of why I went Mac. Nobody writes viruses for Macs, but even if they did, Mac' OS's are more secure than Windows anyway.

[Rocon]

That's part of why I went Mac. Nobody writes viruses for Macs, but even if they did, Mac' OS's are more secure than Windows anyway.

Every year there is a "Hacker" convention. Last year the record of hacking a computer was set at 3 minutes . The target was a mac.

[Marc]

Jim can correct me if I'm wrong but Rocon may have a point because Mac's are using more and more windows programming which introduces security vulnerabilities where none existed before. Security is being sacrificed in order to expand the breadth of programming that will run on Mac's.

Marc

[hausdok]

There is also MajorGeeks.

If you don't mind rolling your own, with help from some really sharp folks , this is the place to go. There is a lot of freeware that will help cleanse your 'puter.

I have to ask, what kind of web sites you hanging around Mike? []

My computer is networked to my wifes computer. She uses hers only for watching her videos on Korean websites. Even since I got this guy cleaned out, even if I don't go on the net, it will scan when I boot up and find stuff to remove. Those guys told me that if she's networked to me that whatever she gets I'll get and vice versa.

I do remember googling for something one afternoon and suddenly one of the sites I checked out popped what it called a spyware search program up and began installing it on my computer. I sat there trying to X it out for about five minutes and nothing worked to stop it, so I finally pulled the plug out of the wall. I suppose it might have been downloading a virus under the guise of a spyware program and I didn't get it in time, but I don't really know.

Their next project for me is going to be her computer. Considering it's a Vista system that's about three years old and has never had anything but the stock virus and spyware programs running on it, I'm guessing that's going to be a mess.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Rocon]

Jim can correct me if I'm wrong but Rocon may have a point because Mac's are using more and more windows programming which introduces security vulnerabilities where none existed before. Security is being sacrificed in order to expand the breadth of programming that will run on Mac's.

Marc

Sort of...

It is not that Mac's are invulnerable to attacks; they have vulnerabilities like any other computer system. Like I said in my earlier post the new record for hacking a computer was set on a Mac. I do not know if Macs running more and more software increases their vulnerabilities. What I do know is people that write malicious code no longer want to just mess up your computer because they can, in fact they want your computer to run smoothly so you will not notice the data loggers and key loggers. The thieves that try to steal your information are not stupid. They have a choice, do they write code for Mac's (15% of the computer market), or do they write code Windows based systems that account for 85% of the market? The answer to that question is why Mac’s don’t have as many problems with hackers.

I think Apple computers are great but the fact that the company chose in 1986 to be proprietary and make every dollar off the computers they manufactured limited their growth. Microsoft preferred to make a little money off every computer in the world. Who do you praise the player that fumbles the ball and runs to the end zone or the player that picks up the fumble and runs to the end zone?

I say to you that this same situation has come again in the form of telephones. Apple produced a very powerful iphone but the same company decisions to be limited to AT&T has limited their sales. The shortcomings of the iphone are the caused by the things that protect the iphone from using other networks, and force you to pay a royalty to Apple for the apps you buy through the istore. Google introduced the Android phone that works on several networks and everyone can use it. Google has had very good success in a market Apple could have dominated. I wish my company used something as powerful as these two phones but I am stuck with a Blackberry that is slightly better than a campfire and a blanket.

Ramon