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Funny stuff. I am calling funny. Can't figure out who it is. Whomever, he's good.

Getting spyware off your PC is difficult at best. The knobs that write this stuff should be hung by their toes...

First, check your Startup Folder under your Start->Programs. Remove everything you can (right click->delete) without breaking anything.

IF YOU KNOW ABOUT YOUR REGISTRY AND ARE COMFORTABLE MODIFYING IT SKIP TO THE BOTTOM FOR EXTRA INSTRUCTION. IF YOU DO NOT KNOW ABOUT THE REGISTRY DO NOT MODIFY IT. YOU WILL DESTROY YOUR PC IF YOU DO!

Get Adaware http://www.download.com/Ad-aware/3000-8022-10214379.html?tag=lst-0-2.

Also get Spybot http://www.download.com/Spybot-Search-Destroy/3000-8022-10289035.html?tag=lst-0-2.

Run Spybot first. When installing, be sure to not load extra languages, unless you use your pc with another language. Also be sure to enable the Tea Timer. Tea Timer is a real time Registry protection program.

For both SBot And AdAware, be sure to download the updates available.

After each program has run, remove or quarantine the found spyware items.

TeaTimer will notify you when a suspicious mod will be made to your registry. This is a tricky thing to know when to allow registry mods and when to disallow. If you did something to trigger a registry mod, it may be ok. IE - Installing MS Office, probably ok. Windows Update, probably ok. HOWEVER... if you're surfing or just reading email and TeaTimer pops up and asks to mod the registry... NUKE IT! No way!

A good pop-up killer is from Panicware at http://panicware.com/process_download.html?prdid=PSFREE.

Install this straight thru. No sweat. It catches most pop-ups. Not all.

FINALLY, if you do not want any spyware, DO NOT DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL THE CUTESY JUNK OFF THE NET... To include:

ANY helper bars (GOOGLE, YAHOO, MSN, are included in this)
Screen savers
Smileys
Icons
Wallpaper
Bargain Helpers
Password Reminders (GATOR!)

For those who will say, "But I cannot remember my passwords" or "I really like the pictures of tropical islands" or "But Google is a major corporation" I say learn to live with Spyware, pop ups and your PC being PWNED! (That's elite speak for "OWNED!") At that point, someone else is using your PC more than you are!

OK, DANGEROUS STUFF HERE - MODIFYING YOUR REGISTRY

DO NOT DO THESE THINGS UNLESS YOU ARE CERTAIN YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING!

It's probably a good idea to create a back up of your registry. Export ALL settings in case something goes awry.

Start->Run Command->regedit

Find HKEY_CURRENT_USERS Software Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion Run

In the Run Folder on the right hand side of the window, start ripping stuff out. If you cannot look at the item and determine what it is you may not want to remove it.

Do the same for anything in the folders like Run, ie - RunOnce, RunOnceEx, RunServices, etc.

ALSO do the same thing for

HKEY_CURRENT_USERS Software Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion Run*

By removing things from the Run* folders, the worst that should happen is you remove something that SHOULD be started when the PC boots. You may need to re-install some software like a printer or scanner driver.

At times, I have ripped out EVERYTHING in a Run Folder with no harm.

Please do not screw up your PC. I am not responsible for what you do to your PC!

-Ken

I just returned from Books-A-Million in Jackson, Mississippi. There were many books in a stack near the front of the door. As I checked out two folks 'purchased' _the book_. Each of the purchasers had a voucher. As such, no money exchanged hands at the time of the purchase. I do not know if these folks bought the vouchers or not. An interesting note though.

Just a heads up... UBERemover is a good spam killer. Cheap for less than $1.50 a month.

http://interian.com/Home.php

Hope this helps someone.

At one time I really enjoyed watching the big O. From the point where he created a story about Dr Laura and the single mom I stopped watching.

According to Laura, the O show indicated they were going to do a story on a story Laura had done. The Laura show never named the lady about whom Laura's monologue was. The Laura show prepped some info for the O show.

The O show disregarded the prepped info from the Laura show, NAMED the previously anonymous woman, had a representative for the previously anonymous woman on the O show, but no info from the Laura show.

So... The O show, like the rest of the media, creates the stories they'd like to put out. As for the argument that the O show is an editorial show not a news report... the big a-hOle claims to be fair and balanced...

He needs to flip to CNN with Paula.

You can also check out UBERemover from Interain here: http://interian.com.

No software to download or install. Cheap and effective.

Hope this helps some.

-Semper Fi

I suspect immigration is not the problem. Dang lawyers. That's the problem.

In Mississippi, scum-suckers and doctors are having it out. Insurance companies for docs are leaving Mississippi.

Mississippi is an ideal place to sue medical companies. See the links below.

Links:
Tort Reform Brings Both Doctors, Lawyers to Capitol
Mississippi Town Becomes Lawsuit Central

RightlySo said:

> We should have our own olympics... competing between the different states. Let the socialists, communists, fascists and dictators play with themselves.

That means New England and the Left Coast would not participate in the US Olympics, eh?

Brain Donors, a 1992 Zucker Brothers comedy, features John Turturro, Bob Nelson and Mel Smith. These guys and this film is HILARIOUS!

If you have not seen this film and would like a laugh, you should get this flick.

The humor is mostly clean, very punny. I've cried watching this film before.

-Ken

Beware Zone Alarm!

I have had nothing but problems with Zone Alarm. I used ZA on several PCs. All PCs were up to date Win98, chips were different though (Intel and AMD).

If you need firewall protection, a good solution is Watch Guard Firebox SOHO.

The price is reasonable for a small network. Very nice.

I leave the CPUs on and turn the monitors off. Thanks...

Former Corporal Kenneth A. Holm III here. Semper Fi from an old 2673 (KorLing) / 0313 (LAV Crewman). 11th MEU(SOC) January 1994 - July 1994 (Somalia insert)