Scanning provided by Steve Gibson - grc.com

Welcome to FUNKYFROGS - Windows Security. Clean up for malwares. Online port scan your computer to see if it's really secured. Download security tools, here is all you need.

Today, the Internet has become incredibly insecure to deal with. Effects of advertising companies, hackers and virus programmers are increasing rapidly causing enormously damage to a lot of MS Windows based computers worldwide. Some companies spend huge investments to develop technologies for advertising gimmick, spying on you to see where you surf, which applications you have installed, steal and selling your e-mail accounts and then spamming you with advertising, knowing that investments will pay off. Malicious hackers, crackers and other malware programmers using these technologies to create trojans, backdoors, viruses and spyware, to get access to your PC's bank account or just hacking you for the thrill. Please note that an unprotected Windows PC will be infected in minutes or even seconds already the first time it is connected to the Internet.

If you do not like that, you may want to consider to change your operating system to Linux or Macintosh, which has become as easy as using MS Windows for not advanced users. These operating systems are not vulnerable to all the malwares that is worrying internet users to death in the same way as MS Windows. Especial Ubuntu and Mint, are alternatives to MS Windows with the great user-friendly interface and they are both notable free of charge, has an efficient update function and stuffed with applications under the great free GNU licens. Macintosh operating system you'll need to pay for but it is less expensive than MS Windows Seven Ulitimate. However, the Apple hardware is unfortunately very expensive. It is possible to run Mac OS X on a PC but that is only for geeks.

The Internet can be a fun and cost-saving place to shop, but today the Internet is brimming with thieves lurking behind computer screens with only one goal in mind, and that is ripping you off. Whether it is not the transport of goods, credit card or identity theft, they are out there waiting.

The Members of Funkyfrogs have found and tested some free and good security tools for you, and they will not cost you anything ;-) Just download and install to increase the security of the Internet on your Windows computer. Besides the tools to ensure your computer in the future, you will find tools to perform a cleanup of damage if it is already infected, but remember that if your computer is heavily infected, it is perhaps necessary to perform a backup of important data, if you have not already made it, and then reinstall the operating system to get the computer to run smoothly again.

We recommend as most advisable security applications:

Windows Vista and Windows Seven only:
Avira Free Antivirus 2012.
To buy Malwarebytes Pro realtime antispyware scanner.
Comodo Free Firewall

Windows XP only:
Avira Free Antivirus 2012
To buy Malwarebytes Pro realtime antispyware scanner.
ZoneAlarm Free Firewall.

We also recommend to install WOT - Web Of Trust - within your browser no matter which Windows operative system you're using. WOT is based of experience with Websites from users all over the world - please try WOT, it's free of charge.

Below You'll find the links to the recommend security applications.

The new computer operating system Windows 8 will soon be released from Microsoft to replace Windows 7, Vista and XP. It would seem that Microsoft is now trying to strengthen security in future releases. Both Vista, Windows Seven and Windows 8 are born with better security tools and the most unnecessary services (daemons) set as not active. Be aware that if you plan to install Vista, 7 or 8, and if you disable the security tools that Windows will be just as vulnerable as usual. It is perhaps tempting to disable some security tools, because they can be pretty annoying. A change within Windows Seven is now allowing the user to configuere the UAC (User Access Control) to be more user-friendly. As always before, it is advisable to install Windows with a clean installation, not an upgrade.

Please notice that Windows Defender in Windows 8 has changed to be both real time anti spyware and antivirus. We do NOT trust Microsoft's anti malware applications. They have proven themselves as relative bad to protect Windows against malware, so we will continue to recommend third part anti malware.

You may wish to compare the different Anti Virus products before you make your choice and looking for an impartial homepage to do so. Please push this link to www.av-comparatives.org

However, if you're still running Windows XP, you'll maybe get tempted to trust, that the security updates from Microsoft Update will solve all the problems, and then everything is just fine but please consider the following:

Do not believe that the security updates from Microsoft, will protect against spyware and intrusions in Windows XP.

Do install a software firewall. We recommend Comodo on Vista and Windows 7 and ZoneAlarm on Windows XP, even though you are behind a hardware firewall, within a NAT router.

The last point, is partly for you to take control over which of your installed applications that's trying to access the Internet, and partly to make it even harder, for anything in general, to crawl in, or out, of your computer without your knowledge nor approval. The firewall Comodo will inform, allow or block any attempts from applications or persons that is not authorized by you.

Please remember, that you alone are responsible for the stuff you're allowing the firewall to pass through (and from) your system, even you are surely not responsible for the infections itself. Follow the ten rules described below, to make it more secure to use Windows.

First of all, You should create a Standard Windows computer account. Browsing the Internet using an administrative is considered to be reckless. However, Microsoft do inform about the issues but not during the installation and neither do Microsoft force the user to create the standard account. The result is that over 90 percent of private installations has an administrative account only, and browsing the Internet from this account.

Not using a standard computer account in general daily use, is a danger to your privacy and dramatically increasing the risk to be malware infected. From Vista and further distributions, the UAC (User Account Control) provide the standard account with administrative access to the Control panel and the rights to install applications. UAC is doing so by presenting the user for a credential dialog prompting the user for an administrative password.

When malware is trying to install from the standard account, the user will may be presented with the UAC credential dialog, which give the user the opportunity to prevent the installation before the harm is done. If the user has not asked for the installation, UAC may gives the user the chance to abort, which increasing the security. User Account Control Step-by-Step Guide

Secondly, keep Your Windows computer updated from Windows Update. Are You using another operating system such as Linux or Macintosh, keep them updated as well. If You do not keep the operating security updated, You aren't keeping Your privacy as safe as possible but especially Windows is well known as the most insecure operating system. At least 99 % of all malware is written to infest Microsoft products only

1. Install a real time anti virus application and update the anti virus definitions (never install more than one AV)
2. Install and configure a NAT router with a build in firewall (make it a good one)
3. Run an anti spyware application like Malwarebytee (never install more than one realtime AS scanner)
4. Install and configure a software firewall as Comodo and DO NOT have two activated at the same time).
5. Be very careful installing free applications, they often contains spyware and Adware
6. Never open an e-mail if you don't know the sender, just delete it or put it in the spam folder
7. Never visit evil web sites, they have often implemented backdoor installation features
8. Do NOT let your browser remember passwords, never use the same twice and do make them impossible to guess.
9. Clean your browser, Java and Flash caches regularly for temporary files
10. Keep your applications updated as they are a serious security risk. Please install Secunia PSI.

You may wish to read other peoples experience being hacked, by searching the Internet for stories like that. Push this link for a Google search on: I got hacked.

Online port scan the computer from Steve Gibson's SHIELDS UP to make sure how safe your privacy is. The port scanning is provided by Steve Gibson's website and using a nano probe technology. After the online scan you will see for yourself whatever the computer is showing the ports as open, closed, or invisible (stealth) to intruders on the Internet. Unless you are planning to run some public services, you want undoubtedly to be invisible on the Internet for security reasons.

You may wish to download and listen to this week's "Security Now!" weekly audio column with Steve Gibson and TechTV's Leo Laporte.

Proceed security scan your computer

There are some indications that gives you an idea if your Windows computer is infected with Spyware / Adware bug files. If your Internet Explorer suddenly pop up with commercials, your Internet browsing is sluggish in spite of a fast connection, you receive a lot of spam mails, or the computer act strangely some how? If you can say yes to any of this, it's probably infected with something.

Another indication of intrusive or abusing software is to observe the behavier of your router. Some routers flashing constantly, even when there is no activity and some routers does not, so depending which type you got, you're might be able to identify running activity just looking at the router.

For example, if your modem and / or router is a non flashing type when running idle, and it is flashing a lot even if your are not doing anything on the Internet, something might be going on behind your back. On this type of routers, the flashing indicates activity but if you are doing nothing, something else causes that. Unless an anti virus is updating, your ISP maintaining the connection or you are running some kind of a web server and that maybe without your knowledge, this flashing behavier should not be happening.

If you haven't spyware scanned your Windows computer recently. THEN FACE IT, IT IS MORE OR LESS SPYWARE INFECTED FOR SURE! Download and install the anti spyware application SUPERAntiSpyware to remove the bug files. Remember to update your spyware definitions before your scan.

It is important to understand the differences between an Anti Virus and an Anti Spyware realtime scanner. You must never install two realtime AV´s but you really should install a realtime Anti Virus and a realtime Anti Spyware. All the while two AV's will make the system unreliable, it's not the case with one AV and one AS. You should also never have two active software Firewalls at the same time. It's not a problem to have two installed software Firewalls but deactivate one of them to avoid connection issues.

As You never want to install two antivirus applications, it is likewise very important to understand that You never want to install two realtime anti spywares within the same system as well. It's fine to have SUPERAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes installed as the free NON realtime scanners but only one of them is allowed to be the payed version with realtime functions to avoied systems issues and security impacts. As You need both AV and AS protection, and You do not have an combined antivirus and antispyware but only an antivirus such as for instance Avira Free, then we strongly recommend to buy Malwarebytes Antimalware Professional as the best antispyware at the moment.

SUPERAntiSpyware download
Malwarebyte download
Microsoft Anti Spyware
Search after Anti Spyware with Google

More you can do.

Spyware / Adware is, almost every time, implemented on your system without your knowledge. To minimize the risk, enhance the security on the hosts file in your Windows system. Visit www.mvps.org and download a host file with predefined evil hacker web site's to prevent redirections of URL's to your Windows computer. Replace the downloaded hosts file with the one that already exists to prohibit those bad web sites to mess up your system. To see the contents of the hosts file push this link www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.txt.

Before you begin, please take a backup of the hosts file and save it within a folder, for instance on the desktop.
The path to the hosts file is C:\ Windows \ system32 \ drivers \ etc \ hosts

1. Now, save the new hosts file to your computer by pushing the link above and then select Save as from the File menu.
2. In the Save dialog, verify the file is saved as hosts.txt on your desktop.
3. Rename the file to hosts by removing the extension .txt.
4. Open the folder etc located at the path shown above and drag the new hosts file to the folder. Say Yes to replace the old file.
5. Reboot the computer to make the new hosts file active (may not necessary).

The hosts file can be enhanced with bad websites fund by yourself. For example, if you don't want your kids to visit abusing sites, which you hopefully don't, just add the site URL's to the file to prevent any installed browser including Internet Explorer to get in contact with the sites. Keep in mind that the World Wide Web is a very dynamic thing, always changing, so you need to update the host file when it's getting old to add the new stupid sites to be unreachable.

Download Comodo. The best free Firewall available.

Please, se below under Server compatibel free Firewalls and Anti Virus for more information.

Remember, if you have another Anti Virus installed, You'll need to deselect the AV within Comodo during the install to avoid fatal system failure, or uninstall Your current Anti Virus before installing Comodo. However, Comodo will warn you during the process.

Download Comodo Free Firewall
Download ZoneAlarm Free basic Firewall

As mentioned we believe that you do not find a better free Firewall for Windows than Comodo. It is compatible with Windows servers, and Internet Connecting Sharing, intelligent and it will completely stealth your computer, making the ICMP protocol unresponsive for pings from the internet. To close pings for other people outside your LAN with Windows build in Firewall, you'll need to enter IPSEC using MMC and make a inbound rule to prevent pings, which is pretty complicated for most people and this will not make Windows Firewall intelligent.

Comodo Free Firewall however, will do all of this by install. ZoneAlarm Free is intelligent as well but it is not server nor ICS compatible.

Great free antivirus downloads

Download anti virus tools for cleaning the system and for preventing virus attacks in the future

Push this link if you need help to identify and remove malwares
Download the free Avira FREE Antivirus 2012. Please don't forget to update the virus definitions after install and continue to do that at least every week. I am infected, I have virus, I have spyware

NOTE: It is very important to never install more than one anti virus application on the same system. To do such a thing will ruin the system because the two applications will start fighting each other assuming that the other anti virus is a worm. Be aware that many malware applications and Firewalls contain both antivirus and antispyware and if you install such and once more antivirus the danger for fatal system breakdown is imminent ;-)

Download Avira FREE Antivirus 2012
Download Avira manual update virus definitions
Avira offer you the opportunity to download free anti virus, manual update of definitions (VDF) and free anti virus cleaners. A cleaner is a tool to remove the virus without having an active Anti virus scanner installed. That is helpful incase the virus has destroyed the anti virus application or it isn't present for some reason. Push the link above to download Avira AntiVir Personal - FREE Anti virus to download. Download free Avira Anti virus, cleaners, definitions and tools

Windows Server 2003 and 2008 compatible Anti Malware

As mentioned above, Comodo Firewall and Anti Virus is compatible with an ISC Windows Workstation used as a router but Comodo Free Edition is more than that. In fact Comodo is compatible with the Windows 2008 Enterprise Server, which makes Comodo to the best free choice at all.

Download Comodo Free Firewall and Anti Virus

About security applications from Open Source projects such as ClamAV on the Windows platform.

With all respect for the Open Source Communities and the very skilled programmers producing free applications for everyone, they do not have the requisite knowledge nor capacity to protect the Windows operation system. Unfortunately, in spite of the huge work they do to produce great free applications, it's not recommended to protect the Windows operation system with ClamAV. You will need to install security applications which is specialized to protect best as possible. However, that do not mean you'll need to pay for such applications. You just need to install outside Open Source projects.

How to slip service packs in to the XP install CD

NOTE:
There's no SP3 for the 64-bit version of Windows XP. If you're running the 64-bit version of Windows XP with SP2, you have the latest service pack and will continue to be eligible for support and receive updates until April 8, 2014.

Download Windows XP PRO Service packs (Please change to your language)

How to slipstream Windows 7 Service Packs to the Install DVD
Download Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 Service Packs (Please change to your language)

Sysprep is a tool designed for administrators who need to install Windows OS on multiple LAN computers. The beauty of sysprep is that you can install programs, etc., and then seal theinstallation. That way you make the computer ready for the end user which only need to enter the name and Windows license code.

1. You'll find Sysprep within the path: C:\Windows\System32\sysprep.
Double-click on "Sysprep.exe"

2. Select "Out Of Box Experience". If you want to get a new SID, remember to mark "Generalized" as well.

3. Now it run for a while, and eventually restart. If it report an error during preparation,the fault may be caused by "Microsoft media player".

If some process / service are running in task manager sysprep might fail. Exit Process / service "WNPNetworkSvc" and possibly "wmpnscfg.exe" if they are running. Remember to check both the tabs "Processes and Services ".

Hyena. Download and try the centralized alternative to the Windows administrations tools.  Click on the link to Systemtools.com and follow the download instructions. Hyena is not freeware, however you'll have at trial period.


SIW. System Information Tool has also some centralized admin tools but it's not the main funktion, which are idenfications of hardware without having drivers installed. This is very helpfull in case of a new installation of the operative Windows system.

Having trouble with downloaded movies ?

If you have, it is most likely because your Media Player is missing some codecs. Download and install the K-Lite Media Codec Pack to your Windows computer and enjoy the movies that never worked before.

K-Lite Mega Codec Pack for Windows

This Codec pack contains all the codec's you'll need to play your movies. When proper installed it will also enhance the performance of any movies already working. However non of us are really experts in media stuff, so you'll have to do your own experiments to make sure how the codec pack behaves on your Windows computer. So fare, we haven't fund any problems in Win XP, Win Vista and Win 7 but please, take any advices from the installer seriously.

During the installation, we recommend you deselect all toolbars and deselect all file associations to installed media players and select Lot's of stuff without players from the installer.

Important. You'll need to uninstall previous codec's installed by yourself before installing this one and then reboot the computer to avoid compatibility problems.. If You do not have a Codec Pack installed, please proceed. After install, you'll need to reboot once again.

Download K-Lite Mega Codec Pack

While K-Lite Codecs is for Microsoft Windows only, so have Macintosh the same problem with many movie formats. Although this site mainly deals with Windows, we will make an exception because movie formats and Macintosh driving Mac users to insanity.

Download Perian Codec Pack for Macintosh and enjoy the movies that never worked before.

You probably want to show Windows WMV movie files with QuickTime. To do that install Flip4Mac from www.telestream.net. You may also want to install QuickTime 7 version 7.6.6 (1710) - 7.7.1 (2330). This is the version for Snowleopard - not Lion but you need this particular version also on Lion to make it work.

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Formerly RegEdit.com, provides an extensive range of registry tweaks, tricks & hacks for optimizing, enhancing and securing the Windows XP, 200X, NT, 98, 95 and Windows Me operating systems. Get started with our registry insight or by exploring the categorized tweaks.

Malwares always hook to something in the system. Maybe you can't find out why some stupid Website pop up in your face every ten minutes and want to shut it down but can't find a place to do so. Windows operating systems has a lot of methods to startup software on the system as malicious and vicious hackers trying to take advantage of. Click on the link 11 Windows Autostart Methods to learn to handle the so-called Windows unknown startup methods.

Kelly Theriot's homepage.
Trouble shooting - Registries patches - Tweaks etc.

Kelly has put together a lot of informations and solutions from various sources and then published it. He does that to help people to overcome the troubles with Windows XP. He has also a collection of Tweaks and Tips he want to share with us. Thank you Kelly

Customizing Windows XP
by Steve Sinchak

How to customize Windows XP (open with Acrobat Reader)
How to customize Windows XP (Download PDF)

Customizing Windows XP is written by Steve Sinchak. We have changed the name on this file from Hacking Windows XP to Customizing Windows XP because we think the term "Hacking" will be misunderstood. The author using the word "Hack" in agreement with the real significance of the remark but since there is an awful mess using that word, we allow us to changing it to "Customize" which we think is more informative.

To read the PDF file you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. Acrobat is free to download from Adobe's home page. Push here to download.

If you wonder what the word "Hacker" really means, please push this link.

Do you need help to understand Windows peculiarity, or one of them, the registry database. If so read Parvesh Singla's Registry Help.

Microsoft's Technet
FAQ Regarding The Windows 2000 Command Processor

DOS commands
Making "*.bat" files executable again.

How to enable and disable batch files ability to run
*
Additional information and help with
UNIX / Linux and variants
Unix and Linux commands

The dangerous laptop batteries
Be very careful which laptop batteries you are using, it's incredible how dangerous they can be. Please don't by some of the cheep Lithium Ion batteries. You se here why!

Watch this chocking movie
The movie is optimized for Internet Explorer 7.

Special thanks to Steve Gibson (www.grc.com) for his engagement on Internet security and for the port scan facilities, to Comodo for making the great free firewall Comodo and EMSI Software for the free Malware scans. Thanks to malwarebyte and SUPERantiSpyware for the great free Anti Spyware applications. Thanks to Avira for making free anti virus applications and cleaner tools. Thanks to Norton Symantec and Kaspersky Anti Virus for also doing so.

funkyfrogs.dk - Windows Security, it is not affiliated in any way with Microsoft nor ANY other company.