As I’ve discussed before, computer security is an important part of running a functional system. Many people have asked me after my initial posts about how to remove viruses on their computers after a catastrophic infection. I held off on recommending one tool, but after yet another computer cleanup, I finally have a recommendation:

Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware

My other roommate’s computer also became afflicted with a rogue anti-virus (this one was dubbed “Antivirus Soft”), and after using this program, everything was removed successfully, without having to revert to a system restore. The free version just removes malware, but doesn’t actively check for it—so my ClamWin recommendation still stands. These two together are a terrific toolset.

So not even an hour after I posted my response to idealibertarianist’s survey, my roommate came in asking for help about a programming assignment. When he pulled in his Vista laptop, I noticed that there was an overzealous antivirus program that kept popping up. I asked him about it, and he told me that he never installed it.

Uh-oh.

idealibertarianist:

If you guys could facebook/tumblr message me with your answers, that’d be awesome.

Okay!

Survey:
On a scale from 1 to 10, how good would you say you are with computers?

10

Do you know what to do if your computer suddenly stops working or won’t turn on?

Dig through some drawers to find the OS install disc.

Do you know what to do if you can’t make a program work properly, or do what you want it to do?

Yes.

Do you think your computer is properly protected from malware and viruses?

Not per se, but I’m at a lesser risk than most because I keep up with security blogs, know how to dodge scams and vulnerabilities, and have a Mac.

If you use an anti-virus, please list it.

For when I load Windows 7 on Bootcamp, ClamWin is my antivirus of choice.

Do you know what to do if your computer is running slowly?

It’s daemon-hunting time. Pull out the kill -9.

If there were a short, low- or no-cost class that would explain how to do the above things and more, would you attend?

Probably not.