Adobe Flash Downloads from certain sites turn out to be malware.

Are you a member of Facebook, MySpace or Twitter? Have you ever downloaded Adobe Flash or the Adobe Flash update? You could be in serious danger if you download Adobe Flash through any of these popular social network sites online. Adobe has released an advisory posted on their website warning users that you should not download Flash Player from a site other than adobe.com. How many of us really pay close attention to a Flash Player update when we want to see Flash content of a video?

Hackers are getting sneaker each and every day with the way they spread malware onto thousands of computers worldwide. Hackers are using a Flash Player file which in reality is a malicious executable that can port parasites onto your computer. They take it a step further by using popular social networks to help spread this garbage. Because Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are such big networks they can reach a large number of gullible computer users. You don’t have to become a victim, you still have a way out in this situation. Below is the advisory that Adobe has posted on their site, adobe.com:

First off, do not download Flash Player from a site other than adobe.com – you can find the link for downloading Flash Player here. This goes for any piece of software (Reader, Windows Media Player, QuickTime, etc.) – if you get a notice to update, it’s not a bad idea to go directly to the site of the software vendor and download the update directly from the source. If the download is from an unfamiliar URL or an IP address, you should be suspicious.

Second, all Adobe software for Windows is signed with a digital certificate that is validated by Windows when you install our software. The Publisher will always be ‘Adobe Systems, Incorporated’, and you can verify this when you double-click the installer, or by right-clicking on the installer, selecting ‘Properties’, and going to the ‘Digital Signatures’ tab.

Because Flash is pretty much the most widely deployed software in the world, we can only reiterate what Adobe has said about the fake Flash Player. It is essential that you pay special attention to this situation when you utilize Facebook, MySpace or Twitter from now on.

Don’t worry Windows 95 Plus! enthusiasts, Microsoft hasn’t forgotten about you and your themes. A recently updated MSDN Library document shows that Microsoft hasn’t just brushed themes under the carpet, but instead dusted it off, added some new polish and is even putting it under the spotlight.

The document “Creating and Installing Theme Files” has been updated with several “additions to the .theme file format were made for Windows 7″. They include:

Themes
The [Theme] section of the file contains the following two attributes:

Icon=module,-iconId (example: themeui.dll,-123) or pathToIcon (example: MyTheme.ico)
Windows 7 and later. The icon to show in the theme gallery, either an embedded resource or a path to an .ico file. Paths are relative to the directory of the .theme file.

Desktop Appearance
You can create custom wallpaper for the desktop and specify a path to the graphics file. Additionally, this section of the .theme file can specify whether the screen saver is active. The following example shows how to do modify the desktop appearance. Windows 7 and later: If the slideshow is active, the path can be a path to a folder containing multiple images, or a colon-delimited list of image files.

Windows 7 and later. The following attribute is set to “1″ to enable a slide show as the wallpaper.
Slideshow=1

Theme Packs
Windows 7 and later. A theme pack is a .cab file that contains not only the .theme file but also the files needed to implement the theme on another computer, such as sound files and images. Users can create theme packs through the Personalization application in Control Panel.

This sudden rejuvenation in themes excites me and puzzles me at the same time. On one hand, I have a lot of fond memories with themes in Windows 95 Plus! - the sound effects would always be so bizarre. On the other, OS GUI customization is becoming much less common - much more so in Vista than compared to XP.

Personally, the idea of using a third party visual style in Vista has never even crossed the mind and I’m someone who wouldn’t think twice about using a custom style in XP. Does anyone else still use custom styles or even custom themes (cursors, sound effects)?

Do you know what Trace Sweeper is?

DESCRIPTION

Trace Sweeper (TraceSweeper) is an extremely dangerous rogue anti-spyware program. Trace Sweeper is known to slow the performance of your computer once it is installed. Usually Trace Sweeper is installed through a Trojan infection such as Zlob or Vundo or the www-trace-sweeper.com website. Other means of Trace Sweeper being installed is through a security hole in your web browser program.

In non-techie terms: Trace Sweeper, after installed, performs system scans and displays popup messages that usually say that you are infected with some type of parasite. The scan and popup messages are totally bogus and should not be taken to heart. This is a common tactic used by fake anti-spyware programs to get you to purchase a full version of the malicious program. Don’t make that mistake, do not purchase Trace Sweeper under any circumstances.

Maybe this program is named Trace Sweeper because it might Sweep away all Traces of your money, do you think?

Aliases: Trace Sweeper, Trace-Sweeper, TraceSweeper, www.trace-sweeper.com.

Trace Sweeper screen shot image:

www.trace-sweeper.com website image:

Trace Sweeper Automatic Removal Instructions

This automatic removal method is for non-techie computer users. If you’re too lazy to learn about spyware removal or how to access sensitive files in your computer, then this is the method for you.
Before you start: Print or bookmark these instructions because you’ll have to reboot into Safe Mode. Also back up your computer in case you make a mistake.

1. Download and save SmitFraudFix to your desktop.
2. Restart your computer in Safe Mode (how to do safe mode). Once the
   desktop appears, double click on the SmitfraudFix.exe on your desktop.
3. After the credits screen, you’ll see a menu. Select the option number 2, which is ‘Clean (safe mode recommended)’, and then
   press Enter to delete infect files.
4. SmitFraudFix will begin cleaning your computer and take a series of cleanup processes. When the process is over, it will automatically begin the Disk Cleanup program.
5. Once the Disk Cleanup program is complete, you will be prompted with the message ‘Registry cleaning - Do you want to clean the registry’. Answer Y (Yes) and hit Enter. Reboot your computer.
6. SmitFraudFix will now check if wininet.dll is infected. SmitFraudFix will ask you whether to replace the infected file (if there’s any) ‘Replace infected
   file?’ Answer by typing Y (Yes) and hit Enter.
7. Reboot your computer to complete the cleaning process.
8. After reboot, a Notepad screen may appear containing a log of all the files
   removed from your computer. If it doesn’t appear, a file will be created called
   rapport.txt in the root of your drive, (Local Disk C:).
9. Restart your computer in Safe Mode (how to do safe mode).
10. Go to C:\Windows\Temp, click Edit, click Select All, press DELETE, and then
    click Yes to confirm that you want all the items to go to the Recycle Bin.
11. Go to C:\Documents and Settings\[LISTED USER]\Local Settings\Temp, click Edit, click Select All, press DELETE, and then click Yes to confirm that
    you want all the items to go to the Recycle Bin.
12. Reboot your computer back to normal mode. Go to Windows Update and download all critical updates.

Trace Sweeper Manual Removal Instructions

This manual removal method is for techie computer users. Trace Sweeper manual removal may be difficult and time consuming to remove. There’s no guarantee that Trace Sweeper will be removed completely. So read the Trace Sweeper removal steps carefully and good luck.
Before you start: Close all programs and Internet browsers. Also back up your computer in case you make a mistake and your computer stops working.

1. Uninstall Trace Sweeper Program
   Click on Start > Settings > Control Panel > Double-click on Add/Remove Programs. Search for and uninstall Trace Sweeper if found.
2. To stop Trace Sweeper processes (view process removal steps)
   Go to Start > Run > type taskmgr. The click the Processes tab and you’ll see a list of running processes.
   Search and stop these Trace Sweeper processes:
   tracesweeper.exe
   For each unwanted process, right-click on it and then select “End task”.
3. If your homepage has been changed, go to Start > Control Panel > Internet Options > click on the General > click Use Default under Home Page. Add the your desired default homepage, then click Apply > click OK. Open a new web browser to check that you have your desired default homepage.
4. Remove Trace Sweeper Directories.
   To find Trace Sweeper directories, go to Start > My Computer > Local Disk (C:) > Program Files > Show the contents of this folder.
   Search and delete the following Trace Sweeper directories:
   C:\ProgramFiles\Trace Sweeper
   C:\ProgramFiles\TraceSweeper

   Right-click on the Trace Sweeper folder and select Delete.
   A message will appear saying ‘Are you sure you want to remove the folder Trace Sweeper and move all its contents to the Recycle Bin?’, click Yes.
   Another message will appear saying ‘Renaming, moving or deleting Trace Sweeper could make some programs not work. Are you sure you want to do this?’, click Yes.

5. To remove Trace Sweeper icons on your Desktop, drag and drop them to the Recycle Bin.

You’ve completed the Trace Sweeper manual removal instructions!
I hope this article has helped you solve your Trace Sweeper problems. If you want to contribute to this article, post your comment below.

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes. By using this information you agree to be bound by the disclaimer. There’s no guarantee that Trace Sweeper will be completely removed from your computer. Seek professional help if your computer continues to experience problems.

You have to hand it to those lawyers, always trying so hard to protect their mumbo jumbos. The placeholder page for the Windows 7 End User License Agreement is now live (and has been for at least 2 weeks).

There’s not much on the page yet, but all you privacy enthusiasts like myself should keep a close on this page to make sure no personal information is transmitted anywhere through previously unannounced functionality which may interest some technology enthusiasts who like that sort of stuff but not us because our privacy is priority Roman numeral I. Don’t you just hate it when all of your personal information just spills out on to the internets.

Do you know what PC Protection Center 2008 is?

DESCRIPTION

PC Protection Center 2008 is in the same family as Power Antivirus 2009 and known for being a very annoying fake anti-spyware program. Once PC Protection Center 2008 is installed it will scan your system and display several popups or alert messages stating that your computer has infections and you should remove them by purchasing PC Protection Center 2008. This tactic is pretty typical of rogue anti-spyware programs such as Power Antivirus 2009 and PC Protection Center 2008. Even if you purchase PC Protection Center 2008 it will not remove any parasites from your system, you will be wasting your money.

In non-techie terms: PC Protection Center 2008 may be installed unknowingly through a Trojan infection that may have been obtained through the download of a malicious file such as a fake video codec. PC Protection Center 2008 is a fake and should never be trusted even if the program looks nice with the Windows XP color scheme. Even the www.pcprotectioncenter2008.com website looks like it could be legitimate but it is not. Under no circumstances should you intentionally install or purchase PC Protection Center 2008.

Aliases: PC Protection Center 2008, www.PCProtectionCenter2008.com, PCProtectionCenter 2008.

PC Protection Center 2008 screen shot image:

www.PCProtectionCenter2008.com website image:

PC Protection Center 2008 Automatic Removal Instructions

This automatic removal method is for non-techie computer users. If you’re too lazy to learn about spyware removal or how to access sensitive files in your computer, then this is the method for you.
Before you start: Print or bookmark these instructions because you’ll have to reboot into Safe Mode. Also back up your computer in case you make a mistake.

1. Download and save SmitFraudFix to your desktop.
2. Restart your computer in Safe Mode (how to do safe mode). Once the
   desktop appears, double click on the SmitfraudFix.exe on your desktop.
3. After the credits screen, you’ll see a menu. Select the option number 2, which is ‘Clean (safe mode recommended)’, and then
   press Enter to delete infect files.
4. SmitFraudFix will begin cleaning your computer and take a series of cleanup processes. When the process is over, it will automatically begin the Disk Cleanup program.
5. Once the Disk Cleanup program is complete, you will be prompted with the message ‘Registry cleaning - Do you want to clean the registry’. Answer Y (Yes) and hit Enter. Reboot your computer.
6. SmitFraudFix will now check if wininet.dll is infected. SmitFraudFix will ask you whether to replace the infected file (if there’s any) ‘Replace infected
   file?’ Answer by typing Y (Yes) and hit Enter.
7. Reboot your computer to complete the cleaning process.
8. After reboot, a Notepad screen may appear containing a log of all the files
   removed from your computer. If it doesn’t appear, a file will be created called
   rapport.txt in the root of your drive, (Local Disk C:).
9. Restart your computer in Safe Mode (how to do safe mode).
10. Go to C:\Windows\Temp, click Edit, click Select All, press DELETE, and then
    click Yes to confirm that you want all the items to go to the Recycle Bin.
11. Go to C:\Documents and Settings\[LISTED USER]\Local Settings\Temp, click Edit, click Select All, press DELETE, and then click Yes to confirm that
    you want all the items to go to the Recycle Bin.
12. Reboot your computer back to normal mode. Go to Windows Update and download all critical updates.

PC Protection Center 2008 Manual Removal Instructions

This manual removal method is for techie computer users. PC Protection Center 2008 manual removal may be difficult and time consuming to remove. There’s no guarantee that PC Protection Center 2008 will be removed completely. So read the PC Protection Center 2008 removal steps carefully and good luck.
Before you start: Close all programs and Internet browsers. Also back up your computer in case you make a mistake and your computer stops working.

1. Uninstall PC Protection Center 2008 Program
   Click on Start > Settings > Control Panel > Double-click on Add/Remove Programs. Search for and uninstall PC Protection Center 2008 if found.
2. To stop PC Protection Center 2008 processes (view process removal steps)
   Go to Start > Run > type taskmgr. The click the Processes tab and you’ll see a list of running processes.
   Search and stop these PC Protection Center 2008 processes:
   PcProtection.exe
   uninstall.exe
   For each unwanted process, right-click on it and then select “End task”.
3. To Unregister PC Protection Center 2008 DLLs (view DLL removal steps)
   Search and unregister these PC Protection Center 2008 DLLs:
   vbzlib2.dll

   To locate the PC Protection Center 2008 DLL path, go to Start > Search > All Files or Folders. Type PC Protection Center 2008 and in the Look in: select either My Computer or Local Hard Drives. Click the Search button.
   Once you have the PC Protection Center 2008 DLL path, go to Start and then click on Run. In the Run command box, type cmd, and then click on OK.
   To locate the exact DLL path, type cd in order to change the current directory. To display the contents of the directory, use the dir command. To remove the DLL file type regsvr32 /u FILENAME.dll (FILENAME is the name of the file that you want to unregister).

4. To unregister PC Protection Center 2008 registry keys (view registry keys removal steps)
   Go to Start > Run > type regedit > press OK.
   Edit the value (on the right pane) by right-clicking on it and selecting the Modify option. Select the Delete option.
   Search and delete these PC Protection Center 2008 registry keys:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun “PC Protection Center”
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREAntivirus Software
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionUninstallPC Protection Center 2008
   

5. If your homepage has been changed, go to Start > Control Panel > Internet Options > click on the General > click Use Default under Home Page. Add the your desired default homepage, then click Apply > click OK. Open a new web browser to check that you have your desired default homepage.
6. Remove PC Protection Center 2008 Directories.
   To find PC Protection Center 2008 directories, go to Start > My Computer > Local Disk (C:) > Program Files > Show the contents of this folder.
   Search and delete the following PC Protection Center 2008 directories:
   C:\ProgramFiles\PC Protection Center 2008\
   C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\PC Protection Center 2008\

   Right-click on the PC Protection Center 2008 folder and select Delete.
   A message will appear saying ‘Are you sure you want to remove the folder PC Protection Center 2008 and move all its contents to the Recycle Bin?’, click Yes.
   Another message will appear saying ‘Renaming, moving or deleting PC Protection Center 2008 could make some programs not work. Are you sure you want to do this?’, click Yes.

7. To remove PC Protection Center 2008 icons on your Desktop, drag and drop them to the Recycle Bin.

You’ve completed the PC Protection Center 2008 manual removal instructions!
I hope this article has helped you solve your PC Protection Center 2008 problems. If you want to contribute to this article, post your comment below.

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes. By using this information you agree to be bound by the disclaimer. There’s no guarantee that PC Protection Center 2008 will be completely removed from your computer. Seek professional help if your computer continues to experience problems.

With reference to the current crisis and financial burdens that has plagued the world, turning to alternative desktops such as slightly used computers or even second hand ones can save a lot. Or can they?

When you say that a computer desktop, it could mean a lot of different things such as:

1. Internal Parts
2. Life Span
3. Performance Maximization

These would normally be the things to be considered. Many say that buying a second hand computer can save you some cash but may eventually push you towards spending more since they may break down. Another means of spending would be to upgrade by part such as the video cards, memory or hard disk. Add all of these up and you may be surprised that you had spent more compared to buying a brand new one in the market.

Hard times hit the desktop vendors as well. There will be sales offered so that they can close a sale and maintain their daily operations. With so much competitors in the market, it remains that each of them will try to outdo one another. Price slashes on offered computer packages can be expected and later on you would realize they are more practical than buying a second hand desktop.

The next time you consider buying a desktop, audit and canvass the costing for each. Consider as well warranty on parts since second hand desktops often don’t have it. That is already one tip to consider as far as feasibility of buying a PC is concerned.