If you are a self proclaimed computer geek and you haven’t heard a squat about Lavasoft, the term “self proclaimed” is a word that I’m glad I used. So having said that, for the ones who have just crawled out of their caves and for the ones who have been using the company’s software without knowing anything about its developers, this article is just for you. Lavasoft is a German company that was founded when computer viruses were dominating the computer crime scene. Spywares were not even heard of during this time. Lavasoft is the original anti spyware company which makes it the pioneer in the anti spyware software industry.

www.lavasoftusa.com is one website that offers solutions to the users who have quite literally given up their war against adwares and spywares by offering them latest anti spyware products and other help in order for them to configure the problem using the Lavasoft support center. There are various products that the website offers with names like Lavasoft Registry Tuner that helps in increasing the overall performance of your computer by cleaning up your registry off of the unnecessary files, then there is the Lavasoft Personal Firewall 2.0, Lavasoft Privacy Toolbox, Lavasoft File Shredder and Lavasoft Digital Lock. And for protection against any adwares, Lavasoft has its own range of products that are specifically designed to counter such threats. These products would include Ad-Aware Plus, Ad-Aware Pro and the Ad-aware version which is free for download.

Lavasoftusa.com was designed on the basis of consumer reporting, social change and of course, ethical advertising. One of the best things about this website is that it works directly with the spyware industry so that they become the good guys which is quite different from their percieved reputation. www.lavasoftusa.com works closely with the spyware industry constantly making improvements in them so that they don’t pose as a potential threat to the users anymore. So with the number of adwares and spywares on the rise, Lavasoft promises to be ready to protect your computers from these malwares.

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www.majorgeeks.com is perhaps one of the most popular websites that offers freeware and shareware downloads to its users. MajorGeeks is the best when the user is finding it particularly tough to repair his computer or even fix it with respect to some technical problems. The website insists that if the user faces any problems with respect to technicalities, he use the website forums, where the problem could be fixed without any delay. www.majorgeeks.com specializes in repairs, providing anti spywares, anti viruses, offering back up tools, applications for enhancing the system’s performance, etc. To put long story short, major geeks is nothing but quite a helpful toolbox for the user’s computer.

Now if you’re looking for some sexy wallpapers or free mp3 downloads, then this freeware/shareware offering website isn’t for you. This website makes it pretty sure that the forums that they host are user friendly even for the new comers. What sets this website apart from others is the fact that the developers take full care that whatever freeware and shareware that is offered has been tested for adwares, spywares and other malicious programs that usually sneak their way into the user’s computers through downloads. The website is known to do this ever since 1998 which at the time was known as TweakFiles.

www.majorgeeks.com has a perfect page layout that offers the users categories such as admin tools, all in one tools, anti spyware, anti virus, browsers, data recovery, monitoring, games, video, registry, etc. and when we say “etc.”, we mean a lot more. The website geek wear also offers tee shirts as well as hats sporting the major geeks logo. And then of course there is the major geeks shop offering literally everything to its users, right from appliances, jewellery, music, movies to clothing, software, furniture, video games, etc. But that’s not all what www.majorgeeks.com is all about is it? For new users, this website provides a boot camp section which explains the users how to go on about using this site. It also offers a review section to the users who’d like a second opinion about a hardware or a software component.

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Have you opened up Internet Explorer only to find that your browser re-directs and sends you off where you don’t want to be visiting?

If the answer is yes, the chances are high that you’ve been attacked by the notorious about:blank homepage hijacker. It’s likely that if you’ve been affected by the virus, you’ll know it as the Cool Web Search utility that appears on the desktop and in your web browser.

Make no mistake; there are many different homepage hijackers in circulation. They are used for several reasons, most notably for hackers to send traffic to websites of their choosing. Sometimes this’ll be to steal advertising revenue, other times it may be to fool a search engine. And of course, there are those occasions where the pesky hackers will attack for the sake of attacking.

You may have heard the about:blank problem described as a symptom of the HomeOldSP hacker. There is a simple reason for this, and to find it you only have to look as far as the Windows Registry where you’ll find the following key:

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,HomeOldSP = about:blank

While you might think that it’s possible to get rid of the about:blank virus by simply deleting the registry entry, it’s not quite as simple as that. Deleting the entry will temporarily disable the virus, but the infestation is designed to undo any attempt to delete it permanently. This means that within moments, you’ll be suffering from the same about:blank problems.

The good news is that the threat isn’t severe. It won’t render your system useless, although the same can’t be said for Internet Explorer which becomes extremely difficult to use with any variation of the Cool Web Search virus in place.

The DLL file at the root of the problem can be found hidden away at the key below:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\

WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Windows\\AppInit_DLLs

Once again, it’s not worth deleting the DLL because it will simply re-spawn. To remove it effectively, we need to download a copy of HijackThis and a comprehensive registry cleaner.

A good registry cleaner will scan and remove the about:blank hijacker. But it’s well known that the virus is capable of avoiding deletion across some anti-Virus platforms. Booting in safe mode is a good way of ensuring that you get to the root of the problem when you run your removal software.

It’s also possible to go in and correct the problem manually, if a little problematic to do so. You will need to use the Windows Registry Editor to locate a key named AppInit_DLLs. In its value entry, you will find the corrupt hidden DLL file that needs to be removed. The only problem is that you won’t be able to remove it unless you go through the Windows Recovery Console and rename the file first.

Before you can delete the file, you will need to lift the read-only protection that the hacker has placed on it.

Open up command prompt, find the stray DLL, and enter the following:

ATTRIB -R *file-name-here*.dll

Once the attribute has been changed, go ahead and delete the DLL file. Reboot the system and load up Internet Explorer. You should find that the about:blank problem is fixed.

We would strongly recommend that you purchase, or download, a sufficient spyware removal tool. There are many which sit in the web browser with the sole purpose of preventing intrusions such as the about:blank homepage hijacker.

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Do you think your computer may have gotten a bad case of spyware?
If you are looking for a solution, I have learned from several
sources that the best alternative is to try spyware removal
software. This is actually a software program which, as the name
implies, scans through your computer and eliminates spyware and
other programs you may not want to have on your computer.

The reason for all the hype surrounding spyware removal software is
that spyware has become ubiquitous. Spyware are software programs
which are extremely difficult to trace on your computer. Spyware
gathers personal information off the computer and sends it over the
internet, unbeknownst to the computer owner. This information could
be used to abuse credit or even to impersonate the computer’s
lawful owner. Spyware is also known as Sneakware, malware,
Snoopware or even Adware. Regardless of its name, spyware can wreak
havoc on your computer. However since spyware can very easily enter
your computer without your knowledge, it may be worthwhile to try
spyware removal software just in case.

If you have already taken all the recommended measures to protect
your computer against malicious programs, you may believe that
installing sypware removal software would be superfluous. However,
as disappointing as it may be, your computer is not as secure as
you would like to believe. Firewalls and anti-virus programs often
fail in blocking sypware, usually because sypware programs often
seem benign compared to viruses.

Sometimes sypware removal software is offered in a package together
with anti-spyware software, which prevents sypware for infiltrating
your machine. The anti-spyware program will also scan your computer
for any existing sypware and remove it. Thus, anti-spyware programs
offer both spyware removal as well as prevention services.

Sypware removal and prevention software is easily obtainable from
the Internet, where these programs are also often offered for free
download. It is however important to download such software only
from trustworthy websites. Otherwise you may in fact be downloading
spyware onto your computer instead of spyware removal software.

It seems like computers of the 21st century will be plagued by
spyware. Because spyware programs are much more elusive than
viruses, they are often even more difficult to control. Spyware
removal software is definitely an option worth considering. Because
it is so difficult to prevent or detect spyware, your computer may
even be contaminated without your being aware of the fact. If a
spyware was accidentally downloaded to your computer while you were
surfing the Internet, a good spyware removal program will help you
clean it up.

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Nowadays, computers have become so common that most households
possess at least one of them. A stand-alone computer in itself does
not pose any security threat to the individual using it. However,
once connected to the Internet, each computer becomes a door which
any identity thief or hacker may use in order to take advantage of
the pandemonium of the World Wide Web. In an effort to protect
users from the aggravation caused by viruses, spyware, pop-ups and
spam, software companies have developed various measures aimed at
improving computer security.

Anti-virus software is the predominant development in this field.
McAfee and Norton are the two major companies offering such
anti-virus software, which actually searches through the files on a
computer in order to see if they contain certain characteristics
which could be viruses, or which are often associated with viruses.
The characteristics, known as virus definitions, need to be
regularly downloaded. In addition to files on the computer itself,
e-mails as well as files on CDs and floppy discs should be scanned.
It has already been accepted as an axiom, that anti- virus software
is absolutely essential for computer security.

Software aimed at scanning for spyware comes next. Spyware are
programs that certain websites run in the background of the
computer while gathering data about it. This data could be
relatively harmless information such as finding out what kind of
websites the computer owner visits, but it could also go so far as
acquiring passwords. In any case, spyware usually deteriorates
computer performance drastically and must be removed from the
computer. Ad-ware and Spybot Search & Destroy are popular
software used for this purpose, but they don’t cover all threats.

Furthermore, spam filters and pop-up blockers are also of critical
importance. Spam and pop-ups are serious nuisances to the user, but
worse, they are often the vehicles that sypware scanning software
(as previously explained) use to enter the computer. They also
negatively affect computer performance. An irritated computer user
is more prone to making a security faux pas than a calm one!
There are several more actions computer owners should take to
ensure their computer and information remains their own private
property, in addition to the software options previously mentioned.
As much information as possible should be secured via passwords,
and passwords should be complex enough to make them hard to guess -
the user’s name, spouse name or birth date are not good passwords.It is also strongly recommended not to check bank statements when
using an unsecured wireless network, since these networks enable
numerous people to use them simultaneously. It’s important to
remember that hackers spend a lot of time and effort trying to
access information, and users have to keep up to speed if they want
to keep their information secure!

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The computer world has become a dangerous place for the innocent
computer user - threats lurk around every corner, intending to
collect your information, damage your network, impersonate you and
generally cause chaos. Luckily there are several excellent software
programs which can help you defend yourself against these perils.
Even better, these programs are free, so you can get straight to
work!

Anti-virus protection is the first essential program you need.
There are many expensive and popular alternatives, which however
tend to slow down the performance of the computer and require an
annual subscription fee. Experience shows that the virus protection
provided by freeware alternatives is just as good. A good
recommendation is Grisoft’s  AVG Free Edition. Though the program
does not boast every single feature provided by the commercially
available programs, it provides excellent protection by performing
the most important task of keeping the system free of viruses,
Trojans and worms.

The second weapon in your arsenal should be the firewall. This is
necessary for preventing others from entering you machine. Hackers
try to infiltrate systems in order to steal data or damage the
system, or else they may try to take advantage of a computer by
using it remotely for sending spam email (known as a “spam
zombie”).  A firewall is vital for protecting the system against
these threats. If you are using Windows XP, you may already be
acquainted with the built-in version (available on both Home or
Professional Editions). However there are also many other options,
of which Zone Alarm Free Firewall offers the best alternative.

Equipped with anti-virus and firewall protection, the next issue is
one which is generating a lot of confusion - what can be done to
better manage passwords? The program CyberScrub KeyChain is an
excellent new program that offers a solution for this confusing
issue. KeyChain is distributed free, and stores all your user names
and passwords, as well as you credit card details and addresses.
All of this sensitive information is stored with one single
“master” password, which eliminates the need to remember the
multitude of access combinations you use. Whenever you enter a
password protected website, you highlight and click a small toolbar
in the browser and KeyChain automatically fills in your log-in
details and submits them. This application makes shopping on the
Internet much more simple and quick, and means you don’t have to
type in all your addresses and credit card information. A strong
encryption algorithm is used to make sure your sensitive
information is kept safe.

This overview would be incomplete without discussing the pestilent
spyware. It can be just as dangerous as viruses, and sypwares are
multiplying at a frightening rate, driven by creative schemes of
the mastermind hackers that invent them. Spyware is so powerful
that it can even control your CD drive, it can aid browser ads,
take control of your homepage and steal your passwords and much
more. To combat this hazard, you should take action, for example by
using Ad-Aware SE Personal, a very good program from Lavasoft.
This list should serve as a starting point, providing the
fundamental tools to protect you system and information. Take
action now, or you may well regret it!

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The most popular antispyware software today is distributed by Lavasoft. Ad-Aware SE Personal, their free version that is available to home users, has been downloaded nearly one million times every week. What exactly is it that makes this program so popular with internet users today?

If you are a commercial user, or need a more powerful version of Ad-Aware to meet your needs, Lavasoft offers several different versions of their antispyware application. For your convenience in selecting the correct one to suit your needs, Lavasoft has included a product comparison chart that can be found on their website.

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Spyware is becoming a very big problem for internet users. It is a program that will hide itself from the user but will perform operations in the background that intrude on your privacy. These programs will often come with other free downloads such as Kazaa, Imesh or Cuteftp. The reason that these programs have been given to you for free in the first place is because companies will pay the developers of these programs to insert their spyware programs into them.

Ad-Aware is an antispyware application that has been created and distributed by Lavasoft. They offer a free version of Ad-Aware for personal home users, but there are also several different levels of the program available for commercial use. Of course, these versions will offer more options and will cost money. To help you decide which version of Ad-Aware is going to suit your needs the best, Lavasoft has included a product comparison chart so that you can quickly determine the right Ad-Aware package for you based on your needs.

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