Tech/Computer advice from me

I got one of those infections that sends some wierd email with a website link to everyone in your contact list.
How do they get into your email account ? Where do those usually come from, and how do you get rid of it ?
 
I got one of those infections that sends some wierd email with a website link to everyone in your contact list.
How do they get into your email account ? Where do those usually come from, and how do you get rid of it ?

Typically you get those by clicking on a link in an email that isn't legit. The site loads and it looks legit (like its your email, or maybe a bank, or whatever) and you log in but it doesn't work - for whatever reason.

What you've just done is gone to a malicious website and given them your user name and password.

They don't have to log into your account to send email, they just need your username and password. Then they write scripts that just send commands to the email server to send email. That's actually how email clients (entourage, outlook, mac mail, etc) work - they just send commands.

So you need to change the password to your email account - and any other account that uses that password while you're at it.

Oh - and be careful with what links you're clicking on in the future. And, above all, be real careful where you're typing your username and password - make sure it's actually the site. If something looks 'off' chances are you're not where you think you are...

This is typically done with, and very successful with, aol and Hotmail accounts.
 
Let me know if you have any questions. That's what I'm running on. I set up a whole test lab full of server 2012 VM's on my windows 8 laptop :) I'm also setting up hyper-v replication for a bunch of production machines for a disaster recovery site for a client. fun stuff...

I pretty much live in hyper-v these days.
 
Typically you get those by clicking on a link in an email that isn't legit. The site loads and it looks legit (like its your email, or maybe a bank, or whatever) and you log in but it doesn't work - for whatever reason.

What you've just done is gone to a malicious website and given them your user name and password.

They don't have to log into your account to send email, they just need your username and password. Then they write scripts that just send commands to the email server to send email. That's actually how email clients (entourage, outlook, mac mail, etc) work - they just send commands.

So you need to change the password to your email account - and any other account that uses that password while you're at it.

Oh - and be careful with what links you're clicking on in the future. And, above all, be real careful where you're typing your username and password - make sure it's actually the site. If something looks 'off' chances are you're not where you think you are...

This is typically done with, and very successful with, aol and Hotmail accounts.

So, just changing passwords fixes it ? No infection to clean up, huh ?
 
Change your passwords, but remember which one to use when next visiting your regular porn site! If it's not from a porn site, revise your net surfing habits.
 
So, just changing passwords fixes it ? No infection to clean up, huh ?

To stop the emails - yes just change your password.

You may or may not have an infection - run a virus scanner and see what it comes back as. I have a section on anti-virus products in one of my first posts if you need help deciding what to use.

Odds are you clicked a link to a malicious site that was designed to look like a real site, you typed in your password, and that's how it was compromised.
 
So anyway, I have this problem with saving and deleting favorites in IE9 on Win7.

I can save a page to the general favorites section, but not a specific folder. I can't seem to delete any sites that are no longer there or hold no importance to me any longer.
 
Are you doing it through internet explorer?

If so, try doing it through windows explorer (where you manage files/folders). Navigate to c:\users\<your username>\favorites
see if you alter it that way. It sounds like your favorites got corrupted :( You may need to delete the folders and then see if you can add things back through IE.
 
I've tried it through Windows Explorer, but it keeps on wanting admin permissions. Weird.
 
For some odd reason, the username was locked. So yeah, logged in and changed it back by including inheritable permissions and replaced all child object permissions.

Weird. But solved. Thanks, gents.
 
Change your passwords, but remember which one to use when next visiting your regular porn site! If it's not from a porn site, revise your net surfing habits.

Couldn't have been a porn site, because the ones I go to are free, so they don't require a user-name and password. Who pays for porn ?


Odds are you clicked a link to a malicious site that was designed to look like a real site, you typed in your password, and that's how it was compromised.

I'm assuming in this case the site that mimiced the real site was for me email account. Otherwise, if it was some other type of website, that was tracking my user-name and password for that site, how could they obtain that same information for my email account, which is a separate type of site ? If I'm making sense
 
http://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-Verizon-GT704WGB-Wireless-Gateway/dp/B0036VO6NW

This is the modem/router my wife and I currently have both of our desktop PCs connected to. When we are both on the internet, it slows down very slightly, but it's almost too minor to notice. However, if either one of us has anything open like pandora, or basically anything that isn't just your basic website, everything lags to the point of insanity.

I am losing my mind trying to cure this problem, is there anything we can do to solve it? Do they sell boosters, splitters, etc that would help with this like they do for coaxial cable? Would buying her a modem for her computer help the problem at all, or would we need separate internet service for that PC to do that?

Could we get an ethernet hub, run the internet DSL cable into that, and have one modem for each PC, or would that just make the current problem more elaborate? Or is it hopeless completely?

My PC is an HP Omni120 with an AMD E2-1800APU with Radeon HD Graphics 1.7GHZ processor, with 7.61 GB of usable RAM running 64 bit Windows 7.

My wife's is an HP s5-1224 with an Intel Pentium CPU G640@2.8 GHz processor with 5.89 GB of usable RAM running 64 bit Windows 7.
 
Couldn't have been a porn site, because the ones I go to are free, so they don't require a user-name and password. Who pays for porn ?

It's the free one's that will get ya. They use the 'product' to lure you in. The Pay-for sites are reputable and wouldn't want to do any damage to their business.
 
http://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-Verizon-GT704WGB-Wireless-Gateway/dp/B0036VO6NW

This is the modem/router my wife and I currently have both of our desktop PCs connected to. When we are both on the internet, it slows down very slightly, but it's almost too minor to notice. However, if either one of us has anything open like pandora, or basically anything that isn't just your basic website, everything lags to the point of insanity.

I am losing my mind trying to cure this problem, is there anything we can do to solve it? Do they sell boosters, splitters, etc that would help with this like they do for coaxial cable? Would buying her a modem for her computer help the problem at all, or would we need separate internet service for that PC to do that?

Could we get an ethernet hub, run the internet DSL cable into that, and have one modem for each PC, or would that just make the current problem more elaborate? Or is it hopeless completely?

My PC is an HP Omni120 with an AMD E2-1800APU with Radeon HD Graphics 1.7GHZ processor, with 7.61 GB of usable RAM running 64 bit Windows 7.

My wife's is an HP s5-1224 with an Intel Pentium CPU G640@2.8 GHz processor with 5.89 GB of usable RAM running 64 bit Windows 7.

Check with Verizon, and if you can ditch the Verizon router combo. I have Comcast. Their hardware sucked. I returned it purchases a Motorola Surfboard cable modem and and Apple xtreme wireless router. I always prefer having the modem and router separate to help make the troubleshooting easier. I'm just not sure if you can purchase a non Verizon modem for FIOS.

Edit-- you linked to a dsl modem, do you have dsl or fios??
 
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Check with Verizon, and if you can ditch the Verizon router combo. I have Comcast. Their hardware sucked. I returned it purchases a Motorola Surfboard cable modem and and Apple xtreme wireless router. I always prefer having the modem and router separate to help make the troubleshooting easier. I'm just not sure if you can purchase a non Verizon modem for FIOS.

Edit-- you linked to a dsl modem, do you have dsl or fios??
Unfortunately I have DSL, because my neighborhood is on the old GTE network, so we get connected to Fios last in Virginia Beach. Lucky me huh?
 
Ex -
The first thing you should try is to log into your DSL modem/gateway and see what the firmware version is. It's entirely possible that there was some sort of bug that Verizon fixed in a firmware update.
http://www22.verizon.com/Support/Re...leshooting/network/firmwareupgrade/123464.htm

Those are the directions for updating the firmware for that device. That could solve all your problems.

If that doesn't fix it let me know. Also double check what speed you're paying for. I think the lowest speed is 768/128 (those are up/down speeds) although if I remember correctly Verizon said they're no longer doing that service and the lowest you can get now is like 1.2meg/768 - but I have no idea if that's for new setups only or not.
 
Ex -
The first thing you should try is to log into your DSL modem/gateway and see what the firmware version is. It's entirely possible that there was some sort of bug that Verizon fixed in a firmware update.
http://www22.verizon.com/Support/Re...leshooting/network/firmwareupgrade/123464.htm

Those are the directions for updating the firmware for that device. That could solve all your problems.

If that doesn't fix it let me know. Also double check what speed you're paying for. I think the lowest speed is 768/128 (those are up/down speeds) although if I remember correctly Verizon said they're no longer doing that service and the lowest you can get now is like 1.2meg/768 - but I have no idea if that's for new setups only or not.
The problem I have with verizon where I'm at, is we are still, after over a decade, not actually on a verizon grid. We're on a patched up rigged GTE grid. As a result, nothing that works with anything else verizon works over here and it really sucks. For example, their last firmware update killed my modem and I had to wait for a week to get another sent from them. At the time, their advice was not to do any firmware updates until they made this a legitimate verizon grid. A good friend of mine is a regional development specialist with Verizon, and he said they do all of their project planning for just over 3 years out, and there are still no plans to update this area, so I just decided to can verizon completely. I did it with my cell service last year after a decade with them, and I was completely happy with that decision as I'm sure I will be with this one as well.

So, rather than continue to rip my hair out with the constant verizon problems, I decided to can them completely come wednesday when I get cox internet back. I never should have switched in the first place. And I will be avoiding their modem rental crap because today I went and got me this.......

http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-SURFboard-Gateway-SBG6580-Wireless/dp/B0040IUI46

It's DOCSIS 3.0, and has a dual band wireless router, so I should be waaaaaay better off than I was.
 
There you go. Yeah, unfortunately that crap happens cause they all buy each other. Comcast where I live sucks because it used to be Adelphia and Adelphia was terrible - Comcast bought them but the copper in the ground is still the mess Adelphia made. Comcast just owns it now.

Good luck. I've never heard anything bad about cox so hopefully you'll have a good experience.
 
There you go. Yeah, unfortunately that crap happens cause they all buy each other. Comcast where I live sucks because it used to be Adelphia and Adelphia was terrible - Comcast bought them but the copper in the ground is still the mess Adelphia made. Comcast just owns it now.

Good luck. I've never heard anything bad about cox so hopefully you'll have a good experience.
I was actually a very loyal Cox customer (born into it actually) for over 20 years. My sister has been a regional account manager for a while. They do typically provide the best product, but the reason I canceled them a while back was because their customer service is the worst on the planet. I am convinced that these awards they brag about for customer service are all self created, because they help people like the plague helped people.

Years ago, we finally went from just Cox cable to their bundle with the full phone deal, the best internet, and the HD digital tv maxed out package. We started having problems with the phone, and since we had the protection plan, we called them to fix it. They sent a crew out, and the crew started digging without having it marked, and basically cut everything there was to cut. Then they left. We had no tv, no phone, no internet. No answers either. I spent the better part of two weeks livid, constantly putting in work orders. Inevitably, nobody would show up, and then when I'd call again, they would claim a work order was never made. They did this to us while we had family working high up in the company, and we were loyal customers for over two decades. That's not good customer service.

After raising enough hell for my sister to look into it, she saw where work orders were being made when I'd call, and deleted when the crews would come out and see the headache. She said every crew was pulling up and deleting the order, claiming nobody was home. We watched them drive by over a dozen different times, never stopping when they saw the hole. This is the problem with companies that sub out their work. She said one crew even had the nerve to put work completed and sent the bill to Cox. Blatant fraud.

So I had to cancel everything, and I had a nuclear meltdown on the phone when I canceled service, and at the store returning my equipment. I swore them off, then I found out the other options were no better. When I first got Verizon, they came out and delayed work for 2 weeks, because they said it would take that long to fix everything. I couldn't handle that, so I spent two days running new coax from the house to the box, and splicing the multitude of tiny ass wires in the phone cables that Cox destroyed. I had Verizon come back out and test it, and since it worked fine, they went ahead and hooked me up on that, and I had all of my service until they came out a few weeks later to run new lines so I wouldn't have a problem down the road with the splices.

But now, I just can't deal with verizon anymore. Not only do they suck, but it seems like they're content with that, and unwilling to do anything about it. At least now that the problem Cox created is fixed, I can go back to having more than 2.8gbps internet speed :laugh:
 

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