Post by FriedGruntzaholic on Jun 9, 2005 10:40:20 GMT -8
Actually, I think your brother is confusing viruses with spy-ware. Spy-ware is not the same thing as a computer virus. Spy-ware is used by many different parties to track your movements on the Web for various reasons. Spy-ware, especially if you have an abundance of it, can slow your computer down, but it won't (at least most of it won't) harm your computer. A virus, OTOH, can be used to actually take control of your computer, can delete critical files from your computer, or actually damage your computer making it unusable. While theoretically possible, I have never heard of computer games or any other program being the source of computer viruses, especially games(programs) that come from reliable sources, i.e. if you have Gruntz on the CD that was sold by Monolith Productions, then the chances of a virus being on that disk are virtually nil. On the other hand, virtually every "aftermarket" program (those not produced by Microsoft if you use the Windows operating system), including Gruntz have, to some degree, spy-ware on the disk. Even Microsoft probably puts some spy-ware on some of their program disks (like games, for instance) for their own purposes. While some spy-ware may be on CD-ROM's, most spy-ware comes from surfing the Net. The point is, no matter what you do, computer-wise, you're going to get some degree of spy-ware. It's like death and taxes--it's a fact of life and unavoidable. So if your brother wants to avoid getting spy-ware, then he needs to format his hard drive, re-install Windows, do not install any programs, and do not connect to the Internet--IOW, a heavy, very clunky, very expensive paperweight.
However, there are effective ways to deal with spy-ware and allow your computer to remain usable. First, your brother probably needs to upgrade the security settings for his Web browser so as to accept fewer "cookies". A lot of spy-ware is nothing more than tracking cookies. Upgrading his security settings can help keep the number of cookies down. Second, if your brother is currently using IE as his default (or only) Web browser, then he should consider using Mozilla Firefox instead. Firefox is not as susceptible (at least for the time being) to spy-ware as IE. Third, there are a number of free programs that he can download to look for and remove spy-ware. And like backing up files, if done at least once a week both your brother and his computer will be much happier! Shoot! He may even be so happy that he will let you reinstall Gruntz!
However, there are effective ways to deal with spy-ware and allow your computer to remain usable. First, your brother probably needs to upgrade the security settings for his Web browser so as to accept fewer "cookies". A lot of spy-ware is nothing more than tracking cookies. Upgrading his security settings can help keep the number of cookies down. Second, if your brother is currently using IE as his default (or only) Web browser, then he should consider using Mozilla Firefox instead. Firefox is not as susceptible (at least for the time being) to spy-ware as IE. Third, there are a number of free programs that he can download to look for and remove spy-ware. And like backing up files, if done at least once a week both your brother and his computer will be much happier! Shoot! He may even be so happy that he will let you reinstall Gruntz!