WARNING concerning Windows 7

[Shortstack]

Everything was running fine after I updated from Vista Home Premium 64-bit OS to the new Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

THEN, I decided to run my Norton's Utility app. I first ran a Register Check and got rid of the bits and pieces of left over trash........Nooooooo problem.

NEXT, I ran the Register Compression mode and, WARNING, DON'T DO THIS STEP! When the app saved the info to a temp file, and went into "Restart" to complete the operation, Windows would not restart. I ran all of the proper recovery steps and no joy. No matter what I tried, Safe Mode, Windows Recovery, etc. Windows would not restart. It would shutdown automatically each try to "prevent possible damage to the computer". I pounded F-11 for one restart try and got the link to save all files to an exterior device. I chose my exterior harddrive and it saved to it. But, the recovery operation WOULD NOT complete it's task. So, I finally decided that the Register was corrupted and only one thing was left to do.

I had to reload Vista, update EVERYTHING, then do the "7" upgrade again. This took a very long time.


Folks, I like Norton's Antivirus, but DO NOT USE THEIR UTILITIES APPLICATION until AFTER they get their "S---" together. I've lost the Utilities App as well as the purchased upgrade to 2009 Antivirus.

 

[Dimeman]

I don't know if this will work on 7 or not, but it works on previous Windows.
I got the XP Upgrade and used it for a clean install on a brand new hard drive. It worked great.

 

[rjw4law]

This is why I have a Mac

 

[Smee]

This is why I have a Mac

Sure that's safe?

http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/12/snow-leopard-guest-account-bug-deleting-user-files-terrorizin/

http://apple.slashdot.org/story/09/...Leopard-Bug-Said-To-Delete-User-Data?from=rss

Why wait on Winders 7 to do it, when a mac can screw things up too?

 

[pjroo33]

This is why I have a Mac

ditto

 

[Shortstack]

For all those who delight in saying,"This is why I have a Mac." Please reread the title of this thread. It does not say anything about Mac's. It is about Windows "7" and a problem area to avoid. It's my understanding that Mac's OS Snow Leopard isn't the end all; do all IT's supposed to be, either.

Again, the Win 7 is fine. Just don't use any registry cleaner until the reg. cleaner designers get their act together.


If Mac's are so great and trouble free, why has Apple designed them to allow the use of Windows if the owner desires? Could it be that Macs are still not selling?

 

[Dimeman]

This is why I have a Mac

My buddy had his own computer networking/repair company for 20 years. He still dabbles in it and decided to try NON-Windows systems. He knew about installing, LAN and repairing all types of systems.

After 6 months he went back to Windows based PC, because he told me that MAC's were only a little bit better at stopping viruses and stuff like that, the installation of a new OS on a clean hard drive wasn't too much easier, the variety of software was very limited compared to Windows based systems.

 

[godisnum1]

Hey SS,
I suggest using Avast! Anti-Virus... it's free, and I haven't had it miss one virus attempt since I started using it years ago.
Here's some utilities that I've been using that's kept things fairly peppy on Win7...

Free 1-year Subscription for Uniblue Disc Rescue 2009
http://mag.uniblue.com/apcmag/au/signup/

Uniblue Registry Booster 2010
http://www.liutilities.com/products/registrybooster/


Bran <><

 

[Lasivian]

You folks need to stop paying for software.

For those of you that require windows use MalwareBytes anti-malware (It's free unless you want scheduled scans and other crap that bogs down your system) as a professional PC repairman it's my official suggestion. http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

Want some tips? You can stop around 80-90% of your PC problems if you DO NOT USE the following:

Norton (Pointless junk, bogs down your system because it thinks it can fix what almost never needs fixing, bloated)
Internet Explorer (Horrible security track record, use Firefox instead, or Google Chrome)
Mcafee (Use Malwarebytes instead, or check out Spybot Search and Destroy)
Outlook (Awful security track record, use Thunderbird, Gmail or Pegasus mail)
Any other program that offers to "fix, clean, tune-up or otherwise do something to your computer that you're not really sure is broken"
Adobe Acrobat (Bloated and bogs down systems, use Foxit instead)

True "viruses" that delete data have died out and profitable worms/trojans that provide ad revenue and spam are where it's at now, if you keep your doors locked they can't get in, it's that simple.

Want 100% protection but don't want a Mac? Use Linux, it's not as difficult as you might think, you can download it here: http://www.ubuntu.com for free.

Now, on with our regularly scheduled thread, thank you.

 

[Smee]

Very, very good advice Lasivian.

All I could add is:

If it's CUTE!, it's probably bad. (pretty cursors, wallpaper, animated emails, etc.)
If it's FREE!, it's probably bad. (free movies, free music, free scans by anyone but the legitimate companies)
If it's CUTE! A-N-D FREE! - Run like hell, cause you just met the Devil. (It is going to cost you dearly!)

The reference to Avast is also DEAD ON Bran! Great AV. I use it to clean up all the viruses the programs Lasivian listed as "worthless" (because they are worthless) let through.

Never looked at those other programs, personally I use Crap Cleaner and RegistryScrubXP for registry examination and cleaning and Hijack This! (HJT) for startup maintenance. I also run HJT's ADS (Alternate Data Streams) spy to watch for some rootkit like activity. I recognize liutilities.com, great place to go if you are suspect of a process running on your computer.

I sell Panda Antivirus in my store (biggest problem there is Panda's tech support sucks!), but on ALL of MY computers I use Avast. I used to use Panda's Internet Security and its a great program, but the tech support always starts: "Format your hard drive and reinstall your Operating System".

 

[Lasivian]

Very, very good advice Lasivian.

All I could add is:

If it's CUTE!, it's probably bad. (pretty cursors, wallpaper, animated emails, etc.)
If it's FREE!, it's probably bad. (free movies, free music, free scans by anyone but the legitimate companies)
If it's CUTE! A-N-D FREE! - Run like hell, cause you just met the Devil. (It is going to cost you dearly!)

The reference to Avast is also DEAD ON Bran! Great AV. I use it to clean up all the viruses the programs Lasivian listed as "worthless" (because they are worthless) let through.

Never looked at those other programs, personally I use Crap Cleaner and RegistryScrubXP for registry examination and cleaning and Hijack This! (HJT) for startup maintenance. I also run HJT's ADS (Alternate Data Streams) spy to watch for some rootkit like activity. I recognize liutilities.com, great place to go if you are suspect of a process running on your computer.

I sell Panda Antivirus in my store (biggest problem there is Panda's tech support sucks!), but on ALL of MY computers I use Avast. I used to use Panda's Internet Security and its a great program, but the tech support always starts: "Format your hard drive and reinstall your Operating System".

I disagree on the "if it's free" part. Many free products are well worth using, and often they are superior to their paid counterparts. Most of the software I run is free.

Rather it's important to know how widespread an item is and what other users think of it. If you search "Cleanup this 5000" on google and get mostly "this is spyware" results that's a good hint it's garbage.

I agree on the "cute" side, especially if it's from an online ad.

Personally I use nothing to protect my computers.

Yes, you heard me right, nothing. I do not have any always-running antivirus or anti-spyware programs. They are installed but I only run them when something "feels or acts wrong". (IE, when a program loads that I did not install, etc.) 99.99% of the time you can clean up whatever infects a machine, the days of viruses deleting data are long gone.

I don't run registry cleaners, I don't defragment, the best protection you can have is a clean Windows install and shut off automatic updates.

 

[coinshooter]

Here's a GREAT site that will help you with all your problems for free and you may learn something too.
They helped me when i got spyware on my computer and it was all done through their forum for free.

www.bleepingcomputer.com

 

[K*E*L*L*Y]

This is why I have a Mac

ditto

hahahhahahah.... i always say... once you go MAC you never go back!!
Mac has great people working at their stores... a few times i needed to have
my macbook fixed... and all i did was walk in and they fixed it... WELL AFTER the
warranty was up... you NEVER get that with anything that runs windows!
they charge just for the call and to find the problem.. forget fixing it!

 

[Bum Luck]

My last Norton nightmare was just that - my last.

Many years ago, I think 2004.

Their last good product was Norton Commander (for DOS).

 

[Smee]

I disagree on the "if it's free" part. Many free products are well worth using, and often they are superior to their paid counterparts. Most of the software I run is free.

I agree with that, otherwise I would not use Avast, Gimp, Steganos File Shredder or any of the "free Serif Software" for graphics . . . they're free, and clean. The free I was getting at was "Free Photoshop" "Free Music" . . . those type of free things, as well as those "nice people" who scan your computer for viruses without asking (smitfraud etc.).