Post interesting tips for the novice computer user

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Ah yes, that's right.
I'd forgotten about that.

Fair point. But the reason why I think it can be effective in some cases is because sometimes malware also hides Program Files and other folders/files directly under the root drive. It's not always just the Documents and Settings/Users folders. Especially with malware these days.



There's -s to remove the system file attribute. If not mistaken, if you want to have those system files unhidden, you need to combine -h with -s. But I could be mistaken. Need to review this bit later on for confirmation.

Meh, Windows.
Re-innovating the same problems for each new release.

I think that's correct.
There's "hidden", as for any ol' file and then there's "system" which also hides-but-in-another-way and intended for system files.
Surprised any of this stuff still exists in the current versions of Windows. Has the filesystem never grown up?

You will also get a warning if you try to delete a system file.

I'd rather permissions were better managed to make this impossible for the average user to do at all, TBH.

You can, the admin of a network can set file access rights for users.

Unless you're referring to someone's personal computer, in which case why? I want the freedom to do what I want with my computer.

Yep, I know - but that's not an average user.
You and me both!
But you and me both know what we're doing; what's likely to create a problem; what might be risky etc.
The average user knows none of this - and why should they need to?
For those users, I'd expect the OS to be capable of protecting itself from damage and ideally, right out of the box.
A simple solution might be to have the default user account, set up when the thing is booted for the very first time, to not default to granting admin access rights.

Indeed. I am a novice user. I don't run to my kitchen window when instructed to close a window nor do I look for the 'any' key like Homer Simpson (great episode!). But once I did get a malware infection and in my frenzy to get rid of it I could very easily have deleted necessary files if my computer had let me. I was in an absolute panic (those popups!!) chasing it around my system to the best of my (novice) ability but luckily was only allowed to use a butter knife instead of a sledge hammer so I couldn't do real damage in my panic state.

Then I bought a disinfecting program by Norton so everything is fine now. But I am glad there were limits on my power at the time of my malware panic. I was like somebody running around the bedroom trying to kill a rat with a baseball bat before it could get near my bed. People like me need to be protected from themselves because that situation is almost sure to happen to the novice user at some point.

Well, there are extra system folders and stuff like that (especially for 64-bit Windows) and more advanced (but often annoying) security features in Vista and 7.

Try to delete it by normal means anyway. It won't let you. So it's not just a warning. It won't let you at all.

Good on you, but next time, don't pay for anything to have your system cleaned from malware. There are free programs there that could help you out better than Norton ever could.

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware for example is one such free program. There's also SuperAntiSpyware. And there's also geeks online to help you out for free.

Next tip:

An Indian calls you telling you that he works for Microsoft and that he noticed you have a nasty virus on your computer and is ready to clean it out for you for a couple of hundred dollars via remote access?

Don't be stupid. He's a fraud. Just tell him to f*ck off and suck some dog c*ck for a change.

It lets me? Maybe you were trying to delete a DLL that was mapped into memory, or a process that was running.

Run this code, and then delete the file "test". It only gives me a warning.

I thought that's what you had in mind, too. Nevermind. I believe you. Especially that most system files are doing stuff in the background or are needed to keep Windows going. That's why they are locked.

And anyway, I don't have a compiler on this laptop. I'll check the code at home if necessary.

Craftier, and having a certain glow of satisfaction - keep him on the line and pretend to be faffing about with your computer. It will cost him money and prevent him from calling someone else who might be more believing.

Some good stuff here, and it seems that the conversation shifted rather quickly to viruses and malware. As an A+ certified technician that fixes computers daily, I have a few things to share.

First of all, viruses and malware are actually two distinctly different types of software. A program such as ESET NOD32 anti-virus will not detect a lot of fake antivirus infections, and MalwareBytes often misses trojans.

Something else to mention is the misconception that people get viruses only by pirating music or software or videos, or if they visit adult websites. This is often not the case, (though every time that I see LimeWire installed on a customer unit I cringe a little.) I've seen plenty of people with infections that occurred through email, or through kids game sites. Facebook and similar sites because of their overwhelming popularity. Someone who takes the time to write malicious code is usually out to infect as many people as possible, and as such, will chose a site that is guaranteed to get a lot of traffic.

Recently, many people have gotten infected by clicking links through their email that purport to show the body of Osama bin Laden, or video from the raid on his compound. If you see such a message, delete it immediately, even if it appears to be form someone on your contact list.

On a non-malware and virus topic, I have seen a lot of commercials for products that claim to be able to "speed up" your computer. I do not recommend any of these, as they do nothing that you can't do yourself for free, with a small time expenditure. CCleaner is one tool I use to keep things like dead DLL files and registry entries cleaned up. An added bonus is that it makes a backup before deleting anything, and is very easy to use.

If someone tells you to change a registry entry, I would be very sceptical. Making changes to the registry in a Windows machine is risky, even us pros don't like to do it. A small mistake can turn your machine into a paperweight, requiring a reinstall of the operating system to fix.

When using removable storage devices, such as a flash drive or USB drive, always right-click on the drive in the My Computer screen and select the "Eject" command. This will keep the files on the drive from becoming corrupted if the computer is still writing to the device while you yank the drive out of the USB port.

Let's see, what else....

Unless you're well and truly comfortable with hardware, don't try to perform physical upgrades to the machine. By physical upgrades, I mean stuff like adding more RAM, a bigger hard drive, graphics card, and the like. Even if you do it right, a static electric discharge can damage the delicate electronics and cause a lengthy (and often expensive) trip to the local computer repair shop.

NEVER TAKE APART A POWER SUPPLY OR CRT MONITOR. These devices contain capacitors that hold enough charge to kill a person, even well after they've been unplugged from the wall. If they don't work, replace them.

Liquids and computers are not friends. Unless you're doing liquid cooling. In which case you're probably not reading this thread.

If you use a desktop, clean it out every few months. Power it down, unplug everything, and take the side panel off the case. Then, using canned air, blow all the accumulated dust out of the case. Pay special attention to the CPU cooler (a big fan on the motherboard that cools the processor) and the case fans, usually on the back of the case. Dust buildup can cause a computer to overheat and shut down.

Speaking of overheating, if you use a laptop, don't use it on a blanket, comforter, carpet, or anything else that is soft or plushy. This will block air intakes on the bottom of the machine that allow the cooling fan inside to keep the machine at a good temperature.

On another laptop related note, don't tightly kink the power cables. Especially near the plug that plugs into the laptop and the "brick". This can cause a loose or broken connection inside the cord, and a "cheap" universal laptop adapter is in the $60-$80 range.

If your computer is running "slow", it may be because there are too many programs running in the background. You can either add more memory, or RAM, or disable unneeded programs.

Something else to consider. If you're a gamer, like me, an inexpensive computer isn't going to be able to run today's latest games. That $300 laptop or desktop that you saw on special at the local store is for word processing, email, and web browsing. It's not going to run Crysis 2.

That's all for now. I'm new to these parts, and intend to be around for a while as a newly self-diagnosed Aspie. I hope that I was able to help some of you out with this information.