11 search results for "ad blocker"

PC Ad Blockers (Updated – June 2022)

Technology Tips – Published June 2022 in the Guide and Digest

By Don Trauger – Kennett

I wrote about ad blockers in Dec. 2020 and now is the time to revisit the subject to see which ones are best. You may have heard of the term but you may be unsure as to what all they do. Ad blockers are small apps that only work when they are added to your web browser such as Chrome or Edge. They are referred to as extensions or add-ons. Their main purpose is to block ads that can slow the loading speed of web pages. Of course, the benefit is that you see few or no ads on the web page you entered in your browser. However, there’s more to an ad blocker than just blocking ads.

 

Having an ad blocker installed can also give you an unseen benefit. Ads can carry malware so if you block ads, you gain added protection over and above what your anti-virus program offers. So, which one is best? Using my personal testing it’s still AdBlock Plus by a small margin.

 

One thing I found out during my testing is that Microsoft’s Edge has better native security characteristics than either Google’s Chrome or Firefox. When Edge is configured to “Strict” mode, Edge made less work for the extensions tested. You can read my previous article about Edge here: https://hersheysmill.org/?s=Edge.

 

Although AdBlock Plus is my #1 recommendation, Adblocker Ultimate also does a good job. In testing I have run up to 5 ad blockers and 2 other anti-tracking extensions at the same time and there were no problems. The only thing I noticed was a very slight increase in page loading time of about 1 second.

 

To improve your security when using a browser install AdBlock Plus and AdBlocker Ultimate. To increase your privacy also add Disconnect. It prevents web sites from planting trackers that can follow you from site to site adding more potential unwanted ads and who knows what else. One other extension that I like is TrafficLight. Every time you do a Google search it places a green check next to each individual result. That means it’s safe to click the result.

 

Installing an ad blocker is quite easy. For Chrome, open the program, click the 3 vertical dots in the upper right corner and navigate to “More tools” then click “Extensions”. On the upper left side click the 3 horizontal bars. At the bottom, click “Open Chrome Web Store.” In the “Search the store” field type “adblock plus” (no quotes) and press the keyboard’s Enter key. You should see the Adblock Plus icon. Click it to add to Chrome and follow any screen prompts. For the Microsoft Edge browser, open Edge then click the 3 horizontal dots in the upper right of the window, then click “Extensions”. Click “Manage extensions.” Scroll to the bottom and click “Chrome Web Store.” Follow the above instructions for adding Adblock Plus for Chrome to Edge. Add AdBlocker Ultimate using the same basic procedure. Notice that you can also add more extensions to Edge from the Chrome Web Store. That’s because Edge was developed using the same platform as Chrome. Note: Disconnect and TrafficLight can be added to Edge using the Chrome Web Store. Just follow the previous procedure for adding Adblock Plus for Chrome. After you click the selected icon, you will see a prompt to “Add to Chrome” even though you are using Edge follow the prompts.

 

After installation check to make sure the extensions are configured for maximum protection. For all extensions right click the newly added icon at the top right of the browser’s window and click “Options” (Chrome) or “Extension options” (Edge). For Adblock Plus, choose to “Block additional tracking,” “Block cookie warnings,” “Block push notifications” and “Block social media icons tracking.” Also, uncheck “Show Acceptable Ads.” For Adblocker Ultimate all options should be on, or green. TrafficLight options should be on, or blue. Disconnect has no configurable options.

 

That’s it for ad blockers but there are thousands of extensions you can add to browsers to enhance their usefulness. Just don’t add too many!

Ransomware (July 2021)

Technology Tips – Published July 2021 in the Guide and Digest

By Don Trauger – Kennett

 

By now you probably have heard the term Ransomware as it most recently relates to the Colonial Pipeline fiasco. It falls under the umbrella term malware which basically describes any unwanted program or app running on your computer or device. Many aggressive types of malware will interrupt and in some cases take control of your computer.

 

Ransomware is a particularly aggressive form of malware in that it not only takes over your computer but it also encrypts you personal files in such a way that it renders them useless or makes them unavailable when you open the program that created them. On top of that the hackers then hold your computer for ransom asking for money so you can download the tool to unencrypt your files and get back to normal operation.

 

There are a few simple things that you can and should do to avoid malware. First, be extremely aware of an incoming email that has misspellings or information that doesn’t apply to you. Don’t be in a hurry to click on new emails. Take your time to evaluate it as to whether to open it, trash it, or mark it as Spam. If you happen to accidentally open a suspicious email anything can happen but DO NOT CLICK ON ANYTHING IN THE EMAIL.

 

Your browser (Google Chrome. Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, etc.) can be fortified with an ad blocker. Adblockers not only block ads they will also block an ad that delivers malware. My recommendation is Adblock Plus. It can be added to Edge by clicking the 3 dots at the top right then click “Extensions” in the drop-down menu. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click “Get extensions for Microsoft Edge”. Type Adblock Plus in the “Search all add-ons” and press Enter. To add it to Chrome, click the 3 dots at top right and in the drop-down menu. Move to “More tools”, click “Extensions”, click the 3 horizontal lines at top far left and at the bottom left side click “Open Chrome Web Store”. Type in Adblock Plus in the Search the store field, press Enter and follow any screen prompts. To add to Firefox click the 3 horizontal lines at top right, click “Add-ons and Themes” in the drop-down menu, and type Adblock Plus in the “Search addons.mozilla.org” field and press Enter. Follow screen prompts.

 

Trying to repair a Ransomware infection is a hit or miss procedure. You can try going to
a website at: https://www.nomoreransom.org/ to see if they have a tool that possibly can help. Another good site with many decryption tools is: https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/ransomware-decryption-tools/

 

The fail-safe method of doing a complete backup of your system is highly recommended. For more information I wrote about this in the March 2021 issue of the Guide and Digest available on our website: www.hersheysmill.org.

 

The better popular anti-virus programs embed anti-ransomware protection. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is one that implements multiple layers of Ransomware protection and is highly recommended. A digital download for 1 PC is available for $11.99 (as of 5-22-2021) from BestBuy at: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/bitdefender-antivirus-plus-1-device-1-year-subscription-windows-digital/6395893.p?skuId=6395893. Remember to uninstall your existing antivirus program first before installing Bitdefender Antivirus Plus or one of your choice. Only one antivirus program is to be installed on a PC.

Browser Security – Updated (May 2017)

Technology Tips – Published May 2017 in the Guide and Digest

By Don Trauger – Kennett

Browser Security – Updated

I have revised and updated the information in this article which was originally published in April of 2016. It contains many links to click and may be best utilized while on your computer. To read and implement the programs mentioned below, click the following link: http:\\\\www.hersheysmill.org//hmc-tv20/diges/. Click on the May 2017 Guide and Digest.

 

In previous articles I have recommended the following security programs: Bitdefender Free Anti-Virus (download it here): https://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/free.html. Malwarebytes free (download it here): https://www.malwarebytes.com/. AdwCleaner (download it here): https://toolslib.net/downloads/viewdownload/1-adwcleaner/. Bitdfender Free comes in 2 flavors. The online version is the newest and is recommended for Windows 10. It appears first when you click the above Bitdefender link. A pop-up window comparing the older free version and a pay-for version may overlay the first window. Actually, both versions work fine on Windows 10. Malwarebytes offers a 14 day premium free trial with the download. After that it reverts back to manual scans and updates if you want to stay with the free version. NOTE: The new version of Malwarebytes (3.0) also contains an anti-virus. It can conflict with other anti-virus programs you may have installed. Remember that you can only have 1 anti-virus program running on your computer. Uninstall any other anti-virus program before installing Malwarebytes (3.0). Alternatively, if you have the older version of Bitdefender, click the white “B” icon on the Taskbar and turn off the Virus Shield while running Malwarebytes (3.0) during the trial period. After the Malwarebytes 14 day trial is over you can turn Bitdefender’s Virus Shield back on.

 

Now, I suggest you take an additional approach to increase security particularly when you browse the Internet. Yes, your anti virus can still protect you when a malicious file is downloaded into your computer. However, anti-virus programs are not currently where most of the malicious action is. For technical reasons hackers can’t make money writing virus code. Their attention has turned to other ways that Malwarebytes and AdwCleaner can detect and remove. There are still viruses out there but not at the same level as previously. The additional approach should now include improving browser (Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer) security.

 

Next, make sure you are using the Chrome browser. If not, get it here: https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/desktop/. Chrome is perceived to be the safest browser. What I suggest is to add 3 free Add-ins. The add-ins are Adblock Plus https://adblockplus.org/, TrafficLight from Bitdefender http://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/trafficlight.html and Disconnect https://disconnect.me/freeprotection. All 3 can be added to Firefox as well as Chrome but Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge can only accept Adblock Plus.

 

Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit is now contained in Malwarebytes Anti Malware version 3.0. It guards against web sites that may harbor malicious exploits also known as ransomware. Exploit kits are designed by hackers to find and exploit any vulnerabilities in your computer. This program works only when a browser is opened but works on all browsers. However, Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit will only run during the free trial or if you decide you want to have the pay-for version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. If you revert back to the free version after the free trial and want Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit you can download it from here: https://downloads.malwarebytes.org/file/mbae_current/. Adblock Plus is an ad blocker. It offers blocking to 3rd party ad servers that are often compromised by hackers that can infect your computer by putting malicious ads on your computer. It doesn’t block all ads. Some legitimate ads originating from the web site itself will still come through. Traffic light examines the web address you are entering. If it’s malicious it will block the connection to that site. Disconnect blocks tracking cookies that follow your various selections of websites.

 

I recommend only one setting change for Adblock Plus. Click the red Adblock Plus icon in the upper right corner of Chrome, click Options, and uncheck “Allow some non-intrusive advertising”. These 3 tools work only when you open your browser.

 

The PC Club meetings are open to all regardless of computer experience. If you have questions that need to be answered, be sure to attend on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7 PM upstairs in the Community Center. May’s topic will cover Browser Security.

 

Browser Security (Apr 2016)

Technology Tips – published April 2016 in the Guide and Digest

by Don Trauger – Kennett

I haven’t written about security in your computer for some time now. In previous articles I have recommended Bitdefender Free Anti-Virus. Download it here: http://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/free.html), Malwarebytes free. Download it here: https://www.malwarebytes.org/ and AdwCleaner. Download it here: https://toolslib.net/downloads/viewdownload/1-adwcleaner/. Malwarebytes has changed the way their free program is offered. You get a 14 day premium free trial with the download. After that it reverts back to manual scan and updates if you want to stay with the free version.

 

Now, I suggest you take an additional approach to increase security particularly when you browse the Internet. Yes, your anti virus can still protect you when a malicious file is downloaded into your computer. However, anti-virus programs are not where most of the malicious action is currently. For technical reasons hackers can’t make money writing virus code. Their attention has turned to other ways that Malwarebytes and AdwCleaner can detect and remove. There are still viruses out there but not at the same level as previously. The additional approach should now include improving browser (Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer) security.

 

What I suggest is to add 1 program and 2 Add-ins. The program to be added is Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit. Download it here: https://www.malwarebytes.org/antiexploit/. Download the free 14 day free trial. It should revert to the free version after 14 days. Next, make sure you are using the Chrome browser. If not, get it here: https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/desktop/. Chrome is perceived to be the safest browser. The 2 add-ins are Adblock Plus https://adblockplus.org/ and Traffic Light from Bitdefender http://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/trafficlight.html.

 

Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit guards against web sites that may harbor malicious exploits. Exploit kits are designed by hackers to find and exploit any vulnerabilities in your computer. This program works only when a browser is opened but works on all browsers. Adblock Plus is an ad blocker. It offers blocking to 3rd party ad servers that are often compromised by hackers that can infect your computer by putting malicious ads on your computer. It doesn’t block all ads. Ads originating from the web site itself will still come through. Traffic light examines the web address you are entering. If it’s malicious it will block the connection to that site.

 

Adblock Plus will install on the popular web browsers but Traffic Light will not work on Internet Explorer. I recommend only one change. For Adblock Plus click the red Adblock Plus icon in the upper right corner of Chrome, click Options, and uncheck “Allow some non-intrusive advertising”. These 3 tools work only when you open your browser. In my testing I have not seen any compatibility problems between the programs mentioned in this article.

 


The PC Club meetings are open to all regardless of computer experience. If you have questions that need to be answered, be sure to attend on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7 PM upstairs in the Community Center. April’s topic will cover Browser Security.

Microsoft’s PC Manager (Apr 2024)

Technology Tips – Published April 2024 in the Guide and Digest

By Don Trauger – Kennett
PC Manager is a relatively new PC cleanup tool from Microsoft. It removes deleted, unneeded and used once but not deleted files. You can download the free app from the Microsoft Store. It will install itself automatically and put a shortcut on the Desktop screen.

I installed the app and did a fairly intensive test comparing its effectiveness with Wise Disk Cleaner, my recommended cleanup tool. I set it up to run at a maximum removal level. My testing showed a rather dismal showing of only 37% of the junk files were removed. Whether this is due to just conservative parameters imbedded in the app or possibly a lack of other items that aren’t made available to clean. My guess it’s a combination of the two. One thing I do like that it’s fast, safe and with better programming it may do a better job of cleaning in the future.

Click the shortcut for PC Manager to get started. You’ll start in the Home position. Next to Boost click Set Smart Boost and turn it on. This a memory controller that comes into play under high memory usage conditions. It will work best on computers that have 8 Gbs or less of installed memory. Next, click Boost on the blue bar to activate. Click Health Check. You can accept all the pre-checked items then click Proceed. Click Deep Cleaning. You can accept the pre-checked items or click details next to unchecked items for more info. Process can be ignored as it is a list of running programs. Startup displays a list of programs that start up at power on. They should be minimized to help the computer boot up quickly and minimize overall memory usage. Anti-virus files must load at startup but others can be optional. Third party programs are known for using this category to get a jump on startup at the expense of your startup time. These programs do not have to start at boot up or at all. They are usually delivered when your computer is turned on the first time but they continue until you uninstall them or turn them off in Startup. Protection does not do any cleaning but is more of a status report on the listed items. One item, Pop-up management, does offer to block pop-ups so click it then click Enable pop-up block. Click Storage then click Processing. The Apps items offers a repeat of Process and Startup items shown in the Home category. The Toolbox is a work in progress showing only memory usage, screenshot (used to send Microsoft shots of pop-ups when they bypass the pop-up blocker) and the Settings icon.

If you want a fast, safe but incomplete cleanup, then PC Manager is for you. You should run it weekly if you are a moderate to heavy user. Wise Disk Cleaner users can do their cleanup monthly.

Computer Privacy (Dec 2022)

Technology Tips – Published December 2022 in the Guide and Digest

By Don Trauger – Kennett

Cookies, beacons, digital signatures, trackers, and other technologies you probably haven’t heard of let advertisers, businesses, governments, and even criminals build a profile about what you do, who you know, and who you are at very intimate levels of detail. Back in 2012, a story about how a major store could tell a teenager was pregnant before her parents knew was based on her online activities. It’s still that way today. Google and Facebook are the most notorious commercial internet spies, and among the most pervasive, but they are hardly alone.

Are you defenseless against these invasive probes for information? No, you are not. But you must take defensive action.

It’s important to understand what is typically tracked. Most websites and services don’t actually know it’s you at their site. All they know is that it is a browser associated with a lot of characteristics that can then be turned into a profile. Marketers and advertisers are looking for certain kinds of people, and they use profiles to do so. For that need, they don’t care who the person actually is. Neither do criminals and organizations seeking to commit fraud or manipulate an election.

Signing up at a web site is a very favorable way for web sites to build a profile about you. If they ask for personal information like your name, age, gender, address and phone number be suspicious of their intent. They will comb through everything they can in your computer to build their profile about your online activities. Depending on the web site your information can be for sale across the Internet. You can foresee that it will spread just like Covid.

Since your choice of browsers is extremely important regarding your privacy concerns, choose one that is highly rated such as Microsoft’s Edge. Mozilla’s Firefox is also very good. Chrome is not the browser to use if you are concerned about how your information may be used.

To help you set up high level privacy on your MS Edge browser, please read my earlier articles about privacy on our web site at: https://hersheysmill.org/resources/technology/computer-security-tips/microsoft-edge-and-security-feb-2022/ and https://hersheysmill.org/resources/technology/general-computer-printer-tips/pc-ad-blockers-updated-june-2022/ which discusses adding extensions to Edge for ad blocking as well as privacy.

When you are done, run an online test of your security by going to the following web site: https://coveryourtracks.eff.org/. Scroll down and click TEST YOUR BROWSER. Wait until the test completes. Scroll down to view your results. You should see strong protection against Web tracking in your results.

Yes, there are even more things you can do, but to keep privacy at a reasonably high level this will go a long way

Windows 10 – Privacy (Oct 2021)

Technology Tips – Published October 2021 in the Guide and Digest

By Don Trauger – Kennett

 

Having an antivirus program to protect your computer while online is important. However, your privacy settings are also an important feature that allows some information about your computer’s use to legally flow to Microsoft and elsewhere. Windows 10 allows you to set your desired privacy settings that can be more restrictive than that normally set by Microsoft.

Open Settings by clicking the Start icon in the lower left corner of the Desktop screen. Then click the “gear” icon which is the second icon up from the bottom on the left side. Next, click the Privacy icon to get started. The window will display the General privacy settings. Make sure they are all off. Speech and Inking and typing personalization items should also be turned off. The setting for Diagnostics feedback should be set to Required diagnostic data. Scroll down and turn off the next 3 items then click delete for Diagnostic data. Feedback frequency should be set to Never. Under Activity history the top 2 choices should never be selected. Below is where you can select the listed accounts to appear on the Timeline. The Timeline is not a privacy feature, but it does allow you to review previous documents that you were working on. Location can be a desired feature as it supplements a Google search when looking for local businesses, weather and other items that depend on your location for accurate search results. Camera and Microphone can be turned off, if you don’t use Zoom or other similar services. It’s much better than putting tape over the camera lens and leaving adhesive stuck to the lens should you need to use it. Notifications should be off. Contacts needs to be set On if you use Mail or the Calendar features. Phone calls should be turned off if not using this feature. Call history should be off. The Email setting needs to be on if you use Mail and Calendar. Tasks, Messaging, Radios and Other devices can be turned off if not used. Background apps should be reviewed and only turned on for what is needed. The ones that are turned on are also started and run in the background using computer resources. Alternatively they can be started, if necessary, by clicking a Desktop icon or clicking the item in the Program list. Windows security should be on, but the rest do not have to be on. App diagnostics can be turned off. Automatic file downloads needs to be on if you use Microsoft’s OneDrive for file storage or other similar online file storage providers. Documents, Pictures, Videos and File System should be turned on.

To complete your privacy, make sure to add an adblocker to your browser. Not only does it block ads it can block tracking of your various websites as you traverse the web. Read my previous article here: https://hersheysmill.org/?s=ad+blocker.

The PC Club has restarted and meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7 PM in the Ardmore room of the Community Center

Windows Update Reliability (Dec 2018)

Technology Tips – Published December 2018 in the Guide and Digest

By Don Trauger – Kennett

 

I don’t often make negative comments about anything PC related but in this article I will make you aware of very serious shortcomings with Windows Update.

Reliability with these updates has been in decline for months now. Patches on patches has been the routine for Microsoft. They have had to issue 2 or 3 patches to correct errors that the first one had. It’s obvious to me that Microsoft does not have control over their updates. They force these updates on your computer with no way to stop them or selectively allow only certain ones. It’s not just 1 or 2 updates issued that have problems and are cleared up with a new patch, it’s more like 4 or more that accumulate over months. HP laptops were affected by the faulty October updates but other manufacturers were also affected. Tried and true Windows 7 has also been affected. Strangely, Windows 8.1 has dodged almost all of the serious faulty updates. One of the October problem updates wiped out the contents of the Documents folder including Pictures, Music and Videos. Fortunately this faulty update only went out to power users that have joined Microsoft’s Insiders group but it came perilously close to world-wide distribution.

I no longer trust Microsoft to update my computers nor should you. If you think malware is a more serious problem then you need to rethink how to secure your computer in view of Microsoft’s inability to effectively control their update process. Of course use Malwarebytes free to scan for malware and Bitdefender free is the best anti-virus for your PC. That said, I have tested and recommend Windows Update Blocker V. 1.1 from Sordum.org. It’s a free program that effectively blocks any Windows Update from Microsoft. Other program updates, your browsers (Chrome, Firefox, etc.) for example, will continue normally.

To download this program go to sordum.org and click Windows Update Blocker which is 8th in the list on the right under Our Software. Read through the information about the program if desired and scroll near the bottom of the page and click the Download button. The program will be in your Downloads folder with the name Wub.zip. Double click it then double click the Wub_v1.1 folder to open it. Next, click Wub.exe to open the program. It comes ready to run – no installation needed. Click the Run button instead of the Extract all button. You should see the program window that displays a green shield with a white check. All you need to do is to select Disable Service and click Apply Now. The shield  turns red with a white X. You are now blocking these faulty updates from Microsoft. To turn the updates on simply select Enable Service and click Apply Now. You are now in control of Windows Updates to your computer.

I’m not totally against the concept of Windows Updates but the current situation demands more control by the user.

The following is my recommendation to control Windows Updates. With the Windows Update Blocker set to disable updates, wait for at least 2 months to install a major Spring/Fall update after it’s released to the public. This will allow time for major bugs to be corrected. To receive new updates open Windows Update Blocker and click Enable Service and click Apply Now. Click the Menu button and click Update Options then click Check for updates to download new updates. Normally, updates are issued starting the second Tuesday of the month with corrective patches on the following 2nd, 3rd and 4th Tuesdays as needed.  Remember to disable the Windows Updates in the blocker after you have received all the updates. Timing your updates is best done in the first week of the month following after the updates and corrections have been issued or 2 months after a major Spring or Fall update.

The major Fall update (1809) has been withheld by Microsoft since October 6, 2018 because of the aforementioned update problems. By the time you read this they probably will have corrected it and hopefully you will keep all of your documents. It’s always a good idea to back up your personal files. Use File History located in the Control Panel to back up your files.

For information on the Windows Update Blocker please attend our monthly meeting on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7 PM in the Ardmore room of the Community Center.

Note added Dec 31 2018
Tech Tips Special Report – Dec. 31, 2018.
by Don Trauger – Kennett

Windows Update Blocker for Windows 10 (December 2018 Issue of the Guide & Digest)

It is now safe to update your computer but only to get updates that you may be missing. It’s not recommended to install the “October” Feature update (V.1809) although I haven’t seen anything negative about it recently. I have tested the updating process on 3 computers and all completed their updates without a hitch.

Here’s what to do: Open Windows Update Blocker, click “Enable Service” then click “Apply Now”. Close Windows Update Blocker. Reboot the computer, click the 4 pane white icon (lower left corner) and click the “Settings” icon (gear) just above the “Power” icon. Click “Update & Security” and click “Windows Update” if necessary. Click “Check for updates”. You can then watch the automatic updating process. After the updates are installed open Windows Update Blocker, click “Disable Service” and click “Apply Now”. This will block future updates until further notice. Close Windows Update Blocker.

DO NOT CLICK THE “CHECK FOR UPDATES” BUTTON MORE THAN ONCE! If you do you will receive other updates that are not fully tested along with the October (V.1809) Feature update. Perform this procedure before January 8, 2019.

Toolbars

Last month I wrote about reducing the number of programs that start up with your
computer. This month follows that theme only it is narrower in scope. It involves
only your Web browser, typically Internet Explorer, and the various installed
toolbars.

There are well over a dozen popular toolbars that are available for download or
come as part of other programs that are installed on your computer. To name a few
there is the Yahoo toolbar, AOL toolbar, MSN toolbar, Comcast toolbar, and of course
the very popular Google toolbar. Basically these toolbars are convenient entry points
for searching the Internet for almost anything you can think of plus a myriad of other
buttons that whisk you off to specialized locations. They occupy a location in Internet
Explorer near the top of the window you are viewing. I’ve seen computers that have
at least three of these toolbars installed. This reduces the ability of Internet
Explorer to display the full height of the Web page. Although you can move the vertical
scroll bar to the right of the window to see the full page, it requires you to
manipulate the mouse more than you should. This of course is user preference but it
can be annoying too.

The problem with multiple toolbars is that they have their own behind-the-scene agenda.
Many of them offer anti-phishing, anti-spam, anti-spyware, and a pop-up blocker.
This built-in protection scheme often conflicts with your own installed security
software.

My advice is to uninstall all toolbars. To do this click Start, click Control Panel,
click Add or Remove Programs, click the toolbar you want to remove, then click on
Change/Remove or Remove. For Vista users, in the Control Panel under Programs, click
Uninstall a Program, click the unneeded toolbar, then click Uninstall. I can hear you
now – “I really use my toolbar”. I understand, however Internet Explorer can be
configured to use any search engine you wish without using a toolbar. Open Internet
Explorer and click the tiny down arrow under the “X” in the upper right corner of the
window. Click Find More Providers. Under Web Search are the popular search engine
providers. Google is the preferred choice. Click Google if it is not installed and
click the Add Provider button in the pop-up window. By clicking that same down arrow
again you should now see Google has been added. To make Google the default search
engine for Internet Explorer click that down arrow again and click Change Search
Defaults. Next click Google and click Set Default and OK the window. You should now
see Google in the grayed out search field of Internet Explorer. Type a search request
in this field then click the magnifying icon next to the search field and you will
automatically be taken to Google. The first ten search results will show in the
opening window.

If you insist on having a toolbar make sure only one is installed to avoid conflicts.
Look for where the Preferences or Options are in the toolbar and turn off or disable
all the extra and unneeded security functions it offers. The Comcast toolbar can be a
troublesome toolbar so that one should be uninstalled as described earlier.

I find the pop-up blocker built into Windows to be more than adequate. To use Window’s
pop-up blocker open Internet Explorer, click on Tools, move to Pop-Up Blocker and turn
it on if necessary. Also under Tools is a Phishing Filter. If your security software
provides this function do not use Internet Explorer’s Phishing Filter.

The basic rule is to not run your computer with multiple security programs of the same
type at the same time. Only one anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-spam, phishing filter,
or pop-up blocker should be operational at a given time.

More information about this and other subjects can be obtained if you attend our monthly PC Club meetings. They
are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM upstairs in the Community Center.

Don Trauger

 

Toolbars

Don Trauger

There are well over a dozen popular toolbars that are available for download or come as part of other programs that are installed on your computer. For example, there are, the Yahoo toolbar, AOL, MSN, Ask, and Comcast toolbars, and of course the very popular Google toolbar. Basically these toolbars are convenient entry points for searching the Internet for almost anything you can think of plus a myriad of other buttons that whisk you off to specialized locations. They occupy a location in Internet Explorer near the top of the window you are viewing.  I’ve seen computers that have at least three of these toolbars installed. This reduces the ability of Internet Explorer to display the full height of the Web page. Although you can move the vertical scroll bar to the right of the window to see the full page, it requires you to manipulate the mouse more than you should. This of course is user preference but it can be annoying too.

 

A more serious problem with toolbars is that they have their own behind-the-scene agenda. Many of them offer anti-phishing, anti-spam, anti-spyware, and a pop-up blocker. This built-in protection scheme often conflicts with your own installed anti-virus software. In addition, some toolbars may link to 3rd party sites of questionable integrity. My advice is to uninstall all toolbars. For Windows XP click Start, click Control Panel on the right, click Add or Remove Programs, click the name of the toolbar you want to remove, and then click on Change/Remove or Remove. For Vista and Windows 7 users, click the Start orb (lower left corner of the screen) then click Control Panel on the right. Click Programs and Features, click the name of the unneeded toolbar, and then click Uninstall. I can hear you now – “I really use my toolbar”. I understand, however, Internet Explorer can be configured to use any search engine you wish without using a toolbar. For Windows XP users, open Internet Explorer and click the tiny down arrow under the “X” in the upper right corner of the window. Click Find More Providers. Under Internet Explorer Gallery are the popular search engine providers. Google is the preferred choice. Click Google if it is not installed and choose to make it the default. Click Add, and then click the Add to Internet Explorer button. By clicking that same down arrow again in Internet Explorer, you should now see that Google has been added. You should also see Google in the grayed out search field of Internet Explorer. Type a search request in this field then click the magnifying icon next to the search field and you will automatically be taken to Google. The first ten search results will show in the opening window. Windows Vista, 7, and 8 users can click the gear icon, and then click on Manage add-ons, then Search Providers on the left side. At the lower left of the window, click on Find more search providers and then follow the above procedure for adding Google in the Internet Explorer Gallery. Vista, 7, and 8 users must type search requests in the address field of Internet Explorer.

 

            If you insist on having a toolbar make sure only one is installed to avoid conflicts. Look for where the Preferences or Options are in the toolbar and turn off or disable all the extra and unneeded security functions it offers.

 

            The basic rule is to not run your computer with multiple security programs of the same type at the same time. Only one anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-spam, phishing filter, or pop-up blocker should be operational at a given time. More information about this and other subjects can be obtained if you attend our monthly PC Club meetings. They are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM upstairs in the Ardmore room of the Community Center.

 

Note: Remember to visit our newly designed Web site at www.hersheysmill.org to discover information about our community.