I hate toolbars - Malware - Part 2

Toolbars are evil. If you have problems with your computer and you have installed a toolbar (Yahoo/Google or other) you may have unknowingly installed a malicious toolbar that disguises itself as a legitimate toolbar. How do you know the difference? I have no idea. I steer completely away from them.

For part 2 of malware I have cheated. The definition of malware (and other yucky stuff) is better described at this link:  http://arstechnica.com/security/news/2004/11/malware.ars

I use malwarebytes and scan my computer about once a month. I find very few problems, I think Norton has started taking care of everything, I don't know. The link for the free software is here: http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Download or buy. I don't buy, I have been happy with the free one. I am not certain what the purchased copy would entail. Maybe it shows you pictures of them slapping malware creators around. Hmmm. I might pay money for that. 

Malicious software (malware). In a nutshell and with that link above you should be able to research the definition. I did a little bit of part 3 also (how they infect) - with bogus toolbars. Part 4 will be why they infect.  Then part 5 - what you can do (malwarebytes.org). If I make it that far. I may get bored (I think I already am).

On another note - I did have to go to that school today. The tech person (she) really ticked me off. She was so helpless. She has been doing this job for years, now. She lost her help and school begins next week so I imagine her panic mode is due to stress or a big chip on her shoulder or both. She wanted me to come down and wave a magic wand. It was not going to happen. Lightning storms are a bitch on electronics. School administrators - that is the cold hard fact. You buy cheap equipment, it fries like bacon in a hot skillet. This school is full of cheap equipment. I am sorry. I know they need (want) to save money - but it never pays in the long run to buy cheap stuff. Especially electronics.

HP (hewlett packard) makes switches with a lifetime warranty. LIFETIME warranty, folks! Needless to say, I rarely have to send one back because it does not die or fry. I actually do not even think they are that much more expensive than some of the generic models. Most of the cheaper ones are out of business. There is a reason for that. 

Back to the tech. She was negative on every suggestion I gave her. I was not even able to finish my sentences before she was nay-saying it with "Can't do that!"  or "No, they won't have it!"  Finally I threw up my hands and said "Then, I can't help you."  She will probably call my director and say I was unwilling to help. That is her method of operation. 

She gets no extras from me or my co-workers. We are tired of listening to her whining and her negativity. If somebody is willing to try and work with me I will bend over backwards for them. I will research a problem into the wee  hours of the night. I will read until my eyes are dry and I can't hold my head up. Not this lady. I smiled all the way out to my car. I really wanted to scream "YOU STUPID BITCH!"  I waited until I was 100 feet down the road and then screamed it out to my windshield.

Sigh. Tomorrow is another day.