Cleaning Autorun Viruses: How To Boot Into Safe Mode

Some viruses may not be detected, or may be only partially removed, if the system is not booted into Safe Mode for the scan. Booting in Safe Mode prevents extraneous services and programs - including most malware - from loading at startup.

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: Less than a minute

Here's How:

1. If the system is already turned off, power it on.
2. If the system is already on, shutdown the system normally, wait 30 seconds, then power it back on.
3. Begin tapping the F8 key every few seconds as the system boots up until the screen offering the Safe Mode option appears.
4. Use the arrow keys to highlight Safe Mode and press the Enter key.
5. The system will now boot into Safe Mode.
6. On Windows XP, you may receive a prompt asking if you really want to boot into Safe Mode. Choose Yes.
7. Once Windows has booted into Safe Mode, open your antivirus program using the Start | Programs menu and run a complete virus scan.

Tips:

1. If your PC is a multi-boot system (i.e. has more than one operating system to choose from), first select the desired OS and then begin tapping the F8 key every few seconds while it boots.
2. If tapping F8 did not result in the Safe Mode option being offered, repeat the steps.
3. If after several attempts you are still unable to boot into Safe Mode, post a message in the Antivirus Forum. Be sure to note which operating system you are using.

Source: www.about.com

How to prevent email worms

Antivirus software is simply not enough. An email worm can spread worldwide in just minutes, but it takes hours for antivirus vendors to analyze, create, and deploy signature updates. Fortunately, there are five easy steps you can take to help close that window of vulnerability and help keep email worms off your system.

Rule 1: Identification - Understanding the nature of the attachment is the first step towards email safety. Any executable type attachment has the potential to be infected. This covers a wide range of extensions. Complicating matters is that, by default, Windows suppresses file extensions. Make sure you have file extension enabled. Hint: If you aren't sure what file extensions are, sign up for the free Windows Basic online course.

Rule 2: Intent - An executable type attachment should not be opened unless it was specifically requested or expected. Since email worms are sent to addresses found on infected users' machines, just knowing the sender is no proof of intent - they may well be infected. In fact, odds are an email worm will arrive from someone you know and the sender is oblivious to the viral email being sent from their machine. Worse, today's worms spoof the From address, so it may well be that it's not even from the person you think it is. If there's any question as to the intent, see Rule 3 below.

Rule 3: Necessity - This is the simplest rule to follow, but one that many people ignore. If you do not need the attachment, don't open it. Delete the email instead.

Rule 4: Secure your client - To date, many email worms and viruses have taken advantage of security vulnerabilities found in Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express. However, any mail client that supports HTML and scripting should be considered at risk. For instructions on securing your particular mail client, choose from the list below:

Outlook/Outlook Express
Eudora
Netscape Mail
Pegasus

Rule 5: Patch your system - Microsoft routinely releases approximately 100 security patches per year. Keeping abreast of these and understanding which are applicable to your system can be a daunting task. To help ease the pain, Microsoft provides a Windows update site. The site will automatically scan your system and provide a list of recommended updates specific to your operating system. Install any updates marked as "Critical". And remember - security is never passive. It's an ongoing process and new vulnerabilities are constantly discovered. Visit the Windows update site monthly to ensure all necessary patches are installed.

Source: www.about.com