One sign that you have been infected with a virus (or what can be referred to as malware) is the sudden appearance of new “security” software, such as AntiVirus 2009, Total Security Center, and System Security.  These programs are not valid anti-virus software, and will often warn you that your system is infected and then direct you to their site and request payment for running scans on your system.  It is important that you do not pay for these “services”.

Depending on the severity of the virus infection, the usability of your computer may range from moderately usable with moderate pop-ups, to random restarts, system errors, and blue screens of death.

Although the situation may seem dire, there is hope.  Malwarebytes is a free program that swiftly remove virus and malware infections.

Using Malwarebytes

Start by downloading the free version of Malwarebytes.  Before finishing the installation, be sure that the check boxes for “Updating Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware” and “Launching Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware” are checked.

When the program has launched, select Perform full scan to scan your entire hard drive. and click Scan.  The full scan will take quite a bit of time, so if you’re in a hurry select the Perform quick scan option.

On the next screen, select the drives you wish to let Malwarebytes scan.  Although the default C: drive may be sufficient, I would recommend scanning all attached drives.  Click Start Scan to start the virus scan.  Depending on the size of your drives and the amount of data stored on them, a full scan may take well over an hour.

When the scan has completed, the results will be shown.  Click Show Results and click Remove Selected Items to remove the virus infection from your system.  Depending on the virus, it may be necessary to reboot your system to completely remove some items.

Tips for improving scan performance

Run the scan in Safe mode

Many times a virus will embed itself into a running system file.  Malwarebytes will not always be able to remove virus items that are embedded in running processes.  The easiest way to reduce the number of running processes is to boot into Windows Safe mode.  To enter Windows Safe mode, repeatedly press the F8 key when first booting your computer.

Update software before each use

It is important that you update the virus database before you perform a scan.  Click the Update tab on the Malwarebytes main window and click Check for Updates.  After the update has been finished, you can then continue with the scan as shown above.

Multiple scans

Although Malwarebytes may be successful, it may be possible that not all parts of the virus were removed during the scan.  It can be helpful to perform a second scan of the system to verify that all items were removed.

Conclusion

Although it is important to take steps to prevent a virus infection, Malwarebytes can be a useful program for removing malicious software.  Your first defense to preventing a virus infection is to have up-to-date virus software.  A free anti-virus solution is Microsoft Security Essentials.  Above all, smart internet browsing will be the best way to avoid malware.

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Installing Security Essentials took approximately 60 seconds (not including updating the virus definition files) and my first Quick scan was completed in about 5 minutes.  The Full Scan took significantly more time, but this will be dependent on your processor speed and the size of your hard drive.  The software itself used around 60 MB of RAM while performing a virus scan, which is fairly light compared to other commercial anti-virus products.

Security Essentials offers a simple interface, allowing users to select Quick scan, Full scan, or use custom settings from the Home screen.  Updating the software can be easily done in the Update tab, and the software also utilizes your system’s Windows Update service to stay up-to-date.

Since Security Essentials only offers virus, spyware, and malware protection, this software isn’t intended to compete with full-fledged commercial security suites.  Security Essentials provides good basic protection for normal use and is a great contender in the free protection market.

Microsoft Security Essentials is a free download for Windows XP, Vista, and 7 (but you will have to validate your copy of Windows before installation).  [Download]

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BitLocker is essentially a software encryption program that encrypts a drive in such a way that if credentials are not verified, it renders the drive completely useless to thieves.  In Windows 7 and Server 2008, BitLocker extends support to removable drives by storing a copy of itself locally on the encrypted drive and and installing itself as needed on any additional computer.

How to Use BitLocker

To enable BitLocker, open My Computer, right click the drive you would like to encrypt, and select “Turn on BitLocker”.

In the next screen, you will be asked if you want to use a password or a smart card to unlock the drive.  Since the average user doesn’t have a smart card, we’ll be sticking with a password for this guide.

After clicking the Next button, you’ll be asked how you want to store your recovery key.  It is a good idea to store this somewhere safe; you’ll need it if you ever lock yourself out of the drive.  This key can be printed or stored in a file.

To actually start the encryption process, you need to click “Start Encrypting” in the next window.  Encryption speed will vary on the size, speed, and connection of the drive you are securing.

Once the encryption process is finished, you’ll see an “Encryption is complete” message.  You can then check out your drive by going to My Computer – you’ll now see that the drive icon is different, indicating it is now secured with BitLocker.

If you ever need to change the password on your drive you can simply right click the drive and select “Manage BitLocker”.  You will then be presented with a screen giving you several options including the ability to change or remove the password.

For more information about BitLocker, check out Microsoft’s BitLocker Feature Guide.

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The product: I stumbled upon Power Support’s Anti-Glare Film for the iPhone/iPod Touch, which is available from Power Support USA as well as the Apple Store.  This product boasts a “custom-fit film that will reduce the visual impacts of glare and finger printing while providing scratch protection”.  Included in the package were two anti-glare films (one for the front and another for the back) as well as a pre-installation film which was for removing dirt and dust from the screen.

Installation: After thoroughly removing dust and fingerprints from the screen with a microfiber cloth (not included), I used the included pre-installation film to remove any additional dust that may have been left behind.  Applying the anti-glare film was simple: just peel back the protective coating and align the edges of the film with the edges of the iPod.  The film dropped down neatly on the screen and there were very few air bubbles left behind.  I removed the remaining bubbles by rubbing them with a soft cloth towards the edge of the screen, and Power Support claims that as long as dust isn’t trapped under the film, any stubborn bubbles should work themselves out over time.

The verdict: The Power Support Anti-Glare film covers the entire front surface of my iPod Touch (excluding the home button) to protect the entire screen from damage and fingerprints.  The film dramatically reduces glare when compared to the uncovered glass screen, but it should be noted that it doesn’t entirely stop glare from bright light sources (as shown in the picture).

The most significant benefit that the film provides is the greatly improved responsiveness of the touch screen due to the matte finish.  My thumb effortlessly slides across the film, which is a large improvement from the standard glass screen.  The film also seems impervious to fingerprints, which were painfully noticeable before installation. The film is fairly unnoticeable when the screen is off and nearly invisible when the screen is active.

If you’re looking for a good way to protect your iPhone/iPod Touch while reducing fingerprints and improving touchscreen performance, the Power Support Anti-Glare film is the way to go.

The post Flashreview: Power Support Anti-Glare Film for iPhone/iPod Touch first appeared on Techerator.