Alpha AntiVirus Removal Guide

Alpha Antivirus (aka. AlphaAntiVirus and Alpha AV) is a fake anti-spyware program which is usually installed by a trojan or downloaded one of many fraudulent Fake Scanner Sites.

Alpha Antivirus displays fake system messages and pretends to catch / block malicious intrusions. In an effort to block removal, AlphaAntivirus sometimes packs a trojan of its own which attempts to block real antivirus programs from running, giving off error messages whenever you try to run a program or simply shutting them down. Once installed, Alpha Antivirus performs a system scan and displays exaggerated fake results:

Alpha Antivirus can hijack Internet Explorer and prevent the user from visiting certain websites and display a warning page instead. Below is a sample of the fake error messages that Alpha Antivirus displays:

Threat type: Malware, Hi-Jacker, Rogue, Spyware

Advice: Remove Immediately! This is a very high risk threat and should be removed ASAP as to prevent harm to your computer and / or to protect your privacy.

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Windows 7 YouTube Videos

Windows 7 YouTube videos are showing up a lot lately since the launch of Windows 7 on October 22, 2009. Video searchers are looking for reviews and information to help them decide whether or not to make the switch to the new OS, and if so how to properly go about it.

For more Windows 7 YouTube videos, visit RevuTube

RevuTube is a video blog featuring video reviews, comparisons, buying tips and opinions. One of the Windows 7 videos explains how to buy Windows 7 for only $29.99

My personal thoughts on this topic are outlined in the Windows 7 YouTube video below and are based on 30+ years as a computer tech. The advice in the video mainly applies to users of older Windows systems who want to upgrade but it could easily apply to anyone that may have a few doubts about jumping in right away.

Now, I’m not a Mac user or even a fan (although I think they make a fine product). With the launch of Windows 7, their advertising department has been busy capitalizing on the inherent problems associated with new Windows releases.

These ads are effective for one simple reason… they’re essentially based on truth. This Windows 7 YouTube video showing one of Apple’s latest ads, drives home the point quite effectively.

In my many years as a PC tech, EVERY major Windows release has had a ton of problems that weren’t addressed during development. With this new release comes a new era of Windows 7 incompatibilities. So you can expect the same to be true (more or less) for Windows 7.

Personally, I’ve found at least one program that I use professionally that refuses to run on the Windows 7 platform. It starts to load but then freezes and refuses to run at all. The developers will no doubt come out with an upgrade soon and I’m hoping it will be free. But it may not be, so it may become a further expense. For now, I’ll have to keep using it on my older system until that’s worked out. This situation illustrates perfectly the kinds of issues that appear with ANY new Windows release. Expect this to be the case with many older software programs you might own.

Don’t get me wrong, my opinion of Windows 7 is that it’s a winner and will probably go down as one of the best Windows OS releases ever. If you’re buying a brand new PC or laptop, you’ll probably have few, if any, problems, so I say go for it.

But if you’re upgrading from a previous version like Windows XP (which statistics show is the most prevalent Windows version), you may be in for a rough time trying to move your existing apps over to Windows 7.

New features that can simplify home computing, like HomeGroup for example, will only work with Windows 7 equipped PCs. So if you want to share files and printers, you can. You just network them the old Vista or XP way. But don’t expect Windows 7 to solve those issues for you.

Data won’t be an issue (Microsoft has a free utility to help with that) but software and drivers are another story. We’ll have to wait and see how it all works out in the end, but for now, if you’re an existing XP user, I say hold off for several months until the hype has a chance to die down. Microsoft is sure to release patches and service packs that will fix problems they couldn’t account for in the initial release.

From an upgrade point of view, Microsoft has focused on Vista users. If you have a Vista computer, upgrading should be easier.

Your best bet (if you can) is to wipe your old system files and do a clean install on your hard drive. Then you can attempt to reinstall your apps on the new OS. This will eliminate upgrade hassles on the system. Just make sure that your old software is Windows 7 compatible BEFORE you go this route.

Also, be aware that this is also the most expensive copy of Windows 7. Upgrade prices are cheaper. You can even get free upgrades if you recently bought your system with Vista on it. Many OEMs have an upgrade program that they’ll honor for awhile.

Bottom line: If you plan to upgrade to Windows 7, wait a awhile for the dust to settle. Microsoft and probably some third-party software developers will come out with fixes and utilities that will make the process of upgrading simpler and smoother for users of older Windows systems.

Windows 7 YouTube videos can a real benefit during this time of transition to the new operating system. There are many issues that can be remedied this way, so I’ll be putting out several of these in the near future. If you’d like to stay on top of my new Windows 7 YouTube videos you can subscribe to my YouTube channel.

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HomeGroup Windows 7 Networking Video

 

HomeGroup Windows 7 Networking

 

HomeGroup for Windows 7 is a brand-new networking feature designed specifically to simplify the task of networking home PC's allowing them to share files and printers with ease.

In past versions of Windows, networking computers entailed assigning them to a particular workgroup. This was often a complex and frustrating job, so Microsoft designed HomeGroup to remedy all those problems by making it a "one-click" task. Unfortunately, this new feature will ONLY work with Windows 7 computers. Systems running older versions of Windows will have to still be connected to Windows 7 PC’s the "old fashioned" way.

Using HomeGroup permits connected PC’s to share USB connected printers too. This allows any computer in the group to print to any networked printer in the home, as long as it’s attached to a Windows 7 computer.

(Click Images to Enlarge)

When you first establish your network connection in Windows 7, it will instruct you you to pick a location for your computer. Choose "Home Network", which then permits you to use HomeGroup. After several seconds of configuration, the setup wizard will tell you to select which sort of files to share. This might include pictures, documents, music, etc.

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Norton AntiVirus 2010 Review

Norton Antivirus 2010

Norton Antivirus 2010 persists along its revitalization pathway that commenced last year and has consistently moved forward towards becoming a more refined, efficient and better performing antivirus program.

It defends your PC against viruses, spyware, bots, worms, and other malicious code without bogging you down or getting in your way.  It quickly safeguards against the latest viral threats and easily installs in only fifty-four seconds, requiring no system reboots. 

Hackers and spammers will be thwarted with the around-the-clock protection provided by the Symantec intrusion detection system. It prevents and blocks computer viruses and malware. Positive actions eradicate open threats and banishes fresh threats right away to guard your personal computer. 

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Free AntiVirus AntiSpyware Microsoft Security Essentials

Free antivirus, antispyware software often fails to protect computer systems adequately because the required virus definitions constantly need to be updated. That takes manpower to keep on top of it all, so free solutions usually don’t have the budget and hired staff to do the job. But now there is no real reason for users to lack the protection that security software affords.

Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) is free antivirus, antispyware software created by Microsoft that provides protection against viruses, spyware, rootkits, and trojans for Windows XP, Vista, and 7. MSE has been tailored for home and personal use and replaces Windows Live OneCare (a paid antivirus subscription) and Windows Defender.

Symantec and McAfee, are claiming that MSE is not as effective as their own offerings and AVG Technologies views MSE positively, explaining that it reinforces the company's model of free antivirus software.

Public reaction has been mostly positive and reviews praise its simple, well laid-out interface, modest resource utilization, and Freeware license . (* See Video)

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Beware of ScareWare and Scamware

 

 

Scareware and scamware are terms that mean the same thing. They are a kind of PC malware that confuses or dupes users into buying the faked or artificial removal of alleged viruses, spyware, trojans and other assorted malware. In effect, it is like having your computer hijacked and then being forced to pay ransom money to get it back. In the past few years, scareware has become a rising and dangerous security menace to users in both the desktop and mobile computing environments.

Scareware consists of numerous forms of fake software with limited or no benefit which is purchased by consumers thru unethical selling practices. The sales approach is engineered to induce shock, anxiety, or the perception of a threat, directed against a trusting user. Many types of spyware and adware use scareware tactics as well.

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Protect Your PC 10 Easy Ways Video

Protect your PC and keep it safe from identity theft, viruses, malware and scams.

In today’s complex computing environment there are many ways in which an unscrupulous person can gain access to your computer system and cause great harm, destroy your hard work and generally give you lots of headaches.

Protecting yourself is easy if you’re proactive and stay one step ahead of your adversaries. That’s what this video is all about.

It offers ten specific steps that will take back your PC from criminals and vandals.

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