Everyday Tips from the ComputerMom 

June 2014
 
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Wow, June already - this year is just flying by! I had a busy May with a college graduation in my family - I hope your month was enjoyable as well. It was really fun to see all the graduation photos on Facebook this month!

A quick follow-up about the Internet Explorer security bug I warned you about last month - Microsoft released a patch shortly after my newsletter was sent, so IE is safe to use once again. 

I still find myself spending far too much time cleaning spyware off of my client's computers. I have written before about how to download safely, but recently I encountered such a blatant attempt to deliver spyware with a download that I decided to really show you how "all that junk" gets on your computer. This issue will depict, step by step, how a legitimate site like CNET's Download.com will trick you into installing multiple unwanted programs and changes to your settings when all you want is a simple, free, and highly rated game. Oh, and you Mac users are not immune - I saw the exact same type of spyware and settings changes attached to Mac downloads! 

I hope you find this issue helpful.  Please show it to your kids, and forward it to anybody you think will find it useful - and of course feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need more information.

Regards,
 
Julie Marto 

508-359-8176
www.thecomputermom.com
www.facebook.com/thecomputermom 

P.S. Are you missing something? I recently found in my possession a Western Digital portable hard drive that doesn't belong to me.  It is loaded with iTunes media, mostly TV series and rap/pop music - clearly it has a teenager/young adult's music and video collection on it. If you are missing this drive please contact me so I can return it to you!
Downloading Safely Revisited - Don't let yourself be tricked!   


Last month I had a client ask me to install a substitute for the simple Solitaire game she was accustomed to playing on her computer, as Windows 8 doesn't include it any more.  I did a little searching and found a decent program that would work just fine, which I could download at a reputable site called Download.com.  I've had problems with Download.com adding junk to downloads in the past, but I had read that they had cleaned up their act.  Well, far from it!  

If you don't have images enabled for this email, I'd suggest you turn them on, as I am going to show you exactly what I encountered when downloading the Solitaire game, and how places like Download.com trick you and your kids into installing annoying and dangerous spyware.  



After some searching for alternatives to the Windows original Solitaire games, I chose a program called 123 Free Solitaire. It looked good, with an Editor's Rating of 5 stars and a User's Rating of 4 stars. I clicked "Download Now" to get started.

 
The text I saw at the beginning of my download was very reassuring.

"Download.com hosts this file and has scanned it to ensure it is virus and spyware free."  

But why were there 
7 steps to download one simple program?   I clicked on "next step" to see what would happen.



A "Special Offer" to install
Search Protect and change my home page and default search to Conduit Search for Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome - and to block other software's attempts to change it back!  Conduit Search is known spyware, difficult to remove, and I am often hired to remove it from client's computers.  

Notice how the "Accept" button is green, and the "Decline" button is gray and looks like it isn't even enabled. Regardless, I hit "Decline" and was moved to Step 3 of 7.




Now they wanted me to agree to install something called AtuZi.  At the time I had no idea what AtuZi was but reading the text was FAR from reassuring: "AtuZi software adds features and content to enhance your browser experience. Additional features may be auto-enabled after installing. AtuZi content includes advertisements  . . Browser settings will be adjusted  . . User info is collected and shared for ad relevance and other purposes"  

This is pure spyware and adware, redirecting your searches to their sites and adding popups while keeping track of where you are going.  Again, I hit Decline and see what else they want to throw at me.




Outfox TV offering "free TV to your desktop".  This nasty little add-on will change your home page to Outfox TV and install a rootkit to keep you from uninstalling it cleanly.  

By the way did you notice that at NO TIME does the heading change from 123 Free Solitaire, the program I actually want, although I still haven't been given the opportunity to download it?




Do I get to download my game yet? Nope, now i am offered "RRSavings", which will give me "coupon and shopping comparison advertising as you browse the web. . . " I don't know about you but I prefer to surf the web without pop-ups and advertisements, so I will decline yet again.



Finally, step 6 of 7 is the actual download of my 123 Free Solitaire program.  I didn't even have a chance to take a picture of the actual download screen because it came and went so fast.  

Step 7 is an Install Now screen - if you had agreed to the previous 4 downloads you would be installing them at the same time as 123 Free Solitaire, with no further information.  You would also have agreed to all of their terms and conditions and privacy policies!

Remember, whenever you download anything on the web you MUST read what they are presenting to you and you MUST decline anything other than the actual download you want, even if it looks like the decline button is inactive. If you don't, you will be hiring me, or someone like me, to clean up your computer!