How Do I Best Optimize a Windows Vista PC

I only made limited attempts at optimization of the PC. I used AutoRuns to remove some of the Startup items. I just got tired of messing with the PC.

I keep telling PC Users that they should do routine Imaging, but most will not take my advice.

At least I got some experience with trying to clean Malware from a PC. My PC's do not get infected. Even though I ran many of the available Malware cleaners, I felt that something might still be there. The AntiMalware programs that I used are (not in order of use):

1. Dr.Web Cureit Beta
2. Avira Rescue System CD
3. Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10
4. Bitdefender Rescue CD
5. Dr.Web Live CD
6. Malwarebytes AntiMalware
7. Emsisoft Emergency Kit
8. Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool

The main thing that disturbed me is that the Emsisoft Emergency Kit's scanner kept detecting a Registry Key as Malware, but it could not remove the Registry Key. I tried removal in both in Normal and Safe Mode. When I tried to remove the detected Registry Key with the Emsisoft Emergency Kit Scanner the PC would totally "Lock-Up". None of the other Anti-Malware Scanners detected this Registry Key. The Emsisoft Emergency Kit Scanner had a name for the Malware something like 'Seaworld Tickets' or Seaworld . I don't remember the exact name.

I downloaded a Trial of Norton Internet Security 2012 to the PC and told the PC owner how to install it. I returned the PC to its owner.

I want to Thank everyone for their help and suggestions.

 

Upgrade to Win7

 

Thanks for the update. Sometimes when helping with someone else's PC, it does sometimes start to feel like you've volunteered to dig sand for them!

 

Osaban

What do you mean by "If I were you I would also be careful with Emisoft, as it tends to have a lot of FPs." ?

 

Emisoft is a great scanner, but when I tested it on 2 computers it found a large number of FPs. After checking the FPs (by sending them to Emisoft) most of them were detected malware leftovers (in other words harmless to the system) and more seriously it detected a bootkit installed by a perfectly legal program as a serious threat.

Furthermore Emisoft refused to acknowledge the use of this bootkit in a benign fashion. Their position is that what Rollback Rx uses is also used by malware, and therefore they will not change its detection as malware.

Needless to say that some people unaware of this situation, when scanning their system with Emisoft or HitmanPro(one of the engines is Emisoft) had their Rollback Rx or Easyfix (same program different distributor) made unbootable, losing all their data because these users thought they didn't need to backup their data in the first place.

 

Perhaps you should consider using a program that doesnt emulate malware tactics rather than complaining about its. On the flip side if they fixed that and you ended up with malware that used the same methods as Rollback RX you would complain they didnt detect it.

 

No, I'm limiting my input by stating what happened, there is no value judgment over Rollback or Emisoft. I'm not using Rollback Rx anymore for other reasons than what I mentioned, and after my test of Emisoft I thought it is a very powerful scanner but it found FPs where 4 other reputable scanners had a clean run.

 

Well stated Osaban

And whether fewer false positives or a very high detection rate is more important to you is an individual preference.

 

Osaban,

I asked this question because I had the same experience with Rollback Rx and FP detected by EAM (Emsisoft).

A few days ago, EAM couldn't get rid of the well-known 'Metropolitan ukash virus'. So, malware detection is not 100%. Others, anti-malware programs like MBAM, Rogue Killer,... can detect it and delete it.

 

Not sure where to start. First of all nothing has 100% detection. Secondly MBAM and Rogue Killer are two totally different animals compared to EAM. They arent meant to detect the same things.

 

Sure, 100% doesn't exist ! what I wanted to say with my basic english, is that I was astonished that a well known program like EAM couldn't detect such spread Metropolitan ukash virus, that's all.

Let me know more why MBAM is working differently if we compare with EAM, thanks.