Tech Olive

An anonymous reader asks:

“I have no idea what I did, but I keep getting pop ups that says my computer is infected with viruses and that in order for it to get rid of them, it says I need to buy the full version of this program called “Security Shield”. For some reason it installed on my computer and I get these pop ups as soon as I turn on my computer. I tried to uninstall it but it won’t let me and it also won’t let me do a scan with my normal anti-virus program. How do I get rid of this!”

Malicious anti-virus programs are nothing new and once they get on your PC, it can be hell. I did a little bit of research about this “Security Shield” and it looks like it automatically installs onto your computer through other spyware and such. In order to do anything (like easily remove it), you have to pay up for the full version, which is how they get you. However there’s a couple of things you can try.

I actually just recently heard about this trick: The fake anti-virus program locks you out of certain tasks like running your real anti-virus program by blacklisting certain .exe files, but there are a couple that it allows like “explorer.exe” and “iexplore.exe”. Simply rename your real anti-virus program’s executable to either of these names and you should now be able to run it!

Another option is simply booting into Safe Mode w/ networking (Press F8 during boot process) and then running a virus scan to remove the fake anti-virus program.

There’s always a time where we all get that new router. Whether it’s because our old one died or we’re making the jump to 802.11n, there are some essential steps that we must take to properly set up a new router. Tech review site Tested has made a list of 15 steps for properly setting up a router. Some of them are obvious like setting up WEP/WPA security and positioning the router in an optimum location, but there are things that we tend to overlook, like choosing that perfect wireless channel and even installing third-party firmware to overhaul your router.

[Tested]

This won’t solve any of the privacy issues that Facebook’s been accused of by any means, but by enabling HTTPS (S = Secure) in your Facebook settings, you can prevent hackers from logging into your account if you happen to be in a public place with an open connection.

From the Facebook homepage after logging in, click on Account in the upper right-hand corner of the page. Then click Account Settings. Click the change button to right of Account Security and check the box that says Browse Facebook on a secure connection (https) whenever possible. Hit Save and you’re good to go. Now, whenever you log in and surf Facebook, it will be over an encrypted connection.

We’d obviously love to have our own full-size arcade cabinet sitting right next to us, but we just don’t have the real estate to make room for it. However, with a little know-how and a few tools, it’s now possible to turn your netbook into a miniature arcade MAME cabinet. A dedicated fellow is heading up Project MAME, and he created a DIY kit that gets the conversion job done. While it does take your old netbook and turns it into a mini arcade, it will actually accept any 10-inch display and a mini-ITX motherboard. Mind you, the kit alone is $350, so be prepared to spend just as much as you would buying a brand new netbook.

[Nanocade via Engadget]

Anyone else notice that Google made a minor (yet major) change to the Gmail homepage? They replaced the Reader link at the top with Photos. If you’re a frequent user of Google Reader, this most likely pissed you off in some way. However, if you’re using Google Chrome, there’s a quick fix in the form of an extension. It’s called Put Reader Back and it does just what it says. Install it and then after a quick refresh, the Reader link should be back to normal.

via [Download Squad]

If you’ve been questioning the different audio formats and asking yourself whether switching to FLAC from MP3 would really make that much of a difference, How-To Geek has put together a detailed guide discussing the differences between the different audio file formats, which hopefully will answer your hankering questions. They talk about PCM, as well as the handful of both lossless and lossy formats and the uses for each of them.

In the end though, it comes down to your situation and whether or not it would be worth it to upgrade audio formats based on your equipment (and obviously your ears). If you’re low on storage space, a lossy format would be best, while a lossless format would be better for someone who has a lot of free space. Check out the complete guide by hitting up the link below.

[How-To Geek]

Image Credit: Patrick Lauke

While Apple themselves don’t support the uninstallation of the Mac App Store in any way, it’s still possible in case you don’t really care for the new program. Using a free Mac program called AppCleaner, you can easily uninstall the Mac App Store and its associated files. This is a great fix for those Mac users who hate having unused apps and programs laying around taking up precious storage space.

via [OSNews]

If you’re like many PC enthusiasts and are constantly kneeling down to tinker with your computer, here’s a simple trick to make things easier for you. If your PC tower is on the floor, prop it up on a skateboard instead for easy access when you need to mess with some cables. Just makes sure to give the cables some extra slack and then simply pulling out the skateboard/PC will be a snap.

If you want to take it to the next level, you could create a dedicated rolling platform for your PC tower, which would consist of nothing more than a piece of plywood and some cart-like wheels that you can pick up at any hardware store.

via [Lifehacker]

So, here we are. It’s our final article in our year-long Mamba Files series. What are we doing this month? A complete disassembly. For those wanting to fix, tweak, customize, or maintain their Mamba, look no further. It’s also worth noting that this doesn’t break any warranty seals, so you could actually do this without leaving any evidence of tampering, thus (in theory) keeping your warranty intact. But it’s best to not tinker around if you want to heavily rely on the warranty later.

Without further adieu, let’s dig in!

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I Could Eat is a feature that showcases a scrumptious snack or drink that we think other geeks and gamers “could eat” (in other words, would greatly enjoy). If you have any snacks or drinks that you think are worthy of an I Could Eat shout out, let us know!

Alright, I couldn’t actually eat Halloween (not for lack of effort) because it’s not an edible substance on its own, but it does go hand-in-hand with complete strangers giving you free candy all night. On a side note: my mother told me not to go hand-in-hand with strangers, even if they offer me candy, so Halloween is a very fine line that we must walk.

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