Which of the following things have you done?

Speed up computer is tied to some extent to the registry. I tried some of this stuff, and the allegations are, somewhat true, but so temporary that everything is reversed in short time. I would never invest in such software for the money they asked. I did it only when it was given to me for next to nothing.

 

Today, I ran a setup file from a torrent I downloaded. I had MBAM Protection Module enabled and

windll.exe Adware.Agent detected and quarantined!!!!!!!!!

 

You need to keep a sense of perspective. Everybody does those things, all the time. And but rarely does a problem arise out of it.

For instance, once upon a time I used a Microsoft program to clean my Registry. I was running Windows 98 at the time, and the program was called REGCLEAN.EXE and it was part of Windows 98! And it crucified my registry... Any program is therefore a risk.

But I would never run a program I had downloaded, without scanning it first with anti-virus software, although I would never keep anti-virus running in the background. Try turning yours OFF and seeing how fast the machine suddenly becomes!

Browsing is not much of a risk if you have an up to date HOSTS file installed, and have the browser's security options set to deny any attempt to download or run ActiveX files, and have most of the security settings set on DISABLE, and Javascript disabled, and a pop-up killer running.

Ad-Aware SE, A-Squared, and Spyware Blaster all fall within the ambit of "programs that promise to remove malware ". But they are all perfectly legit programs, so I think you're casting your net a bit too wide.

Actually, I agree that using wireless without encryption is insane. And so is opening e-mail attachments from unknown senders. And using Facebook. So, not being insane, I never have. But my computer is not powerful enough to stream or run movies (except from a - legit - DVD).

So I suppose it depends whether you count recording internet radio (not music specifically) as 'downloading music illegally'? Does recording the Jack Benny Show from 1958 count against me? There are plenty of musical items in the Old Time Radio shows; but I hardly think the RIAA would give a monkey's.

It's more about being sensible, than about whether, technically, running Ad-Aware counts against me. Clearly it does. So, equally clearly, the question is too broad, since running Ad-Aware is an intelligent thing to do, not a stupid one. But by-and-large the same applies to most of the questions in this little test. A bit broader than they perhaps could have been.

 

I met someone who knew someone who had a distant relative who did some of those things.

 

I think I may have met some of those people with those same distant relatives.

 

Some of those articles are so good you just have to go back and read em again.