Questions

[jedisamui.livejournal.com]

I am basically looking for some extra tools to throw in my bag of tricks. So, I figure what better way to do it than to ask for some good old advice and suggestions from my fellow compadres of the industry.

1) What is the best over-all FREE MULTI-USE tool to rid a PC of hijackers? When I say multi-use, I mean a tool that is not designed specifically for one type of hijacker.

2) What are your favorite on-site PC repair services websites? (ie. Geek Squad)

3) What are your best online walk-thrus?

4) (This one is mainly for the phone guys.) What tools would you recommend all field techs to have?

5) What spyware removal and prevention tools should customers have? (If they are free please indicate so.)


Thanks guys, I appreciate all comments - good, bad and ugly. I'm going to use all comments in a proposal for my boss to try and provide more information, and better tools to our field techs so that they can inturn provide better service to our customer. At least that is the plan, along with a very thorough retraining program. We got some good guys, but we are weak in the hijacker/spyware front. And all comments are appreciated.
Thanks again.

Comments

[linguafranca.livejournal.com]

For spyware/adware, we recommend Ad-Aware and Spybot Search & Destroy. I've also heard a lot of good things about Hijack This.

For basic Internet connection and troubleshooting walkthroughs (not sure what kind you're looking for) I like Stargate (http://help.stargate.net/vapps.shtml).

[mrsvickie.livejournal.com]

Adaware
SpyBot Search & Destroy
NoAdware
Spyware Nuker
XoftSpy
Spyware C.O.P.
Hijack This

http://www.all-nettools.com/toolbox

[dmsalem00.livejournal.com]

Nice list, Ms. A.

Might want to add SpySeeker(i think)
and Spy Hunter to that list.

They might be pay programs though, I forget.

But hey, it's the age of the Digital Millenium Copyright Whatsit.

[norelevance.livejournal.com]

Everything they just said...

and http://www.centralops.net - lots of connection/mail related tools there.

[coyoteden.livejournal.com]

1) Ad-Aware. But preceeded by CWShredder. Yes, it's single-purpose but there are about two dozen CWS variants, half of which cannot be removed reliably by the Big Two (AA or SS&D) or any AV. Ad-Aware is my pick 'cause SS&D has some Serious web-update problems lately. If all of this fails, I run HijackThis, and if that fails, I pick apart what .dlls are loading with PV and rip 'em out with KillBox. SpywareBlaster will make sure they don't come back.

2) Me.

3) Ugh. Teh Intarweb 5ux0rs.

4) ...hooboy...
Spyware: Ad-Aware, an UNZIPPED version of the latest reffile, an updated SS&D install copied from Program Files on my workstation ('cause the updater is not working right), LSPFix and WinsockXPFIx form cexx.org, SpywareBLaster, CWShredder+Kill2Me, HijackThis and the Dirty Pair of of spyware removers: Process Viewer and KillBox.

AV: Avast (good free AV, I use it), Stinger or Avast cleaner, a couple of NAV 2004 discs to sell if they want a brand-name AV.

Windows: The latest SPs for NT4, 2K, and XP, the latest version of IE6, Bootable 98SE media, A win2k workstation disc (boot an XP system to the Recov Console bypassing the admin password, often the correct password won't even work when you boot from the XP CD.), and the ntpasswd boot floppy. Oh, and all the worm patches of the week.

Hardware: good 30-piece toolkit, 128 and 256 MB sticks of PC-133 and PC-2100, 64 and 128 sticks of PC-100, a CD-ROM, a CD-RW, a FDD, a 10/100 NIC, a 56K PCI Modem, a 300W ATX PSU, a 40GB HD, lots of cables...


5) What spyware removal and prevention tools should customers have? (If they are free please indicate so.)
#1: Ad-Aware
#2: Spybot S&D. But did anyone notice 1.3 now says there are "no new updates" if the connection FAILS??? Lovely.
#3: CWShredder and Kill2Me. Need 'em both, run 'em first.

and...

#42: SpywareBlaster. I only recommend this one if I like a customer, 'cause if they install it we will NOT be getting another spyware call from them. If I'm working with a PWDL I don't speak a word of it.

[dmsalem00.livejournal.com]

Damn dude.

You know your shit.

*bows*

*nods*

[coyoteden.livejournal.com]

Which is WHY i'm the only "qualified" tech for a small-town computer service biz..

I put in some seriously long days being everyone's hero around here.

[loosechanj.livejournal.com]

I like to carry a Freesbie (http://www.freesbie.org/) cd around now, but knoppix is good too. About the only thing I could wish for in either is a windows registry editor, and some of the sys/winternals apps.

[kyndig.livejournal.com]

I'll only jump in on #4 because I used to work in a phone support role where we would teach onsite techs how to do their jobs. Things every field tech should have for every call:

comprehensive tool kit
a box of blank floppy disks
A network boot disk
a ms-dos boot disk
a set of diagnostics for the machine they will be working on
a spare of each of the following:

floppy drive
power supply
ide cable (more than one)
keyboard
mouse
memory of every kind imaginable.
ethernet cables, multiple straight throughs of different lengths and at least one 6 ft crossover.
a relatively modern laptop with a modem and a NIC and a dialup account to connect to the net with if needed. a cd-burner is also helpful, along with blank cds.
a cable test
a multimeter
jumpers
a text document listing different POST error codes and beeps and their meaning for the various BIOS.
a USB flash drive of at least 128 mb.
a reliable cell phone

That's all the things I can think of off the top of my head. I used to carry all those things when I was in the field and once I was promoted out of the field I demanded that all of my field techs carry all of those things.

[kyndig.livejournal.com]

btw, that is for a hardware field tech role. for software support, additional tools may be needed :)

[tjernobyl.livejournal.com]

http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm

Works wonders for connect/no-surf type issues.

[blasphemy.livejournal.com]

4.) (http://www.swissknifeshop.com/Merchant2/usb.html)

[dmsalem00.livejournal.com]

O_O

that's *NOT* real, is it??

if so, I WANT ONE

[coyoteden.livejournal.com]

It's real, too bad it's only 64MB

[blasphemy.livejournal.com]

It sure is. I saw it on thinkgeek for about $70.

[teriwyn.livejournal.com]

Onsite techs?
I would totally recommend a copy of the Windows XP "Winsock Fix" util.
I'll see if I can dig it up; been a while since I was doing over the phone support for the ISP.

hrmmm

[taleya.livejournal.com]

1) What is the best over-all FREE MULTI-USE tool to rid a PC of hijackers? When I say multi-use, I mean a tool that is not designed specifically for one type of hijacker.

Well, as I tell the customers, I use adaware, a firewall, and a fucking BRAIN not to click OK!! on everything that pops up on my screen. Cure isn't worth anything if you don't hammer common sense into them...


2) What are your favorite on-site PC repair services websites? (ie. Geek Squad)

Usually, I just tell the customer to go to their local comp store. They're usually cheaper.


3) What are your best online walk-thrus?

For OS guides? Modemhelp.net. Their screenshots are beautiful :P Stuff like an Inetwiz is something you can pretty much do in your sleep, comms reinstalls are almost the same thing.

4) (This one is mainly for the phone guys.) What tools would you recommend all field techs to have?

1) a BRAIN. I cannot count the number of times I've seen field techs do insanely stupid things. And no, Im not slamming all field techs. Most of them are great. it's the ones who can't find DUN in win98, or blame a ping problem on a nic when the router is down that make me tear my hear out and throw it at them in large chunks.

From personal experience:

basic comp repair: (as in "This is what's wrong, go buy a new one)

Complete set of screwdrivers
Spare ram - pc100/133 and fastest ddr you can get. Ram cycles down in speed, so it cuts down on the amount you have to carry.
Power supply
IDE & FDD cables
RJ cables - both straight through and crossover
Boot disks
Patches for windows version
Viral scanner (if possible)
CD-ROM
spare jumpers
Spare hdd.
Splitters
Collection of spare fans & fan cables
NIC (for cheap and dirty, the USB -> RJ ones are great for troubleshooting :)


5) What spyware removal and prevention tools should customers have? (If they are free please indicate so.)

Adaware / Spybot
Firewall - Zonealarm. free, easy to use, and it protects both ways.

New user in most cases...