Windows 10: Xbox and other PUPs

Hello,


If I take Windows offline, or severely restrict access to only a couple of required sites (XARA and a couple of other sites where content is sadly linked rather than downloaded), can I then delete Xbox and all the other PUPs that I don't want and use the Internet via a virtual machine running Linux? Would that be a great way to ensure that all the things that are forced onto my machine just go away.]


Sure, there will be no updates. Nothing to get messed up after them either. I could keep a hard drive image to make sure that there is a replacement should something untoward happen.. This would solve a number of issues though I really only need to use Windows 10 for a couple of applications, so there is a certain logic to my thinking here. If I wanted to do an update, I could allow connection to the MS servers briefly, see if the update improves anything or destabilises the computer and if it does, restore the previous version via my backed up image.


I'm thinking this would also work to keep Windows 7. Take it offline completely (IE remove the networking section), but have a Virtual Machine running Linux so that I could access email etc. Anything I want to upload/download goes to a memory stick or removable hard drive. The extra steps would be worth it I think to remove annoying adverts from software vendors wanting to get me to buy stuff I don't want or need. It would mean that, as long as W10 was stable at the time, having a system that should remain in a stable state. If there were updates that messed things up I avoid them and if they are good, I could update or update the backup copy. Same goes for Window 7.


Maybe if we all did that, those PUPs would be more easily kept off our machines.

:)

 

Xbox 360 cracked

Even though the hack is very complex, and should not be done by you and me, but the crack will let you play back-ups of your Xbox 1 and Xbox 360 games, and will boot all normal xbox games, yes all, not just the onces on the compatibilty list. So we are one step closer.

Source: TheINQ

 

Overrun by PUP's


Hi, @Skofab:

A bit of clarification...
As the others have pointed out, MBAM Free is only a manual, on-demand scanner that removes PUPs and malware already on the system.
MBAM Premium -- when properly configured -- can help to PREVENT PUPs/malware infection in the first place.

PUPs are not malware, in the strict sense of the term, as explained HERE. But they are generally junk that one likely does not not need or want and they can eventually get one into trouble with real malware.

Having said that, scanning for ROOTKITS and scanning for PUPs/PUMs are actually different settings.
In order to be sure MBAM is properly configured, open the dashboard > settings > detection and protection > non-malware protection and verify that both PUPs and PUMs are set to "treat detections as malware".

If your settings are correct, but the PUPs seem to come back with each scan, then the most likely explanations include:

• MBAM is having trouble removing them for some reason; and/or
• They are re-spawning, either from software/malware on the system, from Google sync or from another source.

If you would like, please follow the steps in THIS TUTORIAL to locate, export and post here as an ATTACHMENT to your next reply an MBAM SCAN LOG from one of the computers. That log may point to an explanation and possible solution.

Thanks,
MM

 

Overrun by PUP's


Hi:

Just to be clear, the ROOTKIT scanning setting in MBAM is separate and different from the PUP/PUM settings.
It's certainly fine to enable the anti-rootkit feature, but it's not likely to directly impact the behavior you reported in your original post (recurring PUPs in sequential MBAM scans).
Adding MBAE (Free or Premium) is another fine suggestion, but it won't fix your original issue, either.

To more directly fix that particular problem, it would help to know if your PUP/PUM settings in MBAM are correctly configured, as suggested in my earlier reply #4 here.
And, yes, the partial AdwCleaner log suggests that the PUPs are likely re-spawning from Google sync/Chrome/a Chrome extension.
But it would also help to see the MBAM scan log, as previously suggested.

>>Some PUPs (and some malware) can be rather pesky, requiring the use of multiple, powerful tools, in the correct sequence, as well as other interventions (e.g. resetting/reinstalling Chrome), for complete removal.

HTH,
MM