keeping my laptop OFF the internet...

[MrYellow]

1. Get a good anti-spyware program. PAY FOR IT.... do NOT get a free one.
Think about this for a moment.... in this world, NOTHING is free. So a
company giving away free anti-spyware is most likely a spyware program
itself. Webroot SpySweeper is excellent, and I recommend it highly.

There are MANY fantastic FREE anti-spyware programs.

The one you're talking about which is spyware is "Internet Optimizer".
It's quite easy to spot as being a hack just by how it's advertised.

Spybot Search & Destroy has a great little util that keeps an eye on
important registry keys, and adds dodgy sites to your block list.

Ad-aware is quite good for basic spyware.....

Hijack-this is the only one that covers all important areas, rather than the
software doing all the work, you post your logs and people that know better
tell you what is legit.

The only real way to stop hacking is to know your system, know what should
be running when it's clean, anything new that starts running in the
background is then known to be dodgy.

2. Customize your cookie preferences. I use Third Party cookies always
disabled. First party cookies set to Prompt. And always allow session
cookies.
This way I select the first party cookies I want to keep, and all other are
blocked or deleted when Internet Explorer is shut down.

IE blocks 3rd party cookies by default.

Cookies are 100% totally 100% absolutely 100% safe.

There is nothing a cookie can do to your system, no risk in allowing them,
no bad outcomes from allowing them.

Concerns first of all came from those people who thought they were viruses
and talked as if they knew what they were on about. These people are
idiots. Then concerns came from privacy groups who don't like marketing
companies that collect broad demographic information across multiple
websites. To the end user, none of this matters.... 100% safe to allow
cookies.


As for suggestions for setting up your laptop.....

Create a second hardware profile in properties of My Computer.

In services, disable all non-essential services for this profile.
You can even go as far as disabling all networking protocols.

Create a new user profile.
Leave this user profile light, no startup programs etc.

Now when you boot to your Music hardware and user profiles you'll have a
much cleaner system then the one you use for internet.

-Ben

[drumroll57]

Keeping your laptop off the Internet will certainly guarantee a much more productive time and less distraction!!! LOL!

(Then again, that would mean that you couldn't read our replies...)

D.

[serotoninsteve]

I would recommend you to do 2 separate windows installations on 2 partitions, one for your webuse with all the updates, firewall etc and the other one with only your music apps, soundcard drivers. switch everything down wich could run in the background and eat up ressources.
Be sure to disable your ethernet card and do not connect your music windows to the web.

Like this you can boot the windows you need from startup, keep your systems clean and even download updates wich are accessible from the 2th windows for installation.

Greetings