RNFolsom

The odd thing about the CryptoLocker experiences described here is that no one has reported that CryptoLocker is a virus (maybe I should use a broader term) that encrypts a large variety of documents AND offers to decrypt the documents after payment. My information source is the Windows Secrets Newsletter (to which I subscribe), Thursday 24 October 2013, in an article by Susan Bradley (a regular contributor to the newsletter). But the article is available at Windows Secrets Lounge, where it can be read (and probably downloaded or at least copied) by Windows Secrets subscribers and by anyone else, at: hxxp://windowssecrets.com/top-story/cryptolocker-a-particularly-pernicious-virus/ Ms. Bradley's judgment is that "AV software probably won't protect you." She then lists a set of actions to reduce the risk, probably with at least some information overlap with the links given here in the preceding post. I am following her suggestion to backup data frequently, to an external disk that is not connected to my computer, except when receiving backups (and, I would add, internet access is temporarily turned off, so new malicious emails can't arrive during the backup). I'm doing daily backups. My next step is to prevent Windows7 from automatically opening zip files. I don't think I have any other zip-opening programs on my computer, but I will do a search for famous programs such as WinZip. Ms. Bradley reports that "Some users have paid the ransom and, surprisingly, were given the keys to their data. (Not completely surprising; returning encrypted files to their owners might encourage others to pay the ransom.) This is, obviously, a risky option. But if it's the only way you might get your data restored, use a prepaid debit card — not your personal credit card. You don't want to add the insult of identity theft to the injury of data loss." In my opinion, her article is worth reading, as are the sources in the preceding post. I am running Eset NOD32 v6.0.316.0. I hope that Eset's new v7.x will be able to deal with CryptoLocker. Preventing encryption might be one way to do it --- but that's just a guess by someone (me) who is not a computer programmer. R.N. (Roger) Folsom

I am currently running NOD32 6.0.316.0 on a 64-bit Win7sp1 laptop. I have received the notice that NOD32 v7.x is now available. The download instructions here (hxxp://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?page=content&id=SOLN2476) indirectly say that the v7 download will automatically replace earlier NOD32 versions 5.x and 6.x; users do not have to uninstall their current version first. Elsewhere on this site (hxxp://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?page=content&id=SOLN401&viewlocale=en_US) was the information that in v7.x the code --- presumably for 64-bit computers --- contains a mix of 64-bit and 32-bit code. That's fine with me. But it doesn't assure me that the download instructions (link in my first paragraph) for a 64-bit computer will download and install the right package. I am GUESSING that the download instructions will figure out whether a computer is 64-bit or 32-bit, so that the downloaded and installed file will be the correct one. But I don't like having to guess. The directions should clearly state that before the download and installation occurs, the process will note whether the computer is 64-bit or 32-bit (assuming my guess is true!), and download and install the correct file. Another issue is that historically (I started with NOD32 when it was version 2.x), instead of an online-controlled download and installation, my practice for installing versions 4.x, 5.x, and 6.x has been to download an entire installation file, and then install it manually. I would like to do that when I upgrade from NOD32 v6 to v7. But I don't see an obvious Eset NOD32 place to download a complete installation file. Is that option no longer available? R.N. (Roger) Folsom

siljaline: Thanks. R.N. (Roger) Folsom

siljaline: My apologies for not making myself clear. After I understood Windows Defender's being anti-spyware and anti-nothing-else, I have no wish for Eset to change any settings. But I do continue to think that NOD32's pre-installation warning --- which now explicitly tells users to uninstall not only any current anti-virus software but also any anti-spyware and any firewall --- should make clear that although other Anti-spyware utilities should be uninstalled, the Windows Defender Anti-spyware is an exception. And your own "No exceptions to your firewall should be permitted under any circumstances" statement (if you mean that the Windows firewall should not be temporarily disabled while installing NOD32) is contradicted by the warning. Here's hoping that I have now made clear that although I was confused when I started this thread (that's why I started it), my concern now is that other new users installing Eset NOD32 v6 (and maybe people installing Smart Security v6, if it has the same warning as in NOD32) should not be mislead by an incomplete installation warning. I suspect that the current warning is simply boiler plate copied from pre v6 software installed on to older operating systems. My understanding is that a lot of people (and that's bound to include a lot of Eset users) are still using XP, as they wait for an improved (or at least different) version of Windows8. Regards to you too! R.N. (Roger) Folsom

Unfortunately, the installation of NOD32 v6 does not tell the whole truth. Today (Friday 02 August), when I was installing NOD32 6.0.316.0 on my new Win7sp1 Dell M4700 laptop, the installation soon stated the following: "Warning! "It is urgent that you uninstall any other resident security applications such as antivirus, antispyware or firewall programs that may be running before continuing installation to avoid serious problems." I strongly think that the NOD32 v6 installation warning should explicitly state that the Windows Defender Anti-Spyware utility is an exception, and need not be disabled (apparently it cannot be uninstalled). A new user would have no reason to look for and go to the true information --- that NOD32 v6 and Defender do not conflict --- given by the knowledge base article at hxxp://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?page=content&id=SOLN2390&act=RATE&impressions=false&newguid=80180197112208a401403c1cad4a007f26. Also, whether or not the Win7 Firewall needs to be disabled is not mentioned. (Being risk averse, I disabled it, and then turned it on again after I had installed NOD32 v6.) R.N. (Roger) Folsom

Today (Friday 02 August) I decided to visit Wilders to see if there was any new information about ESET there, and I couldn't find any Eset forum, not even a closed but available-to-read forum. However, I may have simply overlooked Eset because once I had learned where the Eset info was located, I had the link and didn't need to note how I got there. Question: Am I right to think that everything that Eset thought was useful at Wilders has moved to Eset's Security Forum? R.N. (Roger) Folsom

siljaline: Thanks very much for your response, which gave me information I definitely needed. FYI or FYAmusement: I did go to the software link, gave it four stars out of five, and wrote the following requested feedback: "I would suggest that in addition to saying that "Windows Defender does not contain any antivirus functionality" (which was news to me, but I then confirmed it in several Windows7 books), the article should say that "Windows Defender is only an anti-spware tool." But since NOD32 includes not only anti-virus but also anti-spyware (at least that has been my understanding), I (and probably others) are not sure whether and how there is any advantage to running two anti-spyware utilities. I have a lot more confidence in the quality of Eset software than of Microsoft software (which is why I use WordPerfect Office)." Thanks again. R.N. (Roger) Folsom

In February of this year I acquired a Dell Precision M4700 64-bit laptop running Win7sp1 --- great hardware, seriously incomplete and inaccurate documentation --- which consequently has taken a half year to set up (long boring story, so I won't inflict it on others here). But during that time I wasn't worried about security because the internet cable was almost always disconnected, and Windows Defender was turned on. But during the months I spent setting up my M4700, I think I saw somewhere, probably at Wilders, that although the installation warns that before installing NOD32 other antivirus software (from other suppliers such as Symantec or MacAfee) should be uninstalled, that disabling Windows Defender is NOT necessary. Is that statement true for NOD32 v6, or did my imagination create it? Of course if disabling Windows Defender before installling NOD32 v6 IS necessary, of course I will do that. But if it is NOT necessary to disable Windows Defender before installing NOD32 v6: a) If Defender is disabled before installing NOD32 v6, can it be enabled after NOD32 v6 has been installed? b) If Defender is NOT disabled before installing NOD32 v6, can it be disabled after NOD32 v6 has been installed? Does Defender provide any protection that Eset doesn't? If Defender does not provide any additional protection, then I might as well disable it --- why waste time updating Defender's signatures. But if Defender provides some extra security, I may want to enable it (if the threats Defender protects against are relevant to me). I would very much appreciate clarifications of these issues. R.N. (Roger) Folsom

I believe you have the link for 64bit compatible with win764bit. Yes I have the same installer on my machine, with difference mine is the 7beta nod32av 64bit for win 7 64bit. Hi and Welcome Folsom ! Arakasi: Thanks for confirming that I did download the software that I intended. So I will install it tomorrow (after using Acronis Western Digital version to back up my C: and D: partitions). And thanks for the welcome! And to TomFace: Thanks to you also for the welcome! R.N. (Roger) Folsom

After posting my post, I realized that the reason that I couldn't find places to ask questions is that I moved my cursor horizontally but not vertically. It's been a long day for me, so I apparently was suffering brain fatigue. Neverheless, despite my dumb mistake, I would appreciate any response to my post. R.N. (Roger) Folsom

I am a Professor Emeritus at San Jose State University, San Jose, California USA. I am retired from teaching, but not from being an economist. I have been using NOD32 for about ten years, starting with version 2.something. My current project is setting up a new Win7sp1 64-bit Dell Precision M4700 laptop, as a replacement for my somewhat ancient Dell Latitude C840, which originally ran 32-bit Win2ksp4 and now runs 32-bit WinXPsp3. It uses NOD32 v5.2.15.0. On the assumption that I'm now supposed to get information and help here rather than at Wilders, I wandered around this Eset Security Forum, but didn't find someplace where I could start a new thread to ask some questions. So I will take the liberty of doing that here. A few minutes ago, from Eset's website (hxxp://www.eset.com/us/download/thank-you-eav/file/8651/) I downloaded an offline Eset NOD32 v6.something. Its title is eav_nt64_enu.msi and its size is 55.5 MB (58,256,384 bytes). Given the weird title (although I am used to .msi installation files), I am not completely confident that I downloaded the offline 64-bit version. (The 64 in nt64 probably means 64-bit, but "64-bit" or "64bit" would have been more comforting.) If anyone reading this can confirm that my download is what I want (NOD32 v6.x appropriate for 64-bit Win7sp1), I would very much appreciate getting that information before I install eav_nt64_enu.msi. Thanks for any comments, suggestions, help, or a confirmation! R.N. (Roger) Folsom

When I upgraded my WinXPsp3 laptop from NOD32 v4.2.71.2 to the first NOD32 version 5.x, the Wilders website had a "ESET NOD32 Antivirus 5 Unveiled" article by Marcos describing the new features and installation instructions. I saved my own copy of that page. Later, I gradually updated version 5 to version 5.2.9, then to 5.2.9.1, then to 5.2.15. Each of these upgrades had the same sort of information document --- either a released announcement or a Changelog --- that was on the original "ESET NOD32 Antivirus 5 Unveiled" document. So I added each of these additional announcements or changelogs to the original "ESET NOD32 Antivirus 5 Unveiled" document. I found this collection of features and fixes to be very useful. Now I am considering moving from NOD32 version 5.2.15 to version 6.0.316 (on a new Win7sp1 computer). On the Wilders website, at hxxp://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=343884, Marcos has put an "ESET NOD32 Antivirus 6.0.314 released" announcement similar to the ones for NOD32 v5.x. (And farther down there is news about the latest version 6.0.316.) But I am fairly sure that NOD32 version 6.0.314 is not the first 6.x version. Question: On either the Wilders website or this ESET Security Forum, is the original 6.x version release announcement still available? And are the additional release announcements or changelogs leading up to version 6.0.314 still available? If they are available, I would very much appreciate their locations, so that I can create a file similar to the one I created for NOD32 version 5.x. Thanks for any comments, suggestions, or help. R.N. (Roger) Folsom