In order to avoid difficult to answer questions by EMB concerning "leaktests" the Operating System would have to be reinstalled. This is also the only way to get rid of all malware, including difficult to detect rootkits. EMB also works fine with an Operating System which has NOT been reinstalled. Computer experts may skip this step anyway. However, the installation of EMB with an infected system may fail due to the interference with malware which might be running. It is assumed that every computer which has been exposed to the Internet is infected in one way or another, be it "protected" by most of the competitors Internet Security Suites, Anti-Virus programs, etc, or not (!). Most of these malware tries to send more or less sensitive personal data over the Internet, anything from your surfing habits in order to optimize the ads they send to your computer to each and every key hit on your keyboard to eg extract passwords for your credit card or bank account...
Note: a) EasyMalwareBlocker will notify you whenever a program or a module unknown to EasyMalwareBlocker tries to access the Internet and b) it blocks any (unwanted malicious) software that tries to clandestinely install itself (drive-by downloads).
However, a reinstallation of the Operating System is recommended only if: - you have the original CDs from the manufacturer of your computer (often laptops come with ready to go OS CDs, made to measure for your type of computer) - you yourself have done a complete installation of an XP Operating System on any computer before, including setting up the Internet.
We do NOT recommend to reinstall the OS if:
- you do NOT have OS CDs for your computer. Typically, non brand desktop computers do not come with OS CDs. (Getting the correct drivers for the monitor, modem, etc, can be a difficult task even for a seasoned computer expert, so it would be better to save the old drivers, but this is not as simple as acb either.)
- you or your computer knowledgeable friends have never reinstalled the OS on your computer before.When you install and run EasyMalwareBlocker for the very first time please take your time.
A) When you indeed reinstall your XP OS please follow these steps:
(for those who don't: skip paragraph A) and go to paragraph B))
1) Download EMB and store the EasyMalwareBlocker.zip file either
- on another partition than C: or
- on a USB Flash Drive or
- burn the file on a CD or DVD.
2) Reinstall your OS. Do NOT yet configure the connection to the Internet, just skip that part.
3) Install all programs which you have bought and which come on CD/DVDs and/or have a well known reputation.
Many of the programs downloaded from the Internet can NOT be trusted as they might be trojan horse type of programs (they may do the desired job, but at the same time they also do unwanted and undocumented things like collecting personal data and send them over the Internet), so do NOT install them now! If in doubt, install these kind of program(s) later (step 10).
Do NOT install any screensavers or unknown toolbars! (eg Google and Yahoo toolbars are OK)
4) Finally, install EMB.
When the installation has been successfully completed EasyMalwareBlocker will be up and running.
There will be two new icons in the System Tray (near the clock).
You can download Microsoft XP Updates now, but that is - with EMB installed and FSM always running in either 'Safe Mode' oder 'Super Safe Mode' - not really necessary.
If you want to download Microsoft XP Updates, please follow steps 5) to 9), otherwise skip them and go to step 10)
5) Set the FRP to 'Drive-By Download BL' Mode.
6) Configure and establish a connection to the Internet.
7) The download of Microsoft XP updates should start automatically when you don't download anything. That may take quite a while.
8) Allow extra time to have them installed. That also works automatically.
9) Disable the connection to the Internet. Unplug the LAN or modem cable or in case of WLAN disable the connection by software.
10) The 'read me first' file will be shown on the screen and after a while on a popup you will be asked to specify a download folder in which you can download programs. Click 'Cancel' if you never download programs from the Internet. (When you only download movies or pictures you can store these files in any folder.)
We recommend to create one on partition D: if available and name it 'Downloads' (eg D:\Downloads), otherwise C:\Downloads
When you download new programs from the Internet, you have to select exactly this download folder, otherwise these kind of (executable) files will be blocked by EMB!
11) When finished you can decide if you want to have Reference Files created.
The Autostart Reference File is used by the EMB tool "Autostart". Creating the Autostart Reference File only takes about one minute.
The Network Reference File is used by the EMB Network Application Control (Firewall). The benefit with this file is that there will be NO popups with possibly difficult to answer questions when the Internet is being accessed.
The Potentially Dangerous Reference file is used by the EMB utility "Compare Executable Files". It can be used to doublecheck the proper function of EMB or to check if new files have been copied to your hard disk when EMB was NOT running or in 'Disabled' or 'Install' modes.
Creating Network and Executable Reference Files may take 5 .. 15 minutes (for partition C: only, 20 .. 30 minutes for all partitions). You are not supposed to use the Internet and complex (office) programs like (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Access, PDF viewers, photo- and movieprograms, send and receive files using messengers, etc). The response from your computer will be very slow during this time anyway.
12) When asked if you want to allow 'System' programs to access the Internet the connection to the Internet should still be interrupted.
Please start the programs you work with all the time. Most likely there will be more popups from the EMB firewall. Although there is NO connection to the Internet you will see the programs and/or the modules loaded with it which want to access the Internet. Carefully decide each case. If in doubt block the access.
The access will NOT really be blocked in this version. You have to uninstall a program or to rename or delete a module in order to avoid it to access the Internet.
13) You can now install programs of not wellknown origin which might even be trojan horse type of programs, but unknown toolbars are a no no unless you are a computer expert (EMB can be tailored to tolerate the sometimes quirky files these programs write on your hard disk).
14) (Re-) Establish a connection to the Internet now.
15) In case there were cases you needed more information ask Google now (NAC panel).
You can also find these directions (and much more information) in the FAQ.
B) If you did NOT reinstall XP OS please follow these steps:
1.) Download and install EMB.
When the installation has been successfully completed EasyMalwareBlocker will be up and running.
There should be two new icons in the System Tray (near the clock).
2.) The 'read me first' file will be shown on the screen and on a popup you will be asked to specify a download folder. (Click 'Cancel' if you never download programs from the Internet. When you only download any kind of movies or pictures you can store these files in any folder.)
We recommend to create one on partition D: (if available) and name it 'Downloads' (eg D:\Downloads), otherwise C:\Downloads
When you download new programs from the Internet, you have to select exactly this download folder, otherwise these kind of (executable) files will be deleted by EMB!
3.) When finished you can decide if you want to have Reference Files created.
Reference Files are used by the EMB System Check Tools. These tools are just nice extras; the core part of EMB also works perfectly without them.
It's not really mandatory to have any Reference Files created, but it's recommended even if you did not reinstall the Operating System.
Creating the Autostart Reference File only takes about one minute.
The Potentially Dangerous Reference file is used by the EMB utility "Compare Executable Files". It can be used to doublecheck the proper function of EMB or to check if new files have been copied to your hard disk when EMB was NOT running or in 'Disabled' or 'Install' modes.
Creating the Potentially Dangerous Reference file may take about 5 .. 15 minutes (for partition C: only, 20 .. 30 minutes for all partitions).
You are not supposed to use the Internet and complex programs like office programs (Word, Excel, send files using messengers, etc). The response from your computer will be very slow during this time anyway.
4.) Please read the texts especially on the red and beige popups - which are created by the EMB Firewall - very carefully in order to make the right decisions. It could be malware which is already installed in your system and which tries to send data over the Internet (well, that might have happened before already but from now on this can be blocked by EMB).
Unfortunately, these popups are shown shortly after you have installed EMB and the Internet is being accessed for the first time. Don't worry, after you have answered these few initial questions there will be no other ones until after you have installed a new program which wants to access the Internet.
PS: Please rate EasyMalwareBlocker not by its look, do it by its performance instead!
Last updated: November 21, 2009
