What do you do with someone who keeps downloading viruses.

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After work this morning I plan on going over to my sister's store to pick up her laptop so that I can fix it again. It has a virus on it again... I have to do this about every 3 months. She uses this laptop to keep her kids entertained while they are working at the store. I always end up reformatting the thing and installing everything all over again. This is a good 6 hour task on this laptop.

I put Norton internet security on it and downloaded all of the Windows 2k security updates. I can't think of anything else to prevent them from getting a virus.

I know it's because they are going to websites that they shouldn't be going to and downloading things that they are not supposed to download. But I can't exactly put parental controls on the computer when the youngest is 17 and the rest of them are adults.

Any suggestions on how I can keep this laptop running smoothly without having to visit their store every week would be greatly appreciated.

Since we both have DSL now, I was thinking I may try to hook up to the laptop remotely to do regular maintenance. But I don't want to pay for any remote access software. Can anybody recommend something that is free?

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Tell them just how much effort is involved and make it clear to them that you're not going to be there to do this again.
Basically they're taking the piss and expecting you to clean up their mess.
Personally I'd have told them where to get off ages ago.
Family is one thing but taking the piss is quite another.
Either that or put the parental controls on it and tell them that when they start acting like adults they can have it unlocked.

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I couldn't have put it better.

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Quote:

She uses this laptop to keep her kids entertained while they are working at the store

Does your sister know how the kids are entertaining themselves?

Perhaps you can set up a barter system--six hours of physical labor for them while you spend six hours cleaning up after the kid's entertainment?

Or, you could suggest to your sister that her kids dust stock instead of playing with the laptop.

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Heliotrpe's got it right.

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Quit doing it for free - shouldn't take them very long to get the message provided you set your hourly rate realisitically.

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yes i'd do what the others have said. Say your not going to do it anymore or charge lol. It'll make them think twice. And maybe for once, they will start using their heads and learn how to do things themselves rather than being spoon fed.

I recently did this to my sister who hollas for help [i dont know everything about pc's but enough]. Wrote out what she should do everyweek, installed some apps and it worked. She's happy and so am i.

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first time is free and I explain the what not to do's
second time there could be a small fee depending what happened
third time I say get a quote at a store - I'm 1/2 that per hour
fourth sorry now goto a pc repair shop ( you are not listening or following advise)

if they use aol I will not even come the first time

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Thanks for all of the advice folks. I kind of rambled in my question, but I was mostly looking for software and technical suggestions. I just can't charge a family member. Since it had been two years since I've had internet access my self I was kind of behind on the technology. I was wondering if there was some software out there that I am unaware of that will help keep this computer in good shape.

I've spent 16 hours so for on this laptop The only problem with installing all of this separate security stuff is that it takes longer...

Hmmm, 16 hours at $65 per hour... Twisted Evil

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With family discount that comes to 62.75.

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Which is $62.75 more than you would have had.

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You could always set the machine up to log into a severely privilege-shy user account on boot, then tell momma how to bypass the automatic login. Lock down the ones given to immature web behavior while allowing the bill-payer to gain full access and functionality at will.

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i would let them do the same again but charge a nice hourly charge to fix but create a ghost image so next time it takes no time that'll put a smile on ya face.

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you may embarass them into cooperation. if you name the examples of the sites that may have brought the virus onto their computer in front of their mother, the young lads might think twice before they do it again. maybe they don't even know computer keeps track of everything?

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This time around I didn't even look at the history or try to figure out what kind of virus or even if it was a virus at all. I just popped that Windows CD in there and reformatted the second I sat down. Their punishment this time was to loose everything that they wanted to save.

But I did find out a little tidbit. Apparently it was Daddy going to the gambling and porn sites that may have compromised the computer. Laughing

I finished fixing it a couple of days ago. But I'm hanging on to it a whole week before I give it back. Twisted Evil

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you sure should, keep it two weeks! and do it each time they want you fix up their mess. gambling and porn, mommy wouldn't be thrilled to see where daddy's been, would she?

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sounds to me like you've got daddy by the bollox quite literally use and abuse it.

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What do you do with someone who keeps downloading viruses.

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