[nfbcs] Accessible Windows Explorer Alternatives

[Blaine Clark]

Microsoft security problems are built-in and sometimes I'm positive they
do it on purpose. Internet Exploder - Explorer I mean! - is coded into
the Windows File Explorer which is coded into the system files. This is
why it's impossible to uninstall IE. It's not a stand-alone program.
That is also just one reason among many why it's so easy for malware of
all types to infest a MS system, there's a straight line of open command
from the outside, the internet, CDs, DVDs, USBs, what have you right
into your system files. One of the other reasons MS is so prone to
infection is it's file and system permissions. Microsoft by default sets
all operators up under the default Administrative account which is not
secure because it assumes all operator actions are OKed by the
administrator. So what to do?

First, when your system is totally clean, get into your system settings
and create a new user account. Set this account to be guest only, with
limited privileges. Set this account to be the one that's automatically
logged into at startup and remove the autostart setting from the
Administrator account. Don't ever loose the passwords for either one!!
Even if you are the only user of the computer, this is important to do.

Second, install a good anti-virus and double-check to make sure it's set
to update at least daily, monitor all downloads, and scan your entire
system in a deep scan at least weekly while doing a lighter 'Recommended
Scan' every day. All other settings should be set to be as aggressive as
possible such as quarantine, delete, heal and maybe even see if you want
it to notify you when it finds a problem. Check it's status at least
once a month because brand new viruses many times have a 'feature' of
trying to deactivate anti-virus programs and on rare occasions they are
successful. Note!! do not install more than one anti-virus program at a
time. The signature files each one uses to identify viruses will cause
another anti-virus program to heal, quarantine or delete them which,
when the altered anti-virus programs run again using it's altered
signature files, that can and will wreck havoc on any files in your
entire system!

Third, install a good anti-malware program such as Malwarebytes,
SuperAntiMalware or the like and set it up to operate as often and as
aggressively as your anti-virus program. As long as the anti-malware
programs do not extend their functions to virus cleaning you can add
them to your system and you can have more than one installed and running
at the same time. Unless your hardware is top-notch, your system may
slow to a crawl, but you'll be more protected!

Fourth, add more layers of protection to your activities. Since you
cannot uninstall IE and it is required by Microsoft to perform it's
updates too, install a couple of good alternative browsers such as
Firefox and Chrome and after you run them for a while to find out which
one works best for you, make one of them the default browser. Erase all
icons for IE leaving only icons for the other browsers available. Both
Firefox and Chrome have several add-ons that enhance safe browsing such
as ones that will block Java Script, malicious advertising, tracking
cookies and more. There are some add-ons that will tell you whether
certain web sites are malicious and block them altogether. I recommend
disabling Java as well. Java is separate from Java Script, they are two
different animals even though their names sound the same. Get some help
and take your time going through the hundreds of add-ons and settings to
see what will be best for you.

Fifth is more layers. Read over the set up procedures for
http://www.opendns.com/. You can put this proxy service's settings on
most routers and modems to protect all computer devices in your house,
or you can add the settings to each device to keep them from accessing
'bad' sites. There are a couple other such proxy services, I just
mentioned OpenDNS as it has a free account, though slightly limited
settings.

After all of this, and adjusting settings to prevent auto-opening of
disks and disk files you may not want a replacement for the Windows
Explorer, but if you still do, read over these reviews;
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/fun-and-useful-alternatives-for-windows-explorer/

Sixth, how about an alternative to Microsoft that's totally more secure
than MS as soon as you install it? How about an alternative that with a
little bit of guidance first time through, mainly just sighted,
hand-holding support, you can install all by yourself as long as your
computer will boot from a peripheral device provided you don't have to
change BIOS settings? The BIOS is totally inaccessible, so far! There's
an operating system that has screen readers and Braille device support
built right into the installation files so you can install it all by
yourself if you are deaf-blind. With a decent internet connection you
can install it in 20 to 30 minutes! You can use the installation disk to
access a trashed Microsoft system and recover files unless the hard
drive is physically ruined. You can load the DVD into the DVD drive,
start your computer, have it boot from the DVD rather than your hard
drive, use the screen readers and/or the Braille device support to
browse your trashed MS files on the hard drive and move or copy them
onto another peripheral such as an USB thumb drive. This I have done.
There are ways, far above my skill level, to add utility programs to
these DVD boot files that will let you actually try to repair a trashed
MS system.
The MS alternative is Vinux which is a Linux operating system build.
Nearly virus proof, I've installed it for a few friends to get them
started with it and I haven't installed an anti-virus program on any of
them! I've also installed other builds of Linux for other friends to
replace their expired XP systems and again, I haven't installed an
anti-virus program for them either. I've also installed Linux on a
couple of computers that just wouldn't run MS of any version for a
decent length of time without instabilities that cause those black or
blue screens of death you hear about. Unless you have some super special
MS programs that won't work on Linux or that there aren't any Linux
alternatives for, there's no reason not to at least try it. That's
another great thing about Vinux, you can boot it from the DVD and
experiment with it as long and as often as you want without having to
install it. Another good one is, if you decide to actually install it
onto your hard drive you can install it beside MS giving you what's
called a 'Dual Boot' arrangement rather than erasing MS from your
computer. On boot up a menu comes up giving you the choice of booting
either Vinux as the first and default choice, or you can arrow down and
boot into MS. The menu is accompanied by beeps so you know when it comes
up queuing you when to arrow down if you want to boot into MS.
Linux is nearly virus proof, free, accessible, just as easy as MS to
use, easier than MS to install, even for those who need assistive aids,
and it's also ten times faster, more stable and reliable than MS.
If you think Linux is some trick operating system, consider that both
China and Russia are moving on developing their own builds of Linux to
get away from MS and the NSA. Speaking of the NSA, the US military
dropped MS as the operating system for it's unmanned equipment, drone
air craft and submarines, and switched to Linux for security and
stability. The US Postal Service has used Linux to scan and read the
addresses on letters through OCR since 1998. Linux is used on the
International Space Station. Linux is used on most mobile smart phones
as Android. Linux is used by the Federal Aviation Administration for air
traffic control because it's fast, secure and stable. Think about it,
would you want thousands of air craft and millions of people being
guided and protected by Microsoft? Linux is used on 95% of the world's
super computers for scientific research because it's faster and more
stable than MS. Linux is used on smart TVs and other entertainment
consoles because it's light-weight and can be trimmed to run efficiently
on very low resource hardware. My local public library along with many
others across the country have switched their office and client
computers to Linux recently because of the retirement of XP. The city of
Munich, Germany has switched to Linux as has many other local government
entities around the world including the French Gendarme police force.
Google, the massive internet company uses Linux on almost all of it's
development stations and on nearly half of it's office stations. The
European Stock Exchange and the New York Stock exchange use secure Linux
servers to protect our economy. I haven't used MS on any of my personal
computers since 2007. I refuse to.
Linux is lagging as a popular desktop system only because so many people
and businesses have been brainwashed by Microsoft advertising and it's
insane popularity. I say insane popularity because it really is insane!
Linux doesn't advertise, it shouldn't have to, doesn't have to. With all
the trash that MS incorporates into its software I'm at a complete loss
why MS is popular. Do some searching on the terms malware, crapware,
bloatware. Compare and see how Linux and even Mac blow MS out of the
water. Another reason that Linux is lagging in popularity is that people
are afraid of it for some reason. Let me get this right, people are
afraid of Linux yet they wrap their entire lives around Microsoft so
that MS can give all your private goodies away to the highest bidder?
Makes perfect sense to me ... not!

No Microsoft garbage used here, sent by a very satisfied Linux-Mint
<http://www.linuxmint.com/> user (a former disgruntled Microsoft user).
You could check out Vinux, Linux for the visually impaired
<http://wiki.vinuxproject.org/>, and on FaceBook.
<https://www.facebook.com/groups/vinux>
This email and any attachments are not virus scanned either, that's up
to you poor Microsoft users to deal with.
Got Windows problems? Who doesn't? Don't toss your cookies, toss your
operating system.
I prefer to be a wild and wacky Linux Penguin than a docile,
domesticated, Microsoft sheep getting fleeced.