Recently, I was talking with a friend of mine who is also the arch tech-lord for a school teeming with computers. Needless to say, his plate is a full one. If he ever rose to a position of legislative power, we would all need to secure licences in order to sit down at a machine. He would sit next to you on your test day, watching to see if you open junkmail or click on a rogue warning message that urges you to install/accept its demands to “scan” your computer. Alas, this test is fantasy. The good news is there is always a way to fix infested, festering computers. Sometimes it is as simple as downloading a program, scanning, and containing or deleting. Sometimes it can get more complicated. In some scenarios, it is best just to break out that recovery disk, save your vital files, and start all over. My latest article, “How to Get Rid of Malware”, is an overview of the different kinds of malicious software our staff has dealt with. Follow the link to learn about trojans, adware, spyware, viruses, and all their repugnant brethren, as well as how to get rid of them.