Install Firefox, Thunderbird, Kazaalite, Trillian and teach them to use those instead of their old spyware-loading programs.
Make sure you add stuff like the adblock plugin to firefox, make sure popup blocking is enabled, and set some general filters like */ads/*, */banners/*, *.doubleclick.net/*, etc.
Set a policy that you wont help them if they dont use the alternative programs and run Ad-Aware ~once/week.
If all else fails, set them up with linux. In most cases, parents dont want to do anything other than check their email, browse the web, and use basic office apps. Don't give them too many features they arent used to or havent used (possibly through gator-style apps) on windows. I have had my dad running on RedHat 9 and (more recently) Mandrake 9.2 since he finally upgraded from his Celeron 366/Win98 box.
BTW, is it just me, or does the "dangerous software" link in the original read like gator paid them to soften their criticism?
Most of these tests don't count the endless flood of tracking cookies, as those seem to work across browsers (the mere use of mozilla blocks most malware, but not these). Whenever I upgrade someone's system, I always scan for spyware and remove stuff like those weatherbug, gator, etc. programs that clueless people install. When I run Ad-Aware, I generally find a few nasty apps and a few hundred tracking cookies. These definately should be looked for by tests, as nearly every system has some on it.
Using mozilla firefox with the adblock plugin, I have been almost completely spyware-free. If you use wildcards properly (like *.doubleclick.net/*) you can block all ads, cookies and scripts from adservers or directories. Once you have a sizeable list, you won't get anymore nasties invading your system, and pages will load much faster.
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And somehow he is dragging a dialysis machine with him...
Make sure you add stuff like the adblock plugin to firefox, make sure popup blocking is enabled, and set some general filters like */ads/*, */banners/*, *.doubleclick.net/*, etc.
Set a policy that you wont help them if they dont use the alternative programs and run Ad-Aware ~once/week.
If all else fails, set them up with linux. In most cases, parents dont want to do anything other than check their email, browse the web, and use basic office apps. Don't give them too many features they arent used to or havent used (possibly through gator-style apps) on windows. I have had my dad running on RedHat 9 and (more recently) Mandrake 9.2 since he finally upgraded from his Celeron 366/Win98 box.
BTW, is it just me, or does the "dangerous software" link in the original read like gator paid them to soften their criticism?
Using mozilla firefox with the adblock plugin, I have been almost completely spyware-free. If you use wildcards properly (like *.doubleclick.net/*) you can block all ads, cookies and scripts from adservers or directories. Once you have a sizeable list, you won't get anymore nasties invading your system, and pages will load much faster.
If you already have 2k3 its only $30 after the rebate.