1. How does eTrust PestScan work?
eTrust
PestScan is a free online tool that scans your PC files for spyware and
other types of software you may not want on your PC and may not know is
there. It will generally take less than two minutes to download the
necessary scanning components, and run the scan. eTrust PestScan shows
you what spyware is on your system. It will not remove or modify any
files. Use eTrust™ PestPatrol® Anti-Spyware (eTrust PestPatrol) to remove unwanted spyware and prevent any further infection.
2. Is eTrust PestScan safe to use?
Running eTrust
PestScan will not damage your PC, nor will it alter or remove any
files. It was designed to simply and safely check your PC for unwanted
software, and report the results to you. Our fully licensed product, eTrust PestPatrol, can safely and automatically remove what eTrust PestScan has found – and protect you against any further invasions.
3. Is eTrust PestScan for corporate users or home users?
eTrust
PestScan can be run on any stand-alone PC to determine if it is
infected. To remove pests, CA offers both consumer and corporate
versions of eTrust PestPatrol. If you are interested in a trial version of the Corporate Edition, click here.
4. What are the system requirements to download eTrust PestScan?
Operating system requirements: Windows 98, ME, NT 4 or late, 2000, or XP
Browser requirements: Internet Explorer 5 or later.
5. How do I download eTrust PestScan?
When you download eTrust PestScan, you will see one or two Microsoft "Security Warning" windows or messages. These let you know that eTrust PestScan is a "signed" or "certified" ActiveX application that you can trust. Just click "Run” or “Open” to download the eTrust PestScan components needed to run the scanner. eTrust
PestScan may take a few minutes to download. Time varies depending upon
your connection speed. It will be much quicker on future visits.
6. Why is eTrust PestScan only available to Internet Explorer users?
eTrust
PestScan is a fast, lightweight and self-updating online scanner. It
uses Microsoft Internet Explorer to download ActiveX controls to your
PC to perform the scan. Currently, Netscape and other browsers do not
support ActiveX controls.
7. Why do I get the message "The certificate is either expired or is not yet valid"?
Some
browsers may not have the most up to date Root Certificate Authority
(CA). To update VeriSign's root CA in the browser please go to: www.verisign.com/support/site/getCA.html. All components are registered with VeriSign and contain an appropriate certificate.
8. I clicked on the first screen to get a free scan but nothing happened. What's wrong?
Check your internet connection.
Make sure you use Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or above.
Make sure the internet security level isn't set to "high."
Make sure to click “Yes” to all Security Warning dialogs that appear. It may take eTrust
PestScan several minutes to prepare for scanning. The amount of time it
takes to prepare depends on your connection speed. The next time you
scan, there will not be such a long wait.
9. Aren't ActiveX controls dangerous and inherently unsafe?
The eTrust PestScan ActiveX controls we use are digitally signed by eTrust
PestPatrol. It will only perform any setup or installation when you
specifically permit it. If you wish, you can manually remove the
ActiveX control components after eTrust PestScan has completed its
activities.
10. Can I remove the ActiveX components from my PC when I'm done?
Yes. All of the eTrust
PestScan files are saved to C:\Windows\Downloaded Program Files\ (on
Windows XP/ME/98) or C:\WINNT\Downloaded Program Files\ (on Windows
NT/2000). In that folder, you should find files called:
CScanner Object
PPSDKActiveXScanner.MainScreen
You
can safely delete all of these files. Further information about
removing ActiveX components can be found on the Microsoft web site.
11. How do I enable ActiveX Control in Internet Explorer?
From the browser menu, click Tools > Internet Options
Click on the Security tab
Select the globe icon representing the Internet Zone
Click Custom Level
Scroll down to the ActiveX controls and plug-ins section
Under Download signed ActiveX controls select Prompt
Under Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins select Enable
Under Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting select Enable
Click
OK to close the Security Settings window (If prompted to verify that
you want to change the security settings for this zone click Yes)
Click OK to close the Internet Options window
12. My personal firewall isn’t letting me download eTrust PestScan.
Some firewalls automatically disable the download of ActiveX controls — check your firewall settings to ensure this is enabled.
13. When I get to the scan page, I can only see part of the eTrust PestScan window. What's wrong?
eTrust
PestScan is designed to work with a display size of either 800x600 or
1024x768 and a standard font display size of 96dpi. If you are using a
smaller display size or you have your font size set to something other
than 96dpi, you'll need to reset your display settings. Here's how:
Right click on your Windows desktop, then select Properties
When the Display Properties window pops up, click the Settings tab.
Make sure the Screen Area slider is set to either 800x600 or 1024x768
Click on the Advanced button.
Click on the General tab.
Make sure the Font Size dropdown box is set to normal size (96 DPI)
14. Can I run any tasks in the browser window while eTrust PestScan is scanning?
Yes, while your PC is being scanned you may run other tasks.
15. What if eTrust PestScan finds a pest?
If eTrust
PestScan finds a pest on your PC, it means that your current security
software is not fully protecting you against today’s Internet pests.
When eTrust PestScan finds a pest, it lists the name of the
pest with a [+] sign alongside it; click the [+] sign to display the
location of the pest file. Click on the pest name or location to learn
more about it.
16. How do I remove these pests?
eTrust
PestScan does not include a removal capability for pests. It scans your
PC to demonstrate how easily and unknowingly spyware can be installed.
The major challenge of spyware is that it is extremely difficult to
remove. Spyware programs can contain hundreds of bits of individual
code that are cumbersome, difficult and risky to manually remove. The
easiest way to automatically remove the pests eTrust PestScan
detected and protects you against any further invasion, is to install
an anti-spyware solution that detects and removes all pieces of
spyware, such as eTrust PestPatrol. It offers a comprehensive
solution that both detects and removes a wide range of spyware, adware,
and other non-viral malicious code to protect your confidential data
and the performance of your PC.
17. How did these pests get onto my PC?
There
are a number of ways unwanted software can get onto your computer
without your knowledge or permission. Some of the most common ways are
through browsing web sites and opening e-mails from people you don’t
know, particularly if they have attachments or embedded links. Spyware
is often bundled within the downloaded programs. In addition,
downloading and using peer-to-peer software (P2P) file sharing programs
allow users to share files with other members within a file sharing
community on the Internet. File transfers from instant messaging or
chat sessions can also install unwanted spyware.
18. How can I protect myself against pests in the future?
You can run eTrust
PestScan as often as you wish in order to see what new unwanted
software has landed on your system. For a more efficient solution, you
may want to consider purchasing a fully-licensed copy of eTrust PestPatrol for your home or home office.
19. Does eTrust PestScan detect the same things as eTrust PestPatrol?
No. eTrust PestScan only detects a subset of the full detection capability of eTrust PestPatrol. eTrust
PestScan was designed as a quick and easy means of determining if your
PC is infected with any spyware, and looks only for the most common
types of spyware in the most common locations. A full scan with eTrust PestPatrol will determine the full scope of spyware infection on your PC.
20. If I send my pest data to CA, what does CA do with the scan results?
The
scan results cannot be traced back to you and is an optional request.
The only data collected are the scan results, including the time stamp,
country, pest file names and pest name. This information is collected
and used for statistical purposes in our pest growth data bank. This
helps in our spyware research and allows CA to develop the most
innovative and comprehensive anti-spyware software. Your participation
in providing CA your pest scan results would be appreciated.
21. How do I uninstall eTrust PestScan?
You can uninstall eTrust PestScan from the "Add/Remove Programs" window located in Control Panel. Open this window, select eTrust PestScan from the list and then click on the "Change/Remove" button.
22. Why is there a difference between the number of Pests Found, and the numbers reported in the Risk Summary section?
A
single spyware 'pest' often leaves numerous traces (or 'objects') on
your PC – multiple files, registry entries, and so on. The numbers
under Risk Summary represent the total number of 'pests' found on your
PC. The number of Pests Found represents the total number of ‘objects’
that these spyware pests have placed on your PC. This is why the total
number of Pests Found will sometimes be higher than the totals under
Risk Summary.