Identity Patrol Settings
The settings control panel for Identity Patrol allows you to access the various controls for the program such as loading at start up. When you click the SETTINGS button, you will be taken to a screen like the one below in the screen shot.
The first section on the settings control panel is where you can set the basic configuration for the program. By default, their will be some of the boxes checked as shown in the below graphic.
Here are some of the options you may want to use.
If you don't want the program to start up automatically when you turn on your computer, then you will need to uncheck the RUN AT START UP box.
If you want the program to load at startup, but not be an open window, then leave the RUN AT STARTUP box checked, and also check the MINIMIZE AT START UP box.
The NEVER WARN ME AGAIN box will stop any type of alerts or warnings that the program by default will attempt to tell you, such as an attempted browser hijacking or an active threat to your computer. It's recommended that you do not select this option.
Setting Your Home Page
Identity Patrol will automatically scan for your default home settings. If you want to change your settings to another address besides your defaul, you will need to click the CHANGE RESTORE SETTINGS TO A NEW URL to set your own personal preference. ( shown in screen shot below )
If there is any attempt to change your home page settings by another program, it not only will in most cases prevent the attack, but it will ensure that the proper settings are restored.
If the screen shot above, you can see the current home page settings for the sample system.
Removing Identity Threats Section.
The second section allows you to choose a preference with what Identity Patrol should do when removing identity and privacy threats. The three options are to CLOSE INTERNET EXPLORER, to LEAVE INTERNET EXPLORER OPEN or to ASK BEFORE CLOSING. The best option here is to use the default setting of Ask Before Closing.
It is important that you close your browser when removing threats for two reasons. The first is to ensure that no part of browser application is effected by the threat removal, and the second reason is that many Rogue type programs and malware are able to reinstall themselves onto your program by hiding in an open browser. By closing all open windows down, the malware threat is made dormant and can be more effectively removed.
We do recommend using the Ask option, as this will give you the opportunity to shut down any windows you may be using rather then having them automatically shut down by the program.
Closing Options
If you elect to shut down the program using the , you have three options to choose from. You can shut down the program without any further alerts, you can minimize the program to the system tray or you can select the option to ASK EACH TIME. To ensure continual active protection from identity threats, we suggest you only minimize the program to your system tray.
View Ignored Threats
After Identity Patrol has performed a complete scan of your computer for privacy threats, it gives you the option of which signature files you want to remove. In some cases, this may mean files that have been designated as a threat to your privacy, but are required for various applications to run. For example, many music downloading programs contain what is considered to be spyware, and can be viewed as a threat to your privacy - but if you want to use the program they provide you for free, you need to have those files on your computer. This would mean that when you received your results from a full system scan, you would not highlight those files to be removed.
Subsequently, this list will show you what files you did not delete during the scan results that Identity Patrol performed, and will ignore in all future scans.
Using the Restore Feature.
Identity Patrol will allow you to restore your computer to the settings and file structure that were in place before a threat removal cleaning took place. This can be useful in the case of a file being deleted that was determined to be spyware or a threat to your privacy, but has then caused a program to stop functioning such as Limewire ( a popular music downloading program ) Using this button, you can restore your computer to the way it was before the file was deleted.
