computer virus?

[cluckcluck42]

I'm good at never opening any virus links but this ONE time there was a message from this snotty girl on my MSN saying "Um, I dont know how to bring this up, but i found this picture online... is this really you?" My heart about stopped, what could it be!??! I clicked on the link and promptly got a virus. lol

These viruses are making their way onto Facebook now, my friend posted a link asking ppl to check it out and it was a virus, she had a virus that posted on her facebook, crazy!

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Quote:
Why would anyone pay to clean a PC much less that much.....

When you go buy a PC get one with a restore partition (those "E-machine thingies" almost all have them) an have a second hard-drive put in it.
Save your pictures, links an what not on the second hard-drive. When you have any PC issues you just restart the PC, hit the button to start the restore partition (An F# key) It will then ask if you want to soft restore or to format an restore. You format an restore. The walk away for about 3 hours an you will come back to a perfect PC.
No need for a virus scanner or any of that other mumbo jumbo.

On other PCs you still want ether a second hard drive or disks to save your stuff on. Never save anything important to the main hard drive of your PC EVER. Then have someone show you how to format an restore your PC. It is simple, takes only minutes of your time an cost you nothing.

Reb, I think you are forgetting that many folks have programs such as office that only allow you to reload it twice, or games that you may have paid for (and even if installed on other hard drive) that wiping your main partition still renders the game inoperable... documents can be set up on the 2nd drive, but unless they religiously backup their stuff and use the settings & transfer wizard a lot I don't see many folks who do this.

Not to mention the 3 or 4 days worth of security updates you have to do in order to be protected enough not to have to go through that nightmare all over again.... resetting up your firewalll...........

Oh yeah, dump windows, run linux and you'll be fine for years without any hassles

I have showed many people how to do this an its not hard is just a change of mindset. Dont save on your main hard disk. I have never had any issues with not being able to run programs on the second hard drive after a reinstall. I dont know anything about MS office(to many free programs that do that job). I do know that most people dont use it. An if you are running a business on the same PC that you surf the web on you are just asking for trouble. My website is on a old PC... I do not do web related stuff with it.

Updates are a bit of an issue for people on dialup but the rest of us they go on in the background an are not an issue. An PC based firewalls are a joke. They do nothing for you. At the most they tell you when you have an issue already, just like a virus scanner. If you are still on dial up then they may be worth your while but a good router does better for the rest of the world.

 

[Boyd]

Quote:
Reb, I think you are forgetting that many folks have programs such as office that only allow you to reload it twice, or games that you may have paid for (and even if installed on other hard drive) that wiping your main partition still renders the game inoperable... documents can be set up on the 2nd drive, but unless they religiously backup their stuff and use the settings & transfer wizard a lot I don't see many folks who do this.

Not to mention the 3 or 4 days worth of security updates you have to do in order to be protected enough not to have to go through that nightmare all over again.... resetting up your firewalll...........

Oh yeah, dump windows, run linux and you'll be fine for years without any hassles

I have showed many people how to do this an its not hard is just a change of mindset. Dont save on your main hard disk. I have never had any issues with not being able to run programs on the second hard drive after a reinstall. I dont know anything about MS office(to many free programs that do that job). I do know that most people dont use it. An if you are running a business on the same PC that you surf the web on you are just asking for trouble. My website is on a old PC... I do not do web related stuff with it.

Updates are a bit of an issue for people on dialup but the rest of us they go on in the background an are not an issue. An PC based firewalls are a joke. They do nothing for you. At the most they tell you when you have an issue already, just like a virus scanner. If you are still on dial up then they may be worth your while but a good router does better for the rest of the world.

router has built in firewalls, but a 3 step approach is always best for most businesses. Software, router and something like this http://www.digilinkcomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=46_52&products_id=1235

No its not hard to wipe your computer and start over, but you might as well get into the mindset of doing that or just switching to an operating system that is pretty much free of 95% of the problems and go to linux. I love it when somebody else argues in my favor without actually agreeing... because switching to linux will allow you to avoid reloading the hard drive all the time and you are all set.

 

[Illia]

Boyd, are you an IT? Because you seem so. . .

I would whole heartedly agree to switch to Linux (I'm using it) although it isn't "user friendly" to people who aren't entirely computer savvy, but otherwise it is GREAT. Better than MS, and, well, anything beats Mac. . .

But you also have to remember, there are more than just "viruses."

 

[Boyd]

Quote:
Yeah, I've worked in IT since 1994 or so. A user friendly sorta works like XP/Windows7 is Ubuntu. Latest version I'm running is 9.10 the Karmic Koala. No one in the house seems to mind including my wife who is sort of clueless about computers in general.


eta - more than just virus's

Yeah, but most of those don't affect these either. I also love how you can take a slow machine, and instead of ditching it when the newest version of windows bogs it down, you put linux on there and it's lightening fast.

 

[Illia]

Quote:
Yeah, I've worked in IT since 1994 or so. A user friendly sorta works like XP/Windows7 is Ubuntu. Latest version I'm running is 9.10 the Karmic Koala. No one in the house seems to mind including my wife who is sort of clueless about computers in general.


eta - more than just virus's

Yeah, but most of those don't affect these either. I also love how you can take a slow machine, and instead of ditching it when the newest version of windows bogs it down, you put linux on there and it's lightening fast.

Wow, that's a good duration. My mom is an IT Manager, the computer thing kinda runs. . . Partially. . . In the family. She does security and networking, I do occasional programming, a lot of webdesign and building, and a lot of 3D animation/rendering. I myself use Ubuntu. Used to have RedHat for while though.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

I have no problem with linux but it is not problem free. There are just less people spending there free time trying to come up with ways to mess it up.

Heres the thing... Are we talking about a Business computer our people at home doing email an surfing the web?
There two different animals. If you are running business then sure, use something other than windows. Yes there is a lot to relearn but it does pay off with stability. If you just surf the web, email, picture editing an online gaming then stick to windows an save the important stuff on a second hard drive an reinstall as needed.

Just like mac... They have always been great computers but no one makes much software an games for them. If you want to crunch numbers there great but if ya want to play the latest greatest MMORPG you are out of luck.

I use to run a mac, a linux an 2 PCs here. Fried the mac an one of the PCs this year.

As for PC based firewalls, still say they are worthless. Its like putting up a wall with a door in it an asking a blind, deaf an dumb person to guard the door. Not worth it to me.

 

[Boyd]

Quote:
Yeah, I've worked in IT since 1994 or so. A user friendly sorta works like XP/Windows7 is Ubuntu. Latest version I'm running is 9.10 the Karmic Koala. No one in the house seems to mind including my wife who is sort of clueless about computers in general.


eta - more than just virus's

Yeah, but most of those don't affect these either. I also love how you can take a slow machine, and instead of ditching it when the newest version of windows bogs it down, you put linux on there and it's lightening fast.

Wow, that's a good duration. My mom is an IT Manager, the computer thing kinda runs. . . Partially. . . In the family. She does security and networking, I do occasional programming, a lot of webdesign and building, and a lot of 3D animation/rendering. I myself use Ubuntu. Used to have RedHat for while though.

You do everything I dont by the looks of it

The only programming I do is writing perl for attack programs, c+ for virus testing but 3d animation and rendering

I can barely use basic anymore. I used to know a lot more. I used to have to know fortran, cobol, basic, c+(+) perl, java etc. Truth of the matter is, I suck at it. I'm better off trouble shooting the problems and getting in.

The new flash stuff on websites

My little brother works for a big ole search engine tho

He does all the fancy stuff I forgot or never learned properly. Baby brothers are good for that.

 

[Illia]

Yeah, my mom is the same. She mainly does stuff with people though. . . Helping them update their computers

set up and fix networks, ISP issues, virus problems, etc. The neat thing to watch though is all the control and management over the Police Department, Grocery Store, and Musuem computers, networking, and electronics. She works for a tribe, so she kinda takes care of everyone's computer-related stuff in the whole northwest corner of the WA peninsula.

Honestly I don't know too much about what you guys do. I mean, more than the average person - But not as much as you guys.

She knows I'm interested in hacking and working with databases, but I have yet to set aside time for it.

Oh, and my mom and I both have a hilarious solution to Javascript - Copy and paste scripts.

I can work around what is already there, but can't just type off from my memory like I can other scripts and languages.

Flash is AWESOME to work with. . . But since I don't have the ever so expensive program, I only work with it on other people's computers who DO have it.

 

[Dar]

Quote:
Why would anyone pay to clean a PC much less that much.....

When you go buy a PC get one with a restore partition (those "E-machine thingies" almost all have them) an have a second hard-drive put in it.
Save your pictures, links an what not on the second hard-drive. When you have any PC issues you just restart the PC, hit the button to start the restore partition (An F# key) It will then ask if you want to soft restore or to format an restore. You format an restore. The walk away for about 3 hours an you will come back to a perfect PC.
No need for a virus scanner or any of that other mumbo jumbo.

On other PCs you still want ether a second hard drive or disks to save your stuff on. Never save anything important to the main hard drive of your PC EVER. Then have someone show you how to format an restore your PC. It is simple, takes only minutes of your time an cost you nothing.

WOW

this is what I got from all of that

sapdkfjpamfkw sakffpoeifjvpsm f lkfnvposjfkw rf salkfgnpaoijgf lekngpiewbf ect.. well you get the point...

I find it easier to be a safe and dont open things that dont look right

(and the fact that DH is a techno weenie helps, but under no circumstances is he allowed to touch my lap top or heads will roll. he maintains the other stuff)