# That damn cpu virus!



## JCM

I got that conjerky virus every body is talking about. If you have it or you are worried about having it go here to scan/remove: http://www.symantec.com/business/security_response/writeup.jsp?docid=2009-011316-0247-99


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## JCM

AHHH now it dosen't burn when I pee pee.


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## ProWallGuy

What was her name/number? I mean, how did you get it?


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## graybear13

Would somebody please tell me just what those people get out creating viruses and such ? For the life of me , I can not wrap my head around the concept of screwing up other folk's stuff, just for fun . Are these the same one's that open fire at a school house ?


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## JCM

ProWallGuy said:


> What was her name/number? I mean, how did you get it?


My wife went to lyrics.com and started yelling for me because it was trying to load win2000 for some reason. It would not boot into safe mode and would shut the cpu down when trying to run recovery console and would not display sites like trendmicro. This bastard is nasty.


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## JCM

graybear13 said:


> Would somebody please tell me just what those people get out creating viruses and such ? For the life of me , I can not wrap my head around the concept of screwing up other folk's stuff, just for fun . Are these the same one's that open fire at a school house ?


Most of the time it's for profit of sorts. Implant a worm and get a new id. make a virus that only x brand removal tool can remove for the low low price of $19.95


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## WisePainter

graybear13 said:


> Would somebody please tell me just what those people get out creating viruses and such ? For the life of me , I can not wrap my head around the concept of screwing up other folk's stuff, just for fun . Are these the same one's that open fire at a school house ?


Some men just want to see the world burn...


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## WisePainter

JCM said:


> I got that conjerky virus every body is talking about. If you have it or you are worried about having it go here to scan/remove: http://www.symantec.com/business/security_response/writeup.jsp?docid=2009-011316-0247-99



**** will do it every time.


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## painttofish

graybear13 said:


> Would somebody please tell me just what those people get out creating viruses and such ? For the life of me , I can not wrap my head around the concept of screwing up other folk's stuff, just for fun . Are these the same one's that open fire at a school house ?



It must be like what arson's experience. pleasure in watching destruction for destruction sake. Psycho's


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## 1977corey

painttofish said:


> It must be like what arson's experience. pleasure in watching destruction for destruction sake. Psycho's


AVG is the best protection for a computer.
The best way to get rid of a virus is to have an external harddrive and transfer files from your infected pc to the external HD, then, reformat your main harddrive and install a FRESH copy of windows, then transfer your files from external HD.(hopefully files you tried to salvage doesnt contain the virus)


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## WisePainter

1977corey said:


> AVG is the best protection for a computer.


I have used it for over a year now (the free version) and it has been an invaluable piece of protection for my PC.
* Extremely user friendly* and is #1 every week at cnet


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## MAK-Deco

WisePainter said:


> I have used it for over a year now (the free version) and it has been an invaluable piece of protection for my PC.
> * Extremely user friendly* and is #1 every week at cnet


yeah I have the AVG free version on my kids computers, its doesn't seem to be a memory hog like some other Anti Virus stuff


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## Cascade Painting

1977corey said:


> AVG is the best protection for a computer.
> The best way to get rid of a virus is to have an external harddrive and transfer files from your infected pc to the external HD, then, reformat your main harddrive and install a FRESH copy of windows, then transfer your files from external HD.(hopefully files you tried to salvage doesnt contain the virus)


I hate to say it, but if you use an Apple computer you don't need anti-virus protection. Viruses do not affect the Unix-based operating system.


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## daArch

Cascade Painting said:


> I hate to say it, but if you use an Apple computer you don't need anti-virus protection. Viruses do not affect the Unix-based operating system.


don't worry, soon enough there will be enough Mac users to amke it "worth their while" Hate to say it, you are living on borrowed time. It's not that viruses CAN"T be written to infect Apple, it's just not as impactful ..... at the moment. remember, these people are SICK !



MAK-Deco said:


> yeah I have the AVG free version on my kids computers, its doesn't seem to be a memory hog like some other Anti Virus stuff


Au Contraire mon ami. It sucks the life outa mine - AMD 64x2, 2.61 GHz, 2 gig RAM, w/ XP



1977corey said:


> AVG is the best protection for a computer.
> The best way to get rid of a virus is to have an external harddrive and transfer files from your infected pc to the external HD, then, reformat your main harddrive and install a FRESH copy of windows, then transfer your files from external HD.(hopefully files you tried to salvage doesnt contain the virus)


AVG let a minor little trojan in about a month ago. Avira Antivir (free ver) purged it and seems to be protecting very well. I used AVG for about five years and had no problems. But I think there is a new sheriff in town


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## Last Craftsman

Cascade Painting said:


> I hate to say it, but if you use an Apple computer you don't need anti-virus protection. Viruses do not affect the Unix-based operating system.


:lol:

That is such an antiquated pipe dream. You're probably infected right now.


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## Cascade Painting

Last Craftsman said:


> :lol:
> 
> That is such an antiquated pipe dream. You're probably infected right now.


Show me one documented case of a *real* virus on an Apple.


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## [email protected]

Cascade Painting said:


> I hate to say it, but if you use an Apple computer you don't need anti-virus protection. Viruses do not affect the Unix-based operating system.


Not only that, their much more stable than PC's.

A Macbook is on my list... Just got an Imac for the wife about 4 mo ago... :thumbsup:


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## Cascade Painting

[email protected] said:


> Not only that, their much more stable than PC's.
> 
> A Macbook is on my list... Just got an Imac for the wife about 4 mo ago... :thumbsup:


And if you notice, they don't get slower over time like PC's do.


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## TooledUp

Cascade Painting said:


> Show me one documented case of a *real* virus on an Apple.



A few actually

Unix is also vulnerable

A lot of *nix and mac users become complacent because they think there aren't any visures that can affect them. They aren't as common as Windows viruses but they are around. There's a heap of reasons for there being more viruses around for Windows than other OS's but the main reason is that the authors of these obviously want to get the largest amount of damage they can. If mac OS or Linux was the most popular OS then you can bet your life that there's be more viruses around for them.


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## MAK-Deco

daArch said:


> Au Contraire mon ami. It sucks the life outa mine - AMD 64x2, 2.61 GHz, 2 gig RAM, w/ XP


Still better the Norton...


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## deach

On the one windows laptop I still have I went to avast. I thought AVG was just awful honestly. Also check out advanced system care. 

About Macs, sure both virus's and security problems are out there. We're just such a small minority of users but, as that changes so will the attacks.

About nix, Yep we're vulnerable too but again, as that changes so will the attacks. The most important thing on any OS is stay up to date, check frequently, purge bad stuff.


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## 1977corey

Cascade Painting said:


> I hate to say it, but if you use an Apple computer you don't need anti-virus protection. Viruses do not affect the Unix-based operating system.


Macintosh is not immune to getting viruses, it just isnt as common as windows, where did you get your information from?


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## TooledUp

MAK-Deco said:


> Still better the Norton...


*Yikes!*

Norton is bloatware. It takes up too many system resources and to top it all you've got to pay annual subscriptions for your updates and the privelage of having your system slowed down. At one time, Norton were the 'daddy' of the anti virus software but there's heaps of better options available nowdays. 


If you really want a good security setup then do some research (google is your friend) and look at what others say from their experiences. I've used AVG for years now without any problems. Each one of the AV's have their own weak points and none will give you 100% safety. 

I also used to use the free version of Zone Alarm firewall up until the last year or so. It's an excellent bit of kit for protection. I use the Windows firewall nowdays as it's actually a lot better now than when they first incorporated a firewall into Windows.

You can get a complete, and every bit as good as the 'pay for', internet security suite for your machine for free (with no annual subscription for definition updates) if you look around. AV/Firewall/Anti-Malware/Anti-Spyware programs etc. Just ask some advice if you're not sure before you download and install something. There's also a lot of spyware/malware programs that actually infect your machines and then tell you that you need to pay to get the bl00dy malware off.


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## Cascade Painting

1977corey said:


> Macintosh is not immune to getting viruses, it just isnt as common as windows, where did you get your information from?



Well the proof is in the pudding; show me one *real* virus that has affected Apple's OS.


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## TooledUp

Cascade Painting said:


> Well the proof is in the pudding; show me one *real* virus that has affected Apple's OS.


How many do you need?


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## Cascade Painting

TooledUp said:


> A few actually


That was only one, not a few. And, it was not a real virus, it was a trojan horse. There is a difference. Viruses attach themselves to executable files and spread, it's not a worm because it does not automatically spread from computer to computer, etc. Again, there has been no known virus to infect Apple user and even if you can dig up an obscure trojan horse here or there, compare that to the thousands of viruses, worms, trojans that infect Windows based computers.


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## Cascade Painting

TooledUp said:


> How many do you need?


A real virus. Malware, worms, trojans, etc. are not viruses (and the couple of examples that you cited don't require anti-virus software to spot) . You have to go to great lengths to even get the malware (not virus) to get loose on your Mac: You have to download illegal software, then you have to decompress the file, then you have to put in your admin password, etc. Compare that to Windows and how easily they are infected not only by malware but viruses as well. Don't run anti-virus on a Windows computer and you can get infected simply by going to certain websites. You simply won't find a real virus on a Mac.


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## TooledUp

Cascade Painting said:


> A real virus. Malware, worms, trojans, etc. are not viruses (and the couple of examples that you cited don't require anti-virus software to spot) . You have to go to great lengths to even get the malware (not virus) to get loose on your Mac: You have to download illegal software, then you have to decompress the file, then you have to put in your admin password, etc. Compare that to Windows and how easily they are infected not only by malware but viruses as well. Don't run anti-virus on a Windows computer and you can get infected simply by going to certain websites. You simply won't find a real virus on a Mac.


*WTF?*
*Computer virus*


_Malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware, and other malicious and unwanted software), including true viruses._

The "virus free mac" has gone. Malware *IS* a virus 

People read posts like yours and think they are immune. They're not. 

Now, could you show us a reliable source that says none of the above are *real* viruses?


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## WisePainter

Firefox has a large compliment of add ons that prevent nasty advertising bugs that sneak onto websites.


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## TooledUp

WisePainter said:


> Firefox has a large compliment of add ons that prevent nasty advertising bugs that sneak onto websites.


Yup, Firefox is one of the lesser vulnerable browsers. On that note, AVG now comes with an integrated link scanner that warns you against web sites that try to inject malicious code or software onto your machine.


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## deach

Hey I love my apples too, but to think that their immune to security exploits well that's just silly. If you keep on the mac forums there's all sorts of things that you need to watch out for. There are worse things than a virus out there also. I gave up windows long ago but to just run a mac and ASSume you're safe, is both naive and wrong. If you have an apple desktop and leave it on 24/7 you're a little better off at about 2 am there's a daily, weekly and monthly cron job that happens. If you're running a laptop better find out about it. 

Like I said I love my macs and will defend them to the hilt, but to me to assume any computer is 100 percent secure????? well you figure it out.

I just don't want anyone with a mac to think they don't need to keep up with updates......if you don't you may find yourself in trouble.


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## Cascade Painting

TooledUp said:


> *WTF?*
> *Computer virus*
> 
> 
> _Malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware, and other malicious and unwanted software), including true viruses._
> 
> The "virus free mac" has gone. Malware *IS* a virus
> 
> People read posts like yours and think they are immune. They're not.
> 
> Now, could you show us a reliable source that says none of the above are *real* viruses?


Yes, I can give you reliable sources from Symantec, AVG, et al that are reliable and support what I am saying 100%. But rather than do that I am wondering if you read your own sources on the matter. Here is what the the source that you cited says (and the context of the part you quoted):
A *computer virus* is a computer program *that can copy itself and infect a computer *without the permission or knowledge of the owner. *The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, adware, and spyware* programs that do not have the reproductive ability. A true virus can only spread from one computer to another (in some form of executable code) when its host is taken to the target computer; for instance because a user sent it over a network or the Internet, or carried it on a removable medium such as a floppy disk, CD, DVD, or USB drive. Viruses can increase their chances of spreading to other computers by infecting files on a network file system or a file system that is accessed by another computer.[1][2]


The term "computer virus" is sometimes used as a catch-all phrase to include all types of malware. Malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware, and other malicious and unwanted software), including true viruses.* Viruses are sometimes confused with computer worms and Trojan horses, which are technically different.* A worm can exploit security vulnerabilities to spread itself to other computers without needing to be transferred as part of a host, and a Trojan horse is a program that appears harmless but has a hidden agenda. Worms and Trojans, like viruses, may cause harm to either a computer system's hosted data, functional performance, or networking throughput, when they are executed. Some viruses and other malware have symptoms noticeable to the computer user, but many are surreptitious.

​If you will note the bold parts, you will see that my statements have all been 100% correct: There have been NO *real* viruses that have exploited the Apple OS. There has been certain types of malware such as worms, torjans and the like, but NOT viruses. If you look at all the malware that has affected Apple's OS you will find that NONE of them fits the definition of a virus (unless one erroneously takes a virus to be a catch-all term for any type of malware.). 


The fact is, Apple user don't need anti-virus software; that's why most users do not use it. Apple users should be smart and keep their Apples updated and not install illegal software, but that's about it. All you have been able to show here is that there have been four or five relatively harmless worms and trojans that have exploited some program or feature in a Apple. Even at that, the user had to go to great lengths to get the malware going. Compare that with Windows in which there are literally thousands of viruses, worms, trojans, etc. Apples are safe whether you admit it or not.


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## WisePainter

Painters by day, l337 geeks by night eh?


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## Cascade Painting

WisePainter said:


> Painters by day, l337 geeks by night eh?


Hey, I run em all: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD.


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## WisePainter

Cascade Painting said:


> Hey, I run em all: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD.


If this keeps up new members are going to wonder where they signed up at.

:thumbup:


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## deach

WisePainter said:


> Painters by day, l337 geeks by night eh?


You'd be surprised!!!:whistling2:

@ cascade. I don't think anyone within their right mind would dispute that the person on the mac/linux box has less to worry about than the windows user. Simply pointing out there's not been a virus well that's great and all but a security exploit is a security exploit. Yes we're (apple and nix users) safer than the windows users simply because right not if you're gonna take the time to do bad stuff, who ya gonna attack??? The majority of course. I love windows users. I want everyone to be one. Why?? that way they'll keep going after them and not me. (well and you). What you've said to date is correct. Keep it updated, stay away from a bunch of hacked up software. I do have clam av on mine why? Just because I don't worry about getting one it's very easy to pass one on. Any email you get can contain a virus that you may pass on. (yes an apple or nix box will pass it right along)... While it may not affect our machines, it could be sent on to others. A little protection goes a long way. Do I need to do that????? NOPE I'm not worried about my machine, don't care, bring it on. I would however like to protect people I send emails along to that are running windows for various reasons. (MONEY comes to miind). Apple hardware is expensive. I know it is or I'd have more and not run nix on my desktop. Perhaps some day the entire fleet will be apple (happy day)....anyway I think this is a moot point pretty much. For the record I maintiain a windows box or two here and there and I have two out there that have had ZERO virus attacks in three years now. (win 2k, auto scanning of malware and virus ware weekly). I suspect it's almost time for a reinstall but honestly they're holding up pretty well. 

Bottom line, be safe, use common sense, Keep your machine no matter which OS updated. Get malware scanners and virus software for your windows boxes, (and use them) and you'll probably be ok.


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## WisePainter

NoScript
AVG free
AdBlock Plus

those are the only 3 I have and they were all free. Every point of entry is blocked by one or all of those.


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## deach

WisePainter said:


> If this keeps up new members are going to wonder where they signed up at.
> 
> :thumbup:


I got confused thought I was on the sidux forums LOLOL OOPS:yes:


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## daArch

MAK-Deco said:


> Still better the Norton...


MAK,

I hope you meant "Still better *than* Norton"

If so, I 100% agree. 

Also, Norton allowed MyDoom onto my computer in 2004. That cute little virus changed all file names and made them "hidden" of the NGPP Newsletter I had just finished editting and laying-out. Deadline was THEN. That's like 20 - 30 hours of work GONE ! I stayed up all night and found a free proggy on the internet that recovered 90% of the files. 

I said ta ta to Symantec then.


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## TooledUp

Cascade Painting said:


> If you will note the bold parts, you will see that my statements have all been 100% correct: There have been NO *real* viruses that have exploited the Apple OS.


Apparently not 100%, according to Sophos
 



> Apples are safe whether you admit it or not.


Then I wonder why mac users get infected? If a user is going to download a dodgy program then I don't see why they aren't going to put in their admin password to let it run. You can't say an apple is safe. There's a lot of safe things that we use every day but they're only safe to the experienced user.

You are obviously a savvy user and know how to keep yourself safe but going around making public statements that a mac is safe is just irresponsible. I'm not going to get into a pissing match over this but I do think that you should choose your public words carefuly, even if it is just for the sake of the 'not so savvy' users.


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## daArch

*chill a little*

first, 

wise caused me great laughter:


> If this keeps up new members are going to wonder where they signed up at.


second,

I think there is potential to getting a little riled up.

cascade: I'm a windose user, I'm not going to defend that - how could I :thumbup: 

My bro is a LUGnut (linux user group) and a teacher of linux systems.

I have lots of fun with pointless arguments with my mac fiends (or as I like to call them, i-Fights with i-Friends) 

I will not disrespect anyone for choosing any OS (only those who still use AOL :whistling2, I have very much respect for those who can get into the OS and tweak the system.

That said, please take note what is being said about vulnerability of any system. It's in your best interest to be aware. 

TooledUp: I know you too well on too many forums. Some of your posts here are out of character in their tone.

If my perceptions about this thread getting a little heated are wrong, I apologise. But better you get mad at me for issuing a yellow card than for this thread to degenerate. there's too much useful info here for that to happen.


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## 1977corey

Cascade Painting said:


> That was only one, not a few. And, it was not a real virus, it was a trojan horse. There is a difference. Viruses attach themselves to executable files and spread, it's not a worm because it does not automatically spread from computer to computer, etc. Again, there has been no known virus to infect Apple user and even if you can dig up an obscure trojan horse here or there, compare that to the thousands of viruses, worms, trojans that infect Windows based computers.


(EDITTED BY MODERATER - consider that a first warning)


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## WisePainter

1977corey said:


> _(sorry, couldn't let the quote continue-Bill)_


_*spicy!*_


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## TooledUp

daArch said:


> TooledUp: I know you too well on too many forums. Some of your posts here are out of character in their tone.


It's the wrong time of month for me mate :whistling2:

See my last post - I get annoyed at false/misleading public statements that can give a false sense fo security to novices. AV is somewhat close to me heart - I've spent much of the past ten years burning the midnight oil and weekends on people's machines that have been infected and some have ended up losing heaps of irreplaceable items such as photographs/work/personal documents. I've seen more than my fair share of distress that those nasties can cause. Often I'd (and still do on occasion) this type of work for no reward because the owner or their family are in such a state over what they've lost.

Thankfully, newer machines almost always come with some protection and the general public are more aware of the risks than they were even a couple of years ago, so, from my own experience anyway, viruses are having a declining impact. That's not to say we need to feel safe. The authors are evolving new methods such as web exploits, social engineering etc.; all the time. One of these days there's going to be the next 'malissa' and it might just end up being written by a very clever 'mac' hater.

Anyways - Sorry if anyone thought I was trying to add flames to a fire. I was just letting off a bit of steam on something that it the pressure guage :thumbsup:

Keep on modding Bill :thumbup:


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## TooledUp

1977corey said:


> _(sorry, couldn't let the quote continue-Bill)_


Hey you just reminded me of a joke. 

_Off to the official joke thread_...


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## WisePainter

TooledUp said:


> Hey you just reminded me of a joke.
> 
> _Off to the official joke thread_...


ah, the built in decompression thread!


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## WisePainter

daArch said:


> there's too much useful info here for that to happen.



Yes, but will it paint 15 rooms 15 minutes?


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## MAK-Deco

daArch said:


> MAK,
> 
> I hope you meant "Still better *than* Norton"
> 
> If so, I 100% agree.



yes that is what I meant, if I go back and edit it it doesn't edit in the quotes. I use Panda which is all right, I still like AVG and may switch back to it for my machine


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## daArch

TooledUp said:


> It's the wrong time of month for me mate :whistling2:
> 
> See my last post - I get annoyed at false/misleading public statements that can give a false sense fo security to novices. AV is somewhat close to me heart - I've spent much of the past ten years burning the midnight oil and weekends on people's machines that have been infected and some have ended up losing heaps of irreplaceable items such as photographs/work/personal documents. I've seen more than my fair share of distress that those nasties can cause. Often I'd (and still do on occasion) this type of work for no reward because the owner or their family are in such a state over what they've lost.
> 
> Thankfully, newer machines almost always come with some protection and the general public are more aware of the risks than they were even a couple of years ago, so, from my own experience anyway, viruses are having a declining impact. That's not to say we need to feel safe. The authors are evolving new methods such as web exploits, social engineering etc.; all the time. One of these days there's going to be the next 'malissa' and it might just end up being written by a very clever 'mac' hater.
> 
> Anyways - Sorry if anyone thought I was trying to add flames to a fire. I was just letting off a bit of steam on something that it the pressure guage :thumbsup:
> 
> Keep on modding Bill :thumbup:


I can dig your passion Pete. And thanks for understanding my yellow card. Your knowledge is a valuable asset here

-Bill


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## Cascade Painting

Well I am not going to get into a spat on a message board over whether or not Apple's operating system is safe or not. I'll just finalize and say this:

1) Several people have made erroneous statements. That's pretty frustrating when people act like they know one thing and then make false statements (I know more about computers than I do painting. I own a painting company and have a good rep for painting so that says a lot and I am not trying to brag since there are undoubtedly better painters and computer geeks than me).

2) Everything I have said is true and I'll stand behind it 100%. There have been zero viruses that have infected Apple's OS. That's pretty good and the four or five worms or trojans pales in comparison to the thousands of Windows offerings. Most Apple users never experience the few malware out there so Apples ARE safe. 

3) It is not at all irresponsible to say that Apples are safe -- they are safe and safety is one of the things they are well known for. You simply do not need anti-virus software on an Apple at this point and time, whether you are a new computer user or not. You should keep your Apple updated, you should be careful about what you open and what websites you visit and so on, but you don't need anti-virus software for Apples (that is one reason why there is a very small market for Apple anti-virus compared to that of Windows).

4) Anyone downloading illegal software deserves to get malware since they are stealing from other people who make their living writing computer software. 

That's all I have to say. I see someone was moderated in response to me and that's too bad. There is no need to get upset over differing opinions on a message board.


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## ProWallGuy

Who cares. Stay off **** sites and don't open unknown attachments and you will be fine. Case closed.


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## NEPS.US

ProWallGuy said:


> Stay off **** sites.


 NO


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## 1977corey

Cascade Painting said:


> Well I am not going to get into a spat on a message board over whether or not Apple's operating system is safe or not. I'll just finalize and say this:
> 
> 1) Several people have made erroneous statements. That's pretty frustrating when people act like they know one thing and then make false statements (I know more about computers than I do painting. I own a painting company and have a good rep for painting so that says a lot and I am not trying to brag since there are undoubtedly better painters and computer geeks than me).
> 
> 2) Everything I have said is true and I'll stand behind it 100%. There have been zero viruses that have infected Apple's OS. That's pretty good and the four or five worms or trojans pales in comparison to the thousands of Windows offerings. Most Apple users never experience the few malware out there so Apples ARE safe.
> 
> 3) It is not at all irresponsible to say that Apples are safe -- they are safe and safety is one of the things they are well known for. You simply do not need anti-virus software on an Apple at this point and time, whether you are a new computer user or not. You should keep your Apple updated, you should be careful about what you open and what websites you visit and so on, but you don't need anti-virus software for Apples (that is one reason why there is a very small market for Apple anti-virus compared to that of Windows).
> 
> 4) Anyone downloading illegal software deserves to get malware since they are stealing from other people who make their living writing computer software.
> 
> That's all I have to say. I see someone was moderated in response to me and that's too bad. There is no need to get upset over differing opinions on a message board.


, and above else..., so go and, and if you want to continue this pathetic debate, send me a private message


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## daArch

1977corey said:


> , and above else..., so go and, and if you want to continue this pathetic debate, send me a private message


corey,

can I offer that sometimes it's best to leave a sleeping dog lie. I'm not sure of the advisability of taking another couple of pot shots at this subject. Good respectful discussions are always welcome, but I don't get the feeling your post is headed down that path. I could be wrong, but I have seen kindler gentler posts go awry. 

just thoughts

-Bill

OH, btw, take that as another warning


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## 1977corey

daArch said:


> corey,
> 
> can I offer that sometimes it's best to leave a sleeping dog lie. I'm not sure of the advisability of taking another couple of pot shots at this subject. Good respectful discussions are always welcome, but I don't get the feeling your post is headed down that path. I could be wrong, but I have seen kindler gentler posts go awry.
> 
> just thoughts
> 
> -Bill
> 
> OH, btw, take that as another warning


i get it Bill.......your an Apple lover


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## nEighter

wow guess I missed alot. I usually stay away from anything with "virus" in it. Coldsores too


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## daArch

1977corey said:


> i get it Bill.......your an Apple lover



You're a FUNNY one. No, I'm hooked on PC. AND I enjoy the discussion and do not agree that Apples are and will forever be immune to viruses, but the discussion CAN NOT get confrontational. I get paid the big bucks to make sure we remain respectful of each other. Disagreements are good, they are educational. Flame wars are not.


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## nEighter

Apple users.. are the graphics programs honestly that much better than PC?

Funny how the two companies came from the same origins


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## TooledUp

nEighter said:


> Apple users.. are the graphics programs honestly that much better than PC?
> 
> Funny how the two companies came from the same origins


They used to be better for graphics but PC's can keep up with macs on that score nowdays. That's why publishers and printers used them. Most still do but out of tradition rather than need.

Ironicly, Microsoft own a substantial amount of shares in Apple...


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## nEighter

:thumbsup: tooled!


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## deach

Yes back in the days of the PPC (power P C chip) and old x86 *usually windows* boxes there was a difference. Now pretty much dual core is dual core. I haven't run windows in year and don't miss it but have occasionally had to get on a windows box and running wise they're fine.


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## 1977corey

daArch said:


> You're a FUNNY one. No, I'm hooked on PC. AND I enjoy the discussion and do not agree that Apples are and will forever be immune to viruses, but the discussion CAN NOT get confrontational. I get paid the big bucks to make sure we remain respectful of each other. Disagreements are good, they are educational. Flame wars are not.


I agree with you and perhaps things went a bit highschool.
Iphones suck too by the way, internal battery......cant switch batteries....can't take battery out. Moderating/hacking and personalizing the damn thing is next to impossible too. Windows Mobile is far superior to APPLE, and BLACKBERRY.:whistling2:


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## deach

http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/140226

For what it's worth. 

I haven't run windoze in years. I run either one of the two apples I have (both older cause can't see the money for newer ones) and on my main unit I run sidux. (liunx) I use the linux box for day to day tasks and the apple for various photo/movie tasks. (just so you know my history LOL).....

Bottom line period on ANY OS keep it up to date, perform routine maintence, and watch what you open as far as attachments go. I'll not dispute for one millisecond that most "bad stuff" is targeted at windows, after all if you were going to mess with things you'd go for the majority too.




> I agree with you and perhaps things went a bit highschool.
> Iphones suck too by the way, internal battery......cant switch batteries....can't take battery out. Moderating/hacking and personalizing the damn thing is next to impossible too. Windows Mobile is far superior to APPLE, and BLACKBERRY.:whistling2:


I too think the iPhone is out of it for me at least for now. I've had Palms since day one, gave my last two windoze phones away (one an audiovox 6600) cause I couldn't get them to do what I needed them to. 
My daughter has a BB and honestly if it did documents to go, and my phone as modem better I'd probably go to that except, no touch screen right now on the one I'm interested in. Personally I'm waiting for the Palm Pre (no not pro that's windoze) to come out...


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## daArch

Thanks Corey for understanding.

I'm not a big fan of the latest hand help gadgets in the first place, so iPhones are not even on my horizon. But the iProducts are not the only mobile devices with sucky batteries. All Li-Ion batteries have to be FRESH to perform best. Even sitting on the shelf, they loose their capacity. So a one year old, though never used, Li-Ion will perform POORLY.

I agree with you about iStuff. their batteries are "proprietary" and not easily replaced. Do a googel for battery replacement of you favorite iToy and you will see all the hacks people have discovered for replacing the batteries.

And now my son wants an iTouch for a graduation present. Whyyyyy, I'll "*iTouch*" him ...... TO THE MOON  :laughing:


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## Wolfgang

daArch said:


> Thanks Corey for understanding.
> 
> I'm not a big fan of the latest hand help gadgets in the first place, so iPhones are not even on my horizon. But the iProducts are not the only mobile devices with sucky batteries. All Li-Ion batteries have to be FRESH to perform best. Even sitting on the shelf, they loose their capacity. So a one year old, though never used, Li-Ion will perform POORLY.
> 
> I agree with you about iStuff. their batteries are "proprietary" and not easily replaced. Do a googel for battery replacement of you favorite iToy and you will see all the hacks people have discovered for replacing the batteries.
> 
> And now my son wants an iTouch for a graduation present. Whyyyyy, I'll "*iTouch*" him ...... TO THE MOON  :laughing:


Bet you buy it for him too!:thumbsup:


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## daArch

Wolfgang said:


> Bet you buy it for him too!:thumbsup:


Guilty as charged - but hey, I sounded like a tuff guy for a nano-second


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## Wolfgang

...only to yourself Bill, only to yourself....


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## daArch

DAMN, I need an image makeover


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## [email protected]

Wolfgang said:


> ...only to yourself Bill, only to yourself....


:laughing:


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## onthecoast

I am always trying out new software and lately I have been running Cyber Defender. It's the complete package and best of all it's free.

Go here http://www.cyberdefender.com/antivirus-products/free-antivirus-software.html

Also download Spyware Blaster which just sits in the background and blocks entry points.

http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

I was using Mozilla Firefox, but recently switched because the browser would take forever to load. I switched to Apple Safari for Windows.

http://www.apple.com/safari/


Hope you got rid of the virus and good luck


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## 1977corey

onthecoast said:


> I am always trying out new software and lately I have been running Cyber Defender. It's the complete package and best of all it's free.
> 
> Go here http://www.cyberdefender.com/antivirus-products/free-antivirus-software.html
> 
> Also download Spyware Blaster which just sits in the background and blocks entry points.
> 
> http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
> 
> I was using Mozilla Firefox, but recently switched because the browser would take forever to load. I switched to Apple Safari for Windows.
> 
> http://www.apple.com/safari/
> 
> 
> Hope you got rid of the virus and good luck


As far as i know, AVG anitvirus is the shizznit


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## onthecoast

1977corey said:


> As far as i know, AVG anitvirus is the shizznit


To each his own.

I've tested it out and found that it had trouble updating and hogged way too many resources. I wish I could actually find the product comparison to post that prove it. It's right up there with Symantec and Norton.

I got for light weight and CyberDefender is lightweight. You can run a complete scan while still going on with your daily business without your internet slowing down.


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## TooledUp

I wouldn't say it's up there with Norton by hogging resources. It sits there pretty light when it isn't scanning and hardly uses any cpu/memory. It does slow the system a bit on a lower end pc/laptop when it's scanning though. The machine I'm on just now runs AVG and is on all the time so I set that to scan during the night.


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## DarthPainter

Sorry for the necro, but this is a topic near and dear to me, so I felt that I need to chime in.

I have more computers than the average city block, and I run and have run a ton of different operating systems.

Windows is realistically as secure as OSX and Linux, but by default it's simply not setup for security. Fear not though, it only takes a small amount of tweaking.

The first problem is that user accounts are set to administrator level privilege, which is a huge no-no. Linux and BSD/Unix derivatives (and yeah, OSX is a not quite as good derivative of FreeBSD with a fancy userland and API layer) don't set their accounts to admin level (known as root) by default. You must login to root to perform most system altering functions, whereas you are always given full access on Windows; and if you have full access, so does everything on your pc.

The best way to combat viruses is to set all accounts that you used on a regular basis to limited accounts. You don't need full administrative functionality to perform 98 percent of what you do daily on your pc, unless you're actually an administrator for a network. This limits the ability of viruses to replicate and do what they want, and it limits the ability of hackers to exploit problems with the Explorer shell that is so tightly bound within Windows.

Second, use a decent browser. Sure, firefox is a decent browser, but you have other options. And think what you will, but firefox does have more vulnerabilities than some of its competitors. Opera is my personal browser choice. It's faster on everything but Java, comes with a ton of functionality out of the box and is just plain more secure.

Finally, use a good anti virus. AVG used to be good, but not so much these days. I like Avast myself, failing that, Avira is good. However, I'd say don't go cheap here; pony up the 40 bucks or so and get a real AV program with a powerful heuristics engine, like ESET's NOD32; you'll get your money's worth out of it, I promise.

And for the record, Macs fell not long after Windows at the pwn2Own contest this year, and Linux went uncracked.

Not to bash Macs, but they have as many vulnerabilities as Windows, it's just they're managing the whole security through obscurity thing; if they had any real userbase, they would get saturated with malware, too.

Linux is harder to crack; it's not that it's uncrackable, but there are so many damn possible configurations, and it's so transparent, that it'd never make it on any major distro for more than a day. Thank you very much package managers.


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## deach

> Thank you very much package managers.


Indeed. Thanks a million times over.


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