Damn MSN virus....

[hyrr]

All your virus problems are gone when you've.....

Installed GNU/Linux \o/!!!

[Clawbug]

All your virus problems are gone when you've.....

Installed GNU/Linux \o/!!!

...and then you will wrestle with 100 other minor annoyances and bugs. Won't really help.

[Rainbow Concussion]

I had this problem once also. Not only did the file I received contain trojans, it also changed my screen name to "I Got My Period." So I reformatted.

[O.R.I.O.N.]

You always hear how Macs don't suffer from any of the viruses that PCs do. But, I wonder. Is it because the programming is superior, or that nobody cares enough to try to make a virus for Macs?

As much as I love PCs, it's these moments of fail that give me migranes of enough magnitude to make me consider using Linux.

[FliesLikeABrick]

You always hear how Macs don't suffer from any of the viruses that PCs do. But, I wonder. Is it because the programming is superior, or that nobody cares enough to try to make a virus for Macs?

It is a combination of the two.  Macs use a permissions system inherited from UNIX systems, very similar to how BSD, Linux and others do it.  This makes it so that a normal user cannot compromise the entire system, so even if they ran a stupid program, the most it could do is muck around in their home folder (one folder, like /home/flieslikeabrick).  The virus wouldn't be able to make itself run at boot time, and it couldn't embed itself into the system so that it was hard to find or remove.

This is why there are no real viruses for Linux/Mac/BSD/others.  The return on time invested is too small because the virus can be removed too easily (you could 100% sure delete it by removing and re-adding the user's home directory), and the virus can't do much to hide itself or really use the system.

[Clawbug]

Not to mention that most of the Linux users really know what they are doing, thus they won't go downloading every random program and running it without really knowing what it is. Also the user base is so small that the gains of making viruses/etc to unix-like OSes is just stupid when they have Windows.

[a-4-year-old]

You always hear how Macs don't suffer from any of the viruses that PCs do. But, I wonder. Is it because the programming is superior, or that nobody cares enough to try to make a virus for Macs?

It is a combination of the two.  Macs use a permissions system inherited from UNIX systems, very similar to how BSD, Linux and others do it.  This makes it so that a normal user cannot compromise the entire system, so even if they ran a stupid program, the most it could do is muck around in their home folder (one folder, like /home/flieslikeabrick).  The virus wouldn't be able to make itself run at boot time, and it couldn't embed itself into the system so that it was hard to find or remove.

This is why there are no real viruses for Linux/Mac/BSD/others.  The return on time invested is too small because the virus can be removed too easily (you could 100% sure delete it by removing and re-adding the user's home directory), and the virus can't do much to hide itself or really use the system.

That being said, there isn't anything taking advantage of security loopholes in OSX. Apple doesn't scrutinize security as much as microsoft or a given linux distribution. there are more security flaws in OSX than vista.

[jrgp]

there are more security flaws in OSX than vista.

What the hell makes you think that? Did you read that somewhere?

[LtKillroy]

I reinstalled windows on the computer I'm typing this on, and it only took a few hours. I have all the things that were originally on it back, and all the random crap that was on it now isn't. (I was too lazy to go through every single game and decide whether I wanted to keep it or not) This thing had something like 8 trojans on it (accoding to avg) and now it has none (accoding to avast) Now I can see why you would not want to risk it, but it really isn't that big of a deal.

[a-4-year-old]

there are more security flaws in OSX than vista.

What the hell makes you think that? Did you read that somewhere?

http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=758

its a bit old but it was the first thing on google.

[FliesLikeABrick]

You always hear how Macs don't suffer from any of the viruses that PCs do. But, I wonder. Is it because the programming is superior, or that nobody cares enough to try to make a virus for Macs?

It is a combination of the two.  Macs use a permissions system inherited from UNIX systems, very similar to how BSD, Linux and others do it.  This makes it so that a normal user cannot compromise the entire system, so even if they ran a stupid program, the most it could do is muck around in their home folder (one folder, like /home/flieslikeabrick).  The virus wouldn't be able to make itself run at boot time, and it couldn't embed itself into the system so that it was hard to find or remove.

This is why there are no real viruses for Linux/Mac/BSD/others.  The return on time invested is too small because the virus can be removed too easily (you could 100% sure delete it by removing and re-adding the user's home directory), and the virus can't do much to hide itself or really use the system.

That being said, there isn't anything taking advantage of security loopholes in OSX. Apple doesn't scrutinize security as much as microsoft or a given linux distribution. there are more security flaws in OSX than vista.

Linux distributions scrutinize over the tiniest things, especially distributions like Debian and Ubuntu.   If you are subscribed to either of their security mailing lists, you'll see that they release updates for every tiny thing that could even cause a program to crash, let alone be used to do bad things.

[bja888]

there are more security flaws in OSX than vista.

What the hell makes you think that? Did you read that somewhere?

Good enough for me

I've been reading a lot about MAC viruses in tech news lately.
Btw. The Ubuntu computer got away without a single security fault in that exact same contest.

[Graham]

The real thing we should be looking at is not how open the OS is to a virus... but how annoying the OS makes the person. Windows: its a crapshoot, while windows has made idiots/knuckledraggers/cases of mercy killings of a good number of its users it doesn't hold a hat to the others. Mac: aging hippy/art college dumbass/trendy nerd, all make me want to cut off my testicles with a rusty saw so I have no chance of bringing a child into this world that will have to deal with them. Linux: probably the most annoying user of them all. Why? They don't shut the hell up about Linux. I don't care if you are antisocial enough to code some random meaningless addon to your OS, or how you are sticking it to the man by not paying for your OS. Just shut the hell up!

Once we get past accepting this there will be no more viruses.

[Biscuiteer]

If only some company were able to look at each OS from an unbiased perspective and use that knowledge to be able to create an impressive hybrid OS? Using a superior permissions system derived from Mac's/UNIX, drawing power from the ease of use from Mac's, using the versatility of Windows - as well as gaming prowess capabilites, excellent server-management from Linux, and everything else i couldn't think of.... Maybe if that company could be Mozilla?

[mar77a]

I think Ubuntu has that, just waiting for game companies to make games for linux and/or people to move to linux.

PS: JESUS CHRIST DONT FLAME ME GRAM

[a-4-year-old]

Macs are not easier to use than windows, or for that matter linux.

Both windows and linux can both be customized for the user.

[Graham]

I think Ubuntu has that, just waiting for game companies to make games for linux and/or people to move to linux.

PS: JESUS CHRIST DONT FLAME ME GRAM

Nah I was just playing off the OS talk for the heck of it. However it will be ages before that practice is mainstream.... if ever. Which is why people dualboot.(Captain Obvious reporting in.)

[Captain Ben]

will you guys just like accept that more people will always use windows

no need to crack a fatty

[Snow]

I'm waiting for ReactOS to come out. (http://www.reactos.org/en/index.html) I'm curious to see how a windows clone based on x86 architecture will run.

Anyhow, like most in the thread have been suggesting, if you can, do a reformat. If you have no cd's, depending on where you got your computer from, you may be able to create backup cds. Usually on WinXP OEM machines, there is that option. You can create the cds or dvds only once.

I know it sucks man, but it is the only way. As for backing up your stuff, as was suggested, you don't need  an external HDD ( though it would be wise to save up for one for the future ). Besides, cds, dvds, flash cards and usb memory sticks to transfer stuff on, there are also sites that offer online storage. I sometimes use my gmail account for storage of stuff I want to use on 3 computers. Very nifty and fast. Some sites are free (though you have to sign up) and have up to 5Gb storage. Others, you pay a bit a month or year for and you get much more and better service. www.xdrive.com is just such a site. However, I've only used gmail, so I can't tell you good or bad about xdrive. I know they've been around for years. The site was at the top of the list in google.

As for the gaping hole in your network problem (I was about to say "your gaping hole problem" XD) yeah I can relate. I brought my system over to a friends house once to play some FPS on his network. I have no idea what was up with his router, but as soon as I connected, it was like the system was naked or rather that the damn router was like a .. dam with several hundred viruses, trojans, etc waiting for that cable to connect to my machine. I couldn't clean the system fast enough and they just kept coming.. even when the connection was changed. My system was so slow and fecked up, it shut down finally but I could not boot windows again. I lost 150 GB of programs, games, data, etc. It took weeks to manually restore my system back to kickass.

Don't let this happen to you.

At least assware, virii, trojans, etc don't seem as bad as they used to. 5 years ago, my sis, who knew NOTHING about computers let alone computer safety at the time got her Walmart system (yes Walmart >.<) so infected, every time she opened IE, the browser would randomly dial up bestiality and other vial porn sites.. which in turn would install diallers and you know the rest of the story. It got so bad that supposedly some of the bugs were literally taking control of and shutting down anti-virus programs at the time. I found that a little far-fetched, but it wouldn't surprise me. She said, after one of the programs shut off, there was a taunt on the screen. That's messed.

[FliesLikeABrick]

In response to Snow saying "At least assware, virii, trojans, etc don't seem as bad as they used to"

It is the exact opposite.  Things today are many, many times worse.  The difference is that malware today is about making itself hidden so that it can stay on your computer for as long as possible undetected.  5 years ago, it was all about showing you ads and hijacking your homepage.

The malware today hides and steals your sensitive information, sends spam from your computer (up to millions of messages per day), infects other computers, sends phising e-mails, hosts phishing websites, hosts the services used for fastflux DNS, hosts trojan botnet C&C channels, participates in DDoS attacks against victim computers, hosts/stores kiddie porn for people, and many, many other things.... all of which can go *completely* undetected by the average user.

This is the trend in malware, and it is scary as hell.