Did you ever get a virus on your computer? (page 3)

Mackin

You shouldn't have to worry about outbound traffic unless you have spyware installed.

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You mean like MSN Messenger or MS Media Player 9. Oh, sorry that's right, they're not spyware 'cos they only send information to Microsoft. :-)

Remeber too, that newbies often install spyware without realising it.

drwtsn32

You mean like MSN Messenger or MS Media Player 9.

MSN Messenger? I haven't heard of that one sending data to MS. Have a reference? And with WMP you can turn off the sending of usage data by going to the Options screen.

Simon

Never had a virus or security breach.

Keep virus scanning and firewalls turned on - trust me, having a virus or some other malware on your system will impact performance a lot more.

maxwell

I had a virus infect my first computer some years ago aroiund 96, 97. I had no virus protection and it infected some floppy disks also. An infected floppy might have been how it initially entered my system. I got Norton Antivirus after that. Despite that experience, I've grown lax, and I haven't updated my antivirus software since Norton stopped supporting that old version (I was able to periodically download updates for a few years). Fortunately, I haven't had any other virus since then or at least none that I can detect.

Panda

I had a virus several years ago on another PC. It cost $$$ to get my PC running again. Now on this PC I use the McAfee security service. But you guys are talking about some hardware protection? Please tell me because I don't want to go through that virus thing again. My problem is that Nick will open just about anything. It frustrates me because I'm trying to protect him (sniff sniff). Anyway what do I need to do?

Panda

Mulan

Yes I got one on a computer we still have in a closet. It was 3 computers ago. It still works, but the A drive and the CD ROM drive were destroyed, and the anti-virus stuff comes up everytime we try to turn it on. It has a game on it that my grandkids like to play, but we put it away.

The game was the virus................Elf Bowling. I found out when I tried to fix it with a tech line. It's a fun game but was designed as a virus I was told.

drwtsn32

Mulan: Elf Bowling really isn't a virus. That was a hoax and apparently the rumor is still spreading.

http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/y2kgame.hoax.html

Also, it is possible for a virus to mess up the operating system so that you can't use your CD or floppy drive, but a virus cannot cause physical damage to any components.

Mulan

All I can say is that everyone I know who downloaded it, had problems with their computers. The person who sent it to me, had a very expensive laptop, and it was slowly being "eaten up". Ultimately the entire hard drive was gone, and couldn't be repaired. I had a brand new computer after the other computer was slowing disintegrating, and had downloaded the Elf Bowling to the new computer, and immediately I had virus alerts, and the computer started acting crazy. So, I called the tech line for Compaq, and the first thing he asked me was if I had installed or downloaded anything recently. The only thing I had installed was Elf Bowling. He told me it was a virus.

I had to reformat the computer. That's all I know. "The proof is in the pudding". If I don't use Elf Bowling, I have no problems.

The virus was called Stealth C.

ballistic

Mulan, viruses can't destroy your hardware. Even the most severe computer problems caused by viruses can normally be fixed with the FORMAT C: command which wipes your hard disk clean.

ignorance is strength

Yeah I've had a few, but Norton Antivirus always seems to catch them before anything happens...Now spyware has really screwed up my computer in the past.

Did you ever get a virus on your computer?

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