VIRUSEES

[KatyM]

So, before about... uh... three months ago, I'd never bothered running antivirus because I do not do anything questionable and know my way around a computer. It's never been a problem, I've never been infected, and I constantly found myself wondering "How the HELL to people keep getting themselves infected?"

However, the last few months, I've realized that the problem is getting bad. My work has been FLOODED with those fake antivirus repairs, and I've started seeing them at home, on websites that I visit regularly (webcomics, Digg, and the website for my local newspaper even.) I've actually had to start running an antivirus (after experimenting with all the free ones, I've decided on Microsoft Security Essentials as the most effective and lightweight.)

The big two I've been seeing at home are the fake antiviruses (I think AntiVir is the really big one at the moment) and the ones that attempt to launch through Adobe Reader security holes (which doesn't bother me since I use Foxit.)

I'm curious if anyone else has noticed an increase in problems. I know Explosm (Cyanide and Happiness) was giving me that PDF bug for a few weeks. I emailed them about it and it went away a few days later.

This also started a few months after I started using Windows 7, and since I never got any kind of issue in XP, I'm wondering a little if my operating system is a bit of the cause, and not just that malware is becoming more common. I do not think that this is true, but it's something I have to think about and keep my eyes open to.

[Skimba]

I have seen an increase in them at my work.

[Binkatron5000]

Yes, those fake antivirus repair popups have been much more common lately for me as well.

[sum yun gai]

every 2-3 weeks a new strain of the fake antivirus comes out and completely fucks up everyones poopcakes. you should totally be running an antivirus, even if you think you're careful, because now the delivery method is through hijacked websites instead of email attachments. and you can't look at a website and know it's been hacked until you've already been infected. my personal favorite is avast, but for win7 you're probably better using the MS product until everyone catches up to the platform.

[KatyM]

every 2-3 weeks a new strain of the fake antivirus comes out and completely fucks up everyones poopcakes. you should totally be running an antivirus, even if you think you're careful, because now the delivery method is through hijacked websites instead of email attachments. and you can't look at a website and know it's been hacked until you've already been infected. my personal favorite is avast, but for win7 you're probably better using the MS product until everyone catches up to the platform.

You know I fix computers for a living, right?

Normally I avoid microsoft products like the plague and don't bother with them, but in some recent tests we've run, MSE does do the job pretty effectively - I think the only AVs we tested that we liked better were Nod32 and GData. It's a little more lightweight than both AVG and Avast (even after you disable the link scanner and crap) and competes just as well, if not a little better, on the removal scale.

Up until version 8, AVG was my favorite. I never really liked Avast much.

(My list of crap we tested was as follows, if anyone actually cares - We were only testing active real-time AVs. AVG, Avast, MSE, GData, Nod32, Kaspersky, BitDefender, Panda, Webroot. There might have been a few more, but we didn't particularly document so I can't remember very well. We don't bother with the obvious poopcakes ones (norton, mcafee, trendnet)

[PonderThis]

Hmm, I've been using AVG everywhere I could. I've even got it installed on my parents' PC's. What's turned you off?

[Saltine]

wait those are fake antivirus programs? whuh oh
i thought my computer magically invented its own antivirus program like some star trek thing

[KatyM]

Hmm, I've been using AVG everywhere I could. I've even got it installed on my parents' PC's. What's turned you off?

I'm still a full supporter of AVG, there's nothing wrong with it - I just think that, at this moment, there are better ones. AVG is starting to get a little bloated, and options need to be disabled at install to keep it at an acceptable speed. MSE is just a bit slimmer, and works just as well.

My only big gripe with AVG is how frickin' annoying their website is. I have people call the store asking me to help them NAVIGATE the WEBPAGE. I normally just send them to download.com

[PonderThis]

My only big gripe with AVG is how frickin' annoying their website is. I have people call the store asking me to help them NAVIGATE the WEBPAGE. I normally just send them to download.com

That's for durned sure. I understand they want to try and get people to switch to the "deluxe" version so they can make money. I'm a software developer myself and fully support the idea of developers getting paid for their work. But dang they really overdo the "are you SURE you don't wanna buy something?" schtick.

[sum yun gai]

You know I fix computers for a living, right?

right back at you

Hmm, I've been using AVG everywhere I could. I've even got it installed on my parents' PC's. What's turned you off?

for me it's the fact that AVG keeps adding more (useless) features that can't be turned off. that and it's registered two false positives on critical system files that were not infected. after that it was "don't let the door hit you on the way out AVG" for me. avast has saved me several times when i had to fix a client's computer with a nasty virus which blocked every a/v on the market except avast. one boot-time scan later and the virus is subdued enough for a real scanner to come in and clean it out. the boot-time scan is the main thing that keeps me from trying another product. i've heard good things about avira but have yet to put it into any kind of test yet.

[MysticalDescent]

Computer problem that (probably) isn't virus related:

I've been using this computer for about a year. First time I booted it and copied my old files onto it, it was fine. After that, it started to have this problem. Basically, the ideal start up is this: Intel logo comes onto the screen, computer beeps, Vista loads as normal. My brother has an identical computer that does exactly this. Mine sometimes does this, but the majority of the time the startup process is: Intel logo comes onto screen, stays there for anywhere between 0 and 20 minutes, computer beeps and then either freezes or starts Vista as normal. I think the warranty on it has just run out as well, although not having got it replaced is my own fault. I meant to six months ago when it went through a really bad spell, but then my laptop's screen started having problems that it really wasn't possible to get around by being patient and I had my exams coming up so I decided to wait.

Any ideas what the problem is? People elsewhere have suggested that it might be the motherboard, but I've really no idea.

[Saltine]

In the dead of night, swap computers with your brother.

[kamrald]

The virus can be defined as acellular organisms whose genomes consist of nucleic acid to be replicated in host cells using host metabolic machinery and ribosomes to form a set of components that are assembled particles called virions, which serve to protect the genome cells.Viruses and transfer it to others can be sent as attachments to e-mail note or a downloaded file, or be present on a diskette or CD.

[MysticalDescent]

How ironic. Probably.

[ntw3001]

I love the seamless transition between different types of virus. Very confusing.

[amendazn]

Viruses are very dangerous for PC to loss and corrupt the data. software affairs able of breeding itself and usually able of causing abundant abuse to files or added programs on the aforementioned computer. to remove the virus from PC we have to install best anti virus software to protect all the data and save the files.

[chrismachine]

This bot makes computers sound like an endangered species.

[Binkatron5000]

This bot makes computers sound like an endangered species.

For the love of god, won't somebody think of the files?!