[Grey Wolf]

Due to some interesting things happening to my Windows install, I was forced to reinstall WXP. The funny thing that happened is that I managed to get a virus (lovesan, specifically) within 10 minutes of connecting to the internet, with the only site that had been contacted being windowsupdate.microsoft.com

This odd occurence led me to a question: How long did the rest of you make it before a virus infected your computer?

[Bobboau]

about an hour, then I had a whole sweet of crap I had to kill

[MatthewPapa]

Well, most of the time I dont even realize they are there until its too late. I would estimate that by the time I did windows update I had several instances of malware and possibly a virus (never found out for sure, i just managed to remove it.)

[Stealth]

you know it's funny you should mention that, because i had the exact. same. thing. happen to me...

when i first built this computer (about 4 months ago, maybe a little more), i got the virus, so i formatted, went to windows update, and got the virus again... this happened twice.

what i'd done, i figured out (listen to this), is while i was at windows update i was installing a virus protector.  the virus protector was just an .exe file, which i'd burnt earlier (before formatting)... turns out the virus had infected the virus protector install file... so every time i installed it, boom, the virus owned everything  what was weird was that i'd burnt the CD with the virus protector on it days before i thought i was infected with the virus.

also some viruses reside in RAM, not sure about the lovesan, i don't remember much about it, but be sure that before you format you shut down, then when you start up the computer don't start windows, make sure you have the CD (windows XP pro) in the drive, and when it says "press any key to boot from CD" then press a key.  it'll go right into the format/setup windows xp.  bypassing windows, which starts the virus.  that way your new windows install will be fresh and clean, and virus-free.  that'll work definately.

[Grey Wolf]

It's not really a concern, as McAfee dealt with it and 2 other viruses that I found fifteen minutes ago without much effort. I did actually do it the way you suggested, which is why I find it so odd I got infected so quickly.

[Kosh]

Originally posted by Grey Wolf 2009
Due to some interesting things happening to my Windows install, I was forced to reinstall WXP. The funny thing that happened is that I managed to get a virus (lovesan, specifically) within 10 minutes of connecting to the internet, with the only site that had been contacted being windowsupdate.microsoft.com

This odd occurence led me to a question: How long did the rest of you make it before a virus infected your computer?

A friend of mine got a brand new Dell laptop last year. Right out of the box with no windows updates installed. Right away he got a virus, as soon as he plugged his computer into the network. Nasty.

[karajorma]

I sound this on the register a little while back. Pretty worrying.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/19/infected_in20_minutes/

[Clave]

No Windows = No Worries

That's not actually true, but the chances of me getting a virus are reduced by a factor of several thousand.....

[karajorma]

Originally posted by Clave
No Windows = No Worries

That's not actually true, but the chances of me getting a virus are reduced by a factor of several thousand.....

That's like saying that cause you've got a good security system on your car you don't have to worry about joyriders. Sure they can't steal your car but that doesn't stop them smashing into you driving someone elses.

I'm not worried for the safety of my PC. It's not the threat of personally contracting a virus that scares me. I'm worried about zombie PCs spewing out spam and more viruses and slowing down the entire net. I'm worried about viruses bring down the computers of businesses I have to deal with and causing me delays and problems.

[Cyker]

I've noticed this with Windows NT varients; i.e. 2k and XP.

'95, '98 and ME seem to be less vulnerable to 'push'-viruses (Mainly because they don't have all that crap running in the background.)

On the other hand, you usually end up installing 9x every 10months, whereas once you install 2k/XP, you ought to never need to install it again, unless you upgrade something big like your motherboard, or do something stupid like running as Administrator all the time and clicking on Bonzai Buddy links...

But it's definitely recommended that if you HAVE to re-install 2k/XP, you make a slip-streamed CD with the service pack of your choice, and then download ALL the hot-fixes and patches for that version and burn the whole lot to a CD.

Disconnect your compy from the network BEFORE you zap the whole system, hard reboot and install.

If you don't mind installing something as kludgy as ZoneAlarm, it's a good idea to get that up ASAP too.

Luckily none of my computers connect directly to the 'net; They all go through my DSL router which make is harder for such virusses to get in.

2k and XP are real dog's 'tho - I had to do a reinstall of 2k once, but found my slipstreamed CD had been snapped in half (!), so I took out the network cable, installed it, then disabled as many services as I could to try and stop any virusses getting in.

Plugged back into the network and went to windowsupdate, but then I found it wouldn't work until I enabled a whole load of services.
I did that, and BAM, within 5 minutes I had that "NTAUTHORITY-blah-blah-Shutting down in 30 seconds" dialog, which usually means Blaster/Sasser has just ****ed your OS up the arse.

In the end I had to boot up Knoppix and download all the patches manually (Do you have ANY idea how hard that is from Linux?! It seems to work at first glance but when you actually try and do anything... blek...)

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by Grey Wolf 2009
Due to some interesting things happening to my Windows install, I was forced to reinstall WXP. The funny thing that happened is that I managed to get a virus (lovesan, specifically) within 10 minutes of connecting to the internet, with the only site that had been contacted being windowsupdate.microsoft.com

This odd occurence led me to a question: How long did the rest of you make it before a virus infected your computer?

Instantly.  And no, I'm not joking.  Had just installed W2k on my Pc (it being the only hand Os), connected up the net with AVG but no firewall, and BANG!.  Immediate infection.  

(I can't remember why I didn't have a firewall on, I think I wa either connecting to DL one, or because Windows update wouldn't work with it on.  Interesting fact is that I've never updated Windows because every time I do, it breaks it completely... i.e. nothing will load, and the ability to drag and drop files is lost, etc)

[IceFire]

This has been a problem with people coming into the store that I work at too.  Reformatting has never been so dangerous before...simply because you're so vulnerable.

Any way to get SP2 on a CD when you download it?

[wolfdog]

euhmm... about... 2 months I think... Running win2K pro...Guess I'm a lucky bastard:D

[Ghostavo]

not a virus since... er...

*counts*

1993

[kasperl]

I have no idea. I have a rather POS virusscanner on my laptop, (Panda) it won't even detect Netsky Q. Norton is screaming every time I checked my email during the worst of the storms.

And Kara: Yeah, zombies are the worst.

[wolfdog]

My ISP filters my connection as soon as my pc is infected with a virus that uses it as a spamming machine... every isp should do that....

[MatthewPapa]

Originally posted by IceFire
This has been a problem with people coming into the store that I work at too.  Reformatting has never been so dangerous before...simply because you're so vulnerable.

Any way to get SP2 on a CD when you download it?

Thats what I do. I just done even bother hooking it up to the network until it is as protected as it can get. I install SP2 from a burned CD that was scanned beforehand.

[IceFire]

So how do you get SP2 on a CD?

[Stealth]

Luckily none of my computers connect directly to the 'net; They all go through my DSL router which make is harder for such virusses to get in.

why does that make it any harder for viruses to get in?

anyway yeah... beware... because one thing that lovesan did if i remember correctly, was didn't allow your virus scanner to run.  every time i installed a virus scanner (i tried at least 5 of them, including mcafee, norton, etc.) and every time the virus scanner started, it would mysteriously shut down.  that was a well-designed virus.

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by IceFire
So how do you get SP2 on a CD?

You can DL the entire (****ing huge) update somewhere from the MS website IIRC.  I actually have a CD of SP2 that came free with PCGamer, fat lot of use that it is to me. (I already have a coaster)