QOTD: Has a Virus Ever Infected Your PC?

[tuannguyen]

Once in a while, there's always a major outbreak of computer viruses. This year, the Conficker virus is making the rounds.


QOTD: Has a Virus Ever Infected Your PC? : Read more

 

[kingnoth]

Jumper.B !!! Ah good old floppy disk virus....

 

[Tekkamanraiden]

I get virus every once in a while, usually while fixing someones computer. Can't aways killdisk and reformat. Sometime they want to to try and save their data.

 

[deltatux]

No viruses on the systems that I own since 2003. However, my family computers ... not so much since they have less security scrutiny than the amount of attention to security detail that I place on my computers.

 

[HermDawg]

Yes

 

[dfusco]

Yes, but my AV usually picks them off.

 

[MagicPants]

Once back in 1999 I got the stone monkey-b virus. Nothing since then. I've had virus checkers catch things about 3 times that I think were real threats. These days I use no script, ad-block, kaspersky and a hardware firewall.

I know ad-block is bad for the sites I visit, I wish there was a way to just block the annoying flashing or slow loading ads instead of everything.

 

[Tech-Boy]

Yes only once. I used no anti virus for 3 years until one day bam the screen changed its background and the computer would not work properly. Since then I have used avg free and haven't gotten a virus since.

 

[leo2kp]

When I don't turn off scripting, then yea I get them. Happily I don't forget to do that too often when I'm looking something up potentially hazardous I've only had two infections in the past 7 years, none of which were too terribly bad, but I reimaged nonetheless.

 

[theubersmurf]

I had one once, but on a computer bought several years ago and has since been reformatted and sold to someone else.

I Use Panda's Antivirus since then.

A funny story, the computer that got infected was a dell, with a free brief subscription to McAfee Antivirus. When I got the virus, I called McAfee for support, the tech I talked to, recommended That I switch to either Panda or Trend Micro's PC-cillin. Never had a problem since. So, at least, if McAfee's product was completely ineffective (and it was) at least their tech support is good.

 

[jhansonxi]

Not with Linux. I have a separate subnet for Windows systems under repair. They usually have viruses so on this subnet they don't get gateway access and can't connect out. I then run Knoppix on them, export the drives with Samba, and offload the user's files from a Linux system. Then I format, reinstall, update, install anti-malware apps, and then transfer the user's files back. The Windows system is good for a month or two.

 

[Dreasconse]

Yes. before I really knew about computers, I was using Norton, a virus got into it, and then next thing I knew there were thirty.

 

[spanner_razor]

Serious viruses tend to be attracted once a year but that's what happens on the seedier side of the internet. Where grizzled nerds come to drink shandy and talk of exploits past. So many antiviruses these days pick up legimitate programs as viruses and you have to monitor them too much as the auto-learn features are naff.

 

[mwinfie]

I haven't been hit with anything seriouse for quite some time. I did remove a lot of MSBlast viruses back in the day for a buddy who owns a PC-Repair shop. There were at least thirty computers lined up along the floor to be vacinated.

 

[thartist]

no... not that i remember... since my first pc in 98.

in my opinion you really have to be (if not a novice) an idiot to get a virus. i don't get all the security/insecurity buzz.
in fact, i just install an antivirus from time to time to see how things are going, and get the same false positives of always about some keygens (oops! never said that!). no more security measures and i'm no genius (well, maybe that is false modesty).

just download everything from official sites, or renowned sites. in my case betanews, softpedia, or filehippo. and that's the magic formula. security BS panic over the web is just business.

 

[pogsnet]

Virus is a thing of the past. Trojans are here... You never know if your infected or not unless you install an antivirus.

 

[Avenger_K]

Not my own, but my dad's PC (Win95) once got one back around 2000.

 

[antilycus]

I did, have no idea where it came from and I am pretty damn savy. Ended up reformating and put it back on since the files were locked and an unlocker wouldn't let me delete them. I have no virus protection as I just look at the processes and port activity.

I usually use Super Anti Spyware Home edition to remove my threats, but I would refer NOD32 in the pay environment.

 

[Tindytim]

everyone has gotten a virus, but it wouldn't be a good virus if you knew it was there. By the time there is a noticeable effect on performance or function, there are already multiple pieces of malicious code running on your machine.

I just reformat my windows partitions every few months with an few discs I've slipstreamed.

 

[deck]

If you are getting lots of viruses, you need to stop going to all those Porn sites...

jk, but seriously, a large majority of viruses are self inflicted. Most people just need to take more care about where they go and what they click on on the internet.

 

[chromaone]

Not since a floppy boot sector virus in the days of Windows 3.1.

 

[Greatwalrus]

Not on this computer I haven't been infected with a virus which did any harm. On Windows, Norton has always backed me up pretty well with that respect - and in the past 1.5 years or more, I have not gotten a single virus or alert except for tracking cookies. On the other hand, in the past, my sister would always attract massive amounts of viruses to our family computer. SO MANY, it was like hundreds a week.

[citation][nom]chromaone[/nom]Not since a floppy boot sector virus in the days of Windows 3.1.[/citation]
Haha, I have a Windows 3.1 copy and tried it out the other day. Fun stuff - I can only imagine how prone it would be to viruses

 

[jgoette]

for the most part, i think you have to be fairly inexperienced with computers to actually have your pc infected...

its pretty easy to tell what stuff is bad, especially if you have any half decent AV software

 

[robsgr8]

A week after I bought my first computer way back in 1996 or so I got my first virus. Back then I bought a top of the line Gateway PII 350 with 64mb ram and a whopping 3.2gb hdd. Which a really good friend told me I wouldnt be able to fill up for 10 years . I dont remember how I got it but all it did was put an annoying logo on the screen that said DO YOU EAT POOP. After 15 minutes of head banging the close friend mentioned above walked me through deleting it in dos. 14 years and 40 computers later I still get virus's but nothing that NAV cant handle. So far only one AntiVirus program seams to do the job and that EndPoint From Syanmtec IT WORKS

 

[crisisavatar]

i also dont use anti-virus and my machine has been infected about 3 times over the past 5 years but i simply wipe the disk when said happens ( i dont keep anything important and games have disks; as well as my precious image gallery ).