You guys are good with computers, right?

[Nielk1]

How about instead of jumping right to the nukes we try some small arms.

You should be running a virus, adware, and spyware scan regularly.

Google AVG, Spybot Search and Destroy, and Adaware.

[Wraith]

At most times running just those will not remove everything. Hijackthis finds alot more then those  although depending on the signatures of the files and malware everything just depends on something else is as simple as i can put it.

[Nielk1]

Maybe it is just me, but after running those I have had everything clean in my PC. It might be because I do not click random links and have AdBlocker and NoScript in my FireFox, so nothing can get me unless I let it.

You SHOULD run those programs FIRST, before Hijackthis.

[VSMIT]

Always remember, the first line of defense against spyware, malware and viruses is the user.

VSMIT.

[cheesepuffly]

How about instead of jumping right to the nukes we try some small arms.

You should be running a virus, adware, and spyware scan regularly.

Google AVG, Spybot Search and Destroy, and Adaware.

I second that

[OvermindDL1]

Setting a files attribute to Read Only does not make it read only, it is only a 'suggestion'.  Programs are still free to ignore the attribute and access the file directly to write to it.  Even if a file is loaded from a CD, it still has to be loaded into RAM, and it is very easy to hook program load and inject stuff into it (I do it to a few things on my PC).

Also, I do not run any Anti-Virus, no AntiSpyware, no nothing like that, and guess what, I have never got anything.  As long as you are smart about what you are doing, there are no real issues.  Using a computer it like using a car, you have to perform basic maintenance on a car or it dies in time, after all you do not put sand in your gas tank, and that is basically how most people treat their computers....
Generated by OvermindDL1's Signature Auto-Add Script that OvermindDL1 did manually since Greasemonkey does not work in Firefox 3.1 yet...

[AcneVulgaris]

So, here's the scoop.  I was on a forum site when I noticed some random links on words that just lead to stupid search engins.

Remember kids! Don't click on any link that says "free porn" 

[bigbadbogie]

Yeah. Because it usually isn't either of them.

Hmmm.....How do I know that?  Because... there was this guy right... and he is a loser and he clicked it and it gave him a virus and i laughed hahaha.

[squirrelof09]

Also, I do not run any Anti-Virus, no AntiSpyware, no nothing like that, and guess what, I have never got anything.  As long as you are smart about what you are doing, there are no real issues.  Using a computer it like using a car, you have to perform basic maintenance on a car or it dies in time, after all you do not put sand in your gas tank, and that is basically how most people treat their computers....

I do exactly the same. I do not ever have any running anti-virus programs. Because I know how what to download and not, and I don't want a virus program slowing my computer down. I want maximum performance.

My trade school teacher who teaches computer electronics tried to prove to me that my computer has spyware and viruses on it after I told him I have not installed a virus program in over two months to see if I am clean. So. that day, I left school, picked up my computer from the house and brought it over to the trade school, downloaded AVG and spybot search and destroy. I left my computer scan.. And at the end.. both programs found nothing.

I am on a beach vacation right now, before I left for the vacation I did a scan on my computer and also found nothing.. It has also been 2 months before that when I last scanned.

Setting a files attribute to Read Only does not make it read only, it is only a 'suggestion'.  Programs are still free to ignore the attribute and access the file directly to write to it.  Even if a file is loaded from a CD, it still has to be loaded into RAM, and it is very easy to hook program load and inject stuff into it (I do it to a few things on my PC).

I feel like an idiot now. I knew this.. Just well.. I'm sure you people have all had the same situation

[Nielk1]

I only manually scan. Autoscan is off 99% of the time for me.

[bigbadbogie]

But what if someone sends you a file?

They might not have a virus scanner and could be less cautious with what they download. Its not like you are going to remember to manually scan every single file that you are sent.

It only takes one virus to slip past and your computer is slowly ruined. Autoprotect is there for a reason, even if it can slow the computer down a bit.

[squirrelof09]

Even if someone sends me a file, I can be pretty sure if it's a virus. I'm not going to accept any random file from anyone. I have had people send me viruses before. Usually viruses are between 25kb-400kb. If they are sending you an .exe file, most of the times it will be larger, especially if it's an installer for a game like bz2, such as a mod.

It only takes one virus to slip past and your computer is slowly ruined. Autoprotect is there for a reason, even if it can slow the computer down a bit.

I am the "autoprotect" of my computer. There is no reason for me to have a back seat driver telling me what to click on and what not to click on. Granted, I am advanced with computers, and other people are not, and they do need that back seat driver. I'm not trying to brag about my knowledge of computers

Always remember, the first line of defense against spyware, malware and viruses is the user.

VSMIT.

[Zero Angel]

You can usually tell though, if someone's sending you a bogus link (to a website that will infect you) or a bogus file. Because its all automated, they will usually just send a message like "hey i think you should check out this site -- blahblahblah.com") and then it will either infect you with something, or ask for your MSN password. If you actually talk to he person and ask them what its about and they tell you, then you will know if its a virus or not -- because automated message bots aren't smart enough to understand your question and will usually say something totally inane, or in most cases nothing at all.

[Nielk1]

They might not have a virus scanner and could be less cautious with what they download. Its not like you are going to remember to manually scan every single file that you are sent.

I am extremely paranoid, but auto protect saps way to much when I am doing things. Then again, I don't often get files from people when busy, so hence, I would have it on those rare times.

That, and I have the competence to know what can even have a virus in it. I am in college for programming after all. Anything that can be EXECUTED can have a virus (office documents included because of their support for embedded files).

[bigbadbogie]

If you are willing to manually scan everything you get, then I say good luck to you.