Virus found in F@H work file.

[Banditman]

I did a test last year with Windows XP. I installed it on a lone PC with all updates. No antivirus. No antispyware. No firewall. This test lasted 5 days. I browsed the web everyday on it. I didn't go to porn sites. I didn't go to underground sites. I didn't download anything. I didn't open my webmail on it. Strictly browsed the web. Visited sites like our community here. News sites. Shopping sites. I was actually looking for the parts to build my main rig that I have now. After the 5 days, I installed Avast and updated it. My pc was infected with 16 diff viruses and 2 maulware. 1 of the maulware Avast could not remove completely. Just to let ya know. You might say that Avast isn't reliable. I have used Norton, Avast and AVG. I have found Avast to be just as good as the rest of them. In some areas better than AVG.

[Reloadron]

First as ADAK mentions Avast AV Software will occasionally throw a false positive on FAH files. It is a common know issue and the view is better a false positive than a false negative, which makes sense. Generally it will ID the virus as "Nutcracker Family". A Google will yield more results.

Next the use of AV software is a matter of personal choice. I have always advocated commonsense.exe as a good start for AV protection. Personally (and just my opinion) I see no problem with running common sense backed up by a small program like AVG for home systems. Considering it is free and does work there is little to lose running it.

On corporate and business networks a good (real good) AV & Security program is a must in my opinion. A corporation would be foolish not to protect their data from the outside (and inside) world.

Again the decision to use or not to use anti-virus protection on a machine rest with the user/owner of the system. Purely a matter of personal preference.

Ron

[Banditman]

Originally Posted by Reloadron

First as ADAK mentions Avast AV Software will occasionally throw a false positive on FAH files. It is a common know issue and the view is better a false positive than a false negative, which makes sense. Generally it will ID the virus as "Nutcracker Family". A Google will yield more results.

Next the use of AV software is a matter of personal choice. I have always advocated commonsense.exe as a good start for AV protection. Personally (and just my opinion) I see no problem with running common sense backed up by a small program like AVG for home systems. Considering it is free and does work there is little to lose running it.

On corporate and business networks a good (real good) AV & Security program is a must in my opinion. A corporation would be foolish not to protect their data from the outside (and inside) world.

Again the decision to use or not to use anti-virus protection on a machine rest with the user/owner of the system. Purely a matter of personal preference.

Ron

I totaly agree with you. It is a personal choice. With all the crap that is out there nowadays and with the world turning to online shopping, I just can't imagine running a PC with out one.

[One4yu2c]

Originally Posted by Banditman

If you wish to continue to believe that you don't need an antivirus then that will be your downfall.

Stinger's right, you can get away with not running an anti-virus app and have a clean system. Smart computing trumps all. It's not something I'd recommend to anyone (I use AVG myself), but for an advanced user, it's certainly possible to keep a clean system regardless of whether there's an AV app running in the background.

Originally Posted by Banditman

I did a test last year with Windows XP. I installed it on a lone PC with all updates. No antivirus. No antispyware. No firewall. This test lasted 5 days. I browsed the web everyday on it. I didn't go to porn sites. I didn't go to underground sites. I didn't download anything. I didn't open my webmail on it. Strictly browsed the web. Visited sites like our community here. News sites. Shopping sites. I was actually looking for the parts to build my main rig that I have now. After the 5 days, I installed Avast and updated it. My pc was infected with 16 diff viruses and 2 maulware.

Something here is remiss. You just don't get 16 virii from visiting "sites like our community." I can counter that it's been years since I've had a virus infect my system, with surfing, online shopping, and download habits more active than that of the average user.

[Jokerswild]

Folding@home is a virus.

[Adak]

Originally Posted by One4yu2c

Stinger's right, you can get away with not running an anti-virus app and have a clean system. Smart computing trumps all. It's not something I'd recommend to anyone (I use AVG myself), but for an advanced user, it's certainly possible to keep a clean system regardless of whether there's an AV app running in the background.


Something here is remiss. You just don't get 16 virii from visiting "sites like our community." I can counter that it's been years since I've had a virus infect my system, with surfing, online shopping, and download habits more active than that of the average user.

It can easily happen. I built a brand new rig, and JUST went to MS for the Windows updates - NOTHING ELSE. Had no router, and no AV software, of course.

By the time the updates were finished, and the reboots done, the computer was running slow and acting strange (like taking me to sites I hadn't even clicked on, etc.)

I had 16 virii !! One of them at least, was a "backdoor" that kept loading my system up with more malware of various kinds! Hell of a job getting rid of all of them. (I didn't want to reformat because I'd probably get more when I went back on-line to get the Windows updates, again.

That was my worst experience with viral software and malware getting on my system.

[Death_blooms]

Originally Posted by stinger608

You know, I haven't ran an anti-virus software for more than 3 years now, and the thing is, I haven't had a single virus yet!!!!

I think as long as you know the web site that your going to, and don't open any odd ball emails, you really don't need anti virus software!!!

A very good pal of mine has been on the internet for around 10 or 12 years now, and has never got a virus and still states "there is no reason for antivirus software"!!!!

but how do you no? they could be uploading keystrokes as you type

[Jokerswild]

I just don't keep anything of importance on my computer.

[One4yu2c]

Originally Posted by Adak

It can easily happen. I built a brand new rig, and JUST went to MS for the Windows updates - NOTHING ELSE. Had no router, and no AV software, of course.

By the time the updates were finished, and the reboots done, the computer was running slow and acting strange (like taking me to sites I hadn't even clicked on, etc.)

I had 16 virii !! One of them at least, was a "backdoor" that kept loading my system up with more malware of various kinds! Hell of a job getting rid of all of them. (I didn't want to reformat because I'd probably get more when I went back on-line to get the Windows updates, again.

That's where the 'commonsense.exe' part of computing comes in, as pointed out earlier, and is a big reason why HardwareLogic exists. One of the first rules to building and/or using a PC is never connect to the internet without some form of firewall protection, whether it be built in to your router, or a software based firewall such as ZoneAlarm or the one that ships with XP's Service Pack 2. Without it, your PC can be infected within minutes without surfing a single site..

Having an anti-virus program like AVG Free on your computer will not prevent malware from infecting your PC when surfing naked on the internet (unless you're running a paid version with additional firewall functionality). What it will do is attempt to clean up the ones it finds, but if you're doing something that attracts that many infections, then it's your computing habits that need addressing much more urgently than your software suite...

[qazwsx]

for safe surfing I use macaffe site advisor (the free one) and its not a 'quickfix' but it helps. also link scanner (i think its called that) can detect dodgy things in sites like trojans. good free stuff