I actually did get a virus not too awfully long ago on my company laptop. I was using a music sharing, kind of Myspace type of site for a while called IMEEM. It was great till I downloaded something for free from some A-hole that had some kind of virus attached. My computer picked up on it right away, and quarantined it. But I was not using a realtime virus protection program. So by the time my computer quarantined it, it was too late. It was resurfacing in other places by creating mirror images of itself. I panicked. These free virus busters came onto my system as popups. I made the fatal error of clicking on them to try to save my system without spending big bucks, or reporting it to my company who owns my laptop. My wife who is much better on computers than I scolded me right away for clicking on the pop ups to save my system for free. The popups installed a Trojan virus of their own, and the only way to rid them was to use their software that you had to buy. The free stuff they offer runs and then says that it will not clean everything due to the type of virus that you were infected with. I found out later that that trojan virus they were referring to was their own. What a scam. Anyway, I ended up having to report it to my company. They were really cool about it luckily, and tried to clean it with their internal IT Dept., but finally gave up. They gave me a new hard drive instead and I had to spend about two weeks getting my system back to where it was before the crash.
Needless to say, I don't do that IMEEM stuff anymore, and now have a much better live REAL TIME running virus protection program installed on my computer now.
Long story short. Don't fall victim to that scam. If you get a virus, shut your system off and get a Pro. I.T. person from the getgo.
I, too, have had a few viruses...one on my company laptop. Thankfully, I work in the IT dept (though I'm not a techie) and my friends saved my laptop from oblivion!
Ok, I'm going to take off my leather and put on the pocket protector. Three programs. AVG-Free Edition, Spybot and Ad-Aware. I got rid of my pay antivirus software for the AVG free edition. I have never had a problem and I click on whatever I want, heh. Seriously, these three programs used together keep things running fast. I have been using them for a few years and I won't use anything else. Friends who have had their computer to the point of almost kaputt have called me to fix them. I just run these three programs and that usually fixes everything. Can I put the leather back on now?
Well, at least I know what was wrong now. Just like anything else, prey on the fear and the bucks are near.
ReplyDeleteI must admit,
ReplyDeleteI actually did get a virus not too awfully long ago on my company laptop. I was using a music sharing, kind of Myspace type of site for a while called IMEEM. It was great till I downloaded something for free from some A-hole that had some kind of virus attached. My computer picked up on it right away, and quarantined it. But I was not using a realtime virus protection program. So by the time my computer quarantined it, it was too late. It was resurfacing in other places by creating mirror images of itself. I panicked. These free virus busters came onto my system as popups. I made the fatal error of clicking on them to try to save my system without spending big bucks, or reporting it to my company who owns my laptop. My wife who is much better on computers than I scolded me right away for clicking on the pop ups to save my system for free. The popups installed a Trojan virus of their own, and the only way to rid them was to use their software that you had to buy. The free stuff they offer runs and then says that it will not clean everything due to the type of virus that you were infected with. I found out later that that trojan virus they were referring to was their own. What a scam. Anyway, I ended up having to report it to my company. They were really cool about it luckily, and tried to clean it with their internal IT Dept., but finally gave up. They gave me a new hard drive instead and I had to spend about two weeks getting my system back to where it was before the crash.
Needless to say, I don't do that IMEEM stuff anymore, and now have a much better live REAL TIME running virus protection program installed on my computer now.
Long story short. Don't fall victim to that scam. If you get a virus, shut your system off and get a Pro. I.T. person from the getgo.
Dave,
ReplyDeleteI know you are into computers and all , so I can assume you already new about these scams. I wish I did, prior to clicking on the pop ups!
Wow! The ol' Snakeoil salesman - internet style!
ReplyDeleteI, too, have had a few viruses...one on my company laptop. Thankfully, I work in the IT dept (though I'm not a techie) and my friends saved my laptop from oblivion!
Ok, I'm going to take off my leather and put on the pocket protector. Three programs. AVG-Free Edition, Spybot and Ad-Aware. I got rid of my pay antivirus software for the AVG free edition. I have never had a problem and I click on whatever I want, heh. Seriously, these three programs used together keep things running fast. I have been using them for a few years and I won't use anything else. Friends who have had their computer to the point of almost kaputt have called me to fix them. I just run these three programs and that usually fixes everything. Can I put the leather back on now?
ReplyDelete