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Did I get a virus?

J

jmm591

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 22, 2011
2
0
Hi everybody! I was downloading some music (zip,rar, and mp3 formats) when suddenly the songs wouldn't start downloading. They just kept saying 'preparing for download' for the longest time. I went to quit safari but it wouldn't let me. Finally i forced quit safari and restarted my mac. When I turned it back on and opened safari it opened up 175 new safari windows and it was playing this weird noisy music in the background and it was downloading something called ilividsetupv1.exe

I reset safari and now the internet is working normally again. What happened? Has anyone had this happen to them?
 
No, you didn't get a virus because there are no Mac OS X viruses in existence. Macs are not immune to malware, but no true viruses exist in the wild that can run on Mac OS X, and there never have been any since it was released 10 years ago. The only malware in the wild that can affect Mac OS X is a handful of trojans, which can be easily avoided with some basic education, common sense and care in what software you install. Also, Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Lion have anti-malware protection built in, further reducing the need for 3rd party antivirus apps.
.exe files are Windows executable files and cannot run on Mac OS X. Reset Safari, clearing your cookies and cache, and you should be fine.
 
phew! thanks for the quick response. I was afraid I was going to have to re install my start up disk.
 
Malware Anxious

My laptop has been "out of control" closing applications, moving the tabs and sort of shaking the pages? I rebooted, but it continues to be odd - wish I had a better vocabulary.
I read about a trojan attack via a Flash download. I had done that about two days ago ClamXav was recommended and is working on the third try.

Would someone please tell me if I have I made an error? I would be most grateful!

Riles
MacBook Pro OS X
10.6.8
 
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Riles31 said:
My laptop has been "out of control" closing applications, moving the tabs and sort of shaking the pages? I rebooted, but it continues to be odd - wish I had a better vocabulary.
I read about a trojan attack via a Flash download. I had done that about two days ago ClamXav was recommended and is working on the third try.
Click to expand...
ClamXav is fine, but if you didn't manually install a trojan, you don't have one.
 
GGJstudios said:
No, you didn't get a virus because there are no Mac OS X viruses in existence.
Click to expand...

There are Mac OSX viruses. However, the chances for users to get them are extremely thin. Trojans would be more common if anything, but running any decent anti-virus (Sophos?) should protect you decently enough for you not to worry about such issues.
 
prometheus44 said:
There are Mac OSX viruses. However, the chances for users to get them are extremely thin. Trojans would be more common if anything, but running any decent anti-virus (Sophos?) should protect you decently enough for you not to worry about such issues.
Click to expand...

Sophos makes your Mac even more vulnerable. (1, 2)

And if you would be so kind to link to articles describing those "viruses", that would be a proper knocker. But I guess, we will wait till that X-Mess has gone its round, before we might even get a hint of an answer.

I assume you know the difference between a worm, a virus, a trojan and all the other malware?
 
prometheus44 said:
There are Mac OSX viruses.
Click to expand...
False. I won't even ask you to name one, because I already know you can't. Read the link I posted in the 2nd post of this thread and educate yourself.
prometheus44 said:
running any decent anti-virus (Sophos?) should protect you decently enough for you not to worry about such issues.
Click to expand...
Sophos should be avoided, as it could actually increase your Mac's vulnerability, as described here and here... and here.

You don't need any 3rd party antivirus software to protect Mac OS X from malware. Read the 2nd post of this thread and the link.
 
prometheus44 said:
There are Mac OSX viruses. However, the chances for users to get them are extremely thin. Trojans would be more common if anything, but running any decent anti-virus (Sophos?) should protect you decently enough for you not to worry about such issues.
Click to expand...

Before you ever post this again, take just a minute (if it's easy) to prove it. It's absolutely false. There is not one single Mac OS X virus that you can name that ever hit the wild.

BTW, Sophos is not a decent anti-virus, it's worse than any of the malware that is out there right now. ClamXAV is the only anti-virus I would recommend, and then only if you absolutely felt that you had to run any at all. I don't, and I practice safe browsing habits to prevent a trojan from being installed on my system, which is a ridiculously easy thing to prevent.

jW
 
As said, you did not get a virus.
GGJ, you should just copy all your virus posts and put them in your signature or write some Automator script since there will always be someone refuting them. I, for one, agree that there are no viruses that exist in reality and that the only virus cleaner anyone with a Mac needs is common sense.
 
There are no viruses. GGJ is right. I have one anti-virus that I am using maybe once a year because of my carelessness and paranoia. It is ClamXAV.
 
saberahul said:
As said, you did not get a virus.
GGJ, you should just copy all your virus posts and put them in your signature or write some Automator script since there will always be someone refuting them. I, for one, agree that there are no viruses that exist in reality and that the only virus cleaner anyone with a Mac needs is common sense.
Click to expand...

TextExpander can be used for this, and as far as I know, GGJstudios uses it, as his memory is quite Emmentaler.
 
simsaladimbamba said:
TextExpander can be used for this, and as far as I know, GGJstudios uses it, as his memory is quite Emmentaler.
Click to expand...
Actually, I use the old copy/paste method from TextEdit files. I should take a look at TextExpander, since you've recommended it before. I've just been too busy (lazy) to research it.
 
GGJstudios said:
Actually, I use the old copy/paste method from TextEdit files. I should take a look at TextExpander, since you've recommended it before. I've just been too busy (lazy) to research it.
Click to expand...

Ah, the last time we talked about I seem to have misunderstood you. I guess I am the Emmentaler.

TE is quite easy to handle, you just make a shortcut for every text you want to insert. The formatting will be included.

The Malware and Mac OS X Basics I often link to, you may have noticed it, are invoked by using
Code: 
malware_
and
Code: 
basics_
as shortcuts.

2012_12_23_pA1_TextExpander_snippet.png
 
GGJstudios said:
Actually, I use the old copy/paste method from TextEdit files. I should take a look at TextExpander, since you've recommended it before. I've just been too busy (lazy) to research it.
Click to expand...

I was curious how you always had what appeared to be EXACTLY the same thing. It didn't even occur to me that you would just copy and paste.
 
Comeagain? said:
I was curious how you always had what appeared to be EXACTLY the same thing. It didn't even occur to me that you would just copy and paste.
Click to expand...
When you answer the same questions hundreds (or thousands) of times, there's only so many ways you can give the same answer. Plus, with arthritis in my hands and CTS, copy/paste is a necessity.
 
GGJstudios said:
False. I won't even ask you to name one, because I already know you can't. Read the link I posted in the 2nd post of this thread and educate yourself.
Click to expand...

Yea there are no viruses for the Mac but most people don't make the distinction between viruses and trojans etc. Malware == virus for most.
 
Appreciate it

GGJstudios said:
ClamXav is fine, but if you didn't manually install a trojan, you don't have one.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your straight forward answer. I don't know what a trojan is, or how I could have installed it - but will Google to find the answers.


To All The Other Posters: All I can say is "WOW!" "Seriously?" Do you people realize, did you bother to take notice of the issue JMM591 has? You people are fighting about something even I know is a ongoing, endless debate. When someone asks a simple question, I am really surprised by the "war-like" behavior that erupts between posters. It immediately makes the forum useless.

Please, you are so knowledgable about Macs. Is there a special forum where we can ask for help and either be ignored or responded to?
 
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Ah, the good ol' Mac virus threads. Are you kids ready for some schoolin'? Pay attention, sit back, and read the above posts carefully! You ain't got no virus! Uh uh! No siree. Shooooooot.
 
Riles31 said:
I am really surprised by the "war-like" behavior that erupts between posters.
Click to expand...

Good wisdom. Thanks.
To whoever crusaded against my misleading and wrong claims, two things: I'm sorry, and perhaps I should have done some research before posting this. Fair enough.
But chill. Instead of going all out and unleash some mean anger, just say I'm wrong and say why. Everybody will learn from a constructive dialogue; not from an aggressive confrontation.
 
prometheus44 said:
Good wisdom. Thanks.
To whoever crusaded against my misleading and wrong claims, two things: I'm sorry, and perhaps I should have done some research before posting this. Fair enough.
But chill. Instead of going all out and unleash some mean anger, just say I'm wrong and say why. Everybody will learn from a constructive dialogue; not from an aggressive confrontation.
Click to expand...

There is a Malware FAQ posted in the first reply to this post, which explains what malware, viruses and trojans are.
As it is often with this topic, it gets heated, and sometimes improper words are swung around, but your claim (you used italics (look at the post below for a much better explanation)) seemed a bit trollish, thus the reaction, especially since there is a link to a proper FAQING explanation in the first reply to this thread.
 
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