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Ten Mins and 50 Viruses Later....

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prophet621 said:
Hmm, that's strange. Typically with Dell computers and the actual re-install CD that came with them don't require activation or the CD key. It's all built into the re-install disk and handled automatically. I'm constantly re-installing on Dells and have never had to activate or use the CD key.

Perhaps it's an older model before Dell started automating it with the scripts. How old is the computer?
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Cant be that old if it came with XP.
 
Arcus said:
Thats like going into the city , trying to buy some weed off a guy on the corner for you 'grandma who has glaucoma' and wonder why you got robbed.

No sympathy, sorry and I dont blame Windows.

Hell, if you are a Mac guy why didnt you use you Mac to look for the hacks?

Duh....
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Actually I did, but I needed to get it on the PC, not on my Mac. I'm not pissed off that it got infected, and I know I wasn't at the most trusted sites, I knew all that before....I'm just amazed that it took very little time for the computer to be worthless, you couldn't do a thing on it. Also....Windows was telling me I had spyware, so it knew there was spyware on there. Why can't Windows get rid of the spyware if it knows it's there and that it's bad? OOOOh, that's right, so all the program makers can screw the public by offering anti-spyware virus popup scam spam bad software. Nice little deal they have going on.....
 
wheezy said:
I go online and try and find some activation hacks, I know I won't be going to the most trusted sites for those things, but, in less than 10 mins the new box is totally infected and running like crap. TEN FREAKING MINS doing very very little surfing.
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You plugged an unpatched Windows machine directly into the internet? Its vulnerability is well-docuemnted in dozens (if not hundreds) of places, both online and in print.

Next time, try downloading a firewall (ZoneAlarm works well) and some sort of antivirus protection and install them before you plug that machine into the 'net.
 
Arcus said:
They have been putting the COAs on the towers since..... forever. I smell a troll who did something dumb and wants to try and make himself feel better by blaming Windows.
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I'm not blaming Windows for the virus, I'm merely saying it's unbelievable how fast it was plagued. My mom's friend calls me, brings over a cardboard box with a PC in it and whatever else she could gather, one of which was a Dell Windows XP install CD, so I thought, it needs Windows reinstalled, she brough me XP, and that's better than the 98SE I have to install, so I'll do that. They don't have a Dell box, I don't know where they got the CD, but I used it. The CD Key wasn't with the CD, so I needed to activate it somehow for her, because I'm pretty sure they'll need it for more than 30 days.
 
You are stupid if you hook an unpatched Windows machine into the 'net and expect it to survive for more than a few seconds.

Maybe stupid isn't the right word. Perhaps "ignorant" would be more appropriate.
 
ChrisBrightwell said:
You are stupid if you hook an unpatched Windows machine into the 'net and expect it to survive for more than a few seconds.

Maybe stupid isn't the right word. Perhaps "ignorant" would be more appropriate.
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Thanks for joining him Chris. I'm sorry that XP isn't my forte. I left that world a long time ago.
 
wheezy said:
I know, and that's pretty lame. I mean, what if my dell died completely, I've still paid for Windows, right? So, I should have every right to build a new box and use it. Then again, if I did that, i would still have the Dell Box.....

noOb? Only to hacking windows. Thankfully I haven't had to really deal with it for a long time. And you and I both know a noOb can't even figure out how to re-install windows.....

Well, I reinstalled it again, 2nd time tonight. I'll forget the updates. I was trying to do that and it wouldn't even let me until I activated. (which I still haven't done...) but now, it's completely virus free. It hasn't gone online yet either though.....
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Before you go online, download the installers for firefox or opera, zone alarm and AVG free antivirus on a different computer, then copy them over (using a USB key or burned to a CD-ROM).

Install all three. Go online using firefox or opera (opera probably more secure) until you can work out how to activate your Win install. Only use MSIE to go to the microsoft activation and update site.
 
You guys make it sound like just being connected to the net without a FW and antivirus is going to get a windows box infected within seconds. I have no FW or Antivirus on my pc have been without them for years and never had a virus or spyware. It's connected to the net 24/7. All it takes is using a browser that isn't tied into the OS (anything but IE) and staying away from questionable sites (warez, emulation, and porn sites are notorious for installing crap on your computer).
 
EricNau said:
I think the moral of the story is:
Buy Mac OS X :p
Click to expand...


you need to add to that:
get an apple computer on which to run os x!, buying os x on its own will be as good as having a coster for your mug!
 
radiantmark said:
You guys make it sound like just being connected to the net without a FW and antivirus is going to get a windows box infected within seconds. I have no FW or Antivirus on my pc have been without them for years and never had a virus or spyware. It's connected to the net 24/7. All it takes is using a browser that isn't tied into the OS (anything but IE) and staying away from questionable sites (warez, emulation, and porn sites are notorious for installing crap on your computer).
Click to expand...


They're making it sound like that because that is the case. You are behind a router. The router is a hardware firewall.

Hook a fresh install of plan ol' unpatched XP up to a cable or DSL modem with a public IP address and watch the fun. You don't even have to touch it.

Leo Laporte has done this on Call for Help.
 
bpd115 said:
They're making it sound like that because that is the case. You are behind a router. The router is a hardware firewall.

Hook a fresh install of plan ol' unpatched XP up to a cable or DSL modem with a public IP address and watch the fun. You don't even have to touch it.

Leo Laporte has done this on Call for Help.
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That's true. I've actually had one of those viruses that infect by just being connected with my hardware FW because my windows wasn't updated with the latest security patch. It would shut my computer down in like 30 seconds after boot up. But the first thing I would do is run windows update after the fresh install. Chances in the first hour of being connected is pretty slim.
 
radiantmark said:
That's true. I've actually had one of those viruses that infect by just being connected with my hardware FW because my windows wasn't updated with the latest security patch. It would shut my computer down in like 30 seconds after boot up. But the first thing I would do is run windows update after the fresh install. Chances in the first hour of being connected is pretty slim.
Click to expand...

Yep. That's the good ol' Sasser worm.

http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.sasser.worm.html
 
radiantmark said:
You guys make it sound like just being connected to the net without a FW and antivirus is going to get a windows box infected within seconds.
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Minutes, at the most.

I have no FW or Antivirus on my pc have been without them for years and never had a virus or spyware. It's connected to the net 24/7.
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Are you behind a router? On a managed network?

All it takes is using a browser that isn't tied into the OS (anything but IE) and staying away from questionable sites (warez, emulation, and porn sites are notorious for installing crap on your computer).
Click to expand...
This is absolutely untrue. There are hundreds of worms in the wild that connect to various ports on your PC (if you let them) and brute force their way in.
 
radiantmark said:
Chances in the first hour of being connected is pretty slim.
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If you're hiding behind a router, this is certainly true. If you're plugged directly into the 'net, you'll be lucky to last five minutes, especially if you're using a major ISP (their IPs are scanned regularly for open holes).
 
wheezy said:
=I'm pretty sure they'll need it for more than 30 days.
Click to expand...

They probably will need it for more than that, but it'll probably have 700 viruses within then. I've never gotten past 30 days on my windows machine... and I did all updates, used a limited account, did spyware and virus scans, ran a firewall, etc.
 
Always slipstream SP2!

This doesn't help with the OPs main problem, which is that he is apparently trying to install an Dell OEM license of XP on a non-Dell. However, I have found it invaluable.

For anyone who has the displeasure of reinstalling XP, make your lives just a little bit easier by creating a slipstreamed bootable install CD patched up to SP2. At least with SP2 the firewall is up by default and you might just be able to buy yourself enough time to install AV/anti-spyware software before the machine is infected beyond repair.

You'll need a working XP box to apply the patch, though you might just be able to do it from BartPE. http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/. (Of course you'd need a working XP box to create your BartPE boot disc.)

Here's a HOWTO:
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sp2_slipstream.asp

B
 
Arcus said:
Its not that difficult. Oh the drama.
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I didn't say it was difficult, just unpleasant. ;)

I was just pointing out that it can be made less unpleasant if you do some of the grunt work up front rather than after the fact. An ounce of prevention and all that.

B
 
balamw said:
I didn't say it was difficult, just unpleasant. ;)

I was just pointing out that it can be made less unpleasant if you do some of the grunt work up front rather than after the fact. An ounce of prevention and all that.

B
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Ohhhh....unpleasant!! You must not be installing with the optional 'Six Pack Service Pack' :p
 
I routinely get downloaded .exe files on my OSX desktop from surfing lyric sites with Safari. Thank god they can't run on my Mac. I feel sorry for the poor PC souls who visit malicious websites offering lyrics.

I run a side PC with Windows 98 and I only visit trusted sites. Never venturing off into unknown websites. Very few viruses so far.

/currently playing: Ugly - Sugababes

Here's to the Crazy Ones ​
 
Arcus said:
Its not that difficult. Oh the drama.
Click to expand...

It's not that difficult if you know what you're doing. If you've done it often, then it's a piece of cake. If you've never done it before, or you only do it once a year, it's a little trickier to remember which files you need to have on a boot disk or what order to download the updates. And if you don't have a working knowledge of the terminology or what you're doing, you could screw it up entirely. I suspect I could reinstall a friend's Windows OS but I'd probably read up on it first just to be sure.

On the other hand, I've just finished making fruit scones. I make them regularly so now I don't bother looking up the recipe, I just get the bowl out and go. Others who don't make them often will need the recipe and might still bork them up. ;)
 
ChrisBrightwell said:
Minutes, at the most.

Are you behind a router? On a managed network?

This is absolutely untrue. There are hundreds of worms in the wild that connect to various ports on your PC (if you let them) and brute force their way in.
Click to expand...

I guess I should have said hardware FW as well. I tend to assume that most people are on some sort of FW'd network. I guess that's my bad. :cool:
 
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