Windows people and their spyware crack me up

[todd2000]

So both of my Windows machines seem to be infected with NSIS Media, it causes random, and somewhat frequent pop-ups, and no Ad-Ware program so far is able to remove it from what I've read (though I haven't tried yet). I don't really know how I got it, but either way I was searching for removal insructions and came across a post on a Forum where some Guy had re-installed his PC because he couldn't get rid of this Virus/spyware/whatever, and this was someones replay to him:

"Sorry to hear it came down to a re-install, though nothing wrong with that. Personally, I'd have done the same knowing it can get quite frustrating spending too much time trying to resolve what can be alleviated with a simple reload. The other thought I suspect works well is viewing the infected system from another computer. Good to hear you moved the problem right along littlebits, taking the most direct route considering the circumstance. Many other's would have preferred beating the proverbial dead horse!"

Bolded for emphasis, some Windows users actually believe there is NOTHING wrong with having to re-install the entire machine to remove ONE peice of ad-ware. II love how he refers to it as a "Simple Reload". While the actual process of re-installing is simple enough it is still a PIA, to have to re-do all of your settings, re-install all of your programs, back-up all of your data, etc, just because of one stupid little piece of spy-ware. I just think it shows how much Windows users have come to accept spyware/ad-ware as normal, and don't get mad about it.

Rant Over

 

[iMetroid]

That's what you get for using IE.

 

[todd2000]

That's what you get for using IE.

LOL Actually most of the people with the problem seem to be using Firefox though I don't have it on either of my computers. Don't get me wrong im not complaining I could care less because I barely use my Windows computer (or rather partition as the case may be).

 

[Sesshi]

I've never got a piece of Spyware or virus (the last viruses I had were on Atari and Mac if I remember correctly) under DOS/Win as I know what I'm doing, but I still keep installed system images handy just in case. Acronis True Image creates HDD images and also a bootable CD. Retrospect and others will as well, although it's more fiddly.

What I do is to install the PC completely as I intend to use it, take an Acronis image and store that away. I take regular backups as I do with the Macs, so that if I have a catastrophic failure I can get going with a functional system very quickly and add bits from the last backup as necessary. So far the only situation I've needed to use that is in cases of HDD failure but it can also be used to recover quickly from a fatal Spyware infection, should you be careless enough to fall for it and be technically unable to get rid of it.

Of course, if you're using Parallels you have a ready-made image for backing up.

 

[WirelessInn]

I've never got a piece of Spyware or virus (the last viruses I had were on Atari and Mac if I remember correctly) under DOS/Win as I know what I'm doing, but I still keep installed system images handy just in case. Acronis True Image creates HDD images and also a bootable CD. Retrospect and others will as well, although it's more fiddly.

What I do is to install the PC completely as I intend to use it, take an Acronis image and store that away. I take regular backups as I do with the Macs, so that if I have a catastrophic failure I can get going with a functional system very quickly and add bits from the last backup as necessary. So far the only situation I've needed to use that is in cases of HDD failure but it can also be used to recover quickly from a fatal Spyware infection, should you be careless enough to fall for it and be technically unable to get rid of it.

Of course, if you're using Parallels you have a ready-made image for backing up.

Sesshi, ummm, this is Mac zone, but I do wish to follow up on your experience with Acronis TI. I'll appreciate your input very much. Do you use the Home of the Workstation versions - Networked environment or not?
The Acronis folks are not too helpful in my experience: they only want to sell me the whole network installation (megaclams!!), knowing that I operate a biz network. I'd prefer to go workstation by workstation at first (my main backoffice computer needs reliable backup in place THE MOST)
Could you outline for me the steps you go thru to get yourself a good, reliable image of a Win computer installation with Acronis, ready to be slapped back onto "bare metal" (Acronis' statement!) if necessary (HD failure for example). Any incremental backups available to supplement the imaging? I run a Winn network at my business, with back office computers driving Win Point of Sale workstations with scanners, etc...

Of course, I am also asking all this to help me select a good, reliable way to implement backup on my new MBP before I start loading it up with all sorts of valuable data. Mac OS does not offer much to facilitate backup - the DiskUtility>>NewImage tool is not really useable very conveniently: no scheduling, and especially, it has to be used from rebooting into the Mac OS Install DVD No1!!!

What's you experience at this point in terms of backup on Mac? Especially of the "easy to restore to bare metal" kind?

Again, THANKS!

- Roger T