Or a silly question perhaps, but I don't know the answer. If I have dual boot with win2000 and win98, and I have a cable connection going in win2000, but no connection (and thus no firewall) going in win98, is my machine vulnerable to attacks when it's in win98?
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an interesting question
- Thread starter fungipami
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I understand how the virus could access my win98 partition through win2000 when it is running and connected to the internet. But if win2000 is not running, I guess I'm still having a problem understanding how a virus would gain access to my computer. Aren't these software ports that the virus comes through? And if they're software, how can it get through?
still puzzled :O
still puzzled :O
I think fungipami is asking that, if the PC is booted into Windows 98, and no networking has been setup on Windows 98, is the mere physical connection of a network cable sufficient to risk infection?
My own view: No.
I know of no virus, worm, or other bug that can infect a PC in this manner. That said, there MAY be some Windows 98 vulnerability that allows infection despite not being setup on a network.
You don't say if the Network Card's drivers are installed.
The Windows 98 partition is still susceptible to viruses brought in on disk, or as mentioned, it could be infected by a virus that enters through the Win 2000 partition.
<marc> i wonder what will happen if i press this...![[pc]](/data/assets/smilies/pc.gif "[pc] [pc]")
[ul][li]please give feedback on what works / what doesn't[/li][li]need some help? how to get a better answer: faq581-3339[/li][/ul]
My own view: No.
I know of no virus, worm, or other bug that can infect a PC in this manner. That said, there MAY be some Windows 98 vulnerability that allows infection despite not being setup on a network.
You don't say if the Network Card's drivers are installed.
The Windows 98 partition is still susceptible to viruses brought in on disk, or as mentioned, it could be infected by a virus that enters through the Win 2000 partition.
<marc> i wonder what will happen if i press this...
[ul][li]please give feedback on what works / what doesn't[/li][li]need some help? how to get a better answer: faq581-3339[/li][/ul]If there is no internet connection, and no local area networking connection, then no, a virus will not enter through the ethernet cable or phone line. Only through opening infected saved files or from a diskette you brought to the machine. Assuming the machine is virus free to start with.
You could be infected with a timed-virus that only becomes active episodicly. I still occasionally come across in a virus scan one of those viruses that are active only one day a year.
You could be infected with a timed-virus that only becomes active episodicly. I still occasionally come across in a virus scan one of those viruses that are active only one day a year.
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Thank you all for your input. My Win98 system is not infected but I was just wondering if it was vulnerable while I continue to debug the problem of having no internet connection, and consequently no firewall. My machine is not connected to any network other than my cable modem, and in that case it's just a physical connection, not connected through software. Just wanted to be sure that I could rest easy during this debugging period, with no anti-virus software or firewall running!
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