Virus attacks on new PC 4

[kwunder]

Hi,
Just unpacked my brand new Laptop. Installed my ADSL modem and ISP software. Then Installed Norton Anti Virus and went on to download the latest virus definitions. Then BANG. I get a virus while the latest definitions are downloading (W32 Sasser). Downloaded the sasser removal tool from symantec and it deleted it, then BANG AGAIN Norton tells me it's found BLOODHOUND PACKED and it says it can't fix it. I then get repeated Messenger Service messages directing me to various sites including porn sites. Then BANG AGAIN another virus is found that can't be fixed. I ran the system recovery CD's and re installed to factory spec and tried again. The same has happened. How can I stop this invasion. I have got the latest definitions downloaded and installed before the latter of these attacks happen.
What should I do ?

Thanks !

 

[bcastner]

dbMark,

Your assesment is pretty tough on Microsoft, but I think from an end user assesment a fair one.

Without getting into the details of OEM licencing, and other unimportant to the end user discussions, the fact is:

. MSFT agrees with your hard assesment. Service Pack 2 is in part their answer and an admission that they wish they had done better.

. There are tons of well reasoned arguments about the why and the how of security flaws under Windows. I hope what is not lost in the discussion is that in offering an OS like XP, the folks at MSFT did not intend to offer a red flag in front of the hacker bulls saying "kill me."

I am less angry at MSFT for flaws, than I am for the people who spend time creating exploits of them. The people who write a Blaster, Sasser or millions of IE hijack and malware; (or fill mailboxes with SPAM) are to me the issue.

. I believe MSFT, Apple, Sun, IBM and others that they are fighting as hard as they can to prevent this junk from stopping your computer.

With a reasonable firewall, active AV, and some sort of SPAM filter, in combination with Windows Update and other services, we have a fighting chance at the moment.

But it is not as if egregious mistakes have been made by MSFT in the OS or others. And it is not as if the OS vendors are indifferent to the issues.

Look, it is really tought out there now. And it is a very sad state of affairs.

 

[dbMark]

Hi Bill,

Yes, I must admit I'm sometimes tough on Microsoft, but I do try to do it fairly (thanks for saying that) without seeming to go overboard. I've been a dBase then FoxPro programmer for some 20 years now, and I'm a great fan of Visual FoxPro. (VFP 9 beta just came out!) I still use both programs besides other Microsoft programs. I expect more from Visual FoxPro than from dBase simply because they have bigger pockets and more programmers. I guess the same goes for Windows.

For example, our dear friend kwunder has made many posts here, both questions and replies, so he's certainly not a novice. Yet he got blindsided by the Blaster virus from last August. If Microsoft had been more proactive, yes not their fault but they do need to do damage control, either (1) he wouldn't have been sold a Windows install disk that had been made almost 2 years ago or (2) the Windows install disk would have been bundled with the Windows Security Update CD released in February or (3) he would have heard about the Windows Security Update CD available by online order at

http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/cd/order.asp

(See? I'm giving the CD free advertising! I must admit though that the online WindowsUpdate.microsoft.com is better. It lets you view your update history which the CD won't do.)

If this is what happens to a computer-literate person with his brand new computer, imagine the troubles of so many other new owners who are just plain out of their league to fix it. (My niece got Blaster and twice had to send it away and pay to get it fixed.)

I just want to say I really appreciate your posts and the great effort you make to help so many here. I honestly don't know how you can accomplish so much online. Lots of nights (like now) I can't even manage one post before my wife or son drag me away.

 

[dbMark]

Correction: My goof. While kwunder did not say he got Blaster, that virus was mentioned among the posts. So I was wrong to mention only it specifically. And yes, I know the February 2004 Windows Security Update CD was released long before the patch was available in April 2004 to prevent the LSASS/Sasser infection, but that CD would have instructed the user on how to turn on the firewall before going online. Sorry, it's almost midnight...

http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/cd/order.asp