Burned by Windows!

[kevin.rivers]

For the "How do you know you don't have spyware if you don't use anti spyware" comment.

I sure hope you are running anti-spyware on your mac if that is the case.

Anyhow, symptoms of spyware are pretty evident. It is hard NOT to know you have it.

I have never had the problem the OP experienced. I would say it was user error. Even if this spyware is "floating around" the network, knowing that why would you hook it up to the net?

On the school network comment. If you plug a computer that has not been taken care of to a network. Naturally once the connection to the net is active whatever spyware resides in the system will pop up.

I really don't think a computer that has been freshly formatted will experience the symptoms of spyware. There is no way for code not on the computer to barge in and execute. You need code to execute a browser command, it does not work with magic.

 

[Chrispy]

Ok, I installed SP4 from CD BEFORE connecting to the internet and all is well this time

 

[wako]

Oh, and I have been using Windows for over 10 years. I have used every windows from 95/NT4 up to XP x64 edition. I also worked in the tech industry for 5 years thank you very much.

Obviously you learned very little from those 10 years...


When you do a fresh install of Windows that isnt the most current SP, I always turn off the services that the newer SP turned off or on. Thats probably the main reason why you got jacked so quickly. But atleast within the 10 years you were smart enough to try to first update!

 

[Electro Funk]

Anyhow, symptoms of spyware are pretty evident. It is hard NOT to know you have it.

Are you kidding????

if you are serious about claiming you have not had spyware programs on your windows box for the last five years without antivirus or spyware software (adaware/spybot/defender...etc) i will give you all the money in my checking account tomorrow....

i have several spyware programs on my fiances dell who never visits any shady sites and EVERYTIME i run adaware & spybot together (usually once a week) i find at least 2-6 SWPGs EVERY WEEEK and delete them....


So tell me all of the VERY EVIDENT symptems of spyware that you are so well informed of.... there are many keyloggers and spyware that will NEVER make themselves apparent to the user....

furthermore, adaware will pop up , but spyware will not.... unless you are using software to find it....

 

[dmw007]

Nice review of your Windows using experience. Reminds me of some of the reasons I switched to Mac.

 

[Chrispy]

Obviously you learned very little from those 10 years...


When you do a fresh install of Windows that isnt the most current SP, I always turn off the services that the newer SP turned off or on. Thats probably the main reason why you got jacked so quickly. But atleast within the 10 years you were smart enough to try to first update!

This is very true. The sad part is I used to do this at work. I simply got lazy with this computer and hoped to get everything loaded quickly... I underestimated just how quickly it would get taken over. Now I know haha

 

[ezekielrage_99]

Welcome to the world of Windows..... got to love it

 

[bbrosemer]

Some schools install a "AV" package without students knowing onto their computers in college. I had this very same experiece, so it is very possible to just plug in and get something put onto your computer, however they did not install this software onto the Macs on campus, anyway the program was eating up system resources so I took it off my computer and left a modifed version of the program up and running so that the school wouldnt reinstall it, and it only then ended up eatin 100k where as before it was easily using 40 MB's.

 

[Chrispy]

Campus networks are a pain. When I was in college, we had to use Cisco Clean Access Agent to get on the internet. It was a HUGE pain as you had to download updates all the time and you HAD to run a certain version of norton corporate edition. Even worse, they required you to use a Cisco VPN Client that was configured for clean access for wireless access. However, they never bothered to configure it for macs. For my last 2 years there, mac users could not use the wireless network because the University felt they were "unsafe to the network". Dumb

 

[kevin.rivers]

Are you kidding????

if you are serious about claiming you have not had spyware programs on your windows box for the last five years without antivirus or spyware software (adaware/spybot/defender...etc) i will give you all the money in my checking account tomorrow....

i have several spyware programs on my fiances dell who never visits any shady sites and EVERYTIME i run adaware & spybot together (usually once a week) i find at least 2-6 SWPGs EVERY WEEEK and delete them....


So tell me all of the VERY EVIDENT symptems of spyware that you are so well informed of.... there are many keyloggers and spyware that will NEVER make themselves apparent to the user....

furthermore, adaware will pop up , but spyware will not.... unless you are using software to find it....

If the your intelligence level is in anyway linked to the amount of money in your checking acount I will pass on your offer. Thanks though.

 

[stefan15]

if you are serious about claiming you have not had spyware programs on your windows box for the last five years without antivirus or spyware software (adaware/spybot/defender...etc) i will give you all the money in my checking account tomorrow....

So.. paypal work for you?

i have several spyware programs on my fiances dell who never visits any shady sites and EVERYTIME i run adaware & spybot together (usually once a week) i find at least 2-6 SWPGs EVERY WEEEK and delete them....

It doesn't just float onto your computer.. you sure it isn't the same one every time that you are failing to delete, or actually the result of going to a "shady" website or downloading a "shady" program? OR, maybe stop hitting "yes" to every box that pops up, that helps too.