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Virus Attack.

W

waynepixel

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 9, 2003
157
0
I have never seen this before. Last night my PC got taken out be a "virus" and now that same Virus has been transferred to my mac.

How in god name can a PC virus affect my mac.

I am getting desperate here, any advise welcome. Please.
 
a description of what is happening would be helpfull. It's probably just a coincidence that both computers are doing the same thing.
 
Yes give a description. I can assure you your mac is not infected with a virus. Are you simply getting virus emails on the Mac (or that appear to have been *sent* by the Mac)?

paul
 
Ya good point.

Well the only reason I new it was there was when I noticed a very small like bug on the PC computer screen. It just walked around the screen and then disappeared and then come back again. Restated the PC and the next thing I now, It has taken out my Windows Xp sys-term.

Now I am on my mac G4-1Ghz, OS X 10.3, and I am seeing the same BUG walking around the computer screen on my G4. I have now installed Norton Antivirus on the G4, but I have never seen a PC Virus Transfer over the OS X before.
 
It is theoretically possible that a virus-like contamination could infect both a mac and a PC. This is because some types of code, like Java, can be executed on both macs and PCs. However, I'm not really believing what you are saying here. For what youre saying to be true, there would have to be a virus that could not only RUN on both mac and PC, but would also exploit a common vulnerability. However, on the off chance that you are telling the truth about all of this and there is a contamination in your system, It is almost certain that you do not need to worry about damage to your mac.
 
waynepixel said:
Ya good point.

Well the only reason I new it was there was when I noticed a very small like bug on the PC computer screen. It just walked around the screen and then disappeared and then come back again. Restated the PC and the next thing I now, It has taken out my Windows Xp sys-term.

Now I am on my mac G4-1Ghz, OS X 10.3, and I am seeing the same BUG walking around the computer screen on my G4. I have now installed Norton Antivirus on the G4, but I have never seen a PC Virus Transfer over the OS X before.
Click to expand...

You're sure this isn't a real bug?
 
You're sure this isn't a real bug?
Click to expand...

That the funny thing, it looks exactly like a "Real Bug".

Thanks for your advise so far. And yes I am telling the truth, I am not here too waste people time.
 
If you're getting 'real' computer bugs, maybe your computer has a real virus, too. You should take its temperature, give it plenty of rest, and maybe a couple of aspirin every few hours. If it's not better in a few days, take it to your doctor.
 
Are you sure it is not a real bug walking on the screen. :) Just kidding, this is a wierd one though. Some screen shots would be very helpful.
 
This is the bloody annoying thing. One moment it is there and the next it has disappears. And its small, I am talking pixel small.

If I can find the dam thing again I will try a Screen grab, and if I can Snapz Movie grab.
 
Flowbee said:
If you're getting 'real' computer bugs, maybe your computer has a real virus, too. You should take its temperature, give it plenty of rest, and maybe a couple of aspirin every few hours. If it's not better in a few days, take it to your doctor.
Click to expand...

what an amazingly helpful post from a gifted comedian.

Wayne, you might want to take a few hours to go over all your files, back up the ones youre framiliar with, and then wipe out your system on both the mac and the pc.

EDIT- Hold up, if it's just the size of a pixel, maybe its a dead or intermittently failing pixel (LCD). Those happen on my pb from time to time and go away if you rub them.
 
waynepixel said:
I have now installed Norton Antivirus on the G4
Click to expand...
your troubles are only beginning. uninstall that POS post-haste.

if you truly believe your mac is infected, install Virex (you get a free copy if you buy .mac) and scan your system. keep the norton stuff on the PC (where it actually works) and far away from your mac.

but as suggested, first back up your important stuff.
 
Tommy! said:
Wayne, you might want to take a few hours to go over all your files, back up the ones youre framiliar with, and then wipe out your system on both the mac and the pc.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I like to wast a lot of time too. Abstract business makes me feel good. Backups are a good thing--a very good thing--but why have this guy reinstall his OS? If he's got a virus on his Mac, he's the first.

Listen to the guy who warned you about Norton. If you want to see real trouble on your Mac, leave Norton there.
 
I think it is a No See Um bug....I had several last night flying around and the only time I could see them was on the screen, when they took flight they were invisible to the eye. This sounds very weird...is the mac doing anything bad or not running right...except for the Norton thing?!?!
 
Any update, waynepixel?

I'm also a fan of the tiny real bug theory.

I suppose someone could have written a dual-platform virus and had only the appropriate portion run on a given machine, and they could have set it up to show a one-pixel bug wandering in lifelike fashion on the screen while eating the innards of each sytem. And they could have made it transfer from a PC to a Mac on the same network without any user intervention.

It's possible.

But Occam would suggest that it's a literal bug.
 
Might you have visited the same website on the Mac and PC? A lot of websites have all kinds of Javascript popups these days (not all of which are caught by Safari), it might simply be an animation by one of these?
 
When I said "pixel small" I meant a cupple of pixels in leagth.

So far my MAC is OK and I have not seen any graphic Bug come on screen again.

But my PC is a NO GO. For some reason when I try to install Windows XP It freezes.
 
waynepixel said:
When I said "pixel small" I meant a cupple of pixels in leagth.

So far my MAC is OK and I have not seen any graphic Bug come on screen again.

But my PC is a NO GO. For some reason when I try to install Windows XP It freezes.
Click to expand...

Mac works. PC doesn't. is anyone surprised? :p
 
I think we're looking at a real world bug and a PC hardware failure happening at the same time. Term better known as coincidence :cool:
 
Tommy! said:
what an amazingly helpful post from a gifted comedian.

Wayne, you might want to take a few hours to go over all your files, back up the ones youre framiliar with, and then wipe out your system on both the mac and the pc.

EDIT- Hold up, if it's just the size of a pixel, maybe its a dead or intermittently failing pixel (LCD). Those happen on my pb from time to time and go away if you rub them.
Click to expand...

what an amazingly helpful post from a gifted computer technician. :rolleyes:
 
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