Guess if you Web it is enviable to get a virus.

Tried everything to keep from reformatting, to no avail.

So reformat we did.

Have backups but will take weeks and weeks to get it all loaded back on to the PC.

Software, software.1 upgrades,plugs , meshes etc etc etc etc,fun fun.

Going to build a PC just for the Web no software or any work loaded on it and it will be the only PC online.

Herd horror stories of surfers getting viruses.

Now I can relate all to well.

RorrKonn
http://www.Atomic-3D.com

Be certain to scan your backups for viruses before restoring....

The only virus I have ever had was that weird one that was infecting .exe files last year.  My virus scanner flagged 6 files I think and cured them.  Other people however weren't so lucky and ended up with hundreds infected.

I know what that's like.

Good luck. It takes ages to put everything back in.

This is why I no longer do that with Poser. I dont feel the need to install everything.

I keep backup CD's instead yep, make sure you scan before you reinstall your disks.

Last week the Whole Goverment server for the State of Michigan was hit with a Virius that shut all the computers down. The repair people worked around the clock and it took 4 days to get rid of this UNknown virus.

this is why i have backups after i install :)

i have the usual cds/dvds to do all from scratch, which i do when new comp or OS. But after first time clean install of things, I back up a copy to a partition on my harddrive, as well as a copy of just the installed OS/Drivers (fits 1 DVD-DL) to dvd. Worst case is i pop in a DVD and go afk 30 minutes, which i've found no need to do in the past 5 years yet :)

That's one of the reasons I'm buying a Mac today.  some hackers have been trying to turn my PC into a Zombie for a few weeks now, tired of constantly having to Norton the damn thing.  Next year's Macs are supposed to run windoes software seamlessly, we'll see!

Sorry to hear about that RorrKorr. I went through the same thing about 2 years ago...a nightmare indeed!
So tell me, have you purchased that backup hard drive yet?

Good luck.

1358,

umm, hope you realize that, Mac's can get hit with viruses too, maybe not as often but, I've read about em happening. Nothing is immune to hackers/viruses these days.

I feel your pain RorrKonn, something corrupted my XP on 3-12. Had to reset hard drive, had nothing backed up still trying to replace all the files lost. Anti-virus software my ass!

I've had some rather sustained attacks directed at Norton AV the past couple days - seems to be a new virus-zombie that tries to get at the NAV executable so that it can disable/dismantle it and do its oh-so beautiful magic on your computer.  Check your NAV Activity Log for 'Intrusion' attempts.

I wish one of these virus writers would show up personally and admit it (as if I was l33t) - I'd promptly grab my razor-sharp nihontou and verify that the kissaki is about as sharp as a scalpel. ;P

People who find this type of thing to be fun are like the kid who tortures cats or pulls the legs off of spiders/flies - a sure sign of incomplete mental capacity (evolutionary trends seem to favor higher empathy - but it doesn't take much barbarity to destroy civil-ization (see Rome circa 400 C.E.)).

I had that winpollippo32 last year or whatever its name was. It took down all my networked PCs including external drives. I am still redownloading purchases.

It sucks big time. I have been lucky to not get a virus in the last few years, actually never on this computer.  I did lose everything from a computer burn and crash and couldn't save anything that was on it. I learned the hard way to back up everything. I save my purchased stuff in a special file then burn the lot on one disk, though you wouldn't know it by looking at all the disks I'm surounded by.

Curious as to what kind of sites do you get these viruses from?  So I can avoid them. I know some of us that have had problems with the final Vue6I release have been accused of warez theft and In thier opinion we deserve it. I don't know how to use the stuff, same as bit torrent/torrent bit, what ever it's called. I have heard that they are bad for virus.

As for Macs being better, I think it has more to do with %. These hackers know that they get a bigger bang out of PC users, so they don't spend much time with macs, don't think it has anything to do with make. If hackers want to screw with mac users, there is nothing you can do about it.

Web surfing is dangerous these days. My son-in-law used to surf to a wrestling game site, every time he did, my comp got loaded with trojans and virus bugs. Email is not always safe either. I never open email unless I know for certain who sent it. Even a text email is not safe anymore...sigh. Oh, and that Russian site that was stealing our artwork? It dropped a cookie on my comp when I went to check which of my art they had. Started to play games with my comp, trying to get past my firewall but I blocked them. I send nasty curses to the creators of that stuff, you know, boils in sensitive places for life...lol.

I make backups often and they where made before I got the virus so there clean.

Keep backups on a server also in case the backup CD's get destroyed.

Took me 9 years to get a virus.but I got one.

Have never ran any anit virus software.

Viruses & antisoftware all just sounds like a scam to me.

What is the punishment for coders that do viruses anyways ?

One would think any body in a civilized country that viruses government anything would be locked in a dungeon for 100+ years.

but I would think viruses comes from uncivilized countries like a terrorist.

or just kids but kids would not be punished very bad,take there PC from them or something.

some music site was going to sued a 88 year old woman for downloading to much music but her grand kids where using her PC.

can't sue kids and if a company tried to sue grandma I would half to wop'em

I got this viruses cause one of my kids got on my PC and downloaded it.

I am not all that knowledgeable about harddrives partitions etc etc.

Would probably destroy the PC till it's nothing more then a paper weight and do more harm then a virus.

Back up harddrive and the rest of the PC just for the web.no work on it.

work is on the off line PC If my work is not online no way they can virus it :)

If ya PC ya really need to make back ups and back ups of the back ups.

If my meshes that I have spent 9 years modeling where lost there is no way to replace them.

PC,Macs don't know but I will run PC's cause that is what I am use to not going to change 9 years down the road.

I Thought Hackers are deferent then Viruses coders.

I don't know much about Warz and all but Poser is so cheap,and WarZ don't have all the venders stuff so it would be sorta pointless.

XSI is $7000 Max,Photoshop is always on WarZ so that makes it tempting but you would not get the support,don't think plugs would work,so its sorta worthless.

if ya a professional 3D Artist and it is found out ya using a outlaw version of anything ya ruined and sued cause ya clients would get irate if they cant use what they paid you to use.

Blender,Gimp is Free and there are cheap 2D,3D apps that is legal

so don't know why they exist guess its a kids thing.

Then again I never got why we have governments either,all they do is take 1/2 my money and then get the rest when I need fuel.

RorrKonn
http://www.Atomic-3D.com

Huh... I feel for you with all the weeks of work ahead of you! I've been on the web for 10 years. Seriously, I've no anti-virus software at all. None at all. I don't have a personal firewall, I've never lost any data or files, I've never had a trojan horse, spyware, bots, spiders, key loggers, never had to re-format my hard drive, never re-built my computer, never had to re-install all my software. But, please, don't listen to me. You go right on believing those who'll tell you Macs are just as vulnerable. I mean, they know better, don't they? Don't they?

Elfwine

I don't know enough about PC's Mac web anti viruses software to believe anything one way or the other.

Do not have anything against Mac's.

My PC's are PC's,All my software and meshes are PC's

Main 3D apps plugs are more available for PC's

I do know I am not changing over to a Mac because of all those reasons.

My PC made it 9 years with out anti virus software so that argument is not all that strong.

Mac's can get a virus.

And I would appreciate it if you did not tell me who to believe.

RorrKonn
http://www.Atomic-3D.com

There is this hacker, fairly famous, but I can't remember his name. I'm sure some of the computer wizs here would know his name. He is interviewed once or twice a year on Coast2coast. He hacked into the FBI and other government agencies. Did a few years in jail, not allowed to touch a keyboard. He now contracts to the FBI and others for computer security.

Before anyone starts implying the movie, Hackers. No, this guy is the real deal.

He is the one that I got my information from in his interview, BTW, I think you can find the interviews in the programs archives. He said right up front that macs are not immune to hacking and virus. But most that do this prefer to attack PC's due to the number over Macs. So to show that at rare times, these guys are recruted. No matter how many boils in uncomfortable places we wish on them.

I'm not for or against Macs either, I had only stated what was said. I use a PC for the same reasons as RorrKonn. Wasn't there a Mac virus going around not to long ago?

Oh and I know what you mean about tax and gas.LOL. They just announced that the average price for a house in the city is 410,000. Man, am I glad I live out in the country.

You would be referring to Kevin Mitnick who was part hacker part 'social engineer' - which really separates the men from the boys in that world. :)  It takes more scammer to be the latter, one supposes.
Obviously noone is listening to him about avoiding hacking and social engineering.  There is going to be a piece on internet scams tonight on Dateline - this is the Nigerian scam moved to the neighboring country to avoid the associated stigma.

Always remember these two famous quotes:

*There's a sucker born every minute - and it might just be you!

If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

Yup, Macs can be infected, but not as often.... heck I got a virus on one of my Amigas years ago.  Whole world of no fun..  I agree with Kuroyoume0161..... give me one minute with the little perisher and we'll be have less scriptkittie to worry about!