First windows defender and essential did not run while pc was nearly frozen and task manager also not allowed to run. Resting pc got a different spyware and the ability to dl some antimalware; ad-ware and malwarebytes, one of which killed the second fake antivirus. Now every google link redirects to porn. Mostly what i'm asking is what antimalware do you use?

AVG + SpyBot. Never had a problem.

Until i disregarded google's security warning i also never had a problem without any antivirus except the one that came with windows. Does avg have a rootkit remover? What if windows is dead, what do i do then aside from window's own repair.

I got windows defender running, set UAC to ask me before programs do bullshit on their own and avira is in the background. Did you download obscure programs and ran them? Also what browser?

Reinstalling windows on top is ususally faster than fixing in case of severe damage or try a rollback, if you have that enabled.

I haven't had spyware problems in years on XP, not even once on 7 and I only run anti-spyware stuff every quarter year at most.

Mse is quite fine for av, however, no solution is bulletproof and if you turn off uac in win7 you are hanging a welcome banner for malware and virus.

I wrote a little proggie a while back than can help you quite a bit. Google #WinHOSTS, its on the it magique site.

But yeah, basically what rattle said.

I always run as administrator. I'm not some peasant 'user'.

Been running Microsoft Security Essentials and no other security programs for a long time now. Also never used UAC, first thing I do when I get a new PC is turn UAC completely off. Haven't had any Malware problems since I used Windows XP about 5 years ago when I used all sorts of different security programs such as Kaspersky, Bitdefender, Bullguard, McAfee etc.

Seems like the best weapon against nasties is still using your head.

Im only programming spyware for admins, not for some un-pleasant user. But yeah, thats microsofts security architecture for you. If everybody turns your measures off,because you cant move with them, sudo, open the door.

Are we sure this isn't spam?

Anyway... I use spybot S&D when things get bad... they have a bootable CD version now which should be able to get in there and root out even the most entrenched infection
http://www.safer-networking.ie/business/live-cd/ (though you have to pay for it)

Windows Defender / Security Essentials is a decent basic level of protection... keep windows up to date and don't use Internet Explorer ever and be careful what you execute and you should be OK... But like they said above, no defence is impenetrable, eventually someone codes something that get's past even the best defences and you need to root it out.

dimm has 277 posts. If this is spam, he has serious commitment to the bit.

sudo hotbabes.exe

there was a report i read recently, ironically it wasnt even the usual porn suspects (porn) who were the most guilty of maleware (although i want to see the guy who admits it to his tech-expert of choice).

"What a strange virus that was, loading tons of fat-scat-porn."

Okay, nobody knows which side it blows.

</thread>

I use norton360, it is suspicious, paranoid and trusts nothing. It occasionally questions where the spring installer is legit.

I had - and hate AV.. it even doesent trusts your judgment. It killed the executables assembler forged without even asking. Strange linker error? Not really.

Dont even think about it citizen...

Im still waiting for a Virus that relys on genetic algorithms, and is able to improve itself via testing on virtual maschines, then sending it elsewhere so its homebase may not be infected. Sort of the melding plague of the intertubes.

I use no anti-malware, no anti-virus, and no firewall (on windows 7, obviously I also don't use anything on linux).
The reason is that I don't need protection, and the way most of the software provides protection is flawed (virus definitions don't really help against anything new)*. Best way of being protected is by updating your system frequently.

*PS: Every time a friend of mine finds a new 0-day exploit in a software, he also notices that it doesn't get flagged by any of the major anti-virus software. Luckily he sends that to a security-consulting company or something similar that eventually sends stuff upstream.

Condoms don't protect 100% from stds so you should never wear one, just stay healthy.

In your metaphor how do you define Linux users?

pointless to have a condom with holes

linux users shaking there head about the aids of the windows world.

"Mumy, why does that man over there having a hat on the street where everybody throws money in? "
"Guess its because he is into Numismatik, and everyone wants to donate into his expanding collection."

condoms with holes are not working as intended. Working as intended a condom is a flawed invention, just like an anti-virus. Defense will always be beaten because you may spend years building it, once it is built people can spend all their time trying to circumvent it.

There are those who argue that at least a defense of some kind will at least catch most, the rest requires vigilance. So does that mean that it'll be perfect? such a thing is impossible. However to say, well, we can afford a condom, it works for most thing and while it may mildly desensitize us, the sex will be just as good hey great. However, if the drive for sensation is bigger for you, perhaps opting for no protection works for you.

To me, the perspective that an anti-virus is flawed by design and refusing to use one because it doesn't protect against every type of attack feels like an imbalanced perspective.