Can Vista get infected by a virus?

I went by what the world was saying, that there are no viruses for Vista (yet) and didn't install any Antivirus.

For these few months, I've not had a problem of viruses. Even when someone's infected pen drive was inserted, I didn't allow the exe to run. Even my UAC was turned on.

But today, when my friend's infected pen drive was inserted on my Vista PC, it didn't show me any warning sign. But an hour later, my HDD is filled with EXEs which look like folders. Thousands of them. and I've seen this behavior in my XP installation before...

Just wondering, is it possible? Even if I take the possibility that my friend inserted the pen drive and selected "allow this software to run" in the autorun that pops up...

R

Why not??
security can always be bypassed/compromised so nothing is full proof.
Vista is better secured..........................but that does not make it 100% full proof.

Well GX keeps saying there are no viruses yet...

A

yes friend why not security can broken.

I used windows XP without antivirus for 2 years. For that I had to make sure that the dvd, cd , floppy or pen drive is virus free before inserting. For browsing I had to use naviscope to know what I was downloading and manually cancel stuff like xxxtoolbar.exe. If you want to live a bit more carefree get nod32 antivirus which is good for PCs connected to net. Vista may be more secure but you will definitely need an antivirus sooner or later. My PC didnt get a virus since 2001.

Hmm.. I was on under the impression that earlier viruses can't affect Vista... something like how it is on my Mac. I plug in whatever pen drive with any number of viruses and I can just clear them all without a problem.

Guess its not so secure after all...

yes this is what i said when GX said that there are "no viruses" for vista. bullsh!t..... there are viruses which were written during the time of xp and earlier which affect vista. but only some widespread viruses haf been natively blocked.

so GX stop singing the tune that there are "no viruses" for vista and praka stop this advertising! help goobi instead of starting a fite whether linux can be plaugued by viruses or not!!

goobi, now that its already infected do this. get a usb drive or a cdrw. download and install portable clamwin on some other system and update it. now run ur vista in safe mode and scan and clean thru this clamwin AV (copy it to either a usb drive or burn it into a cd). alternatively u may also copy an installed and updated nod32 from \program files\eset folder to usb or burn to cdrw and run it to clean in safe mode.

if ur hardware is not recognized in safe mode then burn either or both the AVs onto a cd and scan from a normal boot.

I hv mentioned it in Point 5 of this thread:

*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=61413

I hv fixed this virus many times in my friends computers. It creates "parent_folder_name.exe" file in each folder.

Thanks Vishal. Didn't know that thread existed. (though I must admit, the solution isn't all thaat helpful).

Will install a 30 day trial of Kaspersky 6... it has worked for me before...

S

get nod32 and clean it . it worked for me . even kaspersky 6 will do the job i think as i had used it once .

goobimama said:
Thanks Vishal. Didn't know that thread existed. (though I must admit, the solution isn't all thaat helpful).

Will install a 30 day trial of Kaspersky 6... it has worked for me before...

Sorry buddy but I removed that virus in my friend's comp a few days before posting that thread, so I can't remember exact entries name.

But for a hint, when u'll scan with HijackThis, u'll get 2 or more entries having am exe file having random characters in its name, like ssccvhost.exe or something like that. One will be in "explorer.exe" entry.

Also there will be an entry like Disable regedit=1, fix it also.

Thats it. U can also post the HijackThis log file contents here and it'll be my pleasure to help u.

format and re-install :lol:

M

thread cleaned up. If you have something to say about goobimama's problems then post in this thread or keep off with the trolling.

just use the brontok removal tool & run in safe mode.

actually, every comp can get a virus, even macs do. So don't believe ur GX.

format and re-install

Nice advice. Thanks a lot.

actually, every comp can get a virus, even macs do. So don't believe ur GX.

Macs have a virus? Since when?

Thanks GX, will try that brontok thing....

L

cooldudie3 said:
actually, every comp can get a virus, even macs do. So don't believe ur GX.

well yeah I can't believe some people don't think virus can hurt them, if you can get them on your phone or anything that connects to the net now a days. sure cuz Vista is new they aren't specifically designed to strike vista... just give it a while. and yes Macs do have virus's. hey look at the new MAC's OS Tiger can run windows as well! try ewido's online scan (www.ewido.net) I swear by it. not sure if hijackthis is Vista compatible ( can't see why it wouldn't be) if u can run that. I can't believe MR. Vista's (Vishal Gupta) solution didn't work!!! :shock:

ranjan2001 said:
Why not??
security can always be bypassed/compromised so nothing is full proof.
Vista is better secured..........................but that does not make it 100% full proof.

this is the perfect answer to the question that any thing is not fool proof

Normally people don't attack people that have macs or vista because not much people use them. but some people still will attack vistas and macs. but it's not common. so it's still best to install an anti-virus

P.S. I've been using my xp for years and it's never got a virus

macs do get viruses

ofcouse it can be infected with virus...recently my system was affected by a worm bronto bro...