Microsoft & Service Packs & Internet

Why does a person have to use his computer online? The fact is that no company can protect themselves from virus writers. You have Service Pack upgrades but 4/5 of the service pack is nothing more than the company protecting itself from virus infiltration. There isn't much actual quality added in a service pack. It all has to do with internet corruption. For all we know, Microsoft along with Security programmers at Norton go out and create these viruses on purpose so that they can force people to upgrade their software and purchase their products.

I don't know many people that don't feel that MS has screwed them. As a programmer I wonder about my strategy. I think I might opt out of the internet and build stand alone applications. Life would be a heck of a lot more peaceful.

I really don't think there is a need for them to create the viruses, worms, etc. There are enough people out there who really like to create those things.

Having the latest service pack or version of a piece of software will not do it.

You need to have good antivirus software and keep it updated constantly. You need to make sure that the security settings on your OS and browser are set correctly.

A good firewall is a good idea- especially if you are not on a dial-up but are connected constantly.

You did not get the virus by simply visiting a website- unless you have your browser so wide open that you allow any site you visit to download whatever it wants onto your machine.

Nothing happens on your computer unless you allow it to happen. (From what I've heard about XP this may change but for now it is an accurate statement.)

As far as I know I didn't open any attachment or anything like that. I had my browser on medium security and I was running all the latest updates. I still somehow got this virus. I can't get rid of it because I have a pirated copy of Win2K and I can't re-install, no CD KEY :+)

Can you honestly say that computer virii are going to go away or that Microsoft is going to be able to protect the public from crackers? It actually seems to be getting worse, not better.

I think that I could get about 95% of the value out of my computer if I didn't have it hooked up to the internet. I could certainly learn C/C++ and make stand alone applications. I'm just starting to seriously question the internet. I have not made any firm decision, but I don't know if the internet is such a good idea. Nobody in the world can protect their systems. The viruses are unstoppable and they are getting more sophisticated. I might just keep a really cheap computer as a portal to the internet and isolate my expensive system.

give it a few years and M$ will monopolize viri codes aswell!
:)

> I have a pirated copy of Win2K and I can't re-install, no CD KEY <

::knock...knock:: at your front door... don't ever admit that just say you lost the CD or something...

try searching google you'll find one soon enough...

>I might just keep a really cheap computer as a portal to the internet and isolate my expensive system.

That's not a bad idea if you're really that afraid of viruses (viri, whatever... Y'know, I move that every plural word be ended with an i rather than an s.... progi, monitori, etc.)

I'm on a linux server and it got me, too. Only my web site , that is.
You got trashed via email, right witch king? What happened;
you opened it without looking? It was an executable attachment
right. I'm curious because I'm under the impression only
executables can unleash a virus.

rick barclay

You don't have to open an attachment. You just have to double click the message and expand the message box. I think I'll just use hotmail from now on. Outlook Express does not offer any protection.

why the hell are you using Outlook, its scum! Horrible, M$ and the target for every mail virus on earth!

If you dont want to use web based mail at least use a decent mail client like Pegasus!

I use Outlook Express.:D lol me.

rick barclay

Is Hotmail any better?