It's not that they're immune or anything, it's just that there are SO many more PC users that they're more practical targets for which to write virus code. It's not worth their time to write more sophisticated code for more sophisticated systems (like Macs), so they usually don't.

It's not that they're immune or anything, it's just that there are SO many more PC users that they're more practical targets for which to write virus code. It's not worth their time to write more sophisticated code for more sophisticated systems (like Macs), so they usually don't.

Spill!

Laptop is all cleaned up, tuned up, and armed & dangerous for the future.

Got a REALLY good local computer guru watchin' my back now.



But man......who would've thought just watching a YouTube video could be so dangerous. I didn't even download anything or open any attachments. It was a poster's virus-ridden ad!



I also found out the REAL reason Macs don't get many viruses. Ha!

Love how the talk always devolves into something along the lines of my religion is better than your religion.

Sure gets old after a while.
As with any advice on this forum, it's as good as what you paid for it. Perhaps more, perhaps less.

ScottFromWyoming wrote:

It came out of the gates that way.

If you think you have a clean system that's set up exactly how you like it, CLONE that HD to a second drive, and save your documents, music, etc to a 3rd drive.

And by the way, I still wonder how many everyday crashes/corrupt files/bugs are attributed to viruses.

Love how the talk always devolves into something along the lines of my religion is better than your religion.

Sure gets old after a while.
As with any advice on this forum, it's as good as what you paid for it. Perhaps more, perhaps less.

And GOOD LUCK trying to ever 100% completely uninstall either POS!

Thanks, I sort of already did this about a year ago....loaded three of the best malware finders/cleaners and kept updating them.

And Sir D, I just might get Norton next time I get a computer, because so far I've come across nothing that catches and quarantines BEFORE it grabs access to my computer. At least not 100%.

Manbird.....I am not in a good financial place to buy a Mac right now. In fact, when this laptop dies (which might be sooner than I think), I'll have to just live with a desktop until my income improves.

Of course these things happen at the absolute most inconvenient and difficult times.

I've had better luck with Eusings Reg Cleaner. It always finds more things than CCleaner.

CCleaner's built-in reg cleaner does a respectable job in the registry.

The wisest thing a Windows user can do, beyond the obvious of having a good anti-virus package, plus something like Malwarebytes, is to keep vulnerable software on their computer system up to date. Add-ons like Java and Flash routinely are neglected when it comes to keeping the system as secure as possible. But that's a pain. More work!

Instead, use this great utility to keep an eye on the whole system. And follow its recommendations promptly. Good to go.

Secunia PSI

Oh, and Java and Flash? Yeah - any exploits deployed that an unprotected web visitor has the misfortune to run into will affect Mac computers too. Sorry to rain on that Mac-fanboi parade.

CCleaner's built-in reg cleaner does a respectable job in the registry.

I strongly recommend not installing Norton. It has become a HUGE pile of bloatware, causing far more problems than it helps solve. The same with McAfee. And AWG, once a darling a few years ago, has fallen from grace.

I'm having great success with the free Microsoft Security Essentials, believe it or not.

And if a machine is going to get infected with malware, it's certainly going to be this one I use at work! I religiously perform a complete system scan every Monday afternoon as I prepare to head home, letting the software do its thing. A simple reboot the next morning and it's back to the races.

Of course, we're also sitting behind a decent firewall—a key component to any PC security. That, and a modern, up-to-date browser that, on its own, does a fair job of sensing infected sites.

I am also convinced they give grants to malware authors to keep the flow of new stuff coming so they can make money selling you their bloatware to remove them.

And GOOD LUCK trying to ever 100% completely uninstall either POS!

I agree with Jagdriver about Norton and McAfee . Total bloatware, slowed everything down and they were always annoying you with ways to try and get more money from you. I used to love AVG but I use Malwarebytes instead but now use Mac exclusively.