# HATE spyware! HATE malware! HATE viruses!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hate-spyware-hate-malware-hate-viruses/301153
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [April 26, 2005, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hate-spyware-hate-malware-hate-viruses/301153 "2005-04-26T14:33:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2005, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hate-spyware-hate-malware-hate-viruses/301153/1 "2005-04-26T14:33:09Z")
AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!
My work computer, protected by Systemic, by Microsoft AntiSpyware, by Ad-Aware,
has a shitload of crap on it.
From just one site. :mad: :smack: :smack: :mad: :smack:
I went to a site about the Silent Film star, Louise Brooks, & then **BLAMMO!**
I’ve been running the gear like mad, & can’t get rid of it.
My toolbar now includes the words “Ticket”, “Psychic”, “Puzzle”, “Mystic”, & “Psychic Reading”.
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### Author:  [@moi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moi)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2005, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hate-spyware-hate-malware-hate-viruses/301153/2 "2005-04-26T16:11:48Z")
I feel your pain, Bosda.
I use Firefox and recently went to a web site that somehow circumvented that browser and opened up an IE pop up, which promptly congratulated me for installing some search bar.
_beats head on desk_
I had run Ad-Aware the night before and had no issues; this **one** web site gave me 284 critical objects. No foolin’!
I’ve actually had to take my issue to forums specifically for dealing with these malware issues, and we seem to be making some progress at cleaning this up, but it’s a major PITA.
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### Author:  [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2005, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hate-spyware-hate-malware-hate-viruses/301153/3 "2005-04-26T16:42:23Z")
I’m so glad I drive a Mac… 😃
No, wait… I too feel your pain… no I don’t. No spyware, no adware, no malware, no worms, no snakes ,no horses (Trojan or otherwise) no parasites.
I love my Mac…
😛
I’m usually nice, what’s become of me today?
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### Author:  [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hate-spyware-hate-malware-hate-viruses/301153/4 "2005-04-26T17:01:34Z")
I just went through a horrible adware infection nightmare.
I used the procedures detailed on this page to help.
> **[Read & Run Me First Malware Removal Guide (incl. Spyware, Virus, Trojan,...](https://forums.majorgeeks.com/index.php?threads%2F35407%2F)**
>
> See new READ ME PROCESS dated 12-10-16 below or above depending on how you chose to display threads ( oldest first or newest first ).
Clear now 🙂
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### Author:  [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hate-spyware-hate-malware-hate-viruses/301153/5 "2005-04-26T17:08:56Z")
I just got infected with a raft of shitware. I cleaned it all out except for one program which I simply couldn’t get rid of. Finally, I gave up and wiped the drive and reinstalled. All my data was backed up and I figured I’d spend less time reinstalling than battling this demonic piece of shit.
People who write this stuff ought to be castrated. Or at least kicked in the nuts really hard.
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2005, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hate-spyware-hate-malware-hate-viruses/301153/6 "2005-04-26T17:19:09Z")
> [@moi](#):
>
> I feel your pain, Bosda.
>
> I use Firefox and recently went to a web site that somehow circumvented that browser and opened up an IE pop up, which promptly congratulated me for installing some search bar.
>
> _beats head on desk_
>
> I had run Ad-Aware the night before and had no issues; this **one** web site gave me 284 critical objects. No foolin’!
>
> I’ve actually had to take my issue to forums specifically for dealing with these malware issues, and we seem to be making some progress at cleaning this up, but it’s a major PITA.
390 items.
Kill me now. :eek:
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2005, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hate-spyware-hate-malware-hate-viruses/301153/7 "2005-04-26T17:20:24Z")
> [@picunurse](#):
>
> I’m so glad I drive a Mac… 😃
> No, wait… I too feel your pain… no I don’t. No spyware, no adware, no malware, no worms, no snakes ,no horses (Trojan or otherwise) no parasites.
> I love my Mac…
> 😛
> I’m usually nice, what’s become of me today?
It’s my **work** computer.
I get no choice there. :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hate-spyware-hate-malware-hate-viruses/301153/8 "2005-04-26T17:44:15Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#):
>
> It’s my **work** computer.
>
> I get no choice there. :rolleyes:
No kidding.
I have nothing against Macs; on the contrary, I’m considering getting one the next time I need a new computer, because I CAN; I’m not locked in to using Windows by my job or anything.
But you wouldn’t reply to the thread “My car has a flat tire, how can I fix it?” with “Buy a boat - they never get flat tires.” That really isn’t helpful to the large majority of the population.
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### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2005, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hate-spyware-hate-malware-hate-viruses/301153/9 "2005-04-26T17:54:09Z")
> [@moi](#):
>
> I use Firefox and recently went to a web site that somehow circumvented that browser and opened up an IE pop up, which promptly congratulated me for installing some search bar.
>
> _beats head on desk_
That comes as no surprise. It turns out, Firefox is no more immune to spyware than Internet Explorer, [and in some ways it has more vulnerabilities](http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=160900911&pgno=1):
> [@](#):
>
> [_from page three of the article_]
>
> Historically, most of the exploits targeting Web browser vulnerabilities have been directed at Microsoft Internet Explorer, the most widely used Web browser. In response to this, many people in the Internet community have turned to browsers such as Mozilla, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Safari as more secure alternatives. However, as security-conscious users have migrated away from Internet Explorer, attackers have followed suit…
>
> The discovery of vulnerabilities affecting browsers appears to be on the rise, with more Mozilla vulnerabilities documented in this period than those affecting Microsoft Internet Explorer. This runs contrary to a trend seen in previous periods where nearly all browser vulnerabilities affected Microsoft Internet Explorer exclusively.
>
> Between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2004, Symantec documented 13 vulnerabilities affecting Microsoft Internet Explorer. This is notably lower than the 21 vulnerabilities affecting each of the Mozilla browsers that were documented during the same period. Six vulnerabilities were reported in Opera and none in Safari.
If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2005, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hate-spyware-hate-malware-hate-viruses/301153/10 "2005-04-26T18:04:30Z")
If loadza stuff opens up. shift-select them in task manager and end-task. Works a charm.
I do this when I’ve opened fifty calculators for ‘fun’
I hate dogs barking.
With a passion.
If there was a humane (or should that be ‘animane’?) way of disabling a dogs bark. I’d do it in a flaaaash!
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### Author:  [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2005, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hate-spyware-hate-malware-hate-viruses/301153/11 "2005-04-26T18:04:34Z")
I apologize. **Jenaroph** is absolutely right, that wasn’t helpful. :rolleyes: My bad.
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### Author:  [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hate-spyware-hate-malware-hate-viruses/301153/12 "2005-04-26T18:18:31Z")
I’ve ranted about that stuff, so you have my sympathies. Just ignore the idiots who will be along to tell you it’s your fault for browing unsafe sites and accuse you of surfing for porn.
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### Author:  [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2005, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hate-spyware-hate-malware-hate-viruses/301153/13 "2005-04-26T19:19:04Z")
> [@Homebrew](#):
>
> I’ve ranted about that stuff, so you have my sympathies. Just ignore the idiots who will be along to tell you it’s your fault for browing unsafe sites and accuse you of surfing for porn.
Or for not owning a Mac…
We seem to have the viruses pretty much under control. At the moment, spyware is a significantly bigger problem. Is this just because we have been working with viruses for a longer period of time? Will anti-spyware software be as good as current anti-virus software in another three or four years?
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### Author:  [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2005, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hate-spyware-hate-malware-hate-viruses/301153/14 "2005-04-26T19:39:17Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#):
>
> But you wouldn’t reply to the thread “My car has a flat tire, how can I fix it?” with “Buy a boat - they never get flat tires.” That really isn’t helpful to the large majority of the population.
The _clever_ thing to do would be to submit this as a Suggestion Box/Improvement Process/whatever thingit your company uses to feed up ideas. “Hey, let’s ditch some of our Windows PCs for Macs, so we won’t get completely hosed the next time a major virus or trojan or spyware romps through cyberspace.” Toss in some numbers about ROI, TCO, man-hours lost from virus de-festation, and you’re done.
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2005, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hate-spyware-hate-malware-hate-viruses/301153/15 "2005-04-26T19:59:53Z")
> [@rjung](#):
>
> Toss in some numbers about ROI, TCO, man-hours lost from virus de-festation, and you’re done.
Until they find out about the cost. 😃
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### Author:  [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2005, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hate-spyware-hate-malware-hate-viruses/301153/16 "2005-04-26T23:47:47Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#):
>
> Until they find out about the cost. 😃
Mini-Macs 🆒
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### Author:  [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2005, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hate-spyware-hate-malware-hate-viruses/301153/17 "2005-04-27T01:39:05Z")
Is spyware legal?
And if isn’t like everyone else I’d personally like to see the people who create it sliced in half.
I work at home and half the time it takes me three tries to get into our system. I look like I’m a little late for work because some asshole believes in the inherent right to fuck with my private property.
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### Author:  [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2005, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hate-spyware-hate-malware-hate-viruses/301153/18 "2005-04-27T01:55:21Z")
> [@Homebrew](#):
>
> I’ve ranted about that stuff, so you have my sympathies. Just ignore the idiots who will be along to tell you it’s your fault for browing unsafe sites and accuse you of surfing for porn.
Heck, most flash/java game sites are way worse for producing spyware and trojans than porn sites.
😉
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### Author:  [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2005, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hate-spyware-hate-malware-hate-viruses/301153/19 "2005-04-27T02:09:56Z")
Why don’t you PC people (those of you who have the authority to install anything on the machines you use, that is) install a Mac emulator like Basilisk II or SheepShaver and use a virtual Mac to browse the web and handle emails?
Seems like 99% of PC viruses and malware come from either web browsers or email, yes?
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### Author:  [@jsleek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsleek)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2005, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hate-spyware-hate-malware-hate-viruses/301153/20 "2005-04-27T12:45:26Z")
I work for a school district. Lots of little fingers clicking ‘you’re a winner’.
If it weren’t for malware, I’d be driving a bus. Instead, I have a nicer job cleaning out this junk.
Kind of a conflict of interest.
Had a heck of a time with Adrotater. How much viagra does a 3rd grader buy?
(yes, I have Spybot immunization and restricted user privliges. These spyware guys are good at what they do. Kind of makes you proud to be an American.)
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