# Installing a virus on purpose
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-a-virus-on-purpose/159731
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 7, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-a-virus-on-purpose/159731 "2003-03-07T15:46:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Ottoerotic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ottoerotic)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-a-virus-on-purpose/159731/1 "2003-03-07T15:46:51Z")
Okay, not on my computer I admit. But on my grandmother’s.
She just got a computer and is constantly calling over to my house to have me either come over and help her send a two sentence e-mail, or even worse try and talk her through it over the phone.
I don’t think I can take this anymore. I’ve heard of some viruses that give a remote user control of anothers computer. (Actually now that I think about it, I believe some buisness tech support use this method)
If I could find some free-ware, (most viruses are free right? 🙂 )
and install it, I can’t even begin to tell you all the frustration this would save me. Not being the hacker type, I have no idea how to go about getting my hands on some of this stuff.
So if anyone knows ways to do this (a virus is hopefully my last option) I would be eternally grateful.
Thanks alot.
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-a-virus-on-purpose/159731/2 "2003-03-07T15:51:21Z")
Windows XP has Remote Assistance. If you both have XP you can help her without ever leaving your house.
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### Author:  [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-a-virus-on-purpose/159731/3 "2003-03-07T16:02:46Z")
A virus is the wrong idea, if you or your grandmother don’t have XP, there are free remote access applets all over the world.
here is one… I have not used it myself though…
[http://downloads-zdnet.com.com/3000-2085-10045255.html](http://downloads-zdnet.com.com/3000-2085-10045255.html)
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-a-virus-on-purpose/159731/4 "2003-03-07T16:33:37Z")
I’ve used VNC – it’s a good answer and doesn’t pose the security problems using a trojan horse program would.
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### Author:  [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2003, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-a-virus-on-purpose/159731/5 "2003-03-07T16:43:41Z")
Or there is always Symantec’s PC-Anywhere program.
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### Author:  [@micco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micco)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2003, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-a-virus-on-purpose/159731/6 "2003-03-07T17:24:39Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \*
> \*\*I’ve used VNC – it’s a good answer and doesn’t pose the security problems using a trojan horse program would. \*\*
VNC is functionally equivalent to trojans like BackOrifice in many respects. The only differences between a trojan and a remote access utility is who installs it and who has access to it. People can and do scan for installs of VNC and PCAnywhere just like they’d scan for trojan listeners. If you install VNC and choose a weak password, you’re inviting the world to access your machine. On the other hand, if you install BackOrifice and secure it properly, it can be used as a remote access utility without consequence.