# Is This A Virus? Or, Other Rogue...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-virus-or-other-rogue/308671>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 17, 2005, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-virus-or-other-rogue/308671 "2005-06-17T07:05:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-virus-or-other-rogue/308671/1 "2005-06-17T07:05:58Z")

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I am getting a messing saying my PC needs to be rebooted to implement new updates, or words to that effect. There is a counter telling me the PC will reboot in 5 minutes, but I can cancel and reboot later. However, I have gotten this message twice now in the last ten minutes, or so…

Although I have Macafee, this does not seem like the typical “M.O.” for a Macafee update. Does anyone know if this is legit? Could the recent virus called “W32/Sober.p@mm” be causing this?

Thanks,

- Jinx

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**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-virus-or-other-rogue/308671/2 "2005-06-17T07:32:57Z")

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What brand of PC and what OS do you have? I have seen Dells and HPs lately with auto-update features that do this sort of thing automatically on the assumption that their target audience is completely computer illiterate, which it often enough is.

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-virus-or-other-rogue/308671/3 "2005-06-17T07:53:49Z")

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I’m surprised they wouldn’t give me the right to see more details, or override totally. It’s still popping up about every ten minutes. - Jinx

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**Author:** ![dlack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@dlack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dlack)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-virus-or-other-rogue/308671/4 "2005-06-17T12:59:47Z")

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Windows Update does this on Windows XP with Service Pack 2.

Is your computer set to automatically download and install updates?

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**Author:** ![whatsittoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@whatsittoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whatsittoya)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-virus-or-other-rogue/308671/5 "2005-06-17T16:48:48Z")

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Yep, if its XP you are talking about, the latest security update requires a restart and the bloody thing keeps trying to reboot every 5 min until you let it. When it did this to me I was in the middle of somthing and had to keep canceling for over a half hour.