oh man, not a virus!! D:

Started by Meganium July 18th, 2013 3:29 PM
  • 2152 views
  • 38 replies

Meganium

memento mori

she/her
Houston, TX
Seen February 1st, 2023
Posted February 1st, 2023
Getting a virus, or other form of computer malware is the absolute worst thing that could happen to your computer. Sometimes they can be removed easily using your Antivirus, other times, you may have to shell out a few bucks or so and let the professionals do their job. Viruses and malware aren't just computer things, you can also get them in tablets and smartphones (even I was mindblown by that when I was first told xD). There's a plethora of antiviruses for you to buy or download, some of them work extensively to keep your computer protected, some are just plain dumb and only just bloat your computer.

Tell us your virus stories! Have you ever had a virus or a form of malware before? If you had a computer virus in the past, were you able to get rid of it?

What Antivirus do you currently use?

Miss Doronjo

Gaiden

Age 30
Male
Toronto, Ontario
Seen August 20th, 2015
Posted September 4th, 2013
4,473 posts
12.6 Years
Once upon a time when I was younger, I was really, really, careless with my main computer up to the point on where I've had 50 viruses on it. .___. It took about 45 minutes to clean up... ergh. Fortunately that was in the past now, and I'm using avast!, plus I'm really, really careful on what websites I visit. ^^;;

Hawthorne Guardian
Moderator of Video Games
Paired to: Perdition Haze

Pokémon:PhoenixRising
Sylvie

Purple Materia

Shape the future!

Age 28
Male
Seen April 12th, 2014
Posted August 20th, 2013
783 posts
12.7 Years
ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4 and Malwarebytes. That's all I've used for years and I've had no problems.

Back in the day, I used to use some form of Norton that came free with our SBC Global subscription. I remember it sucking hard. Then I learned how to clean infections and haven't had a problem since.

"I have fallen from the Land of Magic. I am Stardust Witch Meruru!"
Combat Arms | Raptr | Hummingbird | Last.fm

Tsutarja

Age 28
he / him
Florida
Seen 4 Hours Ago
Posted 13 Hours Ago
27,327 posts
13.2 Years
I've used Microsoft Security Essentials since 2011 and have had the best luck with it since. I also have Malwarebytes on my system for the once-in-a-while scan that I do to really ensure my system is protected.

Before MSE, I had Norton on my systems and it was slow as hell, and it actually had gotten me some viruses, just can't remember how many.

If I went for a paid antivirus though, I would probably use ESET NOD32 as I've heard nothing but good about it, but I just don't think paying for an antivirus program is my thing, even though it guarantees quality.

Starry Windy

Everything will be Daijoubu.

Male
Liberty Garden
Seen April 28th, 2020
Posted April 28th, 2020
9,307 posts
10.4 Years
I did get some virus, but it's on many years ago, back then I have to ask the pros to delete them. But now I managed to careful to not letting any virus go through, that my PC is safe for now.

And currently I used Avira to protect me.

Callīope

█ uranianUmbra

Female
Kansas, USA
Seen July 20th, 2013
Posted July 19th, 2013
51 posts
10.9 Years
I use AVG, and I've had this computer almost two years, and only recently have been getting any threats. AVG gets rid of them easy enough. I know some people say it's not the best program, but it's certainly not the worst either.

- also Drew.

paired to timaeusTestified

this is how to be a heart breaker
boys, they like a little danger.
i la-la-la-la-love you. ❤
[S] The Prince is Awake.
tumblr || EGC || flavors.me

antemortem

rest after tomorrow

Age 24
he/they
Los Angeles
Seen June 15th, 2022
Posted June 14th, 2022
7,467 posts
11.3 Years
Like some others in this thread, I also use AVG free and it's the best I've used so far. Norton is incompatible with far too many things and McAfee is too unreliable from my history with it. As for having a serious virus before, I'm not sure that I have, though there's been countless cases of malware (most somewhat malicious!) but I've never been through anything too bad.
TURN ON THE BRIGHT LIGHTS

Megan

She/Her, It/Its
Seen 8 Hours Ago
Posted 14 Hours Ago
17,811 posts
10.3 Years
I use Linux and I think that should suffice as an answer :D

Even on Windows I don't remember having any virus at all. As an antivirus programm I'm using Avast on my Windows installation, which does the job pretty well.
Moderator of Previous Generations, Forum Games and VPP
You got a thing!

Catalyst.

Nothing of significance

Male
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Seen December 29th, 2013
Posted November 15th, 2013
126 posts
10.5 Years
I don't run an anti-virus program on Windows. I'm just really careful with what I install. I usually end up intentionally nuking everything and reinstalling Windows at least once a month anyway, either because I feel it needs it or because I've broken something messing with GParted, so if I ever get infected it's not a huge loss anyway.

*prepares for influx of comments telling him to reconsider*

twocows

The not-so-black cat of ill omen

Age 32
Male
Michigan
Seen February 19th, 2023
Posted April 30th, 2021
4,307 posts
14.2 Years
At my old workplace, I had to clean a computer that had been infected with a particularly awful virus. Eventually, I just decided to wipe it and start over. I guess it infected the boot sector or something, because even after wiping and reinstalling Windows, it still acted wonky. I had to use a Kaspersky tool that was specifically made to get rid of it to fix it. I don't remember the name of it, but man, that thing was a pain in the ass.
VNs are superior to anime, don't @ me
Male
Hoenn, probably.
Seen December 31st, 2020
Posted January 26th, 2019
146 posts
11.3 Years
I have multiple computers at home and for some reason I like to run different antivirus programs on them... eheh. I use Avast! on my iMac, Kaspersky on my Windows desktop, and Bitdefender on my Windows laptop. When my subscriptions run out, I'll just run Avast! on all of them. It'll be much cheaper. (since it's free!) I'll just install Malwarebytes as a precaution.
No need to worry.

droomph

weeb

Age 26
Male
nowhere spectacular
Seen February 1st, 2017
Posted January 3rd, 2017
4,282 posts
11.7 Years
Well, Macs can't get viruses because nobody has bothered! I'm sure that I'll get a virus soon enough, but the thing is other than a couple --ahem-- illegal activities I really don't download anything from a shady-looking plain HTML page :p

Though I did download Linux and Windows 7 on Virtual Box, but if that goes down the hillick I can just reinstall everything :p

I don't run an anti-virus program on Windows. I'm just really careful with what I install. I usually end up intentionally nuking everything and reinstalling Windows at least once a month anyway, either because I feel it needs it or because I've broken something messing with GParted, so if I ever get infected it's not a huge loss anyway.

*prepares for influx of comments telling him to reconsider*
HA I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW I ONLY WAS GOING TO TELL YOU TO GET A BACKUP DRIVE
did u no there r 21 letters in the alphabet
o i forgot 5
uraqt


Brendino

The Ruins of Alph
Seen 5 Days Ago
Posted April 6th, 2023
8,567 posts
13.5 Years
Up until sometime last year, I'd been using the free version of Avast for my anti-virus, and I'd never had any problems with it. I ended up getting an extra code from a family member that paid for Norton 360 Premier, though, so I switched over to that. It honestly seems to be working as well as Avast does, but I'll probably end up switching back to it once the program period runs out or I get a new computer (whichever comes first), just since the free version already did what I needed it to.

And considering how old my computer is, I've been fortunate enough to never get anything more than the occasional malware, whereas my dad and sister have both had their laptops hit with a number of viruses in the past.

Amore

Seen 31 Minutes Ago
Posted 31 Minutes Ago
5,243 posts
13.7 Years
Tell us your virus stories! Have you ever had a virus or a form of malware before? If you had a computer virus in the past, were you able to get rid of it?

What Antivirus do you currently use?
Yes. My old PC had more viruses than your average hospital. We had to get the pros out, who then took it away for a few days to fix it. Kept getting these problems (me and my brother in particular were a little less savvy about our downloads then), until we got Malwarebytes Antimalware to go with AVG Free.

Now, on my Mac, I've never had a virus (touch wood). I use iAntivirus because it's free and I'm not a moron with my downloads, plus most viruses are designed for PCs.

I have nothing on my iPod, and my phone's a relic so doesn't need it.

Sheep

She/Her
Australia
Seen 12 Hours Ago
Posted 15 Hours Ago
39,266 posts
16.6 Years
I've gotten several viruses when I had a Windows laptop and they were always fixed through either a scan or system restore. I've had some strange viruses but none of them were really that threatening in the long run. Now that I use a Mac, I've had no viruses though. :D

ClamXav is my antivirus program of choice on my Macbook.

Meaii

The countdown begins ...

Male
England
Seen October 29th, 2013
Posted October 3rd, 2013
86 posts
9.9 Years
So many viruses, I can hardly count! My Microsoft Security Essentials has been through so much in it's painful life. Fixing viruses on my piece of junk metal is a pain, I can't go on it or do anything for 2 to 3 days, and it destroys my electricity bill. >0< Most of the viruses were caused by me raging because I couldn't download games quick enough or play them efficiently, so I tried to download RAM and more space. Oh I'm such a derp.

23 days until~

[TTOTD]maxie526

Leader of the TTOTD clan

Age 26
Male
Norway
Seen November 8th, 2015
Posted October 30th, 2015
10 posts
9.8 Years
Viruses and malware aren't just computer things, you can also get them in tablets and smartphones (even I was mindblown by that when I was first told xD).
Of course you can. Everything which has some sort of OS (operating system) can get a virus. Doesn't matter if it's a Mac, iPad, iPhone, iPod, a PC with Linux, or even an old Nokia. The reason why Apple has said many times that Mac is 100% virus proof is because not many people could afford a Mac, therefore hackers didn't bother making viruses when so few people have a Mac. But these days far more people have one, so Mac is pretty much as vulnerable to viruses as Windows is.
Age 26
Male
California, United States
Seen August 24th, 2016
Posted April 14th, 2014
128 posts
10.7 Years
On this computer (the one I'm typing this on), I've had only one major virus infect my system. It was so bad that I almost broke down and asked my dad if he could reset my entire computer. Almost. To give you an idea of how bad it was...I could barely run this thing in Safe Mode without it crashing and restarting. Luckily I consulted a site that has experts on removing all sorts of malware. They identified the problem and had it fixed within 2 weeks. Fearing some low-life stole usernames/passwords from my computer, I changed most of them after it was fixed. So...lucky me I guess?

The ironic thing is that I still don't have an active anti-spyware/AV tool on my computer (the best I have is Microsoft Security Essentials, and I don't really believe in stock tools)

IggyKoopa

#429: magical pokémon

Rochester, NY
Seen May 3rd, 2017
Posted March 25th, 2016
384 posts
9.7 Years
(as this was meant to be its own thread, I shall edit: )

You know the "your computer has lots of viruses it you need this obvious scam to fix it" phone call? Have any of you ever gotten it? What did you do with the person on the other end? Has someone you know ever fallen for it?

(sorry for the hijacking, but the mods moved it)

skyluigi2

Male
United Kingdom
Seen October 4th, 2022
Posted July 21st, 2019
988 posts
13.6 Years
I've gotten a similar one, that went something like this: "Hello, I'm from Microsoft, and I hear you've been having problems with your computer...? We'd like to offer you this fantastic deal to sort out your proble- *sound of me slamming phone down*".
Calls like that get me so mad.

Tsutarja

Age 28
he / him
Florida
Seen 4 Hours Ago
Posted 13 Hours Ago
27,327 posts
13.2 Years
90FC3C, I have merged your thread into this thread. It is on a similar topic already about viruses, and it wasn't older than 30 days.