Doesn't bother me, though I don't have any Birkenstocks. I probably have more online hours than most of the people on the board and have yet to get infected with anything running OSX. Doesn't really matter what the reason is and I don't care about market share. It is a non-issue at this point. I can't say the same thing about my son's laptop running windows. And given the number of threads on PPOT about windows viruses and malware, it appears to be significant with MS operating systems.

If someone asks about a solution for not having to deal with viruses and malware, to-date "running a Mac" is still a viable answer. It just may not be the best answer or the one that they want to hear :D

I've had PCs that were online 24x7 for about 12 years, IIRC. I've had virii/trojans/etc... come to the PC, but I don't remember it ever being infected. I'm trying to remember how many times over the years I've been infected. I think the first was back in the late 80s and came from an infected floppy disk. I think I have had a virus since I got on the Internet, but it was back in my Win 95 and dial up days, or maybe Win 98 SE.

I actually went for many years without virus protection at all and had no issues.

A big part of staying clean with a Windows PC is knowing what to do and what not to do online.

so you're saying stupid people should buy macs :D

Hahah, well, I'm not sure I'd put it like that exactly....

;)

:D

Just got an email from a friend who said his daughter's PC is not running and "some program is asking for $ to register", so there's another one for me to fix tomorrow...

Resorting to an in place install on mine. This is going to take hours.

I have not experienced this one yet. But, I am sure it is just a matter of time until someone calls me to fix it for them. Has anyone tried this fix yet?

Remove Win 7 Antispyware 2012 and Vista Antivirus 2012 name changing rogue (Uninstall Guide)

Fixed'er for ya!

Sent from an iMac SmileWavy

I'll be cleaning up a Lenovy Y550 laptop later today, I'll let you guys know how it went...

Finally! The in place install worked for me. I can get online again. I started at around 8 last night and it finished sometime in the middle of the night.

I tried this and everything else, but only after I had manually removed a part of it and it killed a portion of networking on my laptop. Nothing works if you get in my situation, other than an in place install or full install.

Buy a Windows machine and support the computer support industry!

I have an automatic Symantec scan scheduled for my PC twice a week. This morning before the scan began everything is operating as usual. The scan begins and takes about 30 minutes and I continue to websurf. The scan finds four problems and quarantines and deletes them. This is rare/odd that it has found 4 at once. After they are deleted I notice that my favorites bar (IE) is blank, I click on the favorites tab and ALL my favorites are gone. I had HUNDREDS of sites in folders; all gone. The history is still there but not all of it. Some sites that I know I visited yesterday are not in the history. Also ALL my icons on my desktop are gone.

Also when I try to rebuild my list of sites and want to name a folder "Auto Forums" I get a message that the folder name already exists. So are my favs hidden somewhere?

I know I can rebuild the list but what a PITA. Anyone know how to restore the list?

It just got worst................it wiped my C drive.

Not much on it but it's gone.

I'm puter dumb but I *think* some of these "fixes" go kill "exe" (execute) commands with a broad brush......see your other thread.

Everyone who has viewed or posted on this thread has been infected with a virus.

Is that why my nose is running....or is it that white powder?

Used the Windows 7 "System Restore" utility and restored everything like it was 2 days ago, before the Trojan (Alureate, or something like that...) got on the laptop and everything is OK now. Took about 30 minutes...

Yes, that's a recent one. A bunch of your stuff gets hidden so you think it's gone, but it's not. I think my wife got it earlier this year.

Remove Windows Recovery (Uninstall Guide)

My Documents and IE Favorites hidden by "Windows Recovery" - Microsoft Answers

https://www.google.com/search?q=desktop+icons+and+documents+hidden&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a#pq=desktop+icons+and+documents+hidden&hl=en&cp=1 9&gs_id=5i&xhr=t&q=windows+recovery+virus&tok=6Jbp pgY5jr3f3RVUezzZhw&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&client=firefox-a&hs=Qme&rls=org.mozilla:en-US%3Aofficial&source=hp&pbx=1&oq=windows+recovery+ vi&aq=0&aqi=g4&aql=&gs_sm=&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_g c.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=ea6ae9a9dec1fb30&biw=1309&bih=78 2

Hearing this, I am so happy my family switched to Mac. Supporting the entire family with their PCs became a chore. I just hope I don't get this virus on my work PC.

So what site are you guys going to, to get these viruses? Sounds like a nightmare.

My father opened an email from "UPS", along with an attachment because he was curious. My friend's daughter still doesn't know where she went or what she did to get infected...