virustated

when i got to work this morning, lo and behold, all of our computers have viruses in them. gah. and since i'm the local tech-guy (in fact, i'm the only tech-guy), it was my task to clean the dastardly infestation.

good grief.

and the cause for the infestation? usb flashdisks. tsktsktsk...

here are a few pointers to avoid getting infected:
- don't pick anything from the "menu" that pops out, instead, just go to my computer, and on the address bar, type in the drive letter of the flashdisk (e.g. "F:" or "G:" etc.). the reason behind this is because the virus might associate itself with the options in the menu, and we, being the unknowing people that we are, carelessly just click on the menu. voila. instant virus infection.

- if you know that the computer has a virus, please don't plug in your flashdisk (unless you really, REALLY have to). why? logic.

- in the case that your flashdisk gets infected, these are the normal things you look for in your usb drive that would be possible signs of infection:

(to be able to see them, go to "my computer -> tools -> folder options" and under that go to the view tab, and navigate to "show hidden files" and then uncheck the "Hide Protected system files (recommended)" option. now you should be able to see all "hidden" and otherwise potentially hazardous files in your usb. unless of course the option's already been disabled by some virus, which is a whole other story altogether.)

- autorun.inf
- any other .exe, .cmd, and basically any "foreign" file you're sure you didn't put inside the drive are POTENTIALLY HARMFUL

if these files are present, don't double click any of them. just highlight and press "shift+delete" to permanently delete the troublesome files.

- Make sure your antivirus program is always updated. again why? logic.

- Make sure your antivirus program is EFFECTIVE. how? go to forums, ask people, ask friends. i'm sure they'd be able to get their two-cents across. i'd recommend a couple just to give you an idea, and they are, 1) Nod32 Antivirus (excellent antivirus software, but more for the advanced user) and 2) Bit Defender 10 (another excellent antivirus software). Don't take my word for it though, try it out and make sure it fits your preferences.

- And make sure your antivirus program is LEGAL. why? think about it, if you get "pirated" or "cracked" antivirus programs, isn't that basically getting something "defective" already? by the fact that it's CRACKED or HACKED, it's already a sign that it's no good and possibly even has a VIRUS hidden inside. If you can't spare a buck for it, there are a lot of reliable FREE antivirus software around. scrounge the net, you'll find one that fits you.

- finally, if you don't know an application / program, are not familiar with a website or anything else, and are not sure of your antivirus software, do yourself a favor and avoid them. there's great wisdom in the saying, "an ounce of prevention is better than an ounce of cure."


anyway, i'd best get back to fixing these computers. hopefully, i'm able to fix them all in time. yeesh.

(P.S. oh, and another thing, please, PLEASE, ask for help. there are a lot of forums out there that would gladly lend a helping hand to your problem. there's already the magnificent website called google. so google your problem and all sorts of solutions will pop out. try them out. just my two cents. ;P)


strawberries

you are getting more and more significant. i can't help it. i'm just glad, that's all. just to let you know.

oh, and when i told you you were amazing, i really meant you were amazing. there aren't that many people who'd approach a complete stranger to offer them a ride. you should run for office in the future. patok yan, i swear. :P

anyway, i better go. i'll see you soon. be safe ok?