I need help

[HAULN-SS]

writing zeroes != regular format

edit: nevermind..misread..but yes, some viruses can survive a regular format

edit again:

for example


Once the CIH virus activates, the virus attempts to erase the entire hard drive and to overwrite the system BIOS. Some machines may require a new BIOS chip to recover if overwritten by the CIH virus. CIH only affects Win95/98 machines.

You may have heard of this as the Chernobyl virus - so theres another possibility - but, doing some quick research, there are a lot of viruses that can reside in the master boot record, and may or may not be wiped depending on the type of format. Writing zeroes and doing a low level format would ensure those types of viruses are gone.

[Feersty]

Here are my CPU Usage zapping processes. CPU usage is 100% and this is in safe mode. I get a blue screen when trying to start in normal:

explorer.exe
svchost.exe
SERVICES.exe
taskmgr.exe
CSRSS.exe
lsass.exe
winlogon.exe
SMSS.exe
System
WinMgmt.exe
System Idle Process.

[ViPER1313]

Download the program found at <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.ewido.net/en/download/">http://www.ewido.net/en/download/</a><!-- m --> along with the full set of stand alone updates found at <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://downloads.ewido.net/avgas-signatures-full-current.exe">http://downloads.ewido.net/avgas-signat ... urrent.exe</a><!-- m --> . Also download <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://stevengould.org/downloads/cleanup/CleanUp452.exe">http://stevengould.org/downloads/cleanup/CleanUp452.exe</a><!-- m --> .

1. Boot into safemode.
2. Install and run Cleanup on the drive.
3. Install AVG Antispyware and run the definition updates on the program.
4. Reboot (go into safemode again.)
5. Run a FULL system scan using AVG on the drive.

If this doesn't fix the problem run a SCAN ONLY using the program found at <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.merijn.org/files/HiJackThis_v2.exe">http://www.merijn.org/files/HiJackThis_v2.exe</a><!-- m --> and post the results up. DON'T CHECK ALL THE BOXES AND REMOVE THEM or your computer will be completely fucked.

[Seantn1k]

Buy a mac.

But I wouldn't be able to write it off as a business expense.

Haha... the brand has nothing to do with taxation. If you are operating a legitimate business, your computing equipment can either be capitalized and depreciated, or simply expensed. In both cases, the depreciation or expense lowers your taxable income, and thus you have a lower tax expense. To learn more, take tax accounting or read the GAAP tax code.

Isn't the deduction for the computer only a percentage of the total purchase price?

[bassmangrammy]

Isn't the deduction for the computer only a percentage of the total purchase price?

By percentage, you might be thinking of depleting the asset over a given time period. Since 1986 ACRS has been the standard scheduling method. In other words, you depreciate the asset a given percentage each year.

The other percentage that comes to mind would be that since the depreciation lowers your taxable income, you only save marginally. If the computer was $1,000 and your marginal combined tax rate was 35%, your tax bill would only be decreased by $350, not $1,000.

[Feersty]

Thanks for the links Adam. I am trying it out right now. I will get a new desktop eventually, just want to rectify this comp though.

[BLINGMW]

but, doing some quick research, there are a lot of viruses that can reside in the master boot record, and may or may not be wiped depending on the type of format. Writing zeroes and doing a low level format would ensure those types of viruses are gone.

Interesting, I'd never heard of such a thing, can't imagine how that would work. But I'll have to take your word for it, I've done 0 research. :dunno:

Of course, I have a Mac. :wink: They make excellent PCs, and if my Windows partition got a virus I would just wipe it since it's only there for gaming. Rob, FWIW, I don't see how a Mac couldn't be written off the same as a PC, since it can be run as a PC. And as Aaron said

Haha... the brand has nothing to do with taxation.

Not like any of this information actually helps you at all though, sorry! :bootyshake:

[Feersty]

So how long is this Cleanup supposed to last?

[Feersty]

When I try and start my computer in normal mode I get this blue screen message:

STOP: c000026c {UNable to Load Device Driver}
\SystemRoot\System32\DRIVERS\tcpip.sys device driver could not be loaded.
Error Status was 0xc00000tb

Check to make sure any new hardware or software is properly installled. If this is a new installation, ask your hardware or software manufacturer for an Windows updates you might need.

IF problems continue, disable or remove any newly installed hardware or software. Disable BIOS memory options such as caching or shadowing. If you need to use Safe MOde to remove or disable components, restart you computer, press F8 to select Advanced Startup Options, and then select Safe MOde

Refer to your Getting Started manual for more information on troubleshooting Stop errors.

[HAULN-SS]

Remove your network card, try again

[JackoliciousLegs]

The only thing "safer" about using a mac, read: linux, is that there may be more kernel security, but trust me, if 90% of the world used macs, viruses would be just as rampant.

Um... proprietary unix actually. And if there was incentive to write mac viruses?!?! Macs now own 20% of the laptop market share in the US. Not incentive enough? Maybe it'd be enough just to shove it back in the mac fanboys' faces?

There has been hundreds of thousands of dollars offered for writing a simple mac virus or hacking a mac. The closest thing that's showed up is an IM virus that relies on a user executing code on their local system... i.e. the ignorance of the user
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Mac-virus-author-admits-coding-difficulties/0,130061744,339272051,00.htm">http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/s ... 051,00.htm</a><!-- m -->

All mac fanboyism aside, you can't compare the security/stability of a Mac to the security of Windows (XP... not much experience with Vista). You just can't.

[ViPER1313]

Sounds like your HD might have some bad sectors on it....

[HAULN-SS]

Ok fanboy - 17.6% of the smaller market does not constitute a huge market for someone trying to create havoc or steal information, or be annoying, etc. I am well aware of the article that you linked, but how many viruses have you seen on PC's lately that require no interaction? That's not how most viruses are written anyway. If apple can ever get a large share of the market, they will have as many problems - and who cares if they can't make a self replicating virus - all that has to happen is let your 10 year old kid on your computer for 10 minutes, he hits "ok" when the virus asks him to, and it's off and running.
Oh..and "hacking a mac?" That's just the same as rooting a linux/unix server, which happens every day. In windows, os-x, os/2, bsd, etc..security is only as good as the users. The reasons macs don't get "hacked" as often is because there arent as many of them.

[bassmangrammy]

For a virus to take on a mac, a new application must be installed. This requires that you type your username and password, so don't tell your 10 year old your password and you're fine!

Hmmm... on the latter, observation bias, maybe. But I believe the real reason Macs aren't hacked is because nobody wants to steal little Billy's skateboarding videos.

[Feersty]

I had a flash drive that I got for last Christmas. I just opened the package tonight. Until now I had no use for it. I am going to manually move everything over to that flash drive and then format my computer.

[white_2kgt]

I had a flash drive that I got for last Christmas. I just opened the package tonight. Until now I had no use for it. I am going to manually move everything over to that flash drive and then format my computer.

and by manually, you mean you are going to physically pick each bit off your hard drive and deposit it onto the flash drive?

[mrbaggio]

That would take FOREVER

[white_2kgt]

That would take FOREVER

But it's the BEST way b/c it's manual!

[Feersty]

That would take FOREVER

But it's the BEST way b/c it's manual!

6 speed fo lyfe.

[Hunter]

If I'm writing a virus, do I want it to affect 8 people, or 3 billion?

I don't really think that logic is correct, writing viruses seems to be a "look how cool I am" contest. I would argue that writing an effective mac virus would be even more appealing to a viruser-dude-guy than writing one for windows. If you did, you would totally have the biggest iPenis.