Viruses Everywhere!!!

[dacalion]

Ok this is what I've learned about viruses, they can be hidden within another program, hence the name 'trojan'. Once you open that program, you've released its contents and if there's a virus inside it, it's released too. My question is...why wouldn't a scan detect it before it's opened? i.e. I downloaded a program as a zip file. I scanned the zip file and the scan came back 'clean'. Then I un-zipped the file and scanned the file folder...it came back 'clean', Then I ran the setup.exe and 'voila!' I get a quarantine message from my anti-virus program saying that it has quarantined a threat to my computer...it also tells me how severe a threat it is and it offers to either delete it or put it back in the file!?!?!?

Anyway, that kinda defeats the purpose of scanning at all right? The anti-virus program did it's job by alerting me, it quarantined it, and gave me options as how to react to it. The scanning only appears to be good after your computer is infected.

Am I missing something here? Is there no way to detect a virus before it's actually on your pc? Why wouldn't a pre-scan detect it?

 

[LDB]

It prevents in some cases, stops and quarantines in others. Some virus's are "executable" only which means you can scan them but nothing will show up until it's actually executed a.k.a open'd or installed. As long as it's caught before or after by your virus software you're good.

Some trojans are completely harmless anyway. Most only spy on you as far as where u go on the net and what u purchase. They don't all cause harm to your compter. If u ever wonder why u keep getting advertisements that seem to know what you like that's the reason! Even store bough software has the ability to spy. It's the chance u take in this day and age....

 

[Relic]

Thats why Fade gets Felching spam all the time.. But anyway....

Nah Dac I know what you mean , this actually is a waaaay more relevant thread than it will prolly live on as, but I feel better knowing I have seen 2 of the most trusted discussing this..
I have gotten these things too, the best part is that Norton seems to catch them , either before installation or in the executing part and gets rid of it.
Hope my PC isnt walking around the net like some sorta diseased crackwhore...

 

[UNORTHODOX]

What are you scanning with? I havent gotten a virus in 5-6 yrs

 

[Sucio]

I haven't gotten a virus....


Oh yeah..I have a Mac.

 

[dacalion]

What are you scanning with? I havent gotten a virus in 5-6 yrs

Malwarebytes and Avanquest.

 

[thedreampolice]

Wow uninstall Avanquest and get Microsoft Security Essential. Way better and free!

 

[UNORTHODOX]

man, Im using AVG (I hate them but havent had a virus, weird behaviour NOTHING in forever)

 

[dacalion]

Wow uninstall Avanquest and get Microsoft Security Essential. Way better and free!

Can't do that yet, I like Avanquest too much (for now) plus I paid like $50 for it. What I really like about it is that it has a scheduler that I can run things like my defrag or whatever while I'm sleeping. That feature alone is priceless for me. I'll probably get something different when it's time to renew but I'm gonna ride this horse until I start getting those annoying - "expires soon" notices.

man, Im using AVG (I hate them but havent had a virus, weird behaviour NOTHING in forever)

how much downloading do you do? If you know what I mean? =)

 

[UNORTHODOX]

lol not so much these days at all. But the stuff I have from wayyyyyy back still gets picked up through zips/rars etc. Its thorough trust. That and zonealarm (Havent used since lord knows)

but PCs do scheduling on their own Dac, do you really wanna take the risk of more crashes? It may not recover next time.