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Loads of problems with PC
Aug 19 2008 09:32pm

SaZ
 - Student
SaZ
1. i boot my pc , open my computer and see my second hard disk. however when i go into disk management, that disk disappears for some reason. doesnt look like its hidden - device manager cant find it. its like i could play mp3 file from that hdd, go into disk management and a sec later mp3 playing would stop :| wtf?

2. a trojan of some kind...
according to kaspersky its:
trojan-downloader.WMA.GetCodec.d
tho avast! shows it as Wma:wimad [drp] ...
whats the problem? loads of mp3 files are infected by that shit. i cant send any music to my friends since their antiviruses (kaspersky) dont allow that.

anyone can shed a light on any of these? ;s
_______________
playing jk3 since 30th of january (2005), member since 1st of february. [Unofficial Master to Vision and Z�diac ] If you can make a fool of yourself infront of 300 people you can do anything - Jaiko D'kana

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Aug 24 2008 02:17pm

SaZ
 - Student
 SaZ

one little question. what does this trojan really do? i mean apart from infecting my mp3 files.
_______________
playing jk3 since 30th of january (2005), member since 1st of february. [Unofficial Master to Vision and Z�diac ] If you can make a fool of yourself infront of 300 people you can do anything - Jaiko D'kana

Aug 22 2008 10:52pm

Augusta_Mintaka
 - Student
 Augusta_Mintaka

I'm not sure this all will be much help for Saz and his music killing virus. Since Vista is brought up, maybe one of you can help Kaldor with his JKA problems since it concerns Vista.
_______________
"Deos fortioribus adesse."

This comment was edited by Augusta_Mintaka on Aug 22 2008 10:53pm.

Aug 22 2008 09:49pm

solitude
 - Jedi Council
 solitude

Quote:
Quote:
I would argue that it is his broken antivirus which is at fault.


There's only one OS I'm aware of on which anti-virus software is necessary.



Strictly speaking, it's not necessary.
_______________
Joined 16 October 2004 | Retired 10 April 2005 | Returned 05 June 2008 | Made Staff 27 June 2008 | Made Council 18 January 2009
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Aug 22 2008 09:35pm

JavaGuy
 - Student
 JavaGuy

Quote:
I would argue that it is his broken antivirus which is at fault.


There's only one OS I'm aware of on which anti-virus software is necessary.


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My signature is only one line. You're welcome.

Aug 22 2008 03:46pm

solitude
 - Jedi Council
 solitude

I would say that if you ran as root with no password in Linux, you would encounter major issues too.

Using broken software is not just a Windows specific issue - while using a broken AV might have more of an effect on windows, similar things have happened to linux. Check out the recent break in OpenSSL in debian and derived distros. Broken software = fail, regardless of OS.

I would also say that if someone wanted to make the effort to learn and use Linux, they also have the ability to be educated in good practices. Things like keeping software up to date, not downloading from untrusted sources and so on.

As for the implementation problems, I'll touch on the most obvious ones.

The problem with running software only as a limited user is that it breaks software - a lot will not run unless you are an administrator. An obvious example is Jedi Academy in Vista.

This is not so much Windows at fault - it's the bad software written for Windows.

As far as automatic sandboxing goes - a similar thing is in effect. The OS will not know what programs *need* admin access and which will break when the sandboxing is put into effect.

Windows has a kludge of ugly hacks because of all the legacy software - especially in business environments. People EXPECT newer versions of windows to work with all their old software, even if the old software was written by someone on crack.

For the record - I do know and use Linux and BSD. The servers I am running are all Ubuntu or Debian boxes.

All my laptops and workstations run Windows, because it is the best OS for my purposes.

Use the right tool for the right job. ;)
_______________
Joined 16 October 2004 | Retired 10 April 2005 | Returned 05 June 2008 | Made Staff 27 June 2008 | Made Council 18 January 2009
Padawan To Odan-Wei Belouve | Adopted into the Belouve family | Twin to xAnAtOs | Owner of the 4th Quesi sexy badge :D Brother To Roan Belouve, Nomad, Majno, Silkmonkey, Kensei and Jarhok Belouve
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Aug 22 2008 02:52pm

Masta
 - Jedi Council
 Masta

Quote:
I would argue that it is his broken antivirus which is at fault.

That, as well as him putting himself in a situation where he is exposed to so many viruses.

Sol, his OS made it possible for his broken antivirus and reckless behavior to cause an infection. If you deny the OS, you deny the possibility of an infection despite reckless behavior and broken software.

The other OS may have flaws too, but keeping all things equal, his behavior would not have resulted in an infection - that's the point.

The tricky thing comes when you consider that someone who is willing to make the effort to upgrade and learn to use Linux, probably never would have gotten in the same situation of using a broken antivirus program and engaging in reckless behavior in the first place.

Quote:
There are some implementation problems with each.

The problem isn't always the OS - it's mostly ignorant users.
Isn't that a contradiction though? There are problems with implementing security measures in windows which would prevent users from falling prey to certain vulnerabilities in the OS, making the OS less safe compared to one with adequate measures against said vulnerabilities. So it's the fault of the OS of not being able to keep the user away from possible vulnerabilities; a result of lacking security measures.
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Find out more about the Jedi Academy Aurochs here and more about Masta here!
Married to Kain.


This comment was edited by Masta on Aug 22 2008 03:44pm.

Aug 22 2008 02:29pm

solitude
 - Jedi Council
 solitude

Quote:
Nope. It's because the fundamental building blocks of the system are different. You just can't create a web site that will install a virus on, for example, a Linux box that surfs that site. It just can't be done. It happens all the time to Windows users. It isn't because nobody has tried to do it to a Linux box--some of the most brilliant minds in computer science are trying to figure out how to do it every day. But Windows lends itself to it, not because of something superficial that can be "patched" (they've been trying for years) but because of the fundamental nature of the operating system.



In response to that, one of the main reasons why a Linux user browing is less likely to be exploited via a browser vulnerability is due to the user running as one with limited priviledges - not root.

Under Windows the same is true - running as a limited user or using DropMyRights to sandbox the program as a running with limited user priviledges will significantly reduce the chance of a browser vulnerability causing issues.

While it can be argued that Windows should either:

#1 make you run as a limited user by default.

#2 sandbox programs for you.

There are some implementation problems with each.

The problem isn't always the OS - it's mostly ignorant users.
_______________
Joined 16 October 2004 | Retired 10 April 2005 | Returned 05 June 2008 | Made Staff 27 June 2008 | Made Council 18 January 2009
Padawan To Odan-Wei Belouve | Adopted into the Belouve family | Twin to xAnAtOs | Owner of the 4th Quesi sexy badge :D Brother To Roan Belouve, Nomad, Majno, Silkmonkey, Kensei and Jarhok Belouve
Owner Of Virtue's 1000th profile comment, Mr. Doobie's 1000th profile comment, Gradius' 2500th comment, xAnAtOs' 2500th comment, Rosered's 1500th comment, Laziana's 900th comment, Scythus' 500th comment and Echuu's 100th comment


Aug 22 2008 02:26pm

solitude
 - Jedi Council
 solitude

Quote:
Quote:
The problem here is not Windows - it is him getting the virus.


...which is a feature of Windows.

Don't get me wrong, security flaws crop up in all operating systems. But virii just appearing on your computer without your having done something to "invite" them in is virtually unheard of outside the Windows environment. They're just really rare.



I would argue that it is his broken antivirus which is at fault.

That, as well as him putting himself in a situation where he is exposed to so many viruses.

In many cases, having a Windows computer infected with a virus is less the fault of the OS and more the fault of the user.
_______________
Joined 16 October 2004 | Retired 10 April 2005 | Returned 05 June 2008 | Made Staff 27 June 2008 | Made Council 18 January 2009
Padawan To Odan-Wei Belouve | Adopted into the Belouve family | Twin to xAnAtOs | Owner of the 4th Quesi sexy badge :D Brother To Roan Belouve, Nomad, Majno, Silkmonkey, Kensei and Jarhok Belouve
Owner Of Virtue's 1000th profile comment, Mr. Doobie's 1000th profile comment, Gradius' 2500th comment, xAnAtOs' 2500th comment, Rosered's 1500th comment, Laziana's 900th comment, Scythus' 500th comment and Echuu's 100th comment


Aug 22 2008 12:15pm

SaZ
 - Student
 SaZ

i cant say for sure where or when did i get it.
i had a horrible and broken antivirus on my pc and kinda thought 'pc is working fine, why would i need a new one'. now its too late to think about that.
_______________
playing jk3 since 30th of january (2005), member since 1st of february. [Unofficial Master to Vision and Z�diac ] If you can make a fool of yourself infront of 300 people you can do anything - Jaiko D'kana

Aug 22 2008 12:15pm

Masta
 - Jedi Council
 Masta

Fair enough
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Find out more about the Jedi Academy Aurochs here and more about Masta here!
Married to Kain.


Aug 22 2008 11:30am

JavaGuy
 - Student
 JavaGuy

Nope. It's because the fundamental building blocks of the system are different. You just can't create a web site that will install a virus on, for example, a Linux box that surfs that site. It just can't be done. It happens all the time to Windows users. It isn't because nobody has tried to do it to a Linux box--some of the most brilliant minds in computer science are trying to figure out how to do it every day. But Windows lends itself to it, not because of something superficial that can be "patched" (they've been trying for years) but because of the fundamental nature of the operating system.


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My signature is only one line. You're welcome.

Aug 22 2008 10:24am

Masta
 - Jedi Council
 Masta

That's probably because the Windows environment is so prevalent though.
_______________
Find out more about the Jedi Academy Aurochs here and more about Masta here!
Married to Kain.


Aug 22 2008 07:13am

JavaGuy
 - Student
 JavaGuy

Quote:
The problem here is not Windows - it is him getting the virus.


...which is a feature of Windows.

Don't get me wrong, security flaws crop up in all operating systems. But virii just appearing on your computer without your having done something to "invite" them in is virtually unheard of outside the Windows environment. They're just really rare.


_______________
My signature is only one line. You're welcome.

Aug 22 2008 12:49am

solitude
 - Jedi Council
 solitude

The problem here is not Windows - it is him getting the virus.
_______________
Joined 16 October 2004 | Retired 10 April 2005 | Returned 05 June 2008 | Made Staff 27 June 2008 | Made Council 18 January 2009
Padawan To Odan-Wei Belouve | Adopted into the Belouve family | Twin to xAnAtOs | Owner of the 4th Quesi sexy badge :D Brother To Roan Belouve, Nomad, Majno, Silkmonkey, Kensei and Jarhok Belouve
Owner Of Virtue's 1000th profile comment, Mr. Doobie's 1000th profile comment, Gradius' 2500th comment, xAnAtOs' 2500th comment, Rosered's 1500th comment, Laziana's 900th comment, Scythus' 500th comment and Echuu's 100th comment


Aug 21 2008 07:57pm

Masta
 - Jedi Council
 Masta

Quote:
i surely hope some kind of fixer will be released soon : /
Well, if it is indeed a capitalist conspiracy, you can be assured that it will take quite a while for all the other capitalists from the antivirus companies, which are undoubtedly part of the plot, to develop a semi-faulty 'fix', probably equivalent in quality to sony's rootkitted DRM 'fixes' which, after having released multiple 'unfortunate' failures (also rootkitted) to make the developers look like they're actually trying, will in the end force you to delete all your songs anyways because they're 'unrecoverably corrupted' (no moralistic undertones intended).

Then again, you could just listen to JavaGuy and upgrade to Linux - you have nothing to lose but your chains, after all.
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Find out more about the Jedi Academy Aurochs here and more about Masta here!
Married to Kain.


This comment was edited by Masta on Aug 21 2008 08:02pm.

Aug 21 2008 05:09pm

JavaGuy
 - Student
 JavaGuy

Quote:

yes i am ;o


Well there's your trouble. ;)


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My signature is only one line. You're welcome.

Aug 21 2008 11:50am

SaZ
 - Student
 SaZ

Quote:
You're running Windows, aren't you?



yes i am ;o

hmmm as for removal thing... some time ago most of viruses could be fixed by clicking 'repair' button. it seems now its there just for the old times sake.
_______________
playing jk3 since 30th of january (2005), member since 1st of february. [Unofficial Master to Vision and Z�diac ] If you can make a fool of yourself infront of 300 people you can do anything - Jaiko D'kana

Aug 21 2008 10:49am

JavaGuy
 - Student
 JavaGuy

You're running Windows, aren't you?


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My signature is only one line. You're welcome.

Aug 20 2008 10:00pm

Augusta_Mintaka
 - Student
 Augusta_Mintaka

I hate to say it, but if file become infected you usually have to remove them.
_______________
"Deos fortioribus adesse."

Aug 20 2008 08:32pm

SaZ
 - Student
 SaZ

i surely hope some kind of fixer will be released soon : /
_______________
playing jk3 since 30th of january (2005), member since 1st of february. [Unofficial Master to Vision and Z�diac ] If you can make a fool of yourself infront of 300 people you can do anything - Jaiko D'kana

Aug 20 2008 08:21pm

Masta
 - Jedi Council
 Masta

You know, i was considering the same thing earlier today. It's gotta be somesort of conspiracy...
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Find out more about the Jedi Academy Aurochs here and more about Masta here!
Married to Kain.


Aug 20 2008 07:01pm

Augusta_Mintaka
 - Student
 Augusta_Mintaka

Perhaps the music industry is to blame!
_______________
"Deos fortioribus adesse."

Aug 20 2008 07:46am

Masta
 - Jedi Council
 Masta

Eek, malware that spreads through the sharing of music? The internet is doomed.
_______________
Find out more about the Jedi Academy Aurochs here and more about Masta here!
Married to Kain.


Aug 20 2008 07:24am

SaZ
 - Student
 SaZ

Quote:
try to play the files on another computer just in case.


well my friends report their antiviruses shouting about trojans when i send most of my mp3'es so.. :/
_______________
playing jk3 since 30th of january (2005), member since 1st of february. [Unofficial Master to Vision and Z�diac ] If you can make a fool of yourself infront of 300 people you can do anything - Jaiko D'kana

Aug 19 2008 11:30pm

Augusta_Mintaka
 - Student
 Augusta_Mintaka

I believe this trojan is rather new. A fix might take some time (1 week - few months depending on severity). You could try the typical removal for annoyances which is starting in safe mode, cleaning your registries of the trojan, using several anti-virus/spyware programs and delete any files/folders the trojan makes.

You might be forced to delete your songs, but the files themselves might not be infected. Rather, the playback capability of your computer could be affected. Although that does not explain why your mp3 files are shown to be affected... It's just a theory anyways, try to play the files on another computer just in case.

Actually, it might not be a good idea to play it on another computer if thats how the trojan can spread. Your call, I suggest just waiting for a definitive fix.
_______________
"Deos fortioribus adesse."

This comment was edited by Augusta_Mintaka on Aug 19 2008 11:33pm.

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