Fucking fuckety fuck.

[Lawrence]

So I'm still 'evaluating' XP 'cause I can't stand to part with $200 for it, and because of that I haven't installed any of the service packs or upgrades.  I've heard they recognize the commonly used product keys, and since I'm using one, I thought "hey, better not."

So today I found myself hosting the unimaginably fun Blaster virus - a nasty little number that can infect anyone not behind a firewall and running Windows.  Doesn't matter what you're doing, you don't have to run anything and you don't have to use Explorer or Outlook and open an offensive webpage or email - it just strikes out of the ether and infects your ass.

Symptoms:
 Cut + Paste stops working reliably
 Drag n Drop stops working reliably
 Some programs (like installshield) stop launching
 The system hangs (a lot) while it restarts services taken out by the virus
 general irritability (I got so pissed off I chucked my mouse and broke a glass, oops)

Cure:
 Delete this registry key:
  HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\windows auto update
 Kill the process 'msblast.exe' using ctrl-alt-delete on most post-W98 OS'

Prevention:
 Patch your windows (see here)
 OR
 Run a firewall (zonealarm works and it's free)

(sigh)


 

[Haohmaru]

Reason #432 why Haoh has a Mac - getting  virus is a non issue. Not enough people run Macs for the typical virus creator to even bother with us.  

[Lawrence]

Yeah, us Atari users were pretty smug too, and I imagine the Amiga crowd felt the same, and, if I may be so bold, plenty of owners of other marginal platforms.  ;)

[Haohmaru]

Yeah, keep on driving that Hyundai and I'll smile at you from my Mercedes that just passed your cheap ass assemblage that's, er, "sick" again.

[Millartime]

Does this mean you'll finally be taking the plunge and investing in Zonealarm?

[exodus]

WINDOWS FOR EVA

haha

ha

well...I like to use it.

[Fluff_Daddy]

This is the way to deal with it!

I actually saw this happening!