User Guides Avoiding viruses

This may not be THE PERFECT way of dealing with viruses but it has surely helped me since last couple of years to get rid of viruses.
(Now i can sleep without worring about installing security patches and updating antirus)

Following are the list of software's you need to install.

1)Virtual box (or any Virtual Machine software.e.g.VMWARE).
I prefer Sun Virtual box 3.0 as its free.You can get it with January edition of chip magazine or from official site.

2)Deep Freeze .
Here is the trick.
I m not using any anti-virus anti malware /spyware software's to keep my computer utilize its strength in other task.

First downloaded a software called deep freeze.
The software freezes your operating system drive.
I have free zed my c: .
Now whenever i surf net or do any kind of activity which is prone to virus ,all i need to do is restart my window to get back to original stage.

Now the question arises what shall i do to install my necessary software's and other stuff.

Just install Virtual box before using deep freeze and keep your operating system hard disk in d drive (Since we already freeze c: using deep freeze).
Don't forget to take snapshot of your virtual operating system once you install necessary software.
(Snapshot is a restoration technology used in virtual machines.)

Now use your original operating system to surf internet ,plug in removable media whose authenticity is not known to you.

Use Virtual machines to test your software or doing your daily work .
Do share your views if you like my POST.
You can ask any queries regarding the software's mentioned above.

 

[ultimabasher]

Re: Avoid viruses 100%

This really is not the way to avoid viruses at all. Its like killing and reviving your computer everytime something happens.

 

[Compiler]

Re: Avoid viruses 100%

This really is not the way to avoid viruses at all. Its like killing and reviving your computer everytime something happens.

read it carefully if you see any disadvantages please let me and other know about it.Please don't misguide others.
I have asked to use Virtual box which is stored in d: then how can u tell it will kill your computer. How will it going to kill my computer?

 

[H2O]

Re: Avoid viruses 100%

One question if I freeze C while surfing can I not download to C drive ?

Why not just get a decent AV and keep it updated ? Haven't had any problems with AVG till date.

 

[ultimabasher]

Re: Avoid viruses 100%

Now use your original operating system to surf internet ,plug in removable media whose authenticity is not known to you.

.

Apart from that lets say that you get infected when you try to install a software downloaded from the net and you take the backup of that and then try to restore it, doesnt it mean that you killed your computer without knowing it.

More on that, you need to be very tedious when you download stuff from the internet cause 1) you need to remember to back them up before you restart and 2) You need to make sure they are clean cause you dont have anything installed in your computer to find if your computer is infected.

 

[Compiler]

Re: Avoid viruses 100%

One question if I freeze C while surfing can I not download to C drive ?

Why not just get a decent AV and keep it updated ? Haven't had any problems with AVG till date.

Setting up the default download location to d drive --One time job.
Updating anti virus ----Every day headache ,Needs Internet .
Even a full paid anti virus don't give you 100% guarantee of anti spy and anti Trojan (Past experience with Mc-cafe(Paid) and avast(free))

.

Apart from that lets say that you get infected when you try to install a software downloaded from the net and you take the backup of that and then try to restore it, doesnt it mean that you killed your computer without knowing it.

More on that, you need to be very tedious when you download stuff from the internet cause 1) you need to remember to back them up before you restart and 2) You need to make sure they are clean cause you dont have anything installed in your computer to find if your computer is infected.

Its just a matter of click .
Just like Windows system restore(which is not a preferred way of get rid of the infection as it only restores registry and not the actual physical data)

lets say.
You install virtual box install all necessary software and take a snapshot say
1)Install Windows XP and my software.
After couple of days you install some other software (which is not containing any virus).
You take another snapshot say
2)Software abc install
Now after few hour you install a new software which contains the virus and your system started behaving abnormally.
All you need to do is restore to Software abc install .Thats it you r done .
If you still have any doubt i m here to explain again.

One time boot time scan is required to make sure you dont have any virus in your system.

 

[nikrusty]

Re: Avoid viruses 100%

yeah ur method has it's advantages but it's headaches too. Plus Virtual box running isn't optimum. I Actually use Imaging products such as Norton Ghost or Acronis once in a while and all my data is always away from C: drive, even Windows desktop,fav, etc sits in D or E drive.

 

[Compiler]

Re: Avoid viruses 100%

Acronis has its own advantages + disadvantages too. For installing new software you can disable the deep freeze but with the imaging software it needs time to take image and restore them afterwords. It also occupy lot of space in you hard drive.

 

[ultimabasher]

Re: Avoid viruses 100%

Setting up the default download location to d drive --One time job.
Updating anti virus ----Every day headache ,Needs Internet .
Even a full paid anti virus don't give you 100% guarantee of anti spy and anti Trojan (Past experience with Mc-cafe(Paid) and avast(free))
Its just a matter of click .
Just like Windows system restore(which is not a preferred way of get rid of the infection as it only restores registry and not the actual physical data)

lets say.
You install virtual box install all necessary software and take a snapshot say
1)Install Windows XP and my software.
After couple of days you install some other software (which is not containing any virus).
You take another snapshot say
2)Software abc install
Now after few hour you install a new software which contains the virus and your system started behaving abnormally.
All you need to do is restore to Software abc install .Thats it you r done .
If you still have any doubt i m here to explain again.

One time boot time scan is required to make sure you dont have any virus in your system.

Okay but lets say this

after 2 I take a backup cause the system is fine and then it starts showing its colors and then I try to restore but the system is already infected and keeps doing the same thing. You need to understand that its not just the system files that can get infected, there are normal files in there too that will get infected, the files that you are putting in D drive and you have no way to identify the infected files before hand.

Anyways your way is total fail cause you havent thought it through. I wouldve agreed if you had put an antivirus in there along with the Virtual box and deep freeze.

 

[blueren]

Re: Avoid viruses 100%

Hmm.. Something new. All I did was take a backup of my c drive after a fresh install (with all my important progs) and then carry on with normal use. So even if something happens, all I need to do is restore it! Just a 6 min job

 

[Compiler]

Re: Avoid viruses 100%

Okay but lets say this

after 2 I take a backup cause the system is fine and then it starts showing its colors and then I try to restore but the system is already infected and keeps doing the same thing. You need to understand that its not just the system files that can get infected, there are normal files in there too that will get infected, the files that you are putting in D drive and you have no way to identify the infected files before hand.

Anyways your way is total fail cause you havent thought it through. I wouldve agreed if you had put an antivirus in there along with the Virtual box and deep freeze.

Brother YOu interpreted the snapshot technology completely wrong .Once you restore to your snapshot all the changes get revoked .
For example you create a snapshot.
create a notepad file and save it.
restore the snapshot.
(Your file is gone since its been created after the snapshot is taken.
Hope i m clever enough to resolve your doubt about snapshot technology.

Hmm.. Something new. All I did was take a backup of my c drive after a fresh install (with all my important progs) and then carry on with normal use. So even if something happens, all I need to do is restore it! Just a 6 min job

smart way but still not preferable because of the large space it occupy for the backup.for example.

I install lot of softwares in my c drive which takes more than 40 gb(including games too ).your way might be too difficult for me to follow.
More over and most importantly you get infected with Trojan and you are completely unaware of their existence .The time you feel you r infected is after you loose all your credit card ,netbanking login credentials ...
Hope that answers your query.

 

[broadway]

Re: Avoid viruses 100%

The best way to stay virus free is by looking at the process tab in your task manager window. At the most there should be 23 processes running which includes your anti-virus. If you want to learn this trick then insert a virus infected USB pen drive and look at the process tab. If your anti-virus software is weak then you'll see an unknown *.exe file running there.

Else do this to prevent your pc from USB pen drives
start > run > type "gpedit.msc" > enter > user configuration > system > click "turn off auto play" in the side window > enabled > select "turn off auto play on all drives" > ok > done

 

[Naga]

Re: Avoid viruses 100%

Brother YOu interpreted the snapshot technology completely wrong .Once you restore to your snapshot all the changes get revoked .
For example you create a snapshot.
create a notepad file and save it.
restore the snapshot.
(Your file is gone since its been created after the snapshot is taken.
Hope i m clever enough to resolve your doubt about snapshot technology.
.

Yeah so I lose all my work because I want to get rid of the infection. Wait, isn't that why I use an AV? Not to lose data cos of an infection! Dude, that's clever :rofl:!

Snapshot kind of setups are for public machines where there's no need to save any files. It was never intended to nor does it replace the presence of a good AV along with safe practices like scanning USB drives before opening them, avoiding crack sites etc.

Just change this guide on how to use deep freeze in a public environment like a cafe and this guide would make sense. Just don't put in the virtual PC crap for that kinda scenario.

At the most there should be 23 processes running which includes your anti-virus.

Classic. How did you figure out the magic 23 process figure?

 

[blr_p]

Re: Avoid viruses 100%

Here's my simple steps to stay virus free, been working over 5 years and I don't run an active AV that too with a windows laptop that's pretty much permanently on and hooked up to the net. Never reinstalled the OS on this box yet.
- snapshot the initial installation. Create a new image prior to new program install, test, ok continue. Partition system+progams from data to keep images smaller.
- use a NAT so only private IP'addrs on the LAN no bridge mode. Test the NAT to see ports are either closed or stealthed.
- NO file tansfers via any IM, in fact use another IM program instead of the default ones, i prefer trill.
- A simple program like zonealarm or similar to monitor outgoing connections.
- Email attachments get virus checked on the webmail site itself and then downloaded to the email program.
- Use a non-IE browser, no activex unless its work related, otherwise if the site don't work in my browser then its not for me.
- Use a hosts list that blocks most of the usual spam sites.
- Any exe's pulled off the web get virus checked, so the AV here only works on call rather than being on all the time and hogging memory.
- Last bit and this is prolly the most significant, your PC belongs to you and nobody else. This means its not shared with others and therefore chances of getting anything reduce dramatically. If you're on a LAN then firewall yourself from the other machines.

How do i know I'm not affected, no unexpected commuication's outbound. A virus that does not communicate out is useless. Frequent netstats show the servers on the box and indicate whether there are any unexpected ones. No server, no remote triggering possible from the outside.

The machine stays up for months through several hibernates, is stable and runs as expected.

 

[Compiler]

Re: Avoid viruses 100%

Here's my simple steps to stay virus free, been working over 5 years and I don't run an active AV that too with a windows laptop that's pretty much permanently on and hooked up to the net. Never reinstalled the OS on this box yet.
- snapshot the initial installation. Create a new image prior to new program install, test, ok continue. Partition system+progams from data to keep images smaller.
- use a NAT so only private IP'addrs on the LAN no bridge mode. Test the NAT to see ports are either closed or stealthed.
- NO file tansfers via any IM, in fact use another IM program instead of the default ones, i prefer trill.
- A simple program like zonealarm or similar to monitor outgoing connections.
- Email attachments get virus checked on the webmail site itself and then downloaded to the email program.
- Use a non-IE browser, no activex unless its work related, otherwise if the site don't work in my browser then its not for me.
- Use a hosts list that blocks most of the usual spam sites.
- Any exe's pulled off the web get virus checked, so the AV here only works on call rather than being on all the time and hogging memory.
- Last bit and this is prolly the most significant, your PC belongs to you and nobody else. This means its not shared with others and therefore chances of getting anything reduce dramatically. If you're on a LAN then firewall yourself from the other machines.

How do i know I'm not affected, no unexpected commuication's outbound. A virus that does not communicate out is useless. Frequent netstats show the servers on the box and indicate whether there are any unexpected ones. No server, no remote triggering possible from the outside.

The machine stays up for months through several hibernates, is stable and runs as expected.

Great work dude but l think its little difficult for normal user who doesnt know jargon terms like NAT,bridge mode,activex,netstats

Yeah so I lose all my work because I want to get rid of the infection. Wait, isn't that why I use an AV? Not to lose data cos of an infection! Dude, that's clever :rofl:!

You have a choice to save you data in d: let c: be the system oriented and d: be data oriented .In this way you can save your data.
Use Virtual Box for testing the software for viruses.
Please read the guide carefully .No need of putting that smiley .

Snapshot kind of setups are for public machines where there's no need to save any files. It was never intended to nor does it replace the presence of a good AV along with safe practices like scanning USB drives before opening them, avoiding crack sites etc.

You can't use VMBOX in cafes so snapshot wont work there.(Snapshot technology only exists in VM machines)

Just change this guide on how to use deep freeze in a public environment like a cafe and this guide would make sense. Just don't put in the virtual PC crap for that kinda scenario.

I think i already answered your question.

 

[ultimabasher]

Re: Avoid viruses 100%

Okay tell me how would you handle this.

1) You take a snapshot of your C drive

2) You download some things and install programs and then put the other files in your D:

3) Your pc works fine so you think, hey lets go ahead and take another snapshot now that everything is working fine.

4) After few days your computer is infected, you restore the snapshot but the snapshot you had, had got infection already. So you are still infected after restoring.

5) Apart from this, you have your D which is not being monitored by Deepfreeze so again the files in D have a chance of getting infected, which is like everything you have.

How do you suggest go around that? Without losing any of your data that is.

 

[Compiler]

Re: Avoid viruses 100%

Okay tell me how would you handle this.

1) You take a snapshot of your C drive
2) You download some things and install programs and then put the other files in your D:
3) Your pc works fine so you think, hey lets go ahead and take another snapshot now that everything is working fine.
4) After few days your computer is infected, you restore the snapshot but the snapshot you had, had got infection already. So you are still infected after restoring.

5) Apart from this, you have your D which is not being monitored by Deepfreeze so again the files in D have a chance of getting infected, which is like everything you have.

How do you suggest go around that? Without losing any of your data that is.

First of all did i ask to take snapshot of c drive.
I said Install Virtual box in c drive then install your operating system into it .Make sure you select hard drive location as d drive.
after installing necessary softwares in virtual operating system.Take a complete snapshot of it using Virtual box.
Hope I answered your question.

 

[ultimabasher]

Re: Avoid viruses 100%

So you mean to keep using the os on Virtual Box forever? Thats just wasting your ram and getting uber low performance.

 

[Compiler]

Re: Avoid viruses 100%

So you mean to keep using the os on Virtual Box forever? Thats just wasting your ram and getting uber low performance.

Low performance (Whats your RAM by the way).

 

[ultimabasher]

Re: Avoid viruses 100%

Its not about the ram its just that you will be running 1 OS and then 1 OS on top it in virtual box.