How to completely wipe a hard drive?

[gsbtech]

Key word being most, however there are exceptions. And I've run into a few, so have other log readers. It happens. Liz

..okay.. so about my procrastinating on backups...

I suppose I could do my browsing on my solaris or linux box.

 

[EricB]

I think most infections come through email, file sharing, or downloads. Browsing is relativey safe. I keep a older computer for experimenting. I'm far too courious to be safe!

As for backups, redundancy is the key. Keep a copy in two physical locations so fire or Mississippi's tornadoes can't get it!

try going to a porn site.

I hate norton now, But I had to install NIS 2005 of the Downstair computer, because my kids were browsing there and got a virus.

 

[gsbtech]

try going to a porn site.

I hate norton now, But I had to install NIS 2005 of the Downstair computer, because my kids were browsing there and got a virus.

Now that'd be an interesting experiment. Do I have to carefully inspect the material and linger on each page to give the virus time to work?

Are you sure the virus came from browsing? Were your kids on the porn sites? My kids like to download stuff and many are dupped into allowing an installation. However, "I was just browsing" is not an answer I'll except because there have been very few real browser hacks in many years.

 

[OIDanTheManIO]

Or a huge Magnet.

Not only will that erase data, it will also permanently screw up your hard drive, probably to the point of it not functioning at all.

-Dan The Man

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

Well have an external HDD, and have a backup put onto it once a week, and if a fire or tornado happens, just run in and grab it and pull the usb cable out...

 

[gsbtech]

haha, the last thing I'd be concerned with in a fire or tornado would be the hard drive. If the kids are visiting that'd be a tough choice ... hmm... should I save the kids or the hard drive?

 

[EricB]

Now that'd be an interesting experiment. Do I have to carefully inspect the material and linger on each page to give the virus time to work?

Are you sure the virus came from browsing? Were your kids on the porn sites? My kids like to download stuff and many are dupped into allowing an installation. However, "I was just browsing" is not an answer I'll except because there have been very few real browser hacks in many years.

try going to a porn site with IE. I was just using that as a example
it's a known fact that you can get a virus visiting porn sites. Guess where the hackers hang out at?

I spell a link wrong once, it took me to porn which infected my computer and hijacked my browser

 

[gsbtech]

...it's a known fact that you can get a virus visiting porn sites.

I like to see references to anything quoted as a "known fact". It sounds like propaganda to me - even at default security settings. There was one well publicized browser hack last year and the site was quickly shut down. Microsoft is under a microscope and that type of security flaw doesn't hide in the shadows for long. More likely the victim just does something stupid - like click "yes" and blame it on the browser. If I were going to worry about some clever new exploit, it wouldn't be from the idiots running the porn sites, it would be from hacker sites.

 

[emeraldice]

The huge magnet is always a great idea too

 

[EricB]

I like to see references to anything quoted as a "known fact". It sounds like propaganda to me - even at default security settings. There was one well publicized browser hack last year and the site was quickly shut down. Microsoft is under a microscope and that type of security flaw doesn't hide in the shadows for long. More likely the victim just does something stupid - like click "yes" and blame it on the browser. If I were going to worry about some clever new exploit, it wouldn't be from the idiots running the porn sites, it would be from hacker sites.

Everytime somebody hear something they don't want to believe, they ask you to show them a reference to it. then I end up spending precious time hunting down something to prove it to them.

I'm beyond doing that anymore. if you don't believe it, just don't.
those site use to ask you to click stuff, but you don't need click stuff for them to infiltrate with IE. there were holes (since fixed by service pack 2) that allow people to just take your computer over completely and put whatever they want on it.

the BASIC rules for not catching a virus is

1.don't P2P

2.don't head to crack or serial's website like trinsic.org. here to get the crack, they would have an active x control telling you, that you need to click it to get the crack even though you didn't need to. when you click it, you were infected with porn, trojan horse and viruses. this option didn't show up in opera, firefox and netscape

at cracks r us you will get a virus just by browsing it

3. don't head to porn's site

4. have an antivirus and firewall

5. use 2 or more adware programs plus spyware blaster
6. filter your email and SPim