Hi Gene and Others,

I don't know if it is true any longer, but I was told by a techie doing a postmortem on my old Windows 98 system that someone using a Linux system had hacked my computer and 'flashed the bios.'  He did so in such a way that the system would not connect to any external computers: Internet with modem, Internet with LAN, other computers with cables and so on.  I forget the exact technical aspects of it, but I did have to get a new system.  I guess there is much better built in bios protection now of days, so maybe this isn't possible any longer.

I don't know if any malware can physically damage a computer.  Most malware doesn't.  it may do all sorts of things you don't want it to do but physically destroying your computer is the least of the worries associated with malware.  I don't know anything about your neighbor's knowledge of computers but a high degree of skepticism should be maintained regarding what people tell you unless they have proven records of knowledge and reliability.  There is an enormous amount of misinformation constantly being circulated regarding computers and related matters.

 

Gene 

----- Original Message -----

From: Rosemarie Chavarria

Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2016 12:28 PM

To: nvda@nvda.groups.io

Subject: Re: [nvda] Anti Virus

Hi, Arleen,

I try to be very careful about what sites I visit. My next-door neighbor told me that one time she had a virus and it totally destroyed her computer. I don't know how she got it but she had to end up getting a brand-new computer.

Rosemarie

On 11/19/2016 10:15 AM, Arlene wrote:

Also, if you visit sites. Even if you have IE or firefox or edge clean out the history. You may have to manually get rid of history.  Even though you have your virus scan up to date always clean your hystery.  I have my computer not remember passwords even though it asks.  If you are on sites you login always log out.  Sites like drop box or others.  Someone in the xp days told me to always log out and I always do it. 

 

From: nvda@nvda.groups.io [mailto:nvda@nvda.groups.io] On Behalf Of Brian Vogel
Sent: November-19-16 9:49 AM
To: nvda@nvda.groups.io
Subject: Re: [nvda] Anti Virus

 

On Sat, Nov 19, 2016 at 08:00 am, Roger Stewart wrote:

Only caution I'd give is to do a manual check for updates several times a day as their virus database is updated several times a day but the program will only check itself once when you start the computer.

 I have not found this to be the case under Windows 10.  If you open Windows Defender you can see when the last virus definition update has taken place, and that's often very recent even when I've had my machine up and running for days.

This also wasn't the case, at least if I'm recalling correctly, under Windows 8.1 either.  It would make absolutely no sense for any modern antivirus program, and Windows Defender is one, to not auto-update its own definitions and, in fact, itself as new releases are released.
--
Brian

Here is a test to find out whether your mission in life is complete.  If you’re alive, it isn’t.

    ~ Lauren Bacall

    

 

--
They Ask Me If I'm Happy; I say Yes.
They ask: "How Happy are You?"
I Say: "I'm as happy as a stow away chimpanzee on a banana boat!"