# Facebook



## Wade E (May 28, 2010)

Be very careful everyone as I somehow received a virus that has now wiped out 3 computers. I have never downloaded any games off that site or friended anyone I didnt know. It has wiped out everything on my hardrive and ruined it completely. I had to get a new hard drive and load everything back in. I will be missing on and off and will be changing my email address also and will not open anything sent to the email address I had. I had 2 different internet securities running and neither of them on any cmputers picked anything up. I would advise any of you not to use Facebook.


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## Runningwolf (May 28, 2010)

Holy crap! I've been on and off of their everyday. Thanks for the tip! Are you positive that is where it came from?


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## Green Mountains (May 28, 2010)

I got mine off of a toilet seat.


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## Runningwolf (May 28, 2010)

green mountains said:


> i got mine off of a toilet seat.



roflma


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## NSwiner (May 28, 2010)

curious , how do you know it came from Facebook ?


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## IQwine (May 28, 2010)

hate it when that happens


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## deboard (May 28, 2010)

Seriously, try linux: Mint is my current favorite distribution. I'm like a lot of people and I can't completely get rid of windows because of games or that one app I like, but I keep one PC dual boot, which takes a bit more work, but it's worth it. I have 3 PCs + 2 laptops in the house, and everything runs linux except the dual boot machine, which has linux and Win7.

http://linuxmint.com/

You can download the ISO image, burn it to a CD, and boot off of the CD. From there you can try everything on the system before installing it - sound, internet, etc. If it all works, and you are OK with it, install! (and no more viruses) If not, you're out a blank CD. 

Mint is nice because it installs all of the annoying things about linux (mp3 support, wmv support, flash, etc) by default.

Even some windows apps will work in linux using a program called WINE (appropriately named for this forum). I use Winecalc in linux using it.


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## deboard (May 28, 2010)

My wife ended up with a facebook virus trying to install itself one day on her work laptop (windows of course), but I caught it in time and got rid of it before it could do any damage. From what I've read, the biggest culprits are Farmville scams (Like this to get a FREE PONY!) kind of stuff, and the scam that promises to tell you who views your profile most often. Anything that requires you to install something or give them your cell # is almost 100% scams. 

The cell # one is even more insidious, it will sign you up for a monthly charge that ranges from very small (99 cents or so) to $9.99 or more. Their hope is that you won't notice it and let it go forever.


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## Wade E (May 28, 2010)

I cant prove it but there are 6 computers at the place I brought mine and the only thing in common with all of us was Facebook but I have never clicked on any of that stuff like games or anything. My friend has the same problem and so does his girlfriend and they both facebooked. 2 of the computers in the shop are Macs. Its just the only thing that makes sense to em and the computer repair guy and he said that and any Bearwear file sharing music downloads are the 2 biggest virus problems on the net. Im taking his word for it which blows cause i finally got in contact with people I havent seen in 20 or more years and never got their #'s


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## deboard (May 28, 2010)

Well I hope you can get it fixed with minimal damage. If you have problems accessing the files on a computer, a linux liveCD (booting from the ISO CD image I mentioned earlier), can boot your computer and get files off by mounting your drives. The executable files may still have viruses, but family pictures, etc will not. You can copy them off to a usb drive and save them. Copy them off and start over. Let me know if you need any help.


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## seth8530 (May 28, 2010)

I have my doubts that you got your virus from facebook since you wernt really doing nothing on it besides catching up with ur friends.. Im not saying its impossible just not the most likely culprit...

Thing 2 that repair man is making a nice profit off of you because all he has to do is insert the windows disk and reformat your drive (whole proccess takes less than 30 mins). I wish you woulda posted before you took your pc's to the man because i coulda gave you a step by step and saved you some money


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## Wade E (May 29, 2010)

No, it trashed the hard drive. I can do what you said and have done that mnay times, it took my 160 gig drive and it wiped it clean or unreadable by any means. Thought yesterday it might not have been the hard drive but it turned out the new hard drive he installed was faulty and did basically the same thing as my shot one. I have a feeling my daughter who also uses facebook did something but who knows. Like I said though I have a friend and hi girl friend who also have the same exact problem and they swear they didnt play any of those games or download anything off the site eitherThis is 3 computers all within 4 days and actually now that I think of it my daughter didnt even use 2 of the computers so that leaves it as 1 of 2 wine forums or facebook and I can honestly say that Im possitive I didnt do anything besides click on a few friends profiles. It didnt do anything until the computer was shut down and then started up again.


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## Wade E (May 29, 2010)

Ive never layed around with Linux and probably would screwmy computer up again if I did play with it.


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## seth8530 (May 29, 2010)

Wade E said:


> No, it trashed the hard drive. I can do what you said and have done that mnay times, it took my 160 gig drive and it wiped it clean or unreadable by any means. Thought yesterday it might not have been the hard drive but it turned out the new hard drive he installed was faulty and did basically the same thing as my shot one. I have a feeling my daughter who also uses facebook did something but who knows. Like I said though I have a friend and hi girl friend who also have the same exact problem and they swear they didnt play any of those games or download anything off the site eitherThis is 3 computers all within 4 days and actually now that I think of it my daughter didnt even use 2 of the computers so that leaves it as 1 of 2 wine forums or facebook and I can honestly say that Im possitive I didnt do anything besides click on a few friends profiles. It didnt do anything until the computer was shut down and then started up again.




A virus can NOT physicaly damage hardware. It can trash software and drivers and the such but it is impossible for a virus to physicaly damage hardware. Either the hard drive he tried to put in was bad or possibly your motherboard is on the fritz. Im putting my money on it being your motherboard. 

Just curious what would happen when you would try to start your pc? how far would it go? 

wade, i highly respect your contribution to the online wine making community, and right now you know more about wine than i can hope to know for a very long while, my background is different than yours. I originally started out as a huge tech and computer building enthusiast. Im not all knowing but i know a thing or two about just like you know a few things about making wine.


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## deboard (May 29, 2010)

I think you'd surprise yourself Wade, Linux has a bit of a reputation for being hard to use or configure, but it's come a long way since the late 90s when that reputation came about. The distributions I use I feel comfortable setting them up for anyone I know. Mint in particular. It has a look and feel similar to Windows XP, but improved IMO. And believe me, it's very hard to screw up your computer. From the looks of things right now, it's pretty easy in windows!!


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## Wade E (May 29, 2010)

Went to shop to pick up my second computer and while in there 3 more people came in with same problem and the only thing in common with us all was Facebook and supposedly its all over facebook now for people not to accept certain people or things, I never accepted these as friends but was dumb enough to send a message back to them asking if I knew them as Ive had a few people from here or the other forum friend me and I didnt know their name only their user name from the forums. It is Facebook and Im willing to bet a years salary on it so be careful everyone!


I will check it out but will wait awhile as I cant afford to do anything right now if for some reason I do screw it up!


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## Wade E (May 29, 2010)

Went to shop to pick up my second computer and while in there 3 more people came in with same problem and the only thing in common with us all was Facebook and supposedly its all over facebook now for people not to accept certain people or things, I never accepted these as friends but was dumb enough to send a message back to them asking if I knew them as Ive had a few people from here or the other forum friend me and I didnt know their name only their user name from the forums. It is Facebook and Im willing to bet a years salary on it so be careful everyone!


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## grapeman (May 29, 2010)

Seth, there is at least one virus that can trash hard drives- probably many. The virus puts the drive into a loop, cycling between ends of the drive. It happens so fast that the heads trash the drive eventually. I got so fed up with dealing with such viruses that I got out of the computer repair field about 6 years ago now. You can tell your computer has picked up such a virus if your drive starts clattering as the heads slam back and forth until the drive totally fails. 

Wade, I hope you get things back to normal pretty soon. I will certainly be more cautious than ever after this.


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## Wade E (May 29, 2010)

I surely dont have the knowledge of some of you in the computer area and dont pretend to but also know the guy at the store pretty well and he doesnt lie. He's not a crook and I usually walk out of there after an hour or 2 without paying anything or just a few bucks, today he gave my daughters laptop a new keyboard for free. Im pretty much all back on line now with both laptops going. Will play around with my desktop tomorrow as I believe I have another hard drive hanging around and think its already loaded with XP and 1/2 the music I may have lost.


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## St Allie (May 29, 2010)

Facebook has never interested me.. or twitter.. or downloadable ( uploadable?)music 

good to hear it's all fixed Wade

I'll stick with my instant messenger and this site.

Allie.


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## deboard (May 29, 2010)

For windows I use Microsoft Security Essentials, it's a free antivirus from microsoft. It seems to be very good, and it's free, and from what we know of microsoft, if theirs is not the best for their OS, it will be soon. I've not had any issues so far. (But I only have one windows machine and that is dual boot with linux)

http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/


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## Wade E (May 29, 2010)

That the program I was using on my daughters laptop!  I was using Kaspersky on the other 2 which is a top rated software.


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## djrockinsteve (May 30, 2010)

The only reason I joined Facebook was to find a few school friends. I did find one while I think the other just got out of jail.....so.....I passed on contacting him.

I'd love to delete the whole thing but I don't know how. I don't need to know when you are going to the bathroom and was it a 1 or a 2. 

People have too much time on their hands.

As far as virus's that's why I use a Mac.


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## seth8530 (May 30, 2010)

grapeman said:


> Seth, there is at least one virus that can trash hard drives- probably many. The virus puts the drive into a loop, cycling between ends of the drive. It happens so fast that the heads trash the drive eventually. I got so fed up with dealing with such viruses that I got out of the computer repair field about 6 years ago now. You can tell your computer has picked up such a virus if your drive starts clattering as the heads slam back and forth until the drive totally fails.
> 
> Wade, I hope you get things back to normal pretty soon. I will certainly be more cautious than ever after this.




Wow, that is both fascinating and frightning. Wouldnt reformating the drive fix the problem before damage was done? I salute you sir for dealing with people's pc problems as a job. Must of been a handfull of a job m8.


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## St Allie (May 30, 2010)

djrockinsteve said:


> The only reason I joined Facebook was to find a few school friends. I did find one while I think the other just got out of jail.....so.....I passed on contacting him.
> 
> I'd love to delete the whole thing but I don't know how. I don't need to know when you are going to the bathroom and was it a 1 or a 2.
> 
> ...



In NZ we have an 'old friends ' network.. it allows you to register as a previous school pupil in your pre-marriage name ( nee).

I agree with you Steve.. too many people, giving out too much personal information on those blogging sites.

Allie


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## Runningwolf (May 30, 2010)

djrockinsteve said:


> I'd love to delete the whole thing but I don't know how. I don't need to know when you are going to the bathroom and was it a 1 or a 2.
> 
> People have too much time on their hands.
> 
> As far as virus's that's why I use a Mac.



Steve, I agree. I like to see a post on whats going on in your life but I don't need a blow by blow explanation every hour. Of course we have to remember we are dealing with members of all ages on facebook also. I originall joined because I have family all over the country and I think it has brough us closer as to what everyone is doing (engagements, vacations,etc.).


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## Julie (May 30, 2010)

Wow, you know it's becoming unsafe to do anything on the computer. Initially, I joined Facebook to keep in touch with my son who lives in Seoul. And I agree some of the stuff that is posted is just ridiculous


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## deboard (May 30, 2010)

The thing about windows viruses for the most part is that they usually come in an executable that the user installs either on purpose (new toolbar, cool free game, etc), or accidentally through some form of trick. Sometimes they come in the form of infected PowerPoint files or something like that, but Microsoft is getting pretty good at stopping those guys. The bad guys finally figured out that their best ally is the user who wants something installed. So they hide in fake toolbars, etc. You may not even know you are installing a virus, and if you click through all of the wizard dialogs to install something, there's not much a virus scanner can do until it is too late. Hopefully it will notice things are bad right after you install it, but these days, the first thing the smart viruses do is disable antivirus software. 

I think the oddest thing about this one is that it does so much damage. That's not usually what they do these days. It's much more profitable to set your computer up as a zombie and become part of a botnet to send spam, steal identities (including yours), etc. The fact that it destroys files is surprising. 

Wade, do you have any network shares on your computer? My guess is that there was one point of entry, and the rest of the computers fell to a worm attack by the first computer infecting files on the network. 

Mac users tend to feel like they don't need antivirus software, and to a degree it is true that they are less likely to be hit by viruses. But that's only because people don't write viruses for macs often. That will change as more people uses macs. There have been a few mac viruses in the wild, and Apple recommends antivirus software be used. Apple took a fairly secure base in the mach kernel and hamstrung the security in the name of user friendliness. The macs are always the first to go down at the hacker competitions.


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## NSwiner (May 30, 2010)

All i know is I had better back up my important files on my days off this week ,it's been awhile .


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## Wade E (May 30, 2010)

All my computers run on a wireless network through a Linksys router which is firewalled and Kaspersky also has its own firewall. My wirelss network is WEP security enabled also and Kaspersky which is 1 of the top rated anti virus systems is updated automatically which is very often as I can see it in my bar.


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