Win2k pro, the mother of all viruses

[esuna]

Ok, so, today i've been building my g/f's computer, after minimal hassle, i started to install win2k, all's going well, installed fine, great. Installed mobo and video drivers and things are all cool. Get it online, hit windows update then we ran off to see a movie. Cut to a few hours later.

The computer is riddled with viruses. All i'd installed not on properly pressed (and completely legal, i might add) cds were FireFox and winrar. Both of which were downloaded from reputable sites, and the exact same files that i have running on my computer with no viruses whatsoever.

So this is what i need to ask, is a clean install of win2k on brand new hardware really so susceptible to viruses? I'd not been able to ascertain what viruses they were exactly as they were overflowing the box and effectively stopping you from running anything, let alone do anything on the internet or install software (so both windows update and installing a virus scanner were out of the question).

This has basically forced me to install WinXP Home over, what i believe to be, the more superior win2k pro, which i'm none to happy about.

[Malevolent]

You should of installed XP from the beginning, imo. I know a lot of people don't like it, but it has a built-in firewall to help keep your computer safe early on. It's basically compatible with everything, and a lot of other people have XP, so it makes LANing easier.

[Leaderz0rz]

windows update its not secure.

[Mr.Bill]

windows its not secure.

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Fixed.

[Black Mage]

> Get it online, hit windows update then we ran off to see a movie. Cut to a few hours later.

and

> All i'd installed not on properly pressed (and completely legal, i might add) cds were FireFox and winrar. Both of which were downloaded from reputable sites, and the exact same files that i have running on my computer with no viruses whatsoever.

note that you only installed firefox and winrar. it seems that because you did not mention any problems with TCP/IP or DHCP you probably didn't have a firewall.

you left a computer on, alone, for a few hours with no virus protection and no firewall. refer to the image in this post

also, follow the steps in that post, replacing anti-spyware/malware/adware tools with antivirus tools

[holy_devil]

Ok, so, today i've been building my g/f's computer, after minimal hassle, i started to install win2k, all's going well, installed fine, great. Installed mobo and video drivers and things are all cool. Get it online, hit windows update then we ran off to see a movie. Cut to a few hours later.

The computer is riddled with viruses. All i'd installed not on properly pressed (and completely legal, i might add) cds were FireFox and winrar. Both of which were downloaded from reputable sites, and the exact same files that i have running on my computer with no viruses whatsoever.

So this is what i need to ask, is a clean install of win2k on brand new hardware really so susceptible to viruses? I'd not been able to ascertain what viruses they were exactly as they were overflowing the box and effectively stopping you from running anything, let alone do anything on the internet or install software (so both windows update and installing a virus scanner were out of the question).

This has basically forced me to install WinXP Home over, what i believe to be, the more superior win2k pro, which i'm none to happy about.

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indeed win2k is a big problem, there was a discussion on /. about how to avoid the virus thing. theres literally trackers searching every ip, iirc, for holes to exploit on win2k computers. the first 5 minutes you log into the web with a win2k comp, you have a virus, almost guarenteed. its really horrible =/ its a decent OS for people who don't use the web, though.

firewall could possibly help, i'll see if i can find the /. post though, theres some offline updater for windows you can use to help you, anti-virus as well is needed.

edits;

http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/0...1347214&tid=172

http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/1...tid=172&tid=201

you can search for more here, don't forget to read the comments for some possible help as well, idk if that stuff will help, but it may.

[esuna]

Glad to know that it's not my problem then. This has happened on two machines that i've built and it's a bit worrying, to be honest.

Bleh.

XP Home is now on there anyway and, dispite lacking mobo drivers atm, working fine.

[sonic]

So that's where you've been all day.

[Doobie Dan]

Unfortunately, the viruses will catch you before you can finish Windows Update.  It's not a matter of security, its only a matter of being unable to get patched in time.  There's really only two solutions to this problem.

1) Get a hardware firewall (most routers have them) to block the port scanning viruses that hit you first.

2) Get a Win2000 installation disc with SP4 preinstalled, or WinXP with SP2.

[Black Mage]

ugh, win2k pro sp4 > winxp home

all you need to do is configure it before you get it online.

grab a cheap software firewall (use a different computer and a cd burner), install it, set it to block all inbound connections, hop online, set up your hardware firewall (you *do* have one, right?) and turn IFC on (it helps) and then patch.

with one hardware firewall, one software firewall and one kernel integrated firewall (and a bit of common sense) you should be fine

edit: remember: nobody can hack a computer that's not online. (SE doesn't count)

[LowCrawler]

bro when i installed win2k pro on my machine, I swear to jebus within ten seconds of it hitting the internet, its slammed.


the most notable is the one that makes lsass.exe terminate, causing computer to reboot at random intervals... god i love it.

also as metioned, winupdate is not secure, mainly because before you run winupdate, IE is not secure.... kind of a catch 22.

[esuna]

Well, dispite a small cock up with ATI's control panel (screen resolution is now 640x480 in 4bit colour), the computer's running fine. As for SP 4 and the likes, i didn't have them, and had no access to them, so it wasn't an option. So come 3am i thought it and we dragged the box back to my place and started the XP install without a single problem in all the world.

Did a 3dmark05 on it, as well as on my own machine. Mine ran like crap, as to be expected, and i never thought i'd see a machine run it with pretty decent framerates, as this one is. I want this computer.

The specs, for anyone interested.

Athlon 64 3000
1GB Corsair PC3200
Radeon 9800 pro 128mb
120gb 7200.7 SATA Seagate Baracuda
Asus K8N-E nForce 3 Socket 754



Now starting a paypal account so you bastards can donate and buy me one too.

[devicenull]

I've installed 2k on two computers so far, my laptop and my siblings computer.  Neither has had a virus to date, but they are both behind my router.  Even so, when I grab my laptop and go to other networks, I still haven't had any problems.

Kerio is a nice firewall

Actually, my siblings managed to download some virus and I never reconfigured my antivirus so it kinda forgot to send me the email saying it detected one.  Anyway, it was some trojan, which didn't do much because it was behind a firewall.

Anyway, 2k's secure if you configure it correctly.  But XP home is another story, I've had to dig into the registry so much to get it working... I plan to upgrade to xp pro shortly.

I still like 2k over xp, and I'll take 2k any day :p

[BobTheJanitor]

XP is fine once you take out all the playskool styling and make it look and act just like 2k. The only thing that aggravates me to no end is the damnable dog in the default search tool. I know, it's easy enough to get rid of. But you have to click through a few options and then WAIT for the evil little beast to play through a 'happily trotting off the screen animation'. AAAAAAAARGGH!!! I don't want to wait for the dog to piddle off, I want a big red button that says 'GET RID OF THIS UGLY HOUND' and I want it to vanish the instant I press it.

Ahem. Ranting aside, I have no problems with XP once it has been properly whipped into shape.

[Crispy]

Mmm, Corsair...

[OttoDestruct]

> Get it online, hit windows update then we ran off to see a movie. Cut to a few hours later.

and

> All i'd installed not on properly pressed (and completely legal, i might add) cds were FireFox and winrar. Both of which were downloaded from reputable sites, and the exact same files that i have running on my computer with no viruses whatsoever.

note that you only installed firefox and winrar. it seems that because you did not mention any problems with TCP/IP or DHCP you probably didn't have a firewall.

you left a computer on, alone, for a few hours with no virus protection and no firewall. refer to the image in this post

also, follow the steps in that post, replacing anti-spyware/malware/adware tools with antivirus tools

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Funny, I have yet to get a virus in my last five reformats of my computer, and I do win2k on them every time. And in case youre wondering why I reformat, its just a quirky habit I have. I like my registry clean like a baby's arse.