I'm not even sure what a trojan is. To borrow Will's diagram again:

<---- words

O <---- my head

 

RIG, care to pop out of nowhere and explain stuff with diagrams again?

I'm not RIG (but you can call him AA, or Theo), but I can answer that question.

 

Trojans are programs that appear to be a functioning program but are actually viruses. For example, I download a video from the internet, but it isn't really a video, it's a keylogger (just as an example. It can be various sorts of malicious programs), or it's like a video, but not what you wanted, and it has an attachment that does something else. As you can see, they get their name from the Trojan Horse in the Iliad, because they pretend to be something you want but end up hurting you.

 

Or at least that's what I understood of them when I looked them up cause my computer got a few before. If anyone knows better feel free to add to/correct what I have.

 

 

Glad you like my diagram though :D

 

okay thank so far my new car is great the old one had problems and okay

That sounds extremely scary Will. o.o

 

-Wonders what I have looked at on youtube lately-

Well that's actually not how you get trojans. I don't think you can get them just browsing the internet or viewing websites, you have to actually download something from the internet.

 

It's something you might need to be more concerned about if you're using file sharing programs like Limewire.

Seeing as I have no idea what that is, does that mean i'm safe? The last thing I downloaded was when I actually hit the "download button" on my laptop when some random pop up came up on some random website but my dad installed osme new virus protection then...

Well that's actually not how you get trojans. I don't think you can get them just browsing the internet or viewing websites, you have to actually download something from the internet.

 

It's something you might need to be more concerned about if you're using file sharing programs like Limewire.

 

which is why you should always scan anything you download with a good antivirus program before you open or use it.

 

doing that seems to have kept me virus/trojan free.

Yeah, doing it Myles's way should keep you safe :yes:

 

SS, if you're worried, you can scan your computer with whatever AV program you have, and delete anything that it finds. If you don't find anything, I wouldn't worry about it too much, unless you notice something wrong with your computer.

 

Remember, if you have a virus or whatever already on your computer, just having an AV program won't get rid of it (though it might do background scans for you and find it). You have to tell the program to delete it, otherwise it won't, because it doesn't know if you need that file or not.

Ok, i'll try that. Just I have a few questions. Starting with, what's an AV program? Is that like Norton or McAfee?

Yup, AV stands for antivirus. And McAfee and Norton are the two most well known ones. Unfortunately that means that they're the ones that people try to work around, so for that reason you'll probably have to update them frequently (that should be done automatically).

 

Two lesser known ones are AVG and Avast!, and I've heard they're pretty good. Best part is, they're free ;)

Ok, i'll try that. Just I have a few questions. Starting with, what's an AV program? Is that like Norton or McAfee?

 

yes.

also, If you're using a microsoft computer, I suggest using Microsoft Security Essentials http://www.microsoft...ity_Essentials/

reason being, it's quite effective, free, and optimized for windows (so it's less intrusive)

 

AVG & Avast! especially are good too.

Aother good virus program is norton 360 I have this in my computer is great program I never have a problem with my computer

I heard Norton programs take up too much memory on a computer though. That's why my dad switched to Mcafee on everyone's computer but mine. He simply put up one and left the other on my laptop. o.o

I use McAfee cause it comes free with Comcast, but I probably wouldn't pay for an AV program, since there are a bunch of good free ones.

yes there is lots of free one too but I had McAfee once and I got a nasty virus one wile having it in my computer so just beacuse its frre dosent mean it good

Yeah, that's what everyone uses at my house too. My grandpa even uses it now. o.o

 

But you know, it it kinda nice having two different anti-virus protection programs on my computer. Although McAfee dosen't ask to scan, I have to get it to do that manually.

 

 

And I fnally got around to drawing a Ban-mobile to run people over with on the ban thread. xD

thats why I like norton you can set it up too scan on its own and at a certain time every day too thats why I like it

Well, having an AV program won't guarantee that you won't get a virus. I mean, if you choose to download it, you can still get the virus. The AV program should prompt you to get rid of it though, so long as you keep it updated enough so it can detect it. And odds are your AV program is doing constant background scans. It's the default setting.

 

And McAfee isn't free. Not normally.

 

And I've heard it's not good to have two AV programs on your computer, since they can conflict with each other and cause problems.

Hm, well, I don't think my dad pays for anything with Norton but scans anymore. Mcafee does everything else though. Is that good enough? o.o

yea I know I got McAfee just like you did when I frist got comcast I guess the progream just wasent for me but ever since I got the norton I havent had any issues at all

 

As long as you have some kind of protection on your computer and havent had any issues with it then you sould be fine

 

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That's good to know.

 

Hm. I'm bored... Where's topic change man when you need him?

I have this strange habit of walking into conversations about computers. I really should stop that. I mean, do you know how painful it is to run into a conversation? Those things hurt! :P

I dunno. I ran into fluffy conversations before.

They were nice enough for me to back away and then run into them again :P

That's a good point. I have read conversations that were almost entirely fluff. But I don't tend to run into those. I tend to run away from them and their fluffy lack of content.

What do you mean by you've read conversations made of fluff?

 

And I wasn't talking about a lack-of-real-content fluffy, but more of a very-much-solid-pillow fluffy. :P

I know. I was just sneaking in a point. :shiftyeyes_anim:

 

Sleep fail again? *checks* Nope! No lack-of-sleep fail this time! :D