[ SECRET POST #2925 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2925 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 046 secrets from Secret Submission Post #418.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

Who To Trust? (Computer Issues)

[(Anonymous)]

My mother has been absolutely refusing to get rid of our dinosaur computer despite that we all have fully-functional laptops because she prefers our old printer to the new. So today I set about trying to switch the printer to wireless. I ended up calling HP Tech Support, which I googled for.

So the guy takes over my Macbook (with my permission), takes absolutely forever to try to figure anything out (literally clicking on everything), and then tells me my Mac is infected and I need to have it cleaned out before I can install a driver(?) for the printer. When he said it would cost $150, I noped out of that call as fast as I could. Then I downloaded ClamXav, and it scanned my whole computer and came up with nothing.

My Macbook is working fine; it's about two years old. But I don't know. I think the number I called was legit (and I doublechecked about the program that let him take over my computer, it's definitely legit), but the virus stuff sounds like a scam. He did show me one add-on I had that looked hinky, but I got rid of it as soon as I got off the phone with him.

So, thoughts? Is my computer about to explode or something? Is there any other way I should/could be checking for viruses?

Re: Who To Trust? (Computer Issues)

[(Anonymous)]

Malware Bytes! Plus whatever free virus software. I'd suggest Avira or Avast.

Re: Who To Trust? (Computer Issues)

[lb_lee]

Seconding Avast. I've used it for years and am quite happy with it. It even took over supporting my OS after Windows dumped me!

Re: Who To Trust? (Computer Issues)

[(Anonymous)]

Comodo Security's pretty good too, though it helps if you're little tech savvy.

(Also you probably already know, but only use one anti-virus program.)

Re: Who To Trust? (Computer Issues)

[solticisekf]

OMG, the very idea someone taking over my computer makes me anxious.

Macs are known to be virus free. There's one malware that looks like a genuine software update, but no viruses. Or that was the case 2 years ago when I looked it up.

I'd file a complaint against the guy.

Re: Who To Trust? (Computer Issues)

[(Anonymous)]

Macs are less likely to get viruses since the OS is different, but they can still definitelt get 'em.

Re: Who To Trust? (Computer Issues)

[(Anonymous)]

This, seriously.

Re: Who To Trust? (Computer Issues)

[solticisekf]

Huh, lack of malware was a Mac's selling point for me. Oh well, I smashed my Macbook anyway.


$150 is way too pricy for a software help, imho.

Re: Who To Trust? (Computer Issues)

[(Anonymous)]

Linux's the least likely OS to get viruses if you're still concerned about it, but no OS is 100% safe. As long as you have a good anti-virus program, up to date OS, and stay off stay sites, you should be fine though.

Re: Who To Trust? (Computer Issues)

[(Anonymous)]

*shady sites

Re: Who To Trust? (Computer Issues)

[solticisekf]

Thanks for the heads up! I have Win8 and WinXP. Both are doing fine, even WinXP, surprisingly. Avast free antivirus and CCleaner forever. ❤

Re: Who To Trust? (Computer Issues)

[nyxelestia]

Macs can get viruses, malware, trojans, etc. They're just less likely to because their operating system is very different from the kinds of computers that are predominantly targeted by male (typically PCs running Windows) - but it can and does happen (and as more and more people - aka "targets" - have Macs, the more malware-makers will start coding their viruses and trojans for Macs).

Re: Who To Trust? (Computer Issues)

[(Anonymous)]

steve jobs is proof that macs aren't virus-free

Re: Who To Trust? (Computer Issues)

[herpymcderp]

Wait, what? A-are you implying that Steve Jobs was a robot?

Re: Who To Trust? (Computer Issues)

[(Anonymous)]

that's not funny

Re: Who To Trust? (Computer Issues)

[(Anonymous)]

Macs are definitely not virus free. I worked IT support last year and I think we had to clean more Macs than PCs in the last few months. Though if you keep your OS up to date and don't download anything shady, you should be fine.

That said, OP's situation does sound shady as heck. In my experience, it's always really, really obvious if a Mac is infected and ClamXav is usually able to detect what's there.

Re: Who To Trust? (Computer Issues)

[(Anonymous)]

Macs aren't virus-free, and when they get them they're a motherfucker to clean up because they don't have the same sort of anti-virus/malware software and system restore features that Windows PCs have. (Largely due to the "Macs don't have to deal with that!" BS that gets pushed on consumers.)

I had to try and help my friend de-virus her Mac, (she was afraid to bring it in to tech support because of sensitive work docs on it), and it was a fucking nightmare.

Re: Who To Trust? (Computer Issues)

[nyxelestia]

Fun story: I was once helping a friend defrag her Mac. It was an extremely convoluted process and was playfully dramatic about finally getting the process initiatied. She asked why it was so complicated for me if I "did it all the time", and I said that since defragging is basically a method of controlling the insides of your own computer (which is a huge no-no in the Apple ecosystem), it's easy to do on a PC but extremely difficult on a Mac. She had a hard time believing anything was easier to do on a PC than a Mac.

Her face when I started the defrag process on my own computer in three steps and under a minute...years later and the memory still makes me laugh!

Re: Who To Trust? (Computer Issues)

[(Anonymous)]

ayrt

That sounds about like when I helped my friend with her virus. The first thing I suggested was to do a system restore to before she noticed the problem. (Generally my first step if I notice something strange with my computer, and super easy to do on a PC.) Turns out Macs don't have that feature. There are a few third party programs that can do something similar, if you purchased and installed them before you had a problem, but that's useless if you're trying to roll back a computer after it gets infected.

Apple is great at marketing to people who aren't completely computer illiterate but don't have a lot of practical experience with computers. They don't realize how much more expensive Macs really are. (I have a top of the line gaming laptop that costs $1,200 dollars less than the best MacBook Pro, and the MacBook Pro has worse specs.)

[(Anonymous)]

Macs do have a system restore function though. Maybe not in the exact same way as Windows, but it is there. You can completely return to any time machine back-up you have made, and considering that time machine backs up every hour, you should never be losing much. Unless you are not backing up your computer which is stupid on any device.

Re: Who To Trust? (Computer Issues)

[siofrabunnies]

Some legitimate places can still try to scam you, like someone telling you something in your engine is about to explode, but it isn't. Especially since you were using a mac, he could have seen you as a "stupid mac user" who paid all that extra money for the the status of having an Apple product, and just tried to bilk you out of money.

I'm sorry on the program front. I know nothing of macs. If it is a mac-adapted program, though, Avira is wonderful on Windows.

Re: Who To Trust? (Computer Issues)

[nyxelestia]

If you want, get Avast and/or MalwareBytes, but if there's nothing actually wrong with your computer (as in, nothing is going wrong when you use it) and the virus scan doesn't show anything, then you're probably fine.

A driver is the software on your computer that "matches" it to the printer - however, the drivers aren't specific to each individual printer, but merely the type. If it's an HP printer, then you can probably just go to the HP Driver & Downloads site, type in the kind of printer you have, and it should give you either the driver for that printer, or the driver for a similar printer that might be able to work for it, anyway.

[(Anonymous)]

When it comes to mac osx maleware, the best site to consult is the Safe Mac (http://www.thesafemac.com). They got a good scanning program for finding and removing malware on your computer, but if you are more comfortable with that, they also give you the manual solution for which files to delete. Of course, standard disclaimer of having a time machine back-up before installing anything you don't know, but I can vouch for it being a safe to use program. I end up recommending it daily to people if they have got malware but no clean time machine back-up to return to.

Honestly, printers, and especially wireless printers are always a fucking pain in the ass. Too many points of error, and usually you have to contact your printer's manufacturer, and maybe those people know printers, but they sure as hell don't know shit about computers.

Re: Who To Trust? (Computer Issues)

[diet_poison]

I'd get a free anti-virus for sure. Not sure what to recommend though since I don't have a Mac.

I don't blame you for backing out of that weird phone help thing. I wouldn't trust that either. You could call/write to their office and tell them about the experience; it could have been a scam or something, but I'm not sure. Doesn't hurt to let them know.

I don't think your computer is going to explode, though. :P In seriousness you're probably ok unless something actually comes up that's hindering you.

I hope your mom comes around - if the printer is old it might be harder to make it work with a newer comp, though I'm far from an expert. Out of curiosity, what is the "dinosaur" computer she doesn't want to get rid of?

Re: Who To Trust? (Computer Issues)

[(Anonymous)]

It's a Compaq PC running Windows HP. I hate that thing, mostly because my parents would dowbload every virus there was at some point. Since I'm the family "tech guy", I've since convinced both parents to go to Mac, and it has been a lot easier.