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Lachp30
Guest
When downloading a video/music file of a P2P network, will you run the risk of obtaining a virus if the file you are downloading contains a virus if you use ''preview mode''? ???
Weeeeell, they can but its extremely extremely rare. Any file can contain a virus as matter of fact, but usually its only executables and dlls and other such types. Programming a virus that cant be executed by conventional means isnt easy, but is possible. This is why its so rarely done.
AlphaWolf
I prey, not pray.
You can stick a virus in an mp3 file but it won't do anything, unless winamp decides to execute it (which it won't ever, but wouldn't surprise me if microsoft gave their media formats a scripting ability, and later you end up getting virii through media player, read on to see what I'm talking about). A virus will only do something if its embedded into code thats actualy executed at the machine level, or a script thats executed by a program that runs at the machine level.
The only non executable formats that can contain virii that actualy do something are microsoft word documents (which can contain macros which are executed by word itself) and outlook express scripts (again a microsoft concept).
There are also executable file types that don't otherwise look executable to the user, namely Visual Basic Scripts or .vbs files, (another microsoft concept which are actualy run by the VB runtime libs) and screensavers or .scr files, (which in windows, microsoft gave the capability of doing anything to your system, if they wanted to do it that way, I don't get why they didn't make it read only to the disks, and limit where it can write to the registry). Also make sure that you don't have explorer in stupid mode. Stupid mode is where explorer treats you like a moron; it hides files that bill doesn't want you to touch on your own system, it doesn't allow you to do anything with those files, and most importantly, file extentions are hidden. This is a bad thing, all somebody has to do is name a file virus.jpg.exe, and you only see it as virus.jpg thinking its only a harmless jpeg image.
Just don't be naive and you don't need bloatware for protection, and you don't have to live in constant fear either.
The only non executable formats that can contain virii that actualy do something are microsoft word documents (which can contain macros which are executed by word itself) and outlook express scripts (again a microsoft concept).
There are also executable file types that don't otherwise look executable to the user, namely Visual Basic Scripts or .vbs files, (another microsoft concept which are actualy run by the VB runtime libs) and screensavers or .scr files, (which in windows, microsoft gave the capability of doing anything to your system, if they wanted to do it that way, I don't get why they didn't make it read only to the disks, and limit where it can write to the registry). Also make sure that you don't have explorer in stupid mode. Stupid mode is where explorer treats you like a moron; it hides files that bill doesn't want you to touch on your own system, it doesn't allow you to do anything with those files, and most importantly, file extentions are hidden. This is a bad thing, all somebody has to do is name a file virus.jpg.exe, and you only see it as virus.jpg thinking its only a harmless jpeg image.
Just don't be naive and you don't need bloatware for protection, and you don't have to live in constant fear either.