• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Might be moving to Linux

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Originally posted by: JDub02
reinstall windows and just use an antivirus and some anti-spyware software (adaware and spybot S&D are 2 good ones).
Click to expand...

See links in sig.

Even with the proper knowledge, XP is doomed to degrade.
 
Originally posted by: saxguy
spyware is really about the user than about the OS.
Click to expand...

Not really you just cant get spyware for a linux box.....you kust dont have to worry about it.
 
Originally posted by: SagaLore
I was very happy with Windows 2000, great replacement for NT. But now XP is like ME chewed up 2000 and spit it back out... with a Macintosh interface...
Click to expand...

::blink blink:: Uhh, you do know that XP IS Windows 2000 with a better interface and better driver support? If you don't like the new Interface, it's just a theme- turn it off. XP is, as far as I'm concerned, the best, most stable, most fixable, most troublefree version of Windows they've ever made.
 
Originally posted by: SagaLore
Originally posted by: Kelvrick
Don't blame windows because you suck at using it.
Click to expand...

What is the longest you have used XP, without having to reformat it?
Click to expand...
I'm supporting hundreds of machines that are running installs of XP from when it came out that have never seen a reinstall. Some were even upgrades from 98 and run fine (with the appropriate memory upgrades, of course).
 
Originally posted by: ironcrotch
Suse is my favorite distro, you should look into that. But the spyware and virus' isn't Windows fault, it's someone else's. 😉
Click to expand...

There is an unidentifiable spyware spreading, that appears to be using an exploit in the most recent version of IE. Spybot S&D and Ad-Aware cannot detect it, and manual remove isn't permanent.
 
Originally posted by: pulse8
Although, I have taken precautions by installing Firefox and Spyware Blaster.
Click to expand...

I got the same combo running here, along with Outpost Firewall and Kaspersky Anti-Virus! :beer:
 
Originally posted by: Fritzo
Originally posted by: SagaLore
I was very happy with Windows 2000, great replacement for NT. But now XP is like ME chewed up 2000 and spit it back out... with a Macintosh interface...
Click to expand...

::blink blink:: Uhh, you do know that XP IS Windows 2000 with a better interface and better driver support? If you don't like the new Interface, it's just a theme- turn it off. XP is, as far as I'm concerned, the best, most stable, most fixable, most troublefree version of Windows they've ever made.
Click to expand...

Were not around during the SP1 (not a) fiasco? It's a drugged slug. On an enterprise level we are having more issues with it than 2000 because of the neat "features".
 
I don't know how you guys do it. I use ad-aware, spybot and spyware doctor, and use a firewall and anti-virus program and I still get spyware that loads on my pc.

What's worse though, is the constant mshtml.dll errors I get (and MS has no fix for this, yet) along with other .dll problems. I have done an sfc /scannow to make sure all of my .dlls are working properly, but to no avail.

And when did Firefox (I use firefox when iexplorer goes into one of it's mshtm.dll fits) allow popups? I've been getting those lately, too.
 
I heart XP. I don't see a thing wrong with trying another OS, though. Even if you come back to Windows at least you gained some experience and tried it out.
 
What is the longest you have used XP, without having to reformat it?
Click to expand...

I've been running XP Pro since it was first commercially available (how many years ago was that?) and haven't had to reformat. I've done the occassional defrag and cleaned out the spyware with Ad-aware, Spybot Seach & Destroy, and Spyware Blaster. Also, my spyware problems have dropped to virtually zero since making the move to Firefox a few months ago.

By biggest gripe with XP right now is SP2. I installed SP2 a few days ago and found that I could no longer FTP. I tried disabling the firewall and opening ports, but nothing seemed to work. I finally had to uninstall SP2 and will try again later when I have more time to mess with the issue.
 
Originally posted by: PanzerIV
I don't see a thing wrong with trying another OS, though. Even if you come back to Windows at least you gained some experience and tried it out.
Click to expand...
:thumbsup:
 
Originally posted by: eigen
But to answer your question

1. Choose Fedora or Gentoo. nothing wrong with others just these are easier for newbs
2.Open Office
3.Yes there are plenty of pdf viewers for linux about a 1000 come with fedora
4. Yes you can do that. Is that what linux is about no.
Click to expand...

Gentoo a n00b distro??? I think you made a typo there 🙂

Fedora, SuSE, Mandrake are the n00b distros.
Gentoo, Deb, and slack are the 1337 distros.

OP:

1. Mandrake. It's easy and everything works.
2. Openoffice and yes.
3. Adobe what? There's gpdf for pdf files, gimp which is almost exactly like photoshop (and I like the UI better)...
4. With VMWare you need to install windows in the virtual machine, then you can load apps in that windows. Wine/winex/cedega will allow you to use windows programs in linux if you like.
 
Originally posted by: SagaLore
Originally posted by: ironcrotch
Suse is my favorite distro, you should look into that. But the spyware and virus' isn't Windows fault, it's someone else's. 😉
Click to expand...

There is an unidentifiable spyware spreading, that appears to be using an exploit in the most recent version of IE. Spybot S&D and Ad-Aware cannot detect it, and manual remove isn't permanent.
Click to expand...

Link?
 
Originally posted by: CPA
I don't know how you guys do it. I use ad-aware, spybot and spyware doctor, and use a firewall and anti-virus program and I still get spyware that loads on my pc.

What's worse though, is the constant mshtml.dll errors I get (and MS has no fix for this, yet) along with other .dll problems. I have done an sfc /scannow to make sure all of my .dlls are working properly, but to no avail.

And when did Firefox (I use firefox when iexplorer goes into one of it's mshtm.dll fits) allow popups? I've been getting those lately, too.
Click to expand...

CPA I've gone to many, many non mainstream sites and still I don't end up with a bunch of crap on my system. I don't see how other people get all this stuff.
 
Originally posted by: Thraxen
What is the longest you have used XP, without having to reformat it?
Click to expand...

I've been running XP Pro since it was first commercially available (how many years ago was that?) and haven't had to reformat. I've done the occassional defrag and cleaned out the spyware with Ad-aware, Spybot Seach & Destroy, and Spyware Blaster. Also, my spyware problems have dropped to virtually zero since making the move to Firefox a few months ago.

By biggest gripe with XP right now is SP2. I installed SP2 a few days ago and found that I could no longer FTP. I tried disabling the firewall and opening ports, but nothing seemed to work. I finally had to uninstall SP2 and will try again later when I have more time to mess with the issue.
Click to expand...

But you still got spyware. I think it is a matter of luck what kind of spyware it is. Like I said, there is some variant that is immortal, and brings the machine to a crawl.

Can't get rid of IE at work because too many programs rely on it.
 
Here's something to try- get an evaluation copy of VMWare Workstation. Get the Fedora Core 2 (or Suse, Mandrake, etc, pick one) CD images, and then install Linux in a window. Try and get it to do everything that you do on a semi-regular basis. If you can, then install it for real.
If not, try a different distro. Repeat until fed up with Linux and go back to Windows, remembering to use Firefox/Opera and Spyware Blaster.
If you succeed, remember that you can always run VMWare under Linux- so you can even run that killer Windows app that you can't with Linux.

Most importantly of all, try and enjoy learning about it- if you get frustrated and p!ssed-off, you're more likely to chuck it in the bin and give up.
 
How in the world are you guys getting spyware and junk? Don't knowingly install/download any software that contains it. Don't click on links you don't trust. Don't let your kid sisters IM everyone in their jr high class. I've been running XP for over a year and installed/uninstalled tons of different things, and its still as rock solid and clean as it was in the beginning. I run an AV program, but thats just in case something messes up along the way. There are no IE errors, no random popups, nothing. What the heck are you guys doing?!?
 
Originally posted by: Crucial
Originally posted by: SagaLore
Originally posted by: ironcrotch
Suse is my favorite distro, you should look into that. But the spyware and virus' isn't Windows fault, it's someone else's. 😉
Click to expand...

There is an unidentifiable spyware spreading, that appears to be using an exploit in the most recent version of IE. Spybot S&D and Ad-Aware cannot detect it, and manual remove isn't permanent.
Click to expand...

Link?
Click to expand...

If there were a link, it would be identifiable.

But here is more information supplied by me:

Sysupd.exe and random filenames in RunOnce
 
Originally posted by: edmicman
How in the world are you guys getting spyware and junk? Don't knowingly install/download any software that contains it. Don't click on links you don't trust. Don't let your kid sisters IM everyone in their jr high class. I've been running XP for over a year and installed/uninstalled tons of different things, and its still as rock solid and clean as it was in the beginning. I run an AV program, but thats just in case something messes up along the way. There are no IE errors, no random popups, nothing. What the heck are you guys doing?!?
Click to expand...

Do you patch your system regularly?

Run HiJackThis, send me your log, and I'll tell you if it's actually infected with spyware or not. Often you won't even know.
 
Strangely, I use FireFox on XP and don't have spyware problems. At all. I'm still convinced that most of the adware/spyware creeps into systems via IE holes, partially due to ActiveX support. Using FireFox within Windows is fifteen thousand times easier than trying to migrate OSes. You seem way too easily frustrated anyway, you'll go to Linux and then back to Windows long before you get everything working correctly.

Sounds like you need a nice OSX box.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top