Virus/Spyware scan on my studio pc?

[hiphopdraw]

My studio computer is only set up mostly for music. I have another computer that is set up for internet, checking for viruses/spyware, and other work. Sometimes I connect my exterior hard drive to my studio computer. I'm afraid that some of the data or stuff I install might contain viruses/spyware. On the emachine non-studio comp, I have AOL security edition on there because it includes virus/spyware scan and firewall. I like it because it always updates, and I don't have to pay extra for that service because it's part of AOL. I also like this emachine comp because whenever it starts messing up, I just do a system restore with the cd they gave me.

Should I install that AOL security edition on the studio computer to look out for that stuff? I don't have it connected to the internet so it won't be up to date. I really don't know how to go about doing this. During a recent search, Aol security edition has found spyware on the external hard drive. If I hook it up again, will it infect my studio comp? I want my studio comp as clean as possible. Is there any other options?

How should I set up my studio comp with fear of getting infected and no internet connection. I was thinking of just connecting to the internet just to install the AOL software.

DRAW

[theblue1]

AOL software of any kind scares the heck out of me.


There's an excellent free online virus/malware scan at

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/


Be prepared to let it roll for a couple hours if you have a few hundred gig or more. They've beefed it up to look for more malware... which is good, cause there are more threats out there, but it does take a while, now.

Trend Micro is a big deal in corporate security.

[G-Dawg]

do not install anything from AOL on your machine. you don't need it. instead use google to find the following:

AVG Anti-Virus (the free edition)

Spybot S&D

run those 2 and you'll be fine.

also avoid any of those online virus scans unless you like letting some company know the name of every single file on your computer or in the event it's a virus scan with malicious intent it could concievably send info back if the scan comes across anysort of file named..i dunno...financial_records.txt

use AVGfree and Spybot S&D. you dont need anything else.

(edit: those 2 programs also update themselves.)

[hiphopdraw]

I am really thinking of doing what both of you guys said to do. I really do not want to put extra programs in, but I'm sure it's better safe than sorry. I like the idea of the trend micro because if it really finds all of the malicious nasty stuff, I wouldn't need to install anything. I might just put those two other softwares in. If I don't like it, then I can just uninstall them.

Would anyone else out there say that the trendmicro website is all I would need? or the other 2 softwares G-Dawg recommends?

OH WELL!!! There goes my internet free studio computer.


Thanks for the advise,
DRAW

[button]

With an Anti-Virus program the kicker is always the (paid) updates.

Personally, I would not completely trust anything with AOL written on it.

To address the "spyware / adware / data-collecting cookie" issues, I can totally recommend the excellent (and free) Lavasoft Ad-Aware personal.
Get it here: http://www.lavasoft.de/
Removing spyware is really easy with this program, just install it and all the optional add-ons and do a scan regularly.

Ad-aware Personal does not, of course, check for viruses. On a music PC, I would suggest disabling all of the "automatic scan" options of any anti-virus program. If you are the only person using the computer, then you can just "scan on demand" when you download something. Switch your email to plain text rather than html, and rather than clicking on embedded links in emails, copy the link, edit to the basic url, and visit in a browser.

[simonv]

I work at an IS/IT company supporting a 50 000 workstation fleet, and we use McAfee VirusScan + Anti-Spyware module. And Microsoft Anti-Spyware when a workstation is infected.

That's what I use here too for the project-studio computer, and it works great.

Stay away from the Norton stuff (CPU heavy and not stable), and stay away from unkown anti-spyware scanners as some themselves carry spyware. And btw, Ad-Aware was very good a year back, but today, it has a hard time detecting everything.


hope this helps

[greggybud]

Originally Posted by G-Dawg

use AVGfree and Spybot S&D. you dont need anything else.

(edit: those 2 programs also update themselves.)

AdawareSE will pick up stuff Spybot S&D doesnt find. I use AVG Spybot and Adaware SE.

Im completely scared of AOL. The moment I get a AOL CD it gets glued to my CD art collection. I learned the hard way about AOL years ago and I dont care if they have changed or offer their services for free. I will never go near them. And stay away from Norton. DAWs and Norton just wont jive in the long run.