[GLLUG] Setting up a dual-boot system

[frank.dolinar at comcast.net]

I have Ad-Aware and use it at least every week.  Same with SpyBot and NortonAV.

None of the above have managed to find or stop whatever is burning cycles in my system.  The typical CPU percentage is running between 20 and 70% and really slowing down my system.  (Let's just say I'm not amused.)

I think (but cannot prove) that one or more of the "CoolWWWSearch" malware processes is doing this to me, but -- as I said -- none of my anti-malware tools is finding anything.  It's discouraging.  (If anyone knows anything about dealing with this particular family of nasties, I'd be interested in hearing more.)

While in most cases I'd agree that what I plan might be a little extreme, I have not found an easy way around this.  Nor am I a complete stranger to the clean-the-hard-disk-and-start-over process.  Wouldn't be the first time.

On the other hand, if I thought I had an alternative, I wouldn't be going this route.

Thanks for the feedback.  All good ideas.

-- Frank



-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: Thomas Hruska <thruska at cubiclesoft.com> 

> frank.dolinar at comcast.net wrote: 
> > I've somehow managed to get some sort of CPU-cycle-eating malware on my home 
> system. 
> > 
> > To get rid of it, I'm going to wipe my C:\ drive and reload a new operating 
> system. 
> 
> Isn't that a bit extreme? Sounds similar to removing and reattaching 
> the same foot (both are painful and usually unnecessary). Between 
> Ad-aware and Spybot S&D, 99.99% of all malware is removable (and both of 
> the products I just mentioned have freeware editions - which is all that 
> most people running Windows need). 
> 
> 
> > I"m probably going to WinXPPro, since I've got it. I'd also like to set the 
> system up as a dual-boot with Ubuntu's latest. 
> > I'd love to move this system entirely to Linux, but that's not yet an option. 
> 
> Another option might be to use virtual machine software. Bochs is open 
> source but there's always VirtualPC and VMWare. VMWare has a free 
> version of their software called "player" (can't create images but it 
> does work with existing ones). Too bad the various distros. still just 
> ship ISOs and don't bother to create virtual-machine image builds. That 
> said, VMWare Player might be able to run the "Live" versions of various 
> distros. out there (I know VMWare has the ability to 'boot' from a ISO) 
> but I haven't tried it. Bochs has a similar capability. 
> 
> The reason I mention this is because you wouldn't have to dual-boot 
> then. Depending on which OS you want to use more, that should be your 
> host OS and then you run the "guest" OS under the host OS using virtual 
> machine technology. Note, however, that if you play a lot of video 
> games, most virtual machine software doesn't handle the native video 
> hardware very well (e.g. DirectX based games)...in that case, I'd 
> suggest Windows as the host OS just because most game manufacturers 
> target that platform. 
> 
> 
> > Can anyone offer some advice, suggestions, how-to information, or references. 
> > 
> > Thanks, 
> > Frank 
> 
> Oh, and 'hi', I'm new to this list and, while I seem to be a Windows 
> guy, I'm actually OS-agnostic for the most part; that is, I hate every 
> OS on some level and love them on some other - Windows, Mac, Linux, etc. 
> I may stop by for one of the meetings this group has sometime in the 
> near future even though I live in Okemos. 
> 
> -- 
> Thomas Hruska 
> CubicleSoft President 
> Ph: 517-803-4197 
> 
> Safe C++ Design Principles (First Edition) 
> Learn how to write memory leak-free, secure, 
> portable, and user-friendly software. 
> 
> Learn more and view a sample chapter: 
> http://www.CubicleSoft.com/SafeCPPDesign/ 
> 
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