Saturday, April 04, 2009

Conficker Virus Check

Simple, quick test


Maybe you've heard about the Conficker worm, a computer virus that became active on April 1. Millions of computers are said to be infected with it. It is unknown how or when the worm will be used, but it probably won't be used benevolently.

A quick, easy test for the virus has been posted by the Conficker Working Group. Visit the test page and compare your results with the charts at the bottom of the page. This is a reliable test, as long as you aren't viewing the internet through a proxy server (such as a web accelerator provided by a dial-up internet service.)

Or, simply try to visit some of the anti-virus software websites such as Symantec, Trend Micro, or F-Secure. If you can't open the websites, your computer is probably infected with Conficker.

Experts say that if a computer's anti-virus software has been kept up to date, it's unlikely that it will be infected. But visit the test page, just to be sure. If you learn that your computer is infected, see the CNET article: "Rid your computer of the Conficker Virus".

This information is a little off topic for Prairie Bluestem, I know, but I don't want any of my readers to be caught unaware. If you're not using anti-virus software currently, a good, free program is available from AVG.

A hat tip to Seth Rosenblatt at the CNET Download Blog.

2 comments:

Traffic School said...

Is there a software that can detect this virus.
I am afraid that this has struck my Machine

Genevieve Netz said...

I really can't offer any specific advice, but if you search a little on the internet, you'll have no problem finding information. In the post above, I linked to a CNET article that has a link to some free software downloads. You could try one of those to remove the virus. If you're not confident about what you're doing, I'd certainly consult an expert.

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CONTENTMENT: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry, live simply, expect little, give much, sing often, pray always, forget self, think of others and their feelings, fill your heart with love, scatter sunshine. These are the tried links in the golden chain of contentment.
(Author unknown)

IT IS STILL BEST to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasure; and to be cheerful and have courage when things go wrong.
(Laura Ingalls Wilder, 1867-1957)

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