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How To Avoid Viruses At Windows Install Time?

Posted by timothy on from the good-luck-with-all-that dept.

reallocate writes "Can a home user install and update Windows without being attacked by a virus or worm? I'm a Linux user; have been since 1995. Recently, I needed to install Windows XP Pro on a home desktop machine with a Roadrunner cable connection. I tried twice. Both times, the machine was attacked and rendered unusable before I was able to pull down the first update from Windows Update." Read on for more details of what went wrong and when.

Here's a synopsis of my install method:

  1. Put the Windows XP CD in the drive;
  2. Disconnect the cable modem from the network card;
  3. Reboot and install Windows;
  4. The box remains off the net during the entire install: no registering, no setting up an ISP, no activation, no network configuration, no nothing. (BTW, the only networking component that I install is tcp/ip. All the other MS stuff never gets on the machine.)
  5. Reboot; Windows runs and all is well;
  6. Install the current version of Norton Internet Security Professional from a shrinkwrapped CD (firewall, anti-virus, etc.);
  7. Configure the Roadrunner net connection and reboot to pick up a DHCP lease;
  8. Launch the Norton update facility (per Norton's recommendation, the built-in XP firewall is turned off);
  9. Complete the Norton update and reboot;
  10. Launch Windows Update;
  11. Start to pull down Service Pack One; per Microsoft's instructions, all firewalls are turned off.

That's as far I got. During the first attempt, I acquired a virus or worm before I could finish the Norton update (machine powered down). On the second attempt, I got as far as Windows Update and SP1(continual rebooting).

So...how would you do it?"

3 of 833 comments (clear)

  1. Re:IP Theft and The Linux Community by borwells · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Are you implying that no one ever does anything illegal with Microsoft software?

    --
    "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."
  2. Seriously by essdodson · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    Are you really asking this? Surely you can figure this out on your own. Where do worms and viruses come from? That's right, network connection.

    • Disconnect
    • install
    • ask RMS "Can I help you?"
    • enable firewall
    • ask RMS "Can I help you?"
    • connect
    • While congratulating RMS on his office in the Bill Gates building slip an RFID tag in his coat pocket.
    • apply patches, get a cup of coffee there are 19 or so, reboot
    • apply a few more patches.


    • Congratulations, even Linux users can figure out Windows now.
    --
    scott
  3. Simple! by out+of+control · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Don't install Windows! Use Linux!