How To Avoid Viruses At Windows Install Time?

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?"

Comments

IP Theft and The Linux Community

[Anonymous Coward]

The Linux community likes to hide behind the mantra of free and open
software for all and as such has the twisted mindset that all software
should be free for everyone. This should come as no surprise seeing
that the Linux community seems to take pride in stealing anything they
can get their hands on and breaking laws designed to protect IP at the
same time.

Linux users have been advocating downloading Microsoft True Type Fonts
for years mostly because their own fonts and font system in general
has been so horrific that Linux screen fonts in most stock installs
are almost unreadable. Of course they will claim that Linux fonts are
great but if that were really the case why is the internet clogged
with Linux Font DeUglification documents written by Linux users?

They even have documents that give a step by step procedure for
stealing the Microsoft fonts and installing them on Linux systems!
Notice in particular the instructions for the Tahoma font.

http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/mini/FDU/truetype.html
http://corefonts.sourceforge.net/

Next we have Linux users violating the EULA for the X-Box and
tinkering with it so that it can run Linux.
Why on earth any sane person would want to take a bitching game
machine like X-box and ruin it by installing Linux is a mystery to me.

http://xbox-linux.sourceforge.net/index.php

http://xbox-linux.sourceforge.net/faq.php

Pay particular attention to the question about it being illegal and
how they avoid answering the question.

They are also doing the same thing with Sony Play station as well.

http://playstation2-linux.com/faq.php

None of this is going to hold up in a court of law and the Linux
people who are leading these projects are looking for some serious
trouble should Microsoft and Sony decide to pursue this matter.

Finally we have the suit filed by SCO which claims that the Linux
community at large has incorporated stolen code into it's open source
programs.

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,3959,936269,00.a sp

This should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed the Linux
movement from the day Linux wrote the kernel.

The Linux community has proven themselves to be a fight to the end,
steal whatever can be stolen from big business because it is big
business that is killing Linux.

The Linux community has absolutely no respect for the property of
others and will resort to any type of clandestine tactics to steal
whatever isn't cemented down all in the good name of Linux.

So if you are thinking of betting your business on Linux software, you
had better think it over carefully, because if SCO should win, Linux
will be out of business.
And if SCO should lose, do you really think it is wise to bet your
entire business on software that is supported by a community that
promotes stealing and in fact is full of thieves?

Food for thought.

Solution for people without firewalls

[t_allardyce]

Assuming you dont have separate firewall or CD with some tools on it:

1) Connect to net.
2) Launch IE, goto google as quickly as you can
3) Search for "xxx", "hardcore horse fuck", or "warez cracks serials"
4) Open as many sites as you can in a new window
5) These will sporn pop-up windows and slow your net connection down enough so that you might be free from incomming attacks (if you can download videos even better).
6) Download your updates and gradually close excess windows to divert bandwidth to your update downloading.
7) Disconnect

As a side-effect you will certainly catch some ad-ware/spy-ware but its better then getting a worm, and you can think of it as a metaphore - with IE, unprotected browsing is the same as unprotected sex with 300 annoying people that keep offering to sell you wireless spy cams. But unlike your dick, you never have to use IE again, so close it down and install Firefox.

Re:RTFQ

[Anonymous Coward]

Let's play "Spot the network geek with no knowledge of what software is or how it works"!

If you picked "AKnightCowboy", you're CORRECT!

Re:Easy

[ratlater]

Pre SP1 the built-in firewall is disabled when you run Windows Update (MS was really thinking there). So the built-in firewall is useless unless you are starting from SP1.

-matt

Re:Easy

[ramdac]

why are you a liar?

Re:Very very simple.

[siyavash]

Because he is an idiot. Like the rest of linux community. :)

AMIGA / BSD / Windows rules.

Re:If you can stand waiting...

[nightrain6667]

There is another way, that is a lot easier... Take windows CD put it in the trash bin. Now get yourself Gentoo and your done :)

Use ICF, you noob.

[kyhwana]

Just turn on ICF (Internet Connection Firewall) before you plug it back in, yesh, it's right there.
WTF was this even posted?