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What Is the Best Way To Disinfect Your Laptop?

akutz writes "I've had the flu since Tuesday afternoon. My wife picked me up from work with a temperature of 103.6 and it finally broke at 98.7 around 3am this morning. Yay. The problem is that I used my laptop during my periods of feverish deliriousness, contaminating my shiny 15" MacBook Pro with the icky influenza virus. I am asking my fellow Slashdotters if they have ever sought out a good way of disinfecting their lucky laptops after an illness. Do you use soap? A light acid bath? Just get the family dog to lick it until it looks clean?"

56 of 545 comments (clear)

  1. Bring it to the airport by xstonedogx · · Score: 5, Funny

    Then you won't have to worry about it.

    1. Re:Bring it to the airport by FlyingSquidStudios · · Score: 1, Funny

      But don't call AOL for help unless you've paid for phone support.

  2. Apple should issue a security patch... by NoobixCube · · Score: 5, Funny

    for the crippling virus infecting their machines.

    --
    Admit it. You post strawman arguments as AC so you get modded Insightful for refuting them, rather than Troll
    1. Re:Apple should issue a security patch... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I have mod points, and I am not afraid to use them.

      Then maybe you shouldn't have posted?

    2. Re:Apple should issue a security patch... by enoz · · Score: 3, Funny

      Hah! I have mod points too!

      I bet he forgot to post AC.

  3. Re:Germs on plastic? by sessamoid · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yes, you could be wrong.

    --
    "No, no, no. Don't tug on that. You never know what it might be attached to."
  4. possible secondary infection by fred+fleenblat · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sounds like you might have been exposed to hypochondria as well. You should go to a specialist and have that checked out right away.

    1. Re:possible secondary infection by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      In addition, if at all possible, DO NOT LICK YOUR KEYBOARD.
        When you've used the keyboard, DO NOT LICK YOUR HANDS. Do not jam your fingers into your eyes or up your nose. Maybe wash your hands with soap and water.
        There's very little to worry about unless you give in to the urge to lick your keyboard.

    2. Re:possible secondary infection by VGPowerlord · · Score: 5, Funny

      I told my doctor that, but he said I didn't have anything!

      I told him I wanted a second opinion; he told me I was an idiot!

      --
      GLaDOS for President 2016! "Well here we are again. It's always such a pleasure." -- GLaDOS, 2011
    3. Re:possible secondary infection by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      I had that once. They prescribed this wonderful medication called "placebo", I think. I've used it for everything ever since!

    4. Re:possible secondary infection by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      I've heard that a new drug called "Placebo" is an effective treatment for hypochondria. Ask your doctor for a free sample.

  5. Use a condom? by Maestro485 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Use a condom?

    I kid, I kid.
    Bye bye karma ;)

  6. Easy. by Gothic_Walrus · · Score: 4, Funny

    Just wait a day or two. The germs will die, you shouldn't get sick again since you just got done fighting it, and if your wife's going to get sick, I don't think the MacBook is going to be the reason why.

    --
    Goo goo g'joob.
  7. Now we know that by geekoid · · Score: 3, Funny

    Felix Unger posts on slashdot.

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  8. Nuke it from orbit... by suss · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's the only way to be sure.

    1. Re:Nuke it from orbit... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      best... post... all... day!

  9. Have you tried by srjh · · Score: 5, Funny

    Updating your virus definitions?

  10. Be thorough! by mpoulton · · Score: 3, Funny

    You really don't want to give your nasties to anyone, so I would recommend this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piranha_solution

    --
    I am a geek attorney, but not your geek attorney unless you've already retained me. This is not legal advice.
  11. Re:Set it out in the Sun by markov_chain · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'd think twice about doing this. You will end up killing 99% of the bugs, but the 1% that survive will be sunlight resistant! You'll kill us all!

    --
    Tsunami -- You can't bring a good wave down!
  12. Have you tried running linux? by DanWS6 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I heard that's fairly immune to virus's.

  13. duh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Just sell it on eBay. Problem solved.

  14. Re:Trust your immune system by Ngarrang · · Score: 3, Funny

    But, for a short time, that infected laptop gives 'p2p sharing' a whole new meaning.

    --
    Bearded Dragon
  15. Re:Trust your immune system by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    True, you don't have to worry about your family, but don't waste a golden opportunity - lend it to your least favorite co-worker!!

  16. Simple.... by brunokummel · · Score: 3, Funny
    --
    What is best in life? To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you and to hear the lamentations of their women.
  17. Lend it to Adrian Monk by Deadstick · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...it'll come back cleaner than it was when you bought it.

    rj

  18. Re:Set it out in the Sun by CastrTroy · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is Slashdot. I think you need to go into more explanation about this whole sunlight thing.

    --

    Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
  19. Re:Set it out in the Sun by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    You'll kill us all!

    If I was from Control, you'd already be dead.

  20. Re:Your body already knows that strain... by noidentity · · Score: 3, Funny

    If re-exposure to the exact same strain was an issue, you'd have to burn your house down every time you got sick.

    Great, now you tell me!

  21. Re:Lysol by Fallingcow · · Score: 2, Funny

    Vodka.

  22. fry them by natergj · · Score: 2, Funny

    just open a couple terminal windows and run a few yes > /dev/null processes while playing a game of guitar hero, you'll fry the little bastards quickly enough.

  23. I know flaimbait, but I can't help by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Since it's a mac, use soap and a bucket of water :P

  24. Re:Trust your immune system by jheath314 · · Score: 3, Funny

    in conjunction with a good blow job and

    Yes, a good blow job is a great way to improve almost any situation.

    --
    Procrastination Man strikes again!
  25. Don't worry about it. by camperdave · · Score: 5, Funny

    The problem is that I used my laptop during my periods of feverish deliriousness, contaminating my shiny 15" MacBook Pro with the icky influenza virus. I am asking my fellow Slashdotters if they have ever sought out a good way of disinfecting their lucky laptops after an illness

    Don't worry about it. There isn't a virus yet that can make the leap from biological to technological infection. Your laptop is perfectly safe.

    --
    When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    1. Re:Don't worry about it. by shermo · · Score: 5, Funny

      They said that about bird flu

      --
      Insanity: voting in the same two parties over and over again and expecting different results
    2. Re:Don't worry about it. by LittleRunningGag · · Score: 2, Funny

      You joke. But then, I'm guessing you've never had the experience of a customer approaching you, deeply concerned about the security impacts of airborne viruses in relation to wireless networking.

    3. Re:Don't worry about it. by Hognoxious · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm OK, I run linux. Odd, because bothe my parents are mainframes. Maybe I'm adopted or something.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  26. Re:Aren't you immune now? by Mike610544 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Now that you have survived, and, correct me if I am wrong ...

    If the guy didn't survive and is still correcting you, you shouldn't be dispensing advice, you want to make sure he doesn't eat your brain.

    --
    ... also, I can kill you with my brain.
  27. Obligatory... by Sensible+Clod · · Score: 5, Funny

    Nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure...

    --

    The difference between spam and poop is that you don't have to dig through septic tanks looking for real food. -- Me
  28. Re:Lysol by Darkk · · Score: 5, Funny

    A good ol' alcohol wipe will do the trick! You know, like the alcohol prep pads doctors use to disinfect your skin before sticking you with a needle. We use them all of the time at work to disinfect our cameras after daily use.

    Disinfect your cameras after daily use? Do I wanna know?

  29. Re:UV light by Walt+Dismal · · Score: 5, Funny
    "UV light damages virii so that they cannot reproduce."

    Unfortunately, this does not work on illegal aliens, spammers, trolls, and people who listen to Amy Winehouse.

  30. Re:Lysol by snowraver1 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Honestly, this is the best suggestion. Your body JUST fought off the infection, which involved destroying billions of individual pathogens. Your helper T cells have the pathogen stored in thier memory so that if the pathogen is detected again, the proper antibody will be deployed and the pathogen will be distroyed.

    Congratulations! You are IMMUNE to that particular pathogen.

    I would recommend you Lysol your cubemates and tell them to keep thier grubby hands to themselves!

    --
    Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. This comment may not be copied in any way including, but not limited to caching.
  31. Re:What an iPussy by Guru2Newbie · · Score: 2, Funny

    Back when I was young we ate the dirt and were thankful for it. You young whippersnappers these days...how's one supposed to win a war with you?

    You had dirt? You were lucky. We had to eat ones and zeroes. Some days all we had were zeroes. We ate 'em and were glad.

  32. Re:Germs on plastic? by glittalogik · · Score: 2, Funny

    "And that's why we shouldn't use condoms, honey."

  33. Re:Lysol by ceoyoyo · · Score: 4, Funny

    Agreed. The virus isn't a concern, he's immune to it anyway, and I suspect his family is well exposed. Soap and water to wipe off any obvious snot globs.

  34. Re:Lysol by Hal_Porter · · Score: 4, Funny

    there are some spore based viruses and even, organisms that are virtually impossible to destroy.

    Hello, my name is Muhammad. I am a student in the tribal areas of Pakistan, majoring in Shariah Law and Biological Warfare. Could you please mail me some samples of the spore based viruses? My boss has asked to give a presentation on them in New York.

    I will tell my boss to mail US$1million to you in used notes if you can help me. We will pack it in a lead box to make sure that it is not confiscated by customs.

    --
    echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
  35. Re:Lysol by lpcustom · · Score: 2, Funny

    Pangalactic Gargleblaster should do the trick.

    --
    Beer! It's what's for breakfast!
  36. Re:Lysol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I dunno, there's something about this ask slashdot that doesn't quite ring true.

    He's the kind of guy that:

    • keeps a thermometer in his desk
    • uses his laptop when he's too sick to work
    • gets up at 3am to take his temperature
    • asks slashdot how to disinfect his laptop

    and yet... he has a wife?

  37. Re:Lysol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Virii... virora...

    Is it silly plurals week again?

  38. Sorry. by erroneous · · Score: 2, Funny

    All this talk of cleansing gels and sprays is pointless.

    No matter what you do it will still be a Mac.

    (-1 Flamebait, I know)

    --
    erroneous: look me up in a dictionary
  39. Re:UV light by Ihlosi · · Score: 4, Funny

    Unfortunately, this does not work on illegal aliens, spammers, trolls, and people who listen to Amy Winehouse.

    You're just not using enough UV.

  40. Re:Lysol by tomtomtom777 · · Score: 2, Funny

    silly pluri week it is...

  41. Place the Mac back into its original packaging... by vorlich · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...and take it back to the shop.
    Tell them that you have far too light a grasp on reality to own such a technologically powerful piece of equipment.
    Then you should volunteer to help all those starving and sick children in the world, I would try Africa first, it's always in the news.
    After about eighteen minutes you will experience a gradual realisation of how, once, your life was so shallow and empty that you filled it with material things and then obssessed about non-existent threats to your health.
    Then you will feel good, proud even, it may be almost an epiphany.
    You will then be ready to own any of the many gadgets that makes modern life so filled with purpose.

    Hang on a minute! Isn't this just a reworking of the classic Playboy© readers letter about how to keep the stylus on their expensive hi fi free from dust and dirt?
    Damn you Troll, you damn you all to hell!

    --
    Posts, MyBio or Sig, may contain satire, sarcasm, bolded nouns be sardonic or even witty & be Church of SD
  42. This works with sponges by theonetruekeebler · · Score: 2, Funny

    There was an article on how to disinfect sponges recently and I think it would work on your laptop as well: Put it in the microwave on high for two minutes. Make sure you wet it first, or you'll get lots of smoke.

    --
    This is not my sandwich.
  43. Re:Lysol by WeblionX · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yes, you probably do.

    --
    (\(\
    (=_=) Bani!
    (")")
  44. Re:Lysol by KangKong · · Score: 2, Funny

    Dear Sir!

    A private jet has been dispatched to carry you to our newest resort on the island of Cuba, all expenses included. We at the Department of Homeland Security hope you have a pleasant trip and stay. If you sign up 5 or more co-workers we will book you up for a group trip, all expenses included for all of you. /Sincearly your friends at DoHS.

  45. Re:Lysol by ceoyoyo · · Score: 2, Funny

    Soap and water works well on rice pudding on the screen and keyboard too. ;)