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Permalink Reply by tapero on December 13, 2007 at 12:08am

Hi,

Is there any way to virus check youtube videos?

Is there a way to virus check songs before downloading?

thanks

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Permalink Reply by Alidar Jarok on December 14, 2007 at 2:49pm

Youtube checks for viruses automatically when you upload a video, so you shouldn't have to worry about that.

Songs, it depends on where you're getting them from. Legal sources (iTunes, amazon, rhapsody, etc), they will never have a virus in them. Illegal (napster, kazaa, limewire, etc), there is a very high chance of viruses and you really have no way of telling until you download the file, so you'll have to hope you have a good virus program. A pretty good rule of thumb is to be very very careful if it's a free one.

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Permalink Reply by tapero on December 14, 2007 at 6:00pm

Thank you so much!

I have avg free...

so if i download a song, avg free may or may not notify me..i take it?

and to play a song.... clicking on a link; is that the same as downloading it? as i have a recorder and could record rather than download, if can listen safely.. is it safe to listen or is it actually downloaded when I click to hear a song.

I've never messed with any music at all, just recorded music off radio.

so i'm not sure if one can listen to music, by clicking a link or if always have to download.

if can click to listen, is that safe?

and one more double check question, on youtube, there is channels which i guess are private made youtubes, are they also safe? thanks again

Thanks so much for your help!

love,
tapero

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Permalink Reply by Evan on May 27, 2008 at 4:57pm

Anything you view on the internet the internet browser on your computer has to download. So basically if it was possible to embed (put) a virus into a web page then by going on the web page you would get the virus. Luckily there has never been a case reported of a person getting a virus from simply browsing a web page.

Now how you get a virus is by downloading certain files (viruses) and viruses only use certain file types. One file type that you can bet is always a virus is a .vbs to see if a file is a .vbs just look at the end of the name and see if it has .vbs on it. The second known virus file type is .eml (uncommon) and the third (most common) is .exe . Now unfortunately .exe is a windows application file. (That means Internet Explorer, Microsoft Word, Minesweeper, any application) is a .exe. This is why it is hard to spot .exe viruses. In fact it is impossible to spot them unless you have an anti virus program. If you have an anti virus program that is updated regularly then as soon as you download a virus it will spot and delete it (any virus not just .exe).


So basically all you got to do is buy an anti virus program or attempt to get a free one and your set. I would suggest buying one because it is more trust worthy and you can bet they get their software updated regularly.

note: If you have a mac then don't worry there are zero viruses for mac.

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Permalink Reply by tapero on May 28, 2008 at 3:08am

Thanks Evan! That was very helpful.

I have another question. Living in USA had heard could get meds from Canada cheaper. So, I googled such and went into one and possibly two legit pharmacies in Canada.

I noticed google also brought up to buy drugs via Canada without a prescription. I did not go into any of those hits, only into one or two legit pharmacies in Canada.

What I don't understand is, now I'm recieving lots of spam and only spam from the illegal Canadian pharmacies (ones's which will sell without a prescription.)

I don't know how they got my email, as well, I did not do anything but look at two legit sites only and gave no one my email, so am wondering how they, the illegal pharmacies, get my email from me just googling, and not even going into the illegal.

How do I protect myself when googling as obviously pple can obtain my email addy while googling.

This is the first time that address has ever been spammed as well and I've had it many years.

To note, I keep my email so it does not open unless I open it, so I never open anything unless I know who is from as read that just opening your email (which is default setting that email is open) but just opening sends back a message to spammers that this person opened the spam.

Which is why I set all to be unopened.

Thanks for your help,
take care,
tapero

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Permalink Reply by Evan on May 29, 2008 at 7:42pm

I'm not sure how that could happen, some how one of the sites must of gotten your email. Most sites won't do this to you unless its like freeipod.com or something that's bound to be spammy.

Remember when you enter your email into a web site the site owner can do whatever he/she wants to do with it as long as it doesn't oppose their private policy. Most "legit" sites have one somewhere. This site happens to have one, if you look at the bottom in the blue streak it says Privacy and when you click on it your there.

I wouldn't bother reading it, but if you go to edit>find in your browser when on the privacy policy page and put in "third party" you might find something interesting.

(If it says they might give your information to a 3rd party that means don't put anything in unless you want spam.)

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Permalink Reply by tapero on May 31, 2008 at 3:02am

Thanks, interesting! Yes, I didn't give my email to the legit pharmacies, only read; I assume it was google somehow that gave it out, as is where I found the legit sites, where i didn't leave an email and I didn't go into any illegal ones as well.

I appreciate your reply. Maybe majorgeeks has a forum where I could ask as well or other tech forums.

Thanks again,
tapero

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