Windows XP on MAC vs. Virus attack

I intend to install the Windows XP in my macbook to run some softwares from my work. However, If I install the Windows XP on my macbook, am I gonna be more susceptible to viruses from internet, even accessing the internet on MAC OS X operational system?
Another questions is: Could my computer speed be impaired if I installed the Windows XP?
and What are the main problems (if there is some) caused by installing windows XP on Mac?
Thanks a lot.

You'll probably want some antivirus program installed on your Windows partition. It's just like any other Windows machine!
If you do get any viruses/malware/spyware/trojans or what have you, they will not harm your OS X partition.
Your computer speed shouldn't suffer--I have Windows XP installed on my MacBook and it hasn't slowed my machine down at all.
One thing to keep in mind is that the trackpad on your MacBook may not work the same way while you're running Windows XP. On my computer, only the trackpad button can click and I can't right-click unless I use an external mouse. Everything else works fine though!
Hope this helps a bit
~Lyssa

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Question on the new virus attack warning on the Mac

Hi everybody,
Just wondering if anyone is getting worried about the new virus attacks that are predicted on their way at the Mac according to media sources. I have Firewall on and also Stealth Mode enabled but I'm worried now if that's enough. I've looked at ClamX but that seems like it can cause other problems. MacScan seems to be good software for a decent price. Any ideas from anyone will be appreciated.
Rich

No viruses that can attack OS X have so far been detected 'in the wild', i.e. in anything other than laboratory conditions.
It is possible, however, to pass on a Windows virus to another Windows user, for example through an email attachment. To prevent this all you need is the free anti-virus utility ClamXav, which you can download from:
http://www.clamxav.com/
However, the appearance of Trojans and other malware that can possibly infect a Mac seems to be growing, but is a completely different issue to viruses.
If you allow a Trojan to be installed, the user's DNS records can be modified, redirecting incoming internet traffic through the attacker's servers, where it can be hijacked and injected with malicious websites and pornographic advertisements. The trojan also installs a watchdog process that ensures the victim's (that's you!) DNS records stay modified on a minute-by-minute basis.
You can read more about how, for example, the OSX/DNSChanger Trojan works here:
http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/trojanosxdnschanger.shtml
SecureMac has introduced a free Trojan Detection Tool for Mac OS X. It's available here:
http://macscan.securemac.com/
The DNSChanger Removal Tool detects and removes spyware targeting Mac OS X and allows users to check to see if the trojan has been installed on their computer; if it has, the software helps to identify and remove the offending file. After a system reboot, the users' DNS records will be repaired.
(Note that a 30 day trial version of MacScan can be downloaded free of charge from:
http://macscan.securemac.com/buy/
and this can perform a complete scan of your entire hard disk. After 30 days the cost is $29.99. The full version permits you to scan selected files and folders only, as well as the entire hard disk. It will detect (and delete if you ask it to) all 'tracker cookies' that switch you to web sites you did not want to go to.)
A white paper has recently been published on the subject of Trojans by SubRosaSoft, available here:
http://www.macforensicslab.com/ProductsAndServices/index.php?mainpage=document_general_info&cPath=11&productsid=174
Also, beware of MacSweeper:
MacSweeper is malware that misleads users by exaggerating reports about spyware, adware or viruses on their computer. It is the first known "rogue" application for the Mac OS X operating system. The software was discovered by F-Secure, a Finland based computer security software company on January 17, 2008
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacSweeper
On June 23, 2008 this news reached Mac users:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/06/23/mac_trojan/
More information on Mac security can be found here:
http://macscan.securemac.com/
The MacScan application can be downloaded from here:
http://macscan.securemac.com/buy/
You can download a 30 day trail copy which enables you to do a full scan of your hard disk. After that it costs $29.95.
More on Trojans on the Mac here:
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/63574.html?welcome=1214487119
This was published on July 25, 2008:
Attack code that exploits flaws in the net's addressing system are starting to circulate online, say security experts.
The code could be a boon to phishing gangs who redirect web users to fake bank sites and steal login details.
In light of the news net firms are being urged to apply a fix for the loop-hole before attacks by hi-tech criminals become widespread.
Net security groups say there is anecdotal evidence that small scale attacks are already happening.
Further details here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7525206.stm
A further development was the Koobface malware that can be picked up from Facebook (already a notorious site for malware, like many other 'social networking' sites), as reported here on December 9, 2008:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/technology/newsid_7773000/7773340.stm
You can keep up to date, particularly about malware present in some downloadable pirated software, at the Securemac site:
http://www.securemac.com/
There may be other ways of guarding against Trojans, viruses and general malware affecting the Mac, and alternatives will probably appear in the future. In the meantime the advice is: be careful where you go on the web and what you download!
As to the current 'Conficker furore' affecting Intel-powered computers, MacWorld recently had this to say:
http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?email&NewsID=25613
Although any content that you download has the possibility of containing malicious software, practising a bit of care will generally keep you free from the consequences of anything like the DNSChanger trojan.
1. Avoid going to suspect and untrusted Web sites, especially *********** sites.
2. Check out what you are downloading. Mac OS X asks you for you administrator password to install applications for a reason! Only download media and applications from well-known and trusted Web sites. If you think you may have downloaded suspicious files, read the installer packages and make sure they are legit. If you cannot determine if the program you downloaded is infected, do a quick Internet search and see if any other users reported issues after installing a particular program.
3. Use an antivirus program like ClamXav. If you are in the habit of downloading a lot of media and other files, it may be well worth your while to run those files through an AV application.
4. Use Mac OS X's built-in Firewalls and other security features.
5. Stop using LimeWire. LimeWire (and other peer-to-peer sharing applications) are hotbeds of potential software issues waiting to happen to your Mac. Everything from changing permissions to downloading trojans and other malicious software can be acquired from using these applications.
6. Resist the temptation to download pirated software. After the release of iWork '09 earlier this year, a Trojan was discovered circulating in pirated copies of Apple's productivity suite of applications (as well as pirated copies of Adobe's Photoshop CS4). Security professionals now believe that the botnet (from iServices) has become active. Although the potential damage range is projected to be minimal, an estimated 20,000 copies of the Trojan have been downloaded.

Due to virus attack i had to format my windows laptop...now when i installed new itunes software i had to sync my ipod touch again but it says that if do the same then the data on my ipod touch will be erased....how should i protect my ipod touch data?

due to the virus attack i had to format my windows laptop...now when i installed new itunes software i had to sync my ipod touch again but it says that if i do it then the data present on my ipod touch will be erased as it is syncd to some older library... how should i protect my ipod touch data?

With all you media (apps, music) in the iTunes library connect the iPod to the computer and make a backup. Do that by right clicking on the iPod under Devices in iTunes and select Back Up. Then restore the iPod from that backup.
Note the the iPod backup that iTunes makes does not included synced media like apps and music.

Hi i want to use boot camp for the first time but i was wondering if when you install windows in your mac there is any risk of virus?

hi i want to use boot camp for the first time but i was wondering if when you install windows in your mac there is any risk of virus?

angelicagalera wrote:
hi i want to use boot camp for the first time but i was wondering if when you install windows in your mac there is any risk of virus?
Of course there is. There is with any computer system that you connect to the internet or transfers files to and from. When you run Windows on your Mac you increase the chance from zero that you will get a Windows based virus to virtualy the same risk as any other Windows user.
The weaknesses in Windows OS and applications are well trodden by virus and worm malcontents the world over. That doesn't mean that OSX is exempt though. All it will take is once and the entire Mac world will sit up and take notice......
Rick

Viruses, from Windows partition to Mac partition ?

Hello everyone !
I recently installed Windows on my Mac via Bootcamp. I found two trojan horses on my Windows partition, so I deleted it.
My question is : Can viruses or any other malicious thing go from the windows partition to the Mac partition, or in a general way, switching between partitions ?
Sincerely.

First their is now way the trojan can move from the windows partition to the macs and even if it did maybe through a USB drive macs and windows are built differently that is why you can't install a windows program on a mac and vise-versa.

HT5639 If I Run windows on a Mac does it open the Mac up to viruses?

If I run windows on a Mac does it open it up to virus and will performance degrade over time as it does with windows based machines?

In Boot Camp Windows runs on a separate partition and does not interact with OS X at all.
The Windows partition, however, will be just as susceptible as any Windows computer.

Safari locked out by Malicious Virus Attack...

Today my Safari was locked out and this warning popped up on my screen. "
Critical Security Warning! Your Mac is infected with a malicious virus attack.
Please contact tech support at +1-888-307-2735 and provide error code WBACK7917 to scan and resolve any potential threats to your personal and financial information, which was being tracked by suspicious connection.
Consequently we are performing additional security checks to verify the source of the attack and have halted all your system resources in order to prevent any additional damage to your system and information."
I called the number but the rep didn't identify herself only stated that they work with Apple & Safarii to help reduce these problems, then proceeded to ask for permission to enter my laptop remotely. I colorfully told her where she could go. So my Safari is locked out, MacKeeper hasn't identified the problem and the Safari app doesn't show in Mackeeper for me to uninstall the entire application. Please help me get rid of Safari then load a brand new one without the Debbie does Dallas getting her sticky fingers in my MaBbook Pro (17-inch) OS X updated 10.10.1 Yosemite.
How can I uninstall Safari on my MacBook Pro when it is entwined into the OS X operating system? Then reinstall a clean version.

dominic23
Re:
Safari locked out by Malicious Virus Attack...
You said...
"This is a scam.
1. Force Quit .
    Press command + option + esc keys together at the same time. Wait.
    When Force Quit window appears, select Safari if not already.
    Press Force Quit button at the bottom of the window.   Wait.
    Safari will quit.
2. Relaunch Safari holding the shift key down.
3. Turn off wifi and turn it back on.
    Turn off Wifi. Click Wifi icon in the menu bar and select “Turn Wifi off”.
    Visit another website.
    You won’t have internet connection.
    Turn on Wifi. Click Wifi icon in the menu bar and select “Turn Wifi on”.
    Select your Network."
Your solution worked until I opened Safari again. I tried it several times, but the pop-up messages keep returning while locking the Safari screen.
Any other suggestions?
Don

SWITCH FROM WINDOWS XP TO MAC OS X?????(UNDECIDED) ANYONE?????

Hey anyone, im undecided if i should switch to mac, beacuse there are little service centers here in Mexico,
is it easy to solve issues like in windows?
What to do if my computer hangs up?
Id like to see with you the poeple who already have a mac if you could write me a list of pros and vs's of swiching from an windows to a mac (XP PRO to OS X)
Id really appreciate that, anyone who repplys, just send me an email to [email protected]
with the title, "SWITCH" or reply to this topic.
THANX

Pros:
1. More pleasant internet experience - pop up filtering much less painful.
2. Virus attacks practically unknown of.
3. Operating system (OS) interface is much more intuitive and I believe easier to navigate through.
4. OS crashes/hangs less than once every 3 months in my experience. If it hangs up it usually is a program that needs updating and quitting the program leaving the rest of the system running. Extremely rare to have the system freeze up. Never saw a blue screen of death.
5. Security is a big plus.
6. internet Apple shopping and support is highly rated. My experience with service turnaround is much better than any PC company (I am thinking of my Sony experience that took 6 weeks for a simple CD burner power switch repair and Dell onsite repair with the tech breaking the laptop case and needing to send it in anyway with a 10 day turnaround). I needed a screen replacement from Apple that took 3 days door to door with overnight shipping under warranty.
7. Multimedia experience has been great - iMovie, iPhoto, iTunes, iDVD
Cons:
1. Some web sites are Explorer friendly only. Explorer has not been updated for OS X in years (which is probabley a pro since it is a mediocre browser). Firefox, Netscape, Safari, may not completely display everything properly.
2.Some proprietary programs not available in OS X. Vast majority have OS X versions. May need to use a PC emulator to use the rare program. The emulators do not do games well.

Windows--MacOS--Managing Corporate/IT Virus Risk

Simple hypotheses:
-A mixed PC & Mac hardware platform should be next to impossible to bring down completely through a virus attack as neither platform is susceptible to the other's viruses.
-A 100% Mac platform that has Mac & Windows and running dual software versions (e.g. MS Office for Mac as well as Windows) should be even more secure--for the same reason (Windows crashes--run MacOS). If the Mac became the de facto corporate standard, virus programmers would consequently, disappear (how do you successfully execute successful simultaneous attacks on two operating systems?).
Thoughts?
MacBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.9) A house full of Macs--An IT Dept full of Windows

What about the trojans, rootkits, and exploits for OS X? Perhaps not for a portion of OS X that Apple has actually written, but none-the-less OS X is not an OS without vulnerabilities.
Virus writers would eventually just adapt to the changing environment. Remember that most successful viruses are successful because of social engineering, not a vulnerability in the OS itself.
Also remember that OS X has only acheived an EAL3 certification, so in the eyes of the US government, it is not built as secure as Windows 2000, XP, or 2003 as well as other OSes.

How to Install Windows 7 on mac?

How can i get Windows 7 installed on my mac?
Is it pre installed ? can i get it pre installed when i buy a new one ?
Regards,
Robin Paulose

Robin,
Welcome to Apple Discussions.
MS Windows must be purchased separately, you can buy it anywhere Windows is sold including Best Buy, Fry's, online stores etc. Next you must decide how you want to install it. Primarily there are 2 ways, Bootcamp or using Parallels or VM Ware Fusion, the differences are:
Bootcamp is free and comes with Leopard and Snow Leopard. It allows the user to boot their Mac in either MS Windows (XP, Vista and now Win 7) OR OS X but not both simultaneously. In short when you boot you are turning your Mac into a Windows machine. Apple officially supports XP and Vista but doesn't officially support Win 7 installation yet. However many people have done successful Win 7 installations. Look over the Windows on a Mac video here.
The next way is to us either Parallels or VM Fusion. Both products essentially do the same thing, allow the user to run Windows within OS X. This is productive if you want to move files across platforms or don't like the hassle of rebooting every time you want to change OS's. There are many reviews on Parallels and Fusion (just use Google), read those over and then decide which one you would like. They will cost you roughly $60-$80 and can be purchased directly from the manufacturer or most Apple resellers.
Note: Remember when you install Windows on your Mac the partition it is installed on will be susceptible to all the virus's and other malware any MS Windows machine is so use Windows anti malware and virus software to protect your computer. Any virus's will not affect OS X though.
Regards,
Roger

Disadvantage of having windows on a mac

I would like to install Windows XP on my MacBook because there are some programs such as Windows Movie Maker and Windows Media Player that I found to be having more features than that of iMovie (effects, easy transitions, etc.)and iTunes (can't even play a VCD).
I would like to ask what the disadvantage of having Windows on a Mac, such as, (would) the built in firewall be not effective for the Windows, therefore requiring you to have a yearly subscription of Antivirus and Antispyware? In preloading the Windows, is there a need to back up the files before installing it? Please orient me before I finalize my decision. Thanks.

I have installed windows vista on my mac and it's great because i'm 100% compatible with whatever software that doesn't run on a mac but could run vista
But how do you plan to install xp? via bootcamp?
If you install via bootcamp (like me) your firewall would be useless when your in Xp and any virus/spyware that affects windows will affect you when you are using xp. backups are always recommended but not required. oh and if you are using bootcamp, you can only run one at a time (if your on xp you cant get to your mac)
hope this helps

Compaq Presario 2710CA Start Up problems after virus attack!

Hello,
I am having great difficulty with my Presario 2710CA following a 'Windows Recovery' Virus attack.
After removal of the virus (I used the MalwareBytes Anti Malware for the clean up), I rebooted the machine as required but now getting the error message below:
We apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows did not start successfully. A recent hardware or software change might have caused this.
If your computer stopped responding, restarted unexpectedly, or was automatically shut down to protect your files and folders, choose Last Known Good Configuration to revert to the most recent settings that worked.
If a previous startup attempt was interrupted due to a power failure or because the Power or Reset button was pressed, if you aren’t sure what caused the problem, choose Start Windows Normally.
Safe Mode
Safe Mode with Networking
Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked)
Start Windows Normally
Use the up and down arrow keys to move the highlight to your choice.
Seconds until Windows starts: 28
I have tried all the options listed above but nothing seem to work. It starts the process as normal, the Windows XP logo comes up and then it returns to the above screen. All options above result in the same process. Pressing F8 freezes the process.
I am desperate to get my laptop back as it has been a great asset. I run a small business from home and all my accounting data and business information is held in this computer.
For anyone interested, I also have Norton Antivirus on the laptop but it didn't detect or remove the malware.
I do not have the Quick Restore CD with me and the leaflet that came with the laptop says contact Compaq at:
www:compaqordercenter.com/freeQR but this url no longer seems to work.
I am not even sure whether it is a hard disk problem or Windows XP problem (or something else). My primary concern is to get the data held in the laptop back and therefore do not want to erase that by restoring to factory set up.
Can someone please please help me?
Thanks in advance.

Sounds like a nasty rootkit, my advice is to boot from an Ubuntu CD and back up your critical data to an external hard drive and then do a clean install or factory restore of XP.
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/use-ubuntu-live-cd-to-backup-files-from-your-dead-windo...

Using Power Book G4 with OSX 10.5.8 okay from virus attack?

Is my Mac Powerbook G$ with OSX 10.5.8 safe from virus attack or do I need to protect Safar?

Lawrence1946 wrote:
Is my Mac Powerbook G$ with OSX 10.5.8 safe from virus attack or do I need to protect Safar?
It is very important to speak precisely about these matters to avoid jumping to unfounded conclusions that lead to erroneous reactions. You said "virus attack" which is a mischaracterization of the problem. It was a vulnerability, only the potential for a man-in-the-middle attack which has absolutely nothing to do with viruses.
For your Mac to be attacked, it would have to be attempting an SSL connection with Safari or other related frameworks, and there would have to be another user on the same wifi network as yourself intercepting the transmissions and skilled enough in network coding to implement a man-in-the-middle attack. So users on school and public wifi networks using Safari were vulnerable, but home users on their own password-protected networks or Chrome/Firefox users were not particularly vulnerable.
From the articles on Mac sites that I read, which described all of the above, it was also said that only Mavericks was vulnerable. However, there were other security updates issued for Mountain Lion and Lion to address other issues.
10.5.8 along with 10.6 are no longer supported due to age and no longer receive security updates.

Virus attacking iTunes causing havok?

We've been using iTunes in the family now for a few years and i've concluded that there is one or several viruses attacking my use of iTunes and it is going undetected by scans by Symantec Endpoint Protection and McAfee OAS.
In the past, something has removed iTunes and Quicktime from our computer, given false-positive window confirming the software was reinstalled when it wasn't, duplicated our library causing need to move library to ext. hard drive, and disabling shortcuts to iTunes on desktop causing me to have to navigate directly to iTunes.exe using Windows Explorer and creating a new shortcut. The latest is that something is causng us to miss some charactes when we tye somethng like this sentence which is xtremely frustrating.
Is thre a known virus out thee attacking iTunes causing such roblems and is thee a fix from Apple to eradicate computers of the virus or is ther third-party software tha will find and eradiate it.
Reading som of the other posts leads me to beliee that this is a mor widsead poblem than jus my comuter and I'm surprise that Apple is not doing more to sole something that appears t be a direc threat to the computers of customers who use this Apple product.

+"The latest is that something is causng us to miss some charactes when we tye somethng like this sentence which is xtremely frustrating."+
It does not sound like an iTunes problem, and it does not sound like a virus either. Get your computer checked.

Why Windows on a Mac?

Why would anyone want to run Window$ on a Mac?
I have an iMac G5 for over a year now. The main, and in fact only reason, is because I was sick and tired of all those ever-returning problems with Window$, ranging from security issues to crashes (I even managed to make XP Pro crash). Panther (still running 10.3.9) has never crashed, and of programs, only Safari has crashed a couple of times (probably because of a faulty website). And as for OS X-viruses - which viruses?
So, why, in Steve's name, would one want to run Windows on a Mac - especially with the same security and stability issues? If need be, then keep an (older) PC beside your Mac to run Windows$-only programs (like I do), but wanting something from Microsoft on your Apple is like - like blasphemy! :-o
HELL will have to freeze over, before I ever install Winblows on my wonderful iMac!
iMac G5, 17-inch, Superdrive, 768 Mb RAM Mac OS X (10.3.9)

What are you talking about, Kris?
Intel ≠ Windows.
Intel ≠ Microsoft.
The only real reference in the keynote address that pertained to Microsoft was regarding Microsoft Office for Mac, a piece of software which is unrelated to Windows.
Microsoft has a pretty substantial Macintosh development team, not to mention a website devoted to "All Things Macintosh" called Mactopia.

Windows XP on MAC vs. Virus attack

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