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Virus Free Internet

Discussion in 'General Internet' started by hawk22, 2007/08/06.

  1. 2007/08/06
    hawk22

    hawk22 Geek Member Thread Starter

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    Hi, I would like to know if this is really a safe way to browse the Internet.
    Linux Knoppix and the latest version of Linux is available on CD & DVD Bootable including the necessary software to detect hardware. Also included is Open Org Office plus more. The OS (Linux for training) boots of the DVD or CD and does not access the hard drive therefore files can not be written to the DVD as it is Read only. Is this so or not.
    Regards
    hawk22
     
    hawk22,
    #1
  2. 2007/08/06
    Steve R Jones

    Steve R Jones SuperGeek Staff

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    If there aren't any hard drives on the pc and the pc won't be part of a network it would be safe..
     
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  4. 2007/08/06
    hawk22

    hawk22 Geek Member Thread Starter

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    There are hard drives on the PC but the OS is running of the DVD.
    hawk22
     
    hawk22,
    #3
  5. 2007/08/06
    Steve R Jones

    Steve R Jones SuperGeek Staff

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    The OS and everything else would still have access to the hard drives...
     
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  6. 2007/08/06
    sparrow

    sparrow Inactive

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    Actually nothing ever runs 'off' any type of disk; a program is loaded from a disk into RAM, where the instructions are read by and loaded into the CPU registers where they are acted upon by the CPU. Nothing runs on your PC anywhere but in RAM. So, RAM is also where malware runs and infections occur. No disk can prevent infection, even tho it isn't infected (which fact is irrelevant).

    Edit: Example: Remember the swap file (page file), the location on disk where something is temporarily stored when it must be removed from memory to make room for somethimg else that must be in memory for the CPU to run it.
     
    Last edited: 2007/08/06
    sparrow,
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  7. 2007/08/07
    hawk22

    hawk22 Geek Member Thread Starter

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    Hi, Yes, but this brings me now to the point that broth me here with this question in the first place. The Kids PC they use for chat and surfing old PIII 866 ended up with some Viruses, so as there is no important stuff on it some old games I had decided to just Format I had taken the hard drive out and connected it on my PC (faster) as a slave just to Format while the Kids spend their time doing some low level maintenance blowing out the case cleaning fan blades and the like. I then reconnected and reloaded Windows.
    The drive was clean of viruses, if the Ram when the PC is turned off would not clear itself the Kids PC would have theoretically be still infected would that not be the case.
    That is what made me ask the question by using the Knoppix CD that does not use the HD you can disconnect them and it will work the same as you say it will load the information off the CD onto the Ram, but before I can use windows again I have to turn the PC off, what happens to Malware or Viruses. Sorry if I sound confused that is because I am.
    Regards
    Hawk22
     
    hawk22,
    #6
  8. 2007/08/07
    Steve R Jones

    Steve R Jones SuperGeek Staff

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    Running Knoppix on a pc without a hard drive would be safe...Any viruses would be lost at shutdown.

    Running a pc with an Anti Virus program and a firewall would/should be safe too...
     
    Steve R Jones,
    #7
  9. 2007/08/07
    hawk22

    hawk22 Geek Member Thread Starter

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    Thanks, wouldn't the mere fact that you are running a Linux based OS and not Windows eliminate the fast majority of Malware Trojan and Virus attacks.
    hawk22
     
    hawk22,
    #8
  10. 2007/08/07
    sparrow

    sparrow Inactive

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    Yes, linux has less attacks than windows. However safety is relative, not absolute.
     
    sparrow,
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  11. 2007/08/07
    Steve R Jones

    Steve R Jones SuperGeek Staff

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    Kind of reminds me when Firefox became popular and how everyone was bragging about it being more safe then Internet Explorer....I encouraged many people to switch to FF thinking the hackers would follow now that they had something new to hack:D
     
    Steve R Jones,
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  12. 2007/08/08
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    It does not matter...ram clears when the power to the pc is interupted, e.g at reboot or shutdown. RAM cannot "store" data inbetween reboots.

    Even with a hard drive in the comp, using a "live cd" that runs in ram is completely safe because most live linux cds will not mount the drive partitions by default. The partitions must manually be mounted, and if not monuted then nothing can be read or written to the partition. AFAIK there is no malware or virus that is capable of mounting a partition on its own.

    The only real potential risk in this scenario is if when using the live linux web browser you inadvertantly download and save an infected file to a windows partition which in turn you then execute after booting windows. The infected file can do no harm until you execute it in a windows environment.
     
    TonyT,
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  13. 2007/08/08
    hawk22

    hawk22 Geek Member Thread Starter

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    Thank you Tony, no I had no plans to mount any hard drive the only drive that will be mounted I guess will be the MP3 player USB connected but that would be all. This way I hope that I don't have to format again for some time.
    hawk22
     
    hawk22,
    #12

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