Is Immediate Infectin Normal ?

20Valve · Jun 21, 2005

I did a fresh reinstall of XP. Using the default IE browser, I downloaded and installed Critical Updates, Zone Alarm, and installed Norton. I also disabled and uninstalled Windows Messenger. Additionally, I did all of my subsequent browsing with Mozilla.

Despite all of this, I immediately noticed spyware and such trying to have it's way with my rig. Is this normal? One of the programs was that bargain.exe among a few others. Can one minor slip up somehow cause all of this? If so, I would think that someone who had no form of protection would have a hard drive crawling with stuff.

It seems some of that stuff is running in the background and I occasinoally get an alert from ZoneAlarm regarding these programs.

Is it worth a reinstall with even more precautions? Or is some infection inevitable?

Thanks for any input.

chaslang · Jun 21, 2005

Before even connecting your PC to the internet to get other updates, you must already have installed the below items. If you plan on doing formats, these tools should be burned to a CD so you can install them immediately after installing your OS and before connecting a cable to the internet.

- your antivirus application and a recent virus definitions update which is downloadable and saveable.
- your firewall
- spyware blocking tools and updates
- many Microsoft patches can be downloaded and saved too and installed prior to connect. For example if your original OS CD is only Win XP or Win XP SP1, SP2 is downloadable as a file which you could burn to a CD and use it to upgrade

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Is Immediate Infectin Normal ?

20Valve Sergeant

chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member