> So it turns out I had this spyware. None of the AVs detected it. > However, I did see a suspicious process running, looked it up, and > found out what it was online. I had to boot into Safe Mode to remove > it. Then there was another one. Keylogger, screenshot-taker... a nasty > piece of work. Kept crashing my computer. None of the major AVs I > tried detected it. I couldn't find anything suspicious on the list of > running processes. Eventually, I detected it with one of the really > obscure independent malware scanners. Even then, it could only tell me > it was, not actually remove it. Nothing seemed able to remove. > Couldn't remove it from Safe Mode, either. Couldn't find directions to > remove it. Re-installing removed it, but like the cat, it just kept > coming back. > > I tried a Mac, but ultimately had the same problem, without all the crashing.
And Macs are very very pricey. > Now, all operating systems have their uses, but I don't fully > understand what people mean when they say Windows "just works". Sure, > it "just works" when you first boot it up. But if you just rely on AVs > and Windows Updates to protect you, and often even if you take > stronger security measures, sooner or later, it has a tendency of not > working any more. They say Windows 7 is more secure than previous > versions, but even if that's so, that hasn't stopped my friends from > asking me to fix their not working Windows 7 computers. Which I do, > even though I think the best way to secure a Windows box is to > disconnect it from the internet and encrypt it, because even though I > think it's silly of them to expect Windows 7 to "just work", and then, > rather than replace it when it proves otherwise, insist that I restore > it to a working state, they're my friends and I care about them. And > then I try to lock it down as best I can without making things too > user unfriendly for them, which might delay the inevitable moment when > they come and ask me to fix it again. Consequently, much of what I > know about Windows security comes from trying to find the Windows > equivalents of BSD features. The Windows equivalents are never as > good. > It is so insane to get Windows 7 to work nowadays. I just can't get it working. I am a normal locked down user but it freezes from time to time. Just like you said, you have to fiddle with safe mode, remove trojans, remove malware and still they keep coming back. A few months ago, Windows networking was working, now it doesn't. I quit. I am not interested in fixing those problems anymore. Its much easier to work in non-Windows environment. The learning curve is not that steep and it is rewarding. > So, I think OpenBSD tops the list of operating systems that "just > work". The only thing I really wish for is more encryption options for > softraid. all this to request softraid encryption? :-)
