Need to know please

[john ranger]

My Son has a laptop that is not working well. He can only get on the net with Safe Mode because of his problem.

He has no virus control program on it. He's telling me that there is no way that he will get a virus because he's in safe mode. Is that true? I need to know

Thanks

[rjfvillarosa]

He probably thinks that because Windows installer is not running in SafeMode nothing will be able to install itself, that is a very poor form of security.
Regardless of how you connect to the internet if you have no security measures implemented you are going to get infected in someway or another.

[SCRYED]

I believe you can get viruses even in safe mode but most of the time it will not run till you are in normal. If you cannot surf the internet in normal mode there is probably a program blocking it.

Try start->run then type "msconfig" go to the services tab, put a check on "Hide all microsoft services" click disable all button then go to Startup tab then click Disable all as well. Apply -> close then restart
try the internet again.

If he has a virus problem then i suggest downloading an antivirus program while in safe mode and install it in normal. There are a lot of good ones in the internet .

lemme know what happens. gud luck

[Cricket]

He has no virus control program on it. He's telling me that there is no way that he will get a virus because he's in safe mode. Is that true? I need to knowNo, his computer isn't safe. A virus is a virus and it's gonna do what it's gonna do whether the computer is in Safe Mode or Normal.

:) Cricket

[TwoRails]

Just curious, but won't an "unactivated" system also only allow Safe Mode? Did he recently do a fresh install or the like?

[Statica]

Safe mode is nothing but a reduced mode with a minimal complement of services. It, under no circumstances, represents a sandboxed operational mode. Stands to reason that if you can use an antivirus to perform read/write operations and system maintenance then a virus can perform similar operations on your drive even in safemode.

[john ranger]

Thank you for all your help...

He is going to buy a new MAC laptop soon he said. That should clear all his problems....I think:)

[sdkfz]

He is going to buy a new MAC laptop soon he said. That should clear all his problems....I think:)

Well it will fix the infected lap top issue he is having.....Virus's are written for MAC's too - just not as many because they are not the biggest target, running a MAC without protection will result in the same issue he has now- it will take a little longer due to the scarcity of those gunning for MACs - only he will be out a lot more money that fixing the current one and installing one of the excellant and free AV prgrams available But hey- it's his money and perhaps this is just an excuse to got to a MAC

[Statica]

Well it will fix the infected lap top issue he is having.....Virus's are written for MAC's too - just not as many because they are not the biggest target, running a MAC without protection will result in the same issue he has now- it will take a little longer due to the scarcity of those gunning for MACs - only he will be out a lot more money that fixing the current one and installing one of the excellant and free AV prgrams available But hey- it's his money and perhaps this is just an excuse to got to a MAC

Yes a Mac is inherently safer because of it's pedigree (NIX). However, if he continues with ridiculous policies and ignores common rules of safe computing it's just a matter of time before he takes an OSX system down as well. An operating system or a platform is no substitute for common sense computing.