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General Discussion / Re: Official Off-Topic Thread
« on: August 18, 2008, 04:04:42 am »
Hey all. I got a new avatar.
It was probably the most difficult thing I've ever done, computer-wise.
So I found a funny youtube video, and decided "I want an animated gif of that." I searched google, and found a free online one that looked awful (something like .5 FPS) and a few others that seemed promising: namely, "River Past Video Cleaner."
I researched it for a while, and it seemed perfect: I could load the .flv file, input some parameters such as size and resolution, and then bam, an animated gif. I downloaded the free trial, and found out that it didn't have .gif support. I needed the booster-pack for that.
I went back to the site, and got the animated gif booster pack for said software, and found out that when I converted, it left a watermark. It wouldn't be a big deal if it weren't for the fact that the watermark was gigantic in proportion to the video. I searched a torrent site for the program, and found one that seemed decent, but the keygen was a trojan. Luckily I realized this, and was able to delete it. The problem was, that means I don't have a key.
I decided to scour the internet for a serial for this program: BAD IDEA. I should know better than to go to serials sites. I really should. I slipped up, though.
I went to one, and it said that I needed a cracked .exe. It seemed legit, so I downloaded it and patched the program. I ran the program, expecting it to be like "Thank you for registering the program!" Instead, a browser window opens up and goes to www.google.com
I didn't know how to react. At first, I thought it was just some weird bug, a bullshit crack, and that I was just not going to be able to use this program. I decided to uninstall it all and rid myself of the hassle. I opened up a windows explorer window, and no sooner than I did that, a browser window pops up and directs me to a google search for "viagra."
I got an awful, sinking feeling in my chest. I mean, I'd like to think I'm a savvy computer user. I am not usually one to fall for stuff like that, but seriously, an AVG scan turned up nothing, so what am I to think?
I run an AVG scan, but it detects no infections, so I really don't know what to think. I downloaded HijackThis, and ran a scan, then analyzed the log via. some German website that I use all the time. It detects a few nasty files, so I fix them, and think that's that. Fixing them only removed them from my startup list, however. They were still in the Windows directory just waiting to be run. I tried to delete them, but it said I didn't have permission. I figured I'd use File Shredder, but it says that the files are in use. I try to boot up in safe mode, but apparently that doesn't work either.
Eventually, I rebooted and did a system restore from a few days ago. I checked around, because I know that sometimes malicious files can stay resident in the system restore file. Luckily, everything is gone, no signs on infection, and a HijackThis log turns up nothing.
I got this computer at the beginning of the summer for college, and almost ruined it before school started. No more torrents, no more cracks, no more serials. I'm buying my software legit.
Try to learn your lesson the easy way. The avatars aren't worth it.
It was probably the most difficult thing I've ever done, computer-wise.
So I found a funny youtube video, and decided "I want an animated gif of that." I searched google, and found a free online one that looked awful (something like .5 FPS) and a few others that seemed promising: namely, "River Past Video Cleaner."
I researched it for a while, and it seemed perfect: I could load the .flv file, input some parameters such as size and resolution, and then bam, an animated gif. I downloaded the free trial, and found out that it didn't have .gif support. I needed the booster-pack for that.
I went back to the site, and got the animated gif booster pack for said software, and found out that when I converted, it left a watermark. It wouldn't be a big deal if it weren't for the fact that the watermark was gigantic in proportion to the video. I searched a torrent site for the program, and found one that seemed decent, but the keygen was a trojan. Luckily I realized this, and was able to delete it. The problem was, that means I don't have a key.
I decided to scour the internet for a serial for this program: BAD IDEA. I should know better than to go to serials sites. I really should. I slipped up, though.
I went to one, and it said that I needed a cracked .exe. It seemed legit, so I downloaded it and patched the program. I ran the program, expecting it to be like "Thank you for registering the program!" Instead, a browser window opens up and goes to www.google.com
I didn't know how to react. At first, I thought it was just some weird bug, a bullshit crack, and that I was just not going to be able to use this program. I decided to uninstall it all and rid myself of the hassle. I opened up a windows explorer window, and no sooner than I did that, a browser window pops up and directs me to a google search for "viagra."
I got an awful, sinking feeling in my chest. I mean, I'd like to think I'm a savvy computer user. I am not usually one to fall for stuff like that, but seriously, an AVG scan turned up nothing, so what am I to think?
I run an AVG scan, but it detects no infections, so I really don't know what to think. I downloaded HijackThis, and ran a scan, then analyzed the log via. some German website that I use all the time. It detects a few nasty files, so I fix them, and think that's that. Fixing them only removed them from my startup list, however. They were still in the Windows directory just waiting to be run. I tried to delete them, but it said I didn't have permission. I figured I'd use File Shredder, but it says that the files are in use. I try to boot up in safe mode, but apparently that doesn't work either.
Eventually, I rebooted and did a system restore from a few days ago. I checked around, because I know that sometimes malicious files can stay resident in the system restore file. Luckily, everything is gone, no signs on infection, and a HijackThis log turns up nothing.
I got this computer at the beginning of the summer for college, and almost ruined it before school started. No more torrents, no more cracks, no more serials. I'm buying my software legit.
Try to learn your lesson the easy way. The avatars aren't worth it.