Boot drive letter protection against viruses

[Guest smlunatick]

Several of the local computer shops, in my area, are now recommending

that XP be installed on a drive letter above E. This is to help

prevent viruses from infecting them since most viruses look for drive

C and D to infect. Is this a valid point to prevent viruses?

[Guest Detlev Dreyer]

Re: Boot drive letter protection against viruses

 

"smlunatick" <yveslec@gmail.com> wrote:

> Several of the local computer shops, in my area, are now recommending

> that XP be installed on a drive letter above E. This is to help

> prevent viruses from infecting them since most viruses look for drive

> C and D to infect.

 

Your system is already infested if viruses look for drive C: and D:.

> Is this a valid point to prevent viruses?

 

Nope.

 

--

d-d

[Guest Ken Blake, MVP]

Re: Boot drive letter protection against viruses

 

On Tue, 19 Feb 2008 07:13:06 -0800 (PST), smlunatick

<yveslec@gmail.com> wrote:

> Several of the local computer shops, in my area, are now recommending

> that XP be installed on a drive letter above E. This is to help

> prevent viruses from infecting them since most viruses look for drive

> C and D to infect. Is this a valid point to prevent viruses?

 

 

 

No. This would fool only the most trivial of viruses.

 

--

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

Please Reply to the Newsgroup

[Guest smlunatick]

Re: Boot drive letter protection against viruses

 

On Feb 19, 10:31 am, "Detlev Dreyer" <detdre...@flashmail.com> wrote:

> "smlunatick" <yves...@gmail.com> wrote:

> > Several of the local computer shops, in my area, are now recommending

> > that XP be installed on a drive letter above E.  This is to help

> > prevent viruses from infecting them since most viruses look for drive

> > C and D to infect.

>

> Your system is already infested if viruses look for drive C: and D:.

>

> > Is this a valid point to prevent viruses?

>

> Nope.

>

> --

> d-d

 

Not talking about "after" the infection but brand new install. Then,

is there any "important" reason not to have the XP boot drive as F:.

[Guest Detlev Dreyer]

Re: Boot drive letter protection against viruses

 

"smlunatick" <yveslec@gmail.com> wrote:

>>> Several of the local computer shops, in my area, are now recommending

>>> that XP be installed on a drive letter above E.  This is to help

>>> prevent viruses from infecting them since most viruses look for drive

>>> C and D to infect.

>>

>> Your system is already infested if viruses look for drive C: and D:.

>>

>>> Is this a valid point to prevent viruses?

>>

>> Nope.

>

> Not talking about "after" the infection but brand new install. Then,

> is there any "important" reason not to have the XP boot drive as F:.

 

Malware is just 'special' software. It can only look for drives when

already running and therefore, when already being installed. A good

example is a trojan coming as an email attachment. It will be executed

by doubleclick no matter if the virulent message is stored on drive D:

or drive F:. When running, any program (malware) can easily find out

the drive where it has been started from in order to (download and)

install additional files and backdoors. At that moment your system is

already compromised.

 

--

d-d

[Guest Leythos]

Re: Boot drive letter protection against viruses

 

In article <a987591e-8e5b-4c89-9805-a63829e6d1f4

@o77g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>, yveslec@gmail.com says...

> Several of the local computer shops, in my area, are now recommending

> that XP be installed on a drive letter above E. This is to help

> prevent viruses from infecting them since most viruses look for drive

> C and D to infect. Is this a valid point to prevent viruses?

 

Any reasonable program or malware will be able to tell what drive letter

the OS is running on, it's only going to cause you problems as you use

the computer.

 

If you have AV software, don't visit questionable sites, use a NAT

router, and use a non-MS email client, and use FireFox, you will have

very little to worry about.

 

--

 

Leythos

- Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.

- Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented worker" is like calling a

drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist"

spam999free@rrohio.com (remove 999 for proper email address)

[Guest Bob I]

Re: Boot drive letter protection against viruses

 

At the control prompt type SET and press enter. "E" will be reflected in

the listing instead of "C" should you follow said dubious advice. Think

it's a valid point anymore?

 

smlunatick wrote:

> Several of the local computer shops, in my area, are now recommending

> that XP be installed on a drive letter above E. This is to help

> prevent viruses from infecting them since most viruses look for drive

> C and D to infect. Is this a valid point to prevent viruses?