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Videos > How Computer Viruses Work

How Computer Viruses Work

by Virus Help on March 31, 2011


Computer viruses range from pesky to outright dangerous. Some just display a message, while others erase your entire hard disk. Clicking on what looks like a harmless e-mail message can lead to hours of recovery efforts, if not irreparable damage. In this HowStuffWorks video you will learn about the different types of computer "infection" and how to avoid them. Credits: , HowStuffWorks

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{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }

tweeterman2861 July 17, 2010 at 8:55 pm

@you54222 that isn’t a virus. thats a damage.

ashthepokemonmaster July 17, 2010 at 9:39 pm

LOL

you54222 July 17, 2010 at 10:01 pm

@ashthepokemonmaster I received one, they are fragile, I spill soda on the keyboard (my bad), and now it doesn’t turn on.

you54222 July 17, 2010 at 10:03 pm

@dydx09
I’ll explain it simple, a floppy disk is an enlarged version of a USB, a very outdated device, able to hold approximately a small amount of megabytes.

lin545 July 17, 2010 at 10:36 pm

I run Linux, whats a Virus? Ah?

dydx09 July 17, 2010 at 11:29 pm

What is this….floppy disk you speak of?

iloveburgerstymuy July 18, 2010 at 12:27 am

@goodtimesontoob like a whore

ashthepokemonmaster July 18, 2010 at 1:05 am

i want the sony vaio laptop!

Dvnoid July 18, 2010 at 1:05 am

idiot, this video is pure bullshit !

EIemeno July 18, 2010 at 1:09 am

These videos don’t load 4ever!

you54222 July 18, 2010 at 1:13 am

@fireofdragon2 Actually, it’s a simple explanation. The animation would look awkward if shown how it would really work.

@wallysboyfriend
Basically, did you just copy & paste?
You won’t receive the virus unless you execute the program, usually it’s best to save the file and then scan it with the anti virus of your preference, or an online virus scanner.

Xextreem July 18, 2010 at 2:11 am

Computer viruses is the pass. We have better things to do.

fireofdragon2 July 18, 2010 at 3:07 am

@goodtimesontoob thats what real viruses look like well close enough anyway

tanixpp July 18, 2010 at 3:21 am

is it Bacteriophage or computer Virus? HUH

klsjafksjdfklsdfjkls July 18, 2010 at 4:03 am

People are idiots.. Jesus.

kwazhimself July 18, 2010 at 4:50 am

YEP, they were never potty trained…. neway the cartoon at the beginning of the clip looked like it was blowing its brains out

wallysboyfriend July 18, 2010 at 5:14 am

Viruses are programs or executable code that can overwrite or append data to files or programs to either ruin the content of files or change how other programs execute. To infect means to run a virus and have it write copies of itself to other files. When a virus replicates it usually changes and/or adds executable code to other program files which will, when run, create more copies of the virus or infect other files.

artifactingreality July 18, 2010 at 5:44 am

I thought howstuffworks usually had good information… but this is just weak. it didnt explain anything about how viruses work.

DarkFireInspire July 18, 2010 at 5:50 am

why do you look so happy when a virus is something, um…. serious?

SuperHello1996 July 18, 2010 at 6:47 am

so…there like aids

jannikmt July 18, 2010 at 6:47 am

they don’t do that enymore lol…
now they are hiden programs (tasks) that you can’t see runing in the back ground
now a days viruses are no longer like that now a day ther come in a lot of difrent ways ther the FU visus that just meses wih your pc the spybot that looks what your tiping in (PW,creditcard,etc…) and they comonly get on your pc via trojan
can come from baner adds email(as seen in vid) or just by visiting a sigt that runs a scrit to put it on your pc the vid over symplifys…

Dominoes282 July 18, 2010 at 7:36 am

in 1995 this is how they worked when people were ignorant tech-no ways

UrbanFires July 18, 2010 at 7:39 am

this guy has a rapist smile

stickman2012 July 18, 2010 at 8:18 am

no one uses floppy anymore

kawakx333 July 18, 2010 at 8:24 am

i hate those f***ing viruses

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