Does this mean you are turning yours off?

Not me.

Microsoft put out a patch in October of last year, so if you've kept your computer updated, you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

Our computers will remain powered on.

Turning off your computer tomorrow will not help you if you are already infected. There has been plenty of warning about this, plenty of time to get protected.

Me either....I really don't think we have to worry....Maybe big time companies but us little people, nah.....

I got this from a place I subscribe to

The Truth about ConfickerI woke up yesterday morning, like I do most mornings, to my annoying clock radio. Well, that day was just a little more annoying than most, just because of what I heard when I woke up. To my surprise, I heard the "morning personalities" blabbing on about this terrible worm called "Conficker". They were saying that the worm could possibly strike on April 1st and cause "all kinds of damage".

Let me start by saying that I cannot stand non-technical people trying to tell the world about the computers. Most of the time this is just a ploy for ratings. It seems that Conficker is the new hot topic for those that want to boost ratings, so I thought I would straighten things out.

The Worm that everyone seems to be talking about is technically called Win32/Conficker.B. It is a variant of the Win32/Conficker.A Worm that came out several months ago. It also goes by the name Downadup and I wrote about it here. People are making a big deal about this worm because although it has infected computers, it hasn't actually done anything yet. It has been laying dormant, waiting for instructions. This makes for a good news story, but here is what they are not telling you...

Conficker is not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. If your computer is up to date, you most likely do not have Conficker and you are safe. As a matter of fact, if you do your updates regularly, Microsoft will scan your system monthly with the Malicious Software Removal Tool and Conficker will be removed. So, don't you feel better already?

If you still think that you might have the Conficker worm, or if you just want to check and be safe, Microsoft offers a free online scan for Windows XP users that will remove conficker and solve all your problems. Here is the link: http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/default.htm?s_cid=sah Note: you must be using Internet Explorer when you visit this page or it will not work.

from steve@worldstart.com

Not worried. Will not turn off computer.

Sounds just like the commotion about Y2K. Wasn't every electronic gadget supposed to conk out on Jan 1 2000?

Mine are staying on.

Microsoft doesn't offer updates for my Windows 98, but I'm not skeered! :)

Mine will be on. I know how to reformat if something goes wrong. It doesn't take me long and actually it gives something to do, then my PC is much cleaner and faster.

I'm not getting online until after I watch the Today Show and see what's happening. CBS has already had it (at least I think that's the network I saw it on).
JoanMN/FL

Joan - I don't think going online will have anything to do with it.

If you have the Conficker bug - it will already be on your computer - it is "supposedly" set to go off on April 1.

Like what was said above - if you keep your Windows updated - you are fine.

I'm not worried about it.

I hope they find the guilty culprits and put them in jail with no access to anything electrical or electronic. Mybe a blackboard and chalk

My computer will be off while I'm at work and will be turned on when I get home.

I have a Mac, and those are not supposed to be at risk from this.

Minnie, I like your idea.

My computer is always off unless I am going to be using it. I do leave in on when my useage is a several short period with as much as an hour or more between uses.

Some folks are worrried about the new virus, conflicker. The PC Magazine site says Windows users not to worry if you have kept your Microsoft updates current. According to them, MicroSoft released an update last October that guards against this type of virus. Computers that are most vunerable are those that are networked (several computers connected to a internal network, server, or sharing files and utilties) becasue this virus can enter the network though any one unprotected computer in the net.

Reportedly, this virus is particularily nasty because it can lie dormant until triggered by an instruction from its "home' computer, and it has the capability to change (mutate) when instructed.

I wasn't going to do anything because I'm supposed to get auto updates. Ususally when I get the Updates are ready message, I check and they are already installed. Well, I just checked and I have one update necessary. I'm doing it now, hoping that nothing is wrong. It's working, but boy is it slow. I do have virus protection. More scary though - I got a message the other day that a virus was innoculated. Here's hoping nothing is wrong. I can't stand these bored techno-geeks!! With all that we could use their talents for, they choose to do this. I'm sure they could get satisfaction and more money working their talents honestly.

Well, it's "tomorrow" and my computer is still running.
Kathy G in MI

Just make sure your anti virus is up to date, we shouldn't have a problem.

Nope. I just made sure I am up to date with my Windows Updates and my anti virus, firewall & anti malware definitions. Ran several full scans for the last few days too. All is good here.

not to pick, but...
by the time April 1st rolled in to the East coast of US, it is already past Noon in Japan, China, Australia...you get the picture.
If the virus frightens you much, the computer needs to be off the morning before :o)

3:58pm and my computer hasn't self-destructed yet. What am I doing wrong? :)

vetaal, actually, that's not correct for most applications since they go by the time on the computer, not universal time.

I don't do automatic windows update. I do not want all of the updates like IE7. Some updates can foul up your computer. I check manually for updates once a week.

as figured,this was considered "April Fools"

We lost Windows on another computer earlier in the week to a Japanese virus. That was an easy $1100 out the window! Everything was up to date and AVG had no fix for it.
I lost 20 years of genealogy research on Family Tree Maker. Well it's going to be a long hot summer so I'll be entering the life and times of about 25,000 relatives.

msmarion...you never backed up any files?

As to losing a PC to a virus?

Simply reformat the hard drive and re-install the OS and programs. Better would be to just purchase a new hard drive, then re-install.