I'm going through AIM withdrawal

Okay, so here's the story.... I am a Mac user. I don't get viruses on my Mac. I start using a PC laptop as my primary means of getting online stuff done. I use AIM to keep in touch with people... I have a friend who sends me an IM with a photobucket link. I click it... then my laptop DIES. I get spyware, adware, viruses... you name it, that crap was on my computer.

Now, I have a computer-geek friend who cleans up most of it, but since it's not a paying gig, he doesn't finish the job. After dealing with popups and a virus that can't be "quarantined", I decide to just start new and reformat my hard drive. I spend several hours in the reformatting process yesterday, and then several more trying to get back all my "essential" software that I had on this computer before the shyte hitteth the fan... this is where the AIM thing comes back into play.

I go to aim.com and try to download AIM Triton (which I had already downloaded on this computer before the whole virus thing) and the script won't run... it comes up with an error and I have no idea what to do. Please tell me I don't have to reformat my hard drive again just to get freaking AIM back on my computer. Any ideas of what else I can do?

Triton's a piece of shit. PM me your email addy and I'll email you an older AIM version you can use.

try the older version or set your comp back to the last time it saved all the data. my brain is tired so i dont know technical terms, but format it from a couple days, weeks, or w/e back. everything should be fine.

try the gaim beta 2.0 version. (just google gaim). it doenst get all the anoying virus links. either that or try trillian. Also try using Ewido (www.Ewido.net) to remove/protect from spyware. works really well much better then most software.
c

ToSKin,
You've got PM.

yeah, i had taht photobucket link thing happen to me, but luckily my anti-virus was able to quarantine it. i posted up on "Scams" thread as soon as it happened, its still there

Well, see... I had Norton antivirus on my computer as a free 60-day trial thing... but I didn't purchase the full thing, so it was outdated, so it didn't catch it... I think I'll just stop using my laptop for internet stuff and just use my Mac for that so that it doesn't happen again.

I just never click links like that. Usually i get those virus links when im in "away" mode. Its always something stupid like OMG IS THIS YOU!!!!

AOL still offers older versions of AIM on the site. Also, go to download.com and keep getting a new antivirus or, give me sometime and ill get a full version of, i think it's norton or the other one. i could get something else i guess...'

i myself am too lazy but if you make me think about it...

I dont mind triton, only thing i dont like is that i can just type an away message. I have to pick a saved one. That or i just havent taken the time to check it out.

Well, see... I had Norton antivirus on my computer as a free 60-day trial thing... but I didn't purchase the full thing, so it was outdated, so it didn't catch it... I think I'll just stop using my laptop for internet stuff and just use my Mac for that so that it doesn't happen again.

listen, DONT, whatever you do, DONT put in any important info anymore in ur laptop. If you read that thread i put in Scam's, my friend had the same thing, it got sent to all her friends on her buddy list, and so on and so forth, but she actually got infected cuz she clicked the link, no one else but me did, and i was able to quarentine it. She went to buy Norton online, gave her creit card #, and the next morning, she got a call from her bank, and had to cancel 2 big transactions, and cancel her account.

I must be looking in the wrong places b/c the other versions I find are for like Windows ME and Windows 98 and stuff... oh well... I don't feel like looking very hard.

As for clicking the link... it's a friend who always sends me stupid links and emails to crap so I didn't think twice about it.

I dont mind triton, only thing i dont like is that i can just type an away message. I have to pick a saved one. That or i just havent taken the time to check it out.

i can't stand triton. good thing i've got the old aim executable saved. i don't know why, but i just can't stand it. i thin i'm afraid of change, lol.

I already reformatted my hard drive, and none of the spyware or adware or malware is still on here (I looked). The only thing I don't have back is a fully operational antivirus... so I don't know if the virus is still on here or not.

I already reformatted my hard drive, and none of the spyware or adware or malware is still on here (I looked). The only thing I don't have back is a fully operational antivirus... so I don't know if the virus is still on here or not.

try downloading a full version and using a crack. also, ad-aware helps.

i think adaware is a scam, but w/e. it's free but still...

um, yeah, let me know what kinda antivirus you need and ill try to get it.

use msn, aim's shit.

Fuck norton. Use avast! Antivirus. It picked stuff up that an updated norton and AVG couldn't catch.

Tangie, your email people don't like .zip or .exe extension. Got a better email?

use msn, aim's shit.

msn isn't really used much, so its not great cuz no one really uses it on average.

there are other programs though, that use sn's from both aim and msn...

no one, an i mean no one, in the UK uses anything but msn. i dont know anyone here that uses aim or yahoo over msn.

ew yahoo...although pn yahoo funny things happen because it's so unprotected.

www.oldversion.com

old versions of alot of things, including aim.. btw

msn user right here, been using since 1998~9, no probs what so ever
yahoo sucks period

I dont know anyone that has MSN, they all use AIM. Therefore i use AIM.

try trend micro, they have a free home version anti-virus. Ad-Aware has a free version, so does spybot, for ad and spyware.

One thing you didn't mention was any firewall you use [or don't use?]. ZoneAlarm has a free version to warn of Net access by links before they access your comp.

use msn, aim's shit.

The force is strong in this one...

Aim Ad-Hack (http://www.networktechs.com/download-116/)

yeah a computer with something like norton anti-virus is the like jessica alba at a nursing home to look for some fun....it just doesn't work....

I have Ad-Aware... it seems to be working b/c since the reformat, it hasn't found any critical issues. I also have whatever the "new" Microsoft Anti-Spyware stuff is... the old version worked well, so I just got the new version. I haven't decided what anti-virus to use yet, so I am just not using the laptop for the internet right now.

Thanks for the info about AIM... I'll get it at some point.