OS 10.4 - !!!!!really Bad Mac Viruses Finally Here... Or Is 10.4 Just Really That Bad?

thatawayhadaway · thatawayhadaway #1 (**permalink**)

02-02-2007, 02:09 AM

My fiance and I both have mac powerbooks- hers- 12" aluminum, mine 15" titanium with a brand new hard drive installed , and hers has also undergone a recent "clean install". Both on 10.4.8. Basically, both "should be totally clean."

Today, hers "reset itself, all programs open as if opening for the first time, none of photos are in iphoto, itunes is emptied, safari keychains and caches/bookmarks gone.

When I boot up her computer through mine via firewire(target disk boot), all the files are still there. But in her finder there is NOTHING!!!! No itunes music or photos.

My titanium has had many strange problems over the las few weeks. Unexpected quits, especially when using software update. Inserting an already burned dvd, and the files just vanish when selecting them in the finder window?

Anyone????

I've had 5 powerbooks over the last 6 years and never seen something like this.

Are the mac virus's here?

Jeff · Jeff #2 (**permalink**)

02-02-2007, 02:12 AM

So have either of you been downloading any sketchy files or attachments?

thatawayhadaway · thatawayhadaway #3 (**permalink**)

02-02-2007, 02:15 AM

Not that I know---- no porn, no zip files, music- but only places where I pay to download, and have been using for a long time.

Jeff · Jeff #4 (**permalink**)

02-02-2007, 02:22 AM

That's really weird. Mac viruses are really uncommon, and I haven't heard anything else about a new one. Do you run Boot Camp or Parallels?

Aptmunich · Aptmunich #5 (**permalink**)

02-02-2007, 02:26 AM

I'd recommend making a backup of her files whilst you can, it could be a failing harddrive or corrupted file records.

Alexis · Alexis #6 (**permalink**)

02-02-2007, 04:56 AM

People like to think they've got the first Mac virus when things go wrong :-)

Sounds like hard drive troubles. What does Disk Utility say?

bobtomay · bobtomay #7 (**permalink**)

02-02-2007, 07:00 AM

Also, sounds like a new user account may have been added to the system. When she boots up, is going to a new user account, and when you boot up is going to the old one.

Have her boot up and then log out of the current user account - check to see if there is another and log into that one.

thatawayhadaway · thatawayhadaway #8 (**permalink**)

02-02-2007, 02:05 PM

I don't use boot camp or parrallels.

Disk Utility- Used it many times, and in my experience have never seen it make any improvements.

And there is only one account on the computer.

Maybe it is just a failing hard drive? Still wonder why mine is so problematic as well with a brand new Hitachi travelstar drive. I have to force restart at least 3 times a week!

baggss · baggss #9 (**permalink**)

02-02-2007, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff

That's really weird. Mac viruses are really uncommon, and I haven't heard anything else about a new one. Do you run Boot Camp or Parallels?

"Uncommon" is the wrong word, "non-existant" is the right one.

The OP has a corrupted profile that needs to be fixed or replaced. Create a new user (or admin account) and move all of the documents to the new account from the old one, you can do this booted from you machine via FireWire Disc mode or from the root account. Then boot from the DVD and run disc utility and repair permissions. Then boot to the new profile.

technologist · technologist #10 (**permalink**)

02-02-2007, 06:50 PM

Or she renamed her home folder, to something other than her username. The files would still be there, but the system wouldn't know where they were.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107854

rman · rman #11 (**permalink**)

02-02-2007, 08:11 PM

I agree with technologist. it does sound like she renamed her home folder.

Mactime · Mactime #12 (**permalink**)

02-03-2007, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobtomay

Also, sounds like a new user account may have been added to the system. When she boots up, is going to a new user account, and when you boot up is going to the old one.

Have her boot up and then log out of the current user account - check to see if there is another and log into that one.

what he said

Jeff #2 (permalink)
Member Since: Sep 30, 2006 Location: Kansas Posts: 808 Mac Specs: Black MacBook Black 2GB iPod Nano & Black 80GB iPod Classic B&W G3 G4's - PowerMac & Cube	02-02-2007, 02:12 AM So have either of you been downloading any sketchy files or attachments? Black MacBook Black 2GB iPod Nano & Black 80GB iPod Classic B&W G3 G4's - PowerMac & Cube
	QUOTE Thanks

Jeff #4 (permalink)
Member Since: Sep 30, 2006 Location: Kansas Posts: 808 Mac Specs: Black MacBook Black 2GB iPod Nano & Black 80GB iPod Classic B&W G3 G4's - PowerMac & Cube	02-02-2007, 02:22 AM That's really weird. Mac viruses are really uncommon, and I haven't heard anything else about a new one. Do you run Boot Camp or Parallels? Black MacBook Black 2GB iPod Nano & Black 80GB iPod Classic B&W G3 G4's - PowerMac & Cube
	QUOTE Thanks

Aptmunich #5 (permalink)
Member Since: Mar 09, 2004 Location: Munich Posts: 9,075 Mac Specs: Aluminium Macbook 2.4 Ghz 4GB RAM, SSD 24" Samsung Display, iPhone 4, iPad 2	02-02-2007, 02:26 AM I'd recommend making a backup of her files whilst you can, it could be a failing harddrive or corrupted file records. Mac-Forums Twitter \| Mac-Forums Blog My Twitter \| Jetplane Journal
	QUOTE Thanks

bobtomay #7 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 22, 2006 Location: Texas, where else? Posts: 22,038 Mac Specs: 15" MBP 2.33 C2D 256 4GB, MBA 13" i7 1.8, MB 2.0 2GB, Nano 4th, 3GS, iPad 1	02-02-2007, 07:00 AM Also, sounds like a new user account may have been added to the system. When she boots up, is going to a new user account, and when you boot up is going to the old one. Have her boot up and then log out of the current user account - check to see if there is another and log into that one. I cannot be held responsible for the things that come out of my mouth. In the Windows world, most everything folks don't understand is called a virus.
	QUOTE Thanks

rman #11 (permalink)
Inactive Staff Member Since: Dec 24, 2002 Location: Los Angeles, California Posts: 12,591 Mac Specs: 2 x 3.0GHz Quad-Core, 6GB OS X 10.6.8 \| 15in MacBook Pro 2.2GHz OS X 10.6.8 \| 64GB iPad 2 WiFi	02-02-2007, 08:11 PM I agree with technologist. it does sound like she renamed her home folder. Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, It's about learning to dance in the rain!
	QUOTE Thanks

OS 10.4 - !!!!!really Bad Mac Viruses Finally Here... Or Is 10.4 Just Really That Bad?

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thatawayhadaway #1 (permalink)
Member Since: Feb 02, 2007 Posts: 4	02-02-2007, 02:09 AM My fiance and I both have mac powerbooks- hers- 12" aluminum, mine 15" titanium with a brand new hard drive installed , and hers has also undergone a recent "clean install". Both on 10.4.8. Basically, both "should be totally clean." Today, hers "reset itself, all programs open as if opening for the first time, none of photos are in iphoto, itunes is emptied, safari keychains and caches/bookmarks gone. When I boot up her computer through mine via firewire(target disk boot), all the files are still there. But in her finder there is NOTHING!!!! No itunes music or photos. My titanium has had many strange problems over the las few weeks. Unexpected quits, especially when using software update. Inserting an already burned dvd, and the files just vanish when selecting them in the finder window? Anyone???? I've had 5 powerbooks over the last 6 years and never seen something like this. Are the mac virus's here?
	QUOTE Thanks

Alexis #6 (permalink)
Member Since: Apr 20, 2006 Posts: 2,255 Mac Specs: Al iMac 20" 2.4Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo	02-02-2007, 04:56 AM People like to think they've got the first Mac virus when things go wrong :-) Sounds like hard drive troubles. What does Disk Utility say?
	QUOTE Thanks

thatawayhadaway #8 (permalink)
Member Since: Feb 02, 2007 Posts: 4	02-02-2007, 02:05 PM I don't use boot camp or parrallels. Disk Utility- Used it many times, and in my experience have never seen it make any improvements. And there is only one account on the computer. Maybe it is just a failing hard drive? Still wonder why mine is so problematic as well with a brand new Hitachi travelstar drive. I have to force restart at least 3 times a week!
	QUOTE Thanks

technologist #10 (permalink)
Member Since: Mar 30, 2004 Location: USA Posts: 4,744 Mac Specs: 12" Apple PowerBook G4 (1.5GHz)	02-02-2007, 06:50 PM Or she renamed her home folder, to something other than her username. The files would still be there, but the system wouldn't know where they were. http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107854
	QUOTE Thanks

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