So, CyberDefender (aka MyCleanPC) wanted to 'explain' to me just how a virus can cause permanent damage to a computer. Lets break down their response.
QUOTE:
Hello
Brielle, and thanks for your recent feedback. We certainly understand
just what you’re saying, and we’d like to address some of your points.
Firstly, we see you have referenced the commercials for MyCleanPC.com.
The medium of television has been a fantastic way of reaching customers
who might otherwise be at a loss for how to optimize their computers.
If they are responsive to a television advertisement for computer
optimization, there is a good likelihood that they wouldn’t call
themselves “technically savvy,” and therefore require the assistance of
an outside party to provide them with the services they need. This is
what we provide. The decision is entirely up to them if they wish to
purchase our software or services; we are not force-feeding our
marketing campaigns to potential (or non-potential) clients.
Its a fantastic way of making highly questionable claims that will scare the less tech savvy people into thinking that they just must get your service.
QUOTE:
Secondly,
while we appreciate your efforts of helping individuals regarding
computer viruses, we feel we must interject and correct your incorrect
assessments that viruses can not permanently damage a PC and the
hardware therein. There are multiple ways with which a virus can
accomplish such a feat.
This should be good.
QUOTE:
For example, if one were designed to both
overclock a computer’s CPU as well as disable its cooling fans, extended
exposure to such attacks could certainly lead to permanent damage to
the PC’s processor.
Except that all semi-modern processors (esp. since the Pentium 4, but I do believe theres protection going all the way back to the Pentium) have whats called thermal protection - this means that once the processor hits a certain temp threshold, it throttles back the processor to prevent permanent damage. Slowing down the processor will reduce the heat levels. Once the heat levels are down below the limits, the processor goes back to full speed.
If the temp rises to critical levels, the processor/motherboard will shut off the system. Once again, this is long before permanent damage will set in.
QUOTE:
Similarly, overclocking of a PC’s RAM and / or
graphics card processor could to excess could also lead to permanent
damage of the hardware
Once again, built in thermal protection on the motherboard will prevent this. There's certain functions of every motherboard that are part of base functionality that can't be disabled by a virus or operating system.
QUOTE:
Continual and prolonged aggravation to an
isolated disk section in a PC due to virus symptoms such as repeated
restarts could also certainly cause disproportionate and excessive wear,
accelerating a device’s already inevitable end.
You must not understand how a hard drive works - the head of the drive never touches the platters. It doesn't work like a old style audio record with a stylus needle. Wear happens regardless of what the drive is doing - any time Windows needs to read or write a file, or when the Windows virtual memory manager begins to thrash the disk wildly.
Now, if this was a flash memory device, writing to one sector repeatedly would damage it, however, once again, in most flash drives there's hardware wear leveling which means that the sector you are writing to isn't always the same sector it was a moment ago.
QUOTE:
Computer technology,
while a tremendous asset, is not perfect in the least - and it is
absolutely possible for harmful malware to cause irreversible damage to
both software and hardware, especially in older computer models. We hope
this has been informative. Thank you -
Informative indeed, told me exactly what I already knew - that your knowledge of how a computer works isn't exactly accurate.
It's one thing to upsell someone when you've provided a great product or service (It's what we're supposed to do - like, never fixing a five minute problem in five minutes but inventorying their system and offering them other services 35 minutes into the hour, and beoming their hero), but to lie about what will happen if you don't use one's stupid product or that you're going to SPAM search engines by getting them a number one or two spot LOL!
I really enjoyed reading your blog, yet have to point out a slight inaccuracy. Christians haven't been persecuting others all throughout history - They've only been doing it since around the time that Constantine legalized the religion ;)
Hey I'd like to "linkin" w/you via linked in if that's okay, perhaps we can help each other out w/various projects, etc., and you can sell me on OpticFusion over that of ThePlanet or Hurricane ;)
my profile is located at: http://Linkedin.com/in/bradleythornton and you've got other contact info for me already by virtue of this talkback ;)
Kindest regards,
Bradley D. Thornton
Manager Network Services
NorthTech Computer
"Livin' on the streets you gotta practice what you preach, and it's a rock and roll damnation" - Bon Scott.
Registered Linux User #190795
"This is never going to work. You have to shut it down. Shut it down. Take the whole thing down." - James Allchin.
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