Can you get viruses, spyware, adware, and malware from Limewire?

Question

i use limewire pro for getting songs only because i know that you can easily get a virus by downloading programs from limewire.

Answer 1

Very easily. If you are going to this kind of site, make sure your anti-virus and firewall is up to date. And have a recovery plan, i.e. back up important files as at some time you may need to recover your machine, even as far as reinstalling the OS.

Answer 2

Limewire does put an adware file on your machine but it can be removed. As far as files that you might download from Limewire, there are no protections in Limewire against any malware, so be sure you have a good anti-virus anti-spyware software package and run it often if you are downloading.

Answer 3

As the guy with the long post above me says, you should be fine downloading music or video files. It's more or less impossible to install any virus into these files. On Limewire the music or movie file should have a Windows Media Player sign next to it, or the sign of whichever media player you have defaulted to play your music.

Watch out for double extensions, like a file with "myfile.avi.vbs" or "myfile.jpg.exe" it is the last extension that determines the file type. Never run (ie. click on) .exe files without at least scanning them.

Answer 4

As long as you stick with AVI's, MP3's and the like, then ye, you should be fine. But as you say, it's the programmes that can include viruses. It's very difficult to include a virus in a music or movie file (probably not impossible), but if you do ever get a .exe in any Album folder or any file, do not open it.

If you ever do donwload a prog, then run it through this site first:

http://www.virustotal.com/en/indexf.html

It will scan it with many different Virus scanners and give you a result from each one.

EDIT\ If you are to add any additional information, then please ask these idiots below me how to attach a virus of any kind to a sound file.

You can safely download and view most picture, movie, or sound files as these are not programs and CANNOT execute code. For example, for Windows users, files with extensions .wav, .jpg, .gif, .avi, .mpg, .mov, .mp3, .rm, .ram, .mid are all data and can safely be run.

As I said above, if you find any other suspicious files in your downloads (especially files ending in .exe (or looking like any type of installation file) then delete it instantly.

Don't let these scaremongers bother you, just take care with what you download.

Happy downloading dude.

Answer 5

Yes. Any program that allows you to download illegal files carries the risk of infection. Hackers spreading their malware by advertising it as free (illegal) music, or attaching it to other illegal files. The beauty of this is that you can't turn them in without confessing to a crime yourself, so they feel like it's low risk.

The only way to avoid malware is to use legal services.

Answer 6

Yes you can, even if you are just downloading music. Make sure you have an updated & correctly configured firewall, updated virus & spyware protection.

Answer 7

Isn't limewire the german word for virus?

Answer 8

u can get viruses downloading anything if it isn't Napster or iTunes.

Not only do u get malware and others, but the people u download the songs from can hack into your computer

Answer 9

Yes, some people upload their songs along with trojans, worms, and others like keyloggers to try to steal your information.

Answer 10

limewire oh god.. limewire and viruses go hand in hand