Prevent Conficker Worm From Attacking Your PC

UPDATE: 4/1/09

The Conficker worm has not caused any major disruptions yet ....but Microsoft believes that several million computers may be infected.  And it could be lurking inside, waiting to turn your PC into a Spam machine.

We have been hearing from people who say they can't access Microsoft's Repair Patch, or even Microsoft's main webpage, Microsoft.com.

If you cannot access any Microsoft webpage, including Microsoft.com, that means your computer is probably infected with Conficker.

Click the second link above to learn about "back door" fixes to clean your computer.

If you can access Microsoft web pages, continue reading below on how to protect your PC from Conficker.
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ORIGINAL REPORT 3/31/09

Are you prepared for the "Conficker" computer worm?

"Pearl Harbor" of Computer Viruses

CNN says it could be either the Pearl Harbor of computer viruses.... or the biggest April Fool's joke ever, considering the date it is scheduled to strike.

It's set to hit Windows XP and Windows 2000 computers worldwide Wednesday, April 1st, 2009.

The Conficker Worm, as it's officially known, has the ability to turn your Microsoft PC into a robotic spam producing machines, that can be controlled by someone hundreds of miles away, if you don't have the latest fix.

How to Stop Conficker

But its easy to prevent. Simply go to Microsoft's Windows Update page and download the fix (click the link above) ...or get the latest update from Norton or McAfee, if you subscribe to them. 

When you get to the fix page, you must know what type of Windows you have to download the patch.

Also, make sure your antivirus software is up to date...and not the same free version you got when you bought your computer 5 years ago. If you don't pay a fee to update it each year, it is now essentially worthless.

Oh....and Mac users don't need to worry about this, as usual.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can my PC get hit with Conficker?

• By visiting an infected website or opening an infected email ...it could be a legitimate site that somehow was infected, and does not necessarily have to be a "scam" website.

Can I avoid it by not turning on my PC April 1st?

• Nope: the infections took place weeks ago.  If you have it, it is already in your computer, and is scheduled to open up April 1st.

 If I reset my computers clock to last year, will that help?

• Probably not, and why would you want to do that?  It will mess up other programs.  Just download the fix.

How much will a fix cost?

• Nothing, its free

As always, don't waste your money.  I'm John Matarese