Can Your Computer Get Viruses from Music CD's?

[Ro_Laren]

If you buy a used music CD (factory version and not burned) can you get viruses if you play the CD in your PC? I have three music CD's I want to play and download to my PC, but I don't want to get a virus!!

 

[ByrdMan]

You'll probably be ok. You might want to wear a condom on your head to be safe.

 

[Starbreaker]

No

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

On Mac OS X, no.

On Windows, you should disable auto-playing of CDs first. That will help protect against any 'rootkits' that the CD might have.

 

[Lindley]

It's possible but rather unlikely.

 

[Holdfast]

Can Your Computer Get Viruses from Music CDs?

It depends on how sick your musical taste is, really.

 

[Ro_Laren]

I'm not quite sure what "rootkits" are. I was planning on sticking in the CD and then importing it into my Itunes (which would download the music onto my computer at the same time).

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I'm not quite sure what "rootkits" are.

Very nasty. Sony used to use them for copy protection on certain CDs.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

As MLB said, you can if you use Windows and have autorun enabled (it is on by default, I believe.)

See here for information on how to disable autorun. Without that, no software can be stealthily installed by an audio CD.

 

[Holdfast]

^ If you just want to turn autorun off the one time you insert the music CD but leave it on for everything else, you can just keep the Shift key depressed when inserting the CD until it stops whirring. Quick and temporary without having to go in and out of menus.

 

[Pingfah]

I suppose it is possible that some disgruntled employee could slip a virus into a commercially produced CD, but I doubt it has ever happened.

Even if it has the risk factor is so tiny as to be negligible.

 

[BolianAuthor]

I have owned PC's all my life, and have ripped hundreds of music CD's onto my iTunes on many of them... you will be fine.

 

[scotpens]

On a related topic, can your computer pick up a nasty virus from downloading porn?

 

[Amaris]

On a related topic, can your computer pick up a nasty virus from downloading porn?

Yes. Absolutely.

 

[BolianAuthor]

^

Yes.

 

[trekkiedane]

On a related topic, can your computer pick up a nasty virus from downloading porn?

Yes. Absolutely.

But you'll be relatively safe if you stay away from porn-sites that end in ".ru"

 

[Lindley]

On a related topic, can your computer pick up a nasty virus from downloading porn?

Not so much a virus as a "PTD"....

 

[Amaris]

On a related topic, can your computer pick up a nasty virus from downloading porn?

Yes. Absolutely.

But you'll be relatively safe if you stay away from porn-sites that end in ".ru"

I'd agree (he says tongue firmly in cheek), but not so much anymore. Even legitimate sites are getting them now, and it's all in the ad rotation.