LandzDown Forum

I'm not sure if I am in the correct forum to ask this question. So If it is moved, I will understand.

First of all, I have searched the web for this answer everywhere. All I found is that software can pick up viruses if inserted to infected computers and then inserted to other computers. But, my particular question concerns Printer Software.

Can a software disc for your Printer become infected if it is placed into an infected machine? Then, can it infect another machine such as a laptop that you are trying to set up to same printer by wireless connection?

Also, will this render the laptop keyboard and touchpad to become "frozen" if it can become infected??

Thanks for any replies!!

bbbluz

Hi winchester73,

No Sir, not a problem that I am having personally. And I realize how difficult it is to try to help someone from a 3rd party position. But, in my learning experiences, I have come across a situation where someone was trying to set up a printer to a laptop that was to be shared by a desktop that the Printer was initially connected to, and worked fine with the desktop. They never could get the laptop to connect to the printer through wireless. The store they bought the laptop from suggested that the Printer software disc could have been infected with a virus from the desktop, that had possibly been infected in the past, then rendered the software disc infected. I had never heard of this as being possible.

In my search I found this article > http://support.microsoft.com/kb/323302

Though it doesn't seem to be the same as the Printer Software I question about. With your input, I now understand that Software discs included with accessories, such as a Printer, are read only and can not be written on. Thank you for this information. I do understand, also, how to spread infection through things like external hard drives, USB thumb drives, attachments, clicking on really bad sites, etc. But, this comment from the store they bought the laptop from was so far "off the wall", I just had to ask to verify my thoughts on this. I am very interested in fighting spyware, malware, etc., yet truly don't have the time to actually go to Malware University. Yet, I want to learn, even if I have to research on my own, for the time being, to prepare me for the day that I am able to go to University.

You did answer my question! A read only disc can not have a virus written to it by another computer. Correct?

I truly appreciate your time that you took to answer my question. And I thank you very much for giving me the information that you have provided.

bbbluz

Correct, there is no way to "write" a virus onto a read-only disc.  That said, it is always possible to get your hands on a disc that was originally burned with a virus on it ... but the chance of that being from a manufacturer is pretty remote I should think.  Different story if one acquires a disc from a mate.  

Off the top of my head, the printer issue sounds like an incorrect setting in the port selection.  Have that person right click and look at the properties of that printer.  As an example, I just fixed my mother's setup ... she has a Mac connected wirelessly to an AirPort, and the printer was wired to the AirPort, and printed OK.  However her desktop didn't see that printer in the network, and she couldn't print from it.  The properties within the desktop set up had it looking for a USB port, not the AirPort.  Voila.

Someone will be here to try to help them sort things out if they are interested.  We're a friendly bunch ...