LIMEWIRE question. can i get a VIRUS from it?

Question

My daughter wants me to download a program called "LIMEWIRE" which I've never heard of or used.

I have a antivirus program installed on my computer, but was wondering if i can still get any viruses from this computer?

I'm debating whether or not i should install this program. Any suggestions?

thanks

Answer 1

Dont Get limewire get frostwire it is faster and a little safer. it depends what anti virus you have if it is free dont get limewire because viruses will come in accidentally sometimes and wont go away (its happened to me before) but is you have something like macfee or norton it is ok because it can get rid of the virus and wont let them through

Answer 2

Limewire is a P2P file sharing program.  It allows users from all over the world to share files with each other.  The program itself is not a virus, however you can get viruses from files downloaded on it.  Considering it's your daughter, it's likely she wants it to download music for free, and it is very rare to find viruses in music files.

Answer 3

Yes you can get viruses from the files you download from it, and worst that can happen is that you will get sued if they track your PC downloading music or stuff illegally because some files are copyright protected.

Answer 4

Limewire is a program  that, as your daughter has probably explained, allows users to share files.

Mostly people tend to share music and other copy-writed files (which is illegal).

So LIMEWIRE program is not illegal

Copying copywrited files is illegal.

In addition, if you do dowload the program

you will notice it contains 80% infected files.

You'll have to study to note how the smaller files seem to be the virus'; but larger files can be infected too.

If you download and open one of these files, you get the virus!

So before you do anything, make sure you have an EXCELLENT anti-virus tool  >

I like this FREE tool that does an EXCELLENT job.

Avast free Home Edition

Get it here:

http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.ht...

And please do a "thorough" scan as soon as you get it downloaded. The user interface is simple. Click the left side, and in the top menu that comes up, select thorough scan.

When it finds a culprit it throws up an alarm, then you DELETE the culprit, (do not quaranteen).

Then allow it to run all of the time, and you will be completely protected. It will "automatically" update itself, also for free.

You only need to renew your registration once a year, also free.

Note: I KNOW of several people who have used AVG and Norton and have gotten a virus anyway.

Don't go with Zone Alarm as it is hoggy and conflicting.

I've tried them all, and have had wonderful results with DEPENDABLE AVAST for the last 5 years.

The corporation I work for uses the Pro version, and has never has an incident. Avast is your answer.

^j^

Answer 5

You cannot get a virus from limewire itself....but you CAN from infected files. Me & my hubby are in our late 40s, and have used limewire for 2 years.

He recently had an annoying but harmless virus that was attached to a music file he downloaded. He fixed it by restoring the hard drive.

As long as you back up your files frequently, even a serious virus will be fixable.

Answer 6

YESS!! you can get any virus from anywhere.. anything you download you better look at.. dont download.. its the most united states virus program.. so much virues

Answer 7

Like anything that connects to the internet, there is a chance of a virus. With Limewire there is a chance of getting a virus but as long as you have a very anti-virus program and you do a virus scan everyday, you will be fine.

Answer 8

nope but, limewire is free because over time it installs programs on your computer as a way of advertising other company's programs in order to pay for the free use of limewire, you accept to this in the user agreement this will slow your computer down alot and uses up to 100mb of ram

Answer 9

Make sure that her use of Limewire does not bankrupt your family.

In the USA, 26,000 people are facing civil lawsuits for using P2P file-shareing programs such as Limewire to steal and share copyrighted music, software, movies, etc.

People DO get caught stealing and "sharing" copyrighted "stuff" using P2P filesharing programs such as Limewire, Bearshare, Kazza, Frostwire etc, and face huge fines.

People as young as 12 years old get busted.

"The music industry has turned its big legal guns on Internet music-swappers — including a 12-year-old New York City girl who thought downloading songs was fun."

"Brianna LaHara said she was frightened to learn she was among the hundreds of people sued yesterday by giant music companies in federal courts around the country."

"I got really scared. My stomach is all turning," Brianna said last night at the city Housing Authority apartment where she lives with her mom and her 9-year-old brother."

More at:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,9679...

_____________________________

Or this one from just a few months ago:

" Jammie Thomas makes $36,000 a year but says she's not looking for a handout to pay a $222,000 judgment after a jury decided she illegally shared music online and did it on purpose...Record labels have sued more than 26,000 people they accuse of sharing music online in violation of copyright laws."

From:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071006/musi...

More info:

http://timworstall.typepad.com/timworsta...

Answer 10

Best not to because you can viruses and spyware just from downloading mp3s. Also people can get sued by the RIAA from downloading mp3s.

Answer 11

Yes. The program itself won't give you a virus it is the downloads that can. Since it is a peer to peer sharing network that means anyone can download anything. A new thing activists are catching on to, to discourage people from file sharing is they spoof files to make them seem like a music file but really it is a virus (I've done this a few times it's fun). So be careful if your daughter feels like infringing copyright laws.

Answer 12

Limewire is a file sharing program.  Someone has a song, program, movie, etc. that you want, you can probably find it on limewire.

You wont get a virus from the actual limewire program, but you can get it from the files you download, which is likely.

There is also a legal issue of downloading files.  The copyright holder can come back and sue you.

Answer 13

You bet your life you can