Karaoke Forums

I hate to be the one to tell everyone this, but if you have Autoplay turned on then CDs connected to your PC can transmit a virus as well.

On the other hand, if you simply turn off Autoplay for all disks you aren't at risk from thumb drives, either. I don't know why anyone thinks a virus can reach out and throttle your PC from a USB drive and not from a CD.

So if you have Autoplay off and you simply read the music files from the USB thumb drive, you are not at any real risk of a virus.

A virus can't be imbedded in the song file?

Same point I tried to make. We have run computerized systems all of this century. YES 8 years. The chances of getting a virus are very minimal. We never have.
I have installed XP and the minimal software in a venue a few hours before a show and reactivated it later on.  I have installed  several times on  several systems with Win98, 2K and XP. It is no biggie.

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Yes but if you ever downloaded an mp3 with a virus You have noticed one of 2 things. The sound engine will balk and not even play. or it will have hiccups and audio drops . In which case the culprit wouldnt make it out of the bar.

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That's why any KJ worth his grain in salt will look at/inspect a CD before placing it in their machine. Also, it's a good idea to carry some kind of Disc Cleaner with your setup. I know I always do for my shows.  Now, obviously, you can't predict whether a burn is good or lousy, but at least you can tell (at a glance) whether the physical disc is OK or not.

Not unless your karaoke player has a bug in it that can be exploited by a virus.

Now if you are Winamp-based, especially an old rev, that might be a significant risk. But with Compuhost, MTU Hoster, or Siglos the chance is near-zero that you will find a virus in the wild that would cause you a problem.

The odds of some jealous KJ sabatoging the show is enough to keep me from using someones jump drive.    I just won't do it.

What would be the thoughts on a customer bringing in their backings on a multimedia player (like an iPOd) along with a 1/8 stereo to 1/4 stereo (or dual mono) which could then be plugged into a spare mixer channel?  No risk of transmitting any virus there.

What's the matter with me doing my show and if you want to bring all of your equipment, you do your show.  Why should i even bother to set up?  If you're not happy at my show go somewhere else.  I'm not taking the time and trouble to hook up anything of somebody elses to my stuff period.  Why should i?   And what makes you think any KJ is just going to do that for you?   My show is my show.  I don't need your equipment.  I have plenty of my own.   I can play your disc and that should be good enough.  Most computer KJs can't or won't even do that much.

I wouldn't do it for my brother or my wife, i'm definately not doing it for a customer or the bar owner.

I think singers bringing their own equipment to play there CDG's is a little bit much,
As a singer you should frequent a show that you like
#1) Decent KJ
#2) Decent Sound System
#3) Decent Selection

Now if you MUST play your own CDG you should find a show that can accomodate you ..... It doesn't mean the KJ who decides NOT to play CDGS is a bad KJ or their show is inferior ...JUST differant ...  That's what lifes about - Choices and Decisions.

But the trend does show more and more KJ's going digital and they willl continue to bring their Discs and Players until they feel confident in their new COMPUTERIZED SHOW ... But like the cassette tapes in the past the future will see the end of cdgs -I'm sure the MFG would rather you download the song for $1.99 than produce CDG's...Its just the way of the future

Don't worry about it. You have kept your location secret -- we can't find you.

Apparently you don't understand that they *can't* sabotage you if you don't have Autoplay on.

And the virus only hides in the "autoplay file" not any other file?


If i start the file containing a virus, autoplay matters not.  :O

What do you mean "start the file"? Why would you ever run a program on a disk like that? All you ever do with a file -- I would presume -- is access it via your karaoke program.

If you would double click a random icon on an unknown disk, then you are right -- you should never try anything.

Autoplay is merely software that opens and runs a file when, in this case, a disk is inserted into the drive.  If it happens to open a file infected with a virus... guess what, your PC just caught something nasty.

Karaoke software is merely software used to to play a file, the software has to open the file to access it....  open a file with a virus and your PC will probably need some TLC.

No difference between the end result!

Aftrer awhile I just give up posting because most here think I am guessing like everybody else. I do not guess here I speak from years of experience. While it is true I have never got a virus from customers cd's or flash drive, years ago i did downolad mp3's with virus. As in a post above they display one of 2 symptoms

!) The file is not a true mp3 in which case winamp stalls and hour glass appears for a second or 2. You have been had.
2) Winamp starts but has glitches and you have audio dropouts.

Most are spyware designed for internet computers. My DAW is never online except when behind a local firewall and a WIFI router.

A typical bonifide zip file is about 3.5 MB A quick scan of an inserted flash drive will give clues. If there are exe files that are about 250 Kb with strange names for damn sure dont dble click on them.  If there are several zip files or cdg and mp3 with standard sizes chances are they are safe.

Our MO is finding the file in Windows explorer and then dragging and dropping   into the karaoke player que pane. I would know in a few seconds if something was amiss. In which case I would have security detaining the giver of the flash drive. The idea of somebody trying to affect a DAW with a virus is ludicrous at best. As a tech for many years I could give you ideas on how to sabotage a system that would give you nightmares. One would be a syringe with battery acid.

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you make a good point Ollie, the other thing to remember bout flash drives is if EVERY zip is the exact same size chances are its a bit dodgey

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Yea Vicki good point, another sign of virus.

 When a stranger comes in our bar and starts  looking at the books I approach them and in minutes know them as a friend. I know what their motives are  and what they like to sing.  I do not have strangers at my shows. We have regulars that we have known and sang with for 10 years or more.
We do not have that much of bar hoppers except for non-singers.  The chances of somebody infecting my system with a virus is about 50,000 to nil. Period.....

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Odds i still don't like.

All (music) files need to be clicked on to open.  That makes it too late to stop a virus.   Computer Class 101.

How many times do you need to say it in this one thread? 5, 6, 7 times. Just state your opinion once and that is enough, do it twice to reinforce your point of view, a third  posting is over doing it, but in your case: it is plain irritating.

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

Tell that to the guy that thinks there is no such thing as a computer virus.