Do you have any anti-spyware software installed? If you do you keep it updated? Do you keep your antivirus program updated? Do you have SP2 installed? Do you keep Windows updated? I've been running Windows for years (since the days of 2.03) and have never had a virus or spyware. It's really not that hard.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, have a cookie, and no kidding. C'mon...did you think someone starting a query with
"I'm going to try and partition my hard drive so I can dual boot Win XP Home and Ubuntu 5.10." had
never heard of anti-spyware and antivirus apps, let alone updating and SP2? I've even heard of Firefox 1.5...
However, since my source of income revolves around opening emails that, by their nature, are from strangers, it's inevitable that I'm going to get hit once and awhile. In fact, if I didn't run WinPatrol, AntiVir, Ad-aware, Spybot - Search and Destroy, CookieWall, Trend Micro and PC Pitstop scans, Free Surfer mk II, and avoid IE and Outlook like the plague, I'd have even more annoyances to deal with. Having now added Microsoft AntiSpyware and Prevx1, maybe Windows will be safe to run for a week or so...until the next batch of Windows-specific malicious crap comes down the pike.
I can blame nodody but myself, true;
however I can just as logically blame myself for using an OS specifically targeted by the vast majority of viruses when there are less-targeted alternatives, no?