Deunan wrote on 2025-05-09, 22:48:

I'm going to assume the image file you mean is for the EPROM? The short answer is no, it can't infect it, but it could damage it. Longer answer is a very targeted attack like this is possible. But the attacker would have to know a lot of things, like what the EPROM is for, therefore what is the target CPU and the whole device as well. That's not what typical virus or malware does, this is state security level attack attempt. Unless your job is military or a big corpo and work on secret projects I would say it's not going to happen to you.

If you are worried about the Chinese software (I sometimes am) then get yourself a cheap laptop, can be used but working, and install the programmer software on that. Keep it air gapped and move files over a dedicated pendrive. Don't copy any personal or work files to the pendrive or the laptop. Might seem a bit paranoid but lets just say I've worked on projects that had security similar to this.

So, if the only paranoia of using windows for burning, are the malware, I can be tranquil and go for the T48 and Windows 10/11?

Windows these days is not that easy to infect if you have the default firewall and virus protection enabled. There might be some 0-day exploits but these are very rarely network-only. It almost always requires some program to be downloaded and run. So if you stick to the official T48 software I don't think there will be any issues.

I am using a different computer, not my primary PC, for the TL866 software. I also dual-boot Windows and Linux, I use both. I am more worried about software stealing data rather than installing a virus or malware. This is one reason I use a separate machine, another is few years ago I tried installing TL866 software on a machine that talks to a lot of devices via USB COM ports. And all the COM mappings went to hell after I installed the programmer drivers. So I'd rather have another machine and avoid any such issues, and it also provides extra layer of security. But that's me, I had a need for such security in the past. Most people just install it on their main PC and I haven't read about any incidents yet.

Just use an VM. Or emulator. 😀

I once ran XP in Virtual PC 7 on Mac OS X Tiger on a Power Mac G4, to use my prommer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2au3UJh46cY

I've also managed to get Arduino IDE 1.0.6 running on Tiger.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7AcGH3kz6w

Malware comes from p0rn and bad DL sites. Avoid those and no issues 😁

Malware comes from p0rn and bad DL sites. Avoid those and no issues 😁

No more deviantart and sourceforge.net !? 😢

Horun wrote on 2025-05-11, 03:41:

Malware comes from p0rn and bad DL sites. Avoid those and no issues 😁

I've taken malware by clicking publicity advertisements too