And that's not just my opinion. Before writing this post, I checked with author and security expert (whose newsletter, by the way, is a must for all sorts of security issues). I also asked my contacts at Symantec, Trend Micro, and SUPERAntiSpyware.com. They all told me basically the same thing: The people writing today's malware aren't interested in crashing your computer.

According to David Perry, Trend Micro's Global Director of Education, "The work of today's malware is invisible, silent, and far more sinister than anything you could see. If a computer repairman claims that you needed a repair or replacement due to virus damage, they are either incompetent or defrauding you."

Which isn't to say that today's malware will never crash your computer; just that it probably won't do it intentionally. Early this year, a Microsoft kernel patch rendered PCs infected with the Backdoor.Tidserv Trojan unbootable. Trying to boot, even into safe mode, resulted in a BSoD. You can read more about the conflict .

But that was an exception--and one that did nothing to benefit the criminals who spread Backdoor.Tidserv.

So if your PC fails to boot, don't go looking for a virus. The problem is almost certainly something else. See and for some general advice.