Computer Virus - any ideas?
Jul 18th 2005, 2:57 pm
#61
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 853
Re: Computer Virus - any ideas?
The husband thinks he has at last eliminated the trojan, after using all methods suggested here and in the suggested links - sometimes several times over ! I don't think he is completely confident that the baddie will not reproduce itself, and there is still a problem with safe mode, so he's trolling back to the computer tech shop with his machine today. They were paid for doing a job they did not do, so they owe us!
I agree with you that a reformat would have been quicker and cleaner. But he said he enjoys learning all that new stuff (no accounting for taste!)
Thank you all again - would buy y'all a pint or two if I could!
I agree with you that a reformat would have been quicker and cleaner. But he said he enjoys learning all that new stuff (no accounting for taste!)
Thank you all again - would buy y'all a pint or two if I could!
Jul 18th 2005, 3:41 pm
#62
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2004
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 169
Re: Computer Virus - any ideas?
Next time I'm in north Texas I'll take you up on that!
Originally Posted by Dimsie
Thank you all again - would buy y'all a pint or two if I could!
Jul 18th 2005, 3:58 pm
#63
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 14,577
Re: Computer Virus - any ideas?
Originally Posted by Britdrinker
Certainly the most effective solution is a re-install, however you will need to be diligent about spyware/adware/malware/crapware on your freshly installed system. If you keep an anti-virus application updated (imho it's worth paying for this) as well as regularly running the Spybot / AdAware applications, you will protect your system.
What's most important though, is not to let the pop-ups run on your system in the first place, and never to click on them! What they do is add lines to the Windows registry which are then very hard to get rid of. Even when you think you have deleted the infection, it promptly re-installs itself the next time you reboot. The HiJack This software, although tricky to use, will help you get rid of that.
I recommend using Windows XP with Service Pack 2, which has a decent pop-up blocker in it, or as another poster suggested, switching to Mozilla Firefox and turning off javascripting unless you need it.
What's most important though, is not to let the pop-ups run on your system in the first place, and never to click on them! What they do is add lines to the Windows registry which are then very hard to get rid of. Even when you think you have deleted the infection, it promptly re-installs itself the next time you reboot. The HiJack This software, although tricky to use, will help you get rid of that.
I recommend using Windows XP with Service Pack 2, which has a decent pop-up blocker in it, or as another poster suggested, switching to Mozilla Firefox and turning off javascripting unless you need it.
The problem is ActiveX controls and users clicking "Yes - please install a super duper screensaver that saves money on car insurance" on the prompts from webpages which install them.
Oh, and those f****** screensavers that all my users seem to download, and that f****** time synchroniser and that f******* Virtual Bouncer crap.
I blame the crappy software companies who write programs that require admin privileges, if they didn't do that, I could give all my users regular user levels. What a load of s**t.
Jul 18th 2005, 4:45 pm
#64
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 853
Re: Computer Virus - any ideas?
Britdrinker - Yer on! But finding a watering hole would be a trick !
Anotherlimey - Yes, I learned my lesson about downloading screensavers and the like back in the UK. I stick to using slideshows of what's in my own Pics file now - I can sit and watch it for hours...LOL!
I used to suspect ICQ as being a hotbed of virus infection too, in the days when I used it.
Anotherlimey - Yes, I learned my lesson about downloading screensavers and the like back in the UK. I stick to using slideshows of what's in my own Pics file now - I can sit and watch it for hours...LOL!
I used to suspect ICQ as being a hotbed of virus infection too, in the days when I used it.
Oct 1st 2005, 11:57 pm
#65
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: NJ
Posts: 1,272
Re: Computer Virus - any ideas?
Originally Posted by rincewind
Depends where you got it from.
Most machines come bundled with a load of stuff you don't need. First thing I do with a new machine is un-install all the crap not needed and switch off all the services that just take up memory.
Microsoft Updates can be a pain and is the first thing I disable. It can lock up your machine and cause booting issues.
Here is something you could try.
Microsoft® Windows AntiSpyware (Beta)
I downloaded and ran this the other day and it found stuff my normal Spyware software couldn't find. My machine has performed a lot faster since.
Maybe worth a shot and your problem could be Spyware more than Viruses.
Plus it's free
Most machines come bundled with a load of stuff you don't need. First thing I do with a new machine is un-install all the crap not needed and switch off all the services that just take up memory.
Microsoft Updates can be a pain and is the first thing I disable. It can lock up your machine and cause booting issues.
Here is something you could try.
Microsoft® Windows AntiSpyware (Beta)
I downloaded and ran this the other day and it found stuff my normal Spyware software couldn't find. My machine has performed a lot faster since.
Maybe worth a shot and your problem could be Spyware more than Viruses.
Plus it's free
I have just installed the recommended program and it managed to find something that had got into my computer and has now deleted it.
So thanks to Rincewind my Dell computer is working again.
Oct 2nd 2005, 7:05 pm
#66
Just Joined
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: USA
Posts: 15
Re: Computer Virus - any ideas?
We never get any viruses, sorry to hear you got one. We are free of such things because we use a back up hard drive. Meaning are back up hard drive is identical to the main drive and our entire hard drive can be back upm completely. It also helps to have the better virus programs like Norton or McCaffee. Good luck.
Oct 2nd 2005, 9:21 pm
#67
BE Site Lead
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: MA, USA
Posts: 92,170
Re: Computer Virus - any ideas?
Originally Posted by Dan@
... It also helps to have the better virus programs like Norton or McCaffee. Good luck.
Oct 3rd 2005, 12:38 am
#68
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Joined: Aug 2003
Location: NJ
Posts: 1,272
Re: Computer Virus - any ideas?
Originally Posted by Bob
Those two virus progs aren't that great, not bad as stand alone progs, but not the best compared to what is out there, and they are a bit of a system hog the pair of them...
We have spent all day trying to get our computer to work properly. Internet Explorer was running extremely slow in fact almost at a stand still. We managed to find that winfixer had somehow got into the system and we could not get rid of it.
We went to CompUSA and they recommended buying McAfee Internet Security Suite 2006 as we already had McAfee installed when we bought our Dell computer. We installed it and it found a trojan virus which we deleted but the internet is now working slower than ever. I remember someone, Ray I think, mentioning a couple of free downloads but the computer keeps freezing after about 2 minutes which doesn't give me time to search for the right thread.
I am just about ready to throw the ****ing thing through the window.
TIA
Oct 3rd 2005, 3:36 am
#69
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 68,280
Re: Computer Virus - any ideas?
For spyware/adaware
Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition 1.06
http://lavasoft.element5.com/support/download/
and Spybot her
http://www.spybot.info/en/mirrors/index.html
for viruses try a online prog like
http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/activescan.htm
or
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
If you are on XP ..do try a system restore going back a few
weeks first
Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition 1.06
http://lavasoft.element5.com/support/download/
and Spybot her
http://www.spybot.info/en/mirrors/index.html
for viruses try a online prog like
http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/activescan.htm
or
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
If you are on XP ..do try a system restore going back a few
weeks first
Oct 3rd 2005, 4:10 am
#70
BE Site Lead
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: MA, USA
Posts: 92,170
Re: Computer Virus - any ideas?
As well as what Ray's suggested.... for anti-virus, try either: http://www.grisoft.com/doc/1
http://www.free-av.com/
There both good, it's just a matter of what you prefer...I wouldn't bother with mcafee...the suite is filled with rubbish that's shite...
Sites for good check-ups to add to what Ray posted are: http://pcpitstop.com/
http://www.pcflank.com/test.htm
And for something that's good, and free again, to clean your system of temp files, and all kinds of shite: http://www.ccleaner.com/
http://www.free-av.com/
There both good, it's just a matter of what you prefer...I wouldn't bother with mcafee...the suite is filled with rubbish that's shite...
Sites for good check-ups to add to what Ray posted are: http://pcpitstop.com/
http://www.pcflank.com/test.htm
And for something that's good, and free again, to clean your system of temp files, and all kinds of shite: http://www.ccleaner.com/
Oct 3rd 2005, 5:46 am
#71
Powder Maggot
Joined: Nov 2004
Location: Nuevo Mexico
Posts: 4,452
Re: Computer Virus - any ideas?
Originally Posted by Dan@
We never get any viruses, sorry to hear you got one. We are free of such things because we use a back up hard drive.
If you have to pick between Symantec and McAfee, go with Symantec. But IMHO, they're both nasty.
Oct 3rd 2005, 6:28 pm
#72
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: NJ
Posts: 1,272
Re: Computer Virus - any ideas?
Originally Posted by Ray
For spyware/adaware
Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition 1.06
http://lavasoft.element5.com/support/download/
and Spybot her
http://www.spybot.info/en/mirrors/index.html
for viruses try a online prog like
http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/activescan.htm
or
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
If you are on XP ..do try a system restore going back a few
weeks first
Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition 1.06
http://lavasoft.element5.com/support/download/
and Spybot her
http://www.spybot.info/en/mirrors/index.html
for viruses try a online prog like
http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/activescan.htm
or
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
If you are on XP ..do try a system restore going back a few
weeks first
I tried to restore but it wouldn't let me. I then ran lavasoft and it found over 400 critical things that needed deleting.
Internet Explorer is working OK now but I can't get into Outlook Express, it keeps asking for my password and then rejecting it. I'm just going to use Verizon's e-mail page instead.
Thanks also to Bob for answering my questions. I have made a note of the other websites suggested.
Oct 3rd 2005, 6:41 pm
#73
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 68,280
Re: Computer Virus - any ideas?
Originally Posted by mandpete
Thanks.
I tried to restore but it wouldn't let me. .
I tried to restore but it wouldn't let me. .
ensure all boxes are ticked ...
