Help I think I've been virused

[Bullfrog]

Sorry if this is the wrong place for this, mods please move if necessary.

 

Problem started off slowly. More sites than usual unavailable (including this one for ages).

 

Then google started diverting me to "results5" rather than the correct sites selected after a search. I've experienced this before and have learned that Malwarebytes is the solution.

 

So we run MWB and it reports 4 Trojans that it claims to be able to delete, but if you run it again they are still there.

 

Then I start having huge problems starting up the machine. It sets and festers during intitialisation, immediately after loading my usual screen saver.

 

If I run task manager it tells me I'm running about 60+ processes with 100% memory utilisation so it's no wonder nothing ever resolves itself.

 

I selectively turn processes off that I don't think are desparately important, like my son's i-pod update function, and after I've got rid of 5 or 6 of them things free up and I can use the machine almost as normal - till the next time.

 

Any suggestions please, I know some of you all spend more time on here than most and I don't know my way round any PC user groups.

 

It's a fairly bog standard PC running XP, IE etc.

 

Help please!

 

David

[Grace and Favour]

Start your PC up in Safe Mode - - and then run the MWB / Virus checkers etc . . . . .

 

That should put paid to them!

[Machpoint005]

1 Start running Avast! - preferably the professional version for about 40 squid

2 Stop using IE and get Firefox

3 Worries over

 

But that's just my own experience.

[NB Alnwick]

I would say that it is time to call in an expert. Either that or reload all your operating systems having first safely backed up any data you need to retain.

[Guest]

1 Start running Avast! - preferably the professional version for about 40 squid

2 Stop using IE and get Firefox

3 Worries over

 

But that's just my own experience.

 

1 Start running Microsoft security essentials - free

2 use whichever browser you like - as long as it's the latest and most updated version.

3 Worries nearly over, as there is no guarantees with any of this virus/trojan stuff....

 

But that's just my own experience.

[RLWP]

I would say that it is time to call in an expert. Either that or reload all your operating systems having first safely backed up any data you need to retain.

 

As an expert...

 

These things can be a right nuisance to remove depending on what variant you have. If something robust like Malwarbytes can't shift it, I'm afraid you need to get some help.

 

Richard

[Bullfrog]

Thank you everyone who contributed on this one.

 

I eventually fixed it (for the moment at least) by doing a system restore back to a date in May before all the symptoms started to appear.

 

This has apparently done the trick.

 

David

[Guest]

Thank you everyone who contributed on this one.

 

I eventually fixed it (for the moment at least) by doing a system restore back to a date in May before all the symptoms started to appear.

 

This has apparently done the trick.

 

David

 

Sometimes I wish we could do the same on here...

[zenataomm]

Sometimes I wish we could do the same on here...

 

 

................... or better still in life.

[Robbo]

So we run MWB and it reports 4 Trojans that it claims to be able to delete, but if you run it again they are still there.

 

Another Cook in the kitchen here.. Here is what I would do (just doing option B would be best).

 

A.

1. Download and make a rescue CD with a virus scanner on it like this one from f-secure http://www.f-secure.com/en_EMEA/security/tools/rescue-cd/

2. Boot from the CD

3. Virus scan and remove viruses

3. Boot into Windows.

4. Virus scan again using your Windows scanner.

5. Boot from the CD and then virus scan.

6. If still viruses use option B.

 

B.

1. Download and make a rescue CD with a virus scanner on it like this one from f-secure http://www.f-secure.com/en_EMEA/security/tools/rescue-cd/

2. Using the rescue CD copy all your data to a external drive and then remove drive.

3. Wipe the drive (one with the OS on!), and reinstall Windows, anti-virus and all security patches, etc.

4. Connect external drive again and then virus-scan it.

5. Copy all data back.

[alan_fincher]

B.

1. Download and make a rescue CD with a virus scanner on it like this one from f-secure http://www.f-secure.com/en_EMEA/security/tools/rescue-cd/

2. Using the rescue CD copy all your data to a external drive and then remove drive.

3. Wipe the drive (one with the OS on!), and reinstall Windows, anti-virus and all security patches, etc.

4. Connect external drive again and then virus-scan it.

5. Copy all data back.

Whilst I agree with all that, what 'B' seems to omit is an extra step between 3) & 4) something like....

 

3a. Reinstall every application you actually had on there, and still need, and then try and work out how to get the latest patches and updates to these.

 

Having recently been forced to take two machines back to basics, (one Vista, one XP), and as yet not having re-installed all the programs I have come to rely on, I know what a pain this can be.

 

Back to point 3..... Even the OS reinstalls are a right pain in my case, particularly XP, where I don't actually have a disk beyond service pack 1. Getting everything to bring you up to the latest patch level on Service Pack 3 seems to take an absolute eternity, even with a fast Internet connection.

 

I may be missing something, but standard Windows update seems to insist on fully applying all patches for whatever service pack you are currently at, and only then prompting for the full next service pack. This seems bonkers to me, as surely the service pack should contain an amalgam of all patches that have gone before. Why is it not enough to apply all available full service packs, and then only worry about further patches that post-date all of them ?

 

A tip from the experts on how to avoid so much updating would be appreciated. (Obviously I realise I could try and get hold of a disk that starts me at SP3 in the first place, but if I can't?.......)

 

David - I seem to recall you have XP, so I wonder how old your OS re-install disk could prove to be ?

Edited June 27, 2010 by alan_fincher

[Robbo]

Back to point 3..... Even the OS reinstalls are a right pain in my case, particularly XP, where I don't actually have a disk beyond service pack 1. Getting everything to bring you up to the latest patch level on Service Pack 3 seems to take an absolute eternity, even with a fast Internet connection.

 

I presume reinstalling the OS and then installing the latest Service Pack straight afterwards, then the security patches is the way - Windows Update would do this all for you? - It's been a while since I've done Windows updates!

Edited June 27, 2010 by Robbo