Computer Virus [Archive]

JoJoYZF

02-20-2009, 01:56 PM

So some how my laptop caught a virus last night. I was messin around online as usual and trying to download some music on frostwire. Frostwire wouldnt connect and I had tried a bunch of things and ended up doing a system restore. Well it started working again and I checked out filehippo, a site that a friend mentioned to me that has a ton of free trials and versions of anti virus stuff. Since the downlaods were pretty big I decided Id do them today. Sure enough I restarted the computer since it was running and now its fully fucked up. It wont hit the internet, the windows that open look different (look like an outdated version), keeps telling me my computer is infected, etc. I cant get the antivirus program disc we have to install either. Im not real sure what Im going to do. A buddy of mine is hopefully going to check it out since hes a little better with computers, but I dont know if he"ll be able to fix it. Im open to suggestions since if I cant get it to work I have to buy a new one. The laptop is over four years old and still ran great until last night, but I cant see putting a few hundred dollars into a computer that old. Thanks in advance if anyone has any helpful tips.

:rant:

Lucky3623

02-20-2009, 01:58 PM

download hijackthis and AGV free

paste your hijackthis log file in here www.hijackthis.de

askmrjesus

02-20-2009, 02:00 PM

Kill it with fire.

JC

JoJoYZF

02-20-2009, 02:00 PM

download hijackthis and AGV free

paste your hijackthis log file in here www.hijackthis.de

I doubt that I can, the laptop wont hit the internet. I tried my wireless and it said that there were no supported wireless adapters. I even tried plugging the cord straight into the back of it and it still wouldnt connect. Im on my parents desktop for the time being.

pauldun170

02-20-2009, 02:01 PM

Install AVG...update it and run.
Uninstall AVG
Install Avast..update and run
Install MalwareBytes and run
Nab HijackThis. run and check

JoJoYZF

02-20-2009, 02:01 PM

Kill it with fire.

JC

Thats sounding like a better and better plan by the minute.

Leon

02-20-2009, 02:01 PM

Boot into safe mode, copy any files you need, then format and install a fresh copy of windows.

JoJoYZF

02-20-2009, 02:02 PM

Boot into safe mode, copy any files you need, then format and install a fresh copy of windows.

I was thinking I may have to try that but Im going to wait til my friend looks at it since Im not real good with anything like that.

njchopper87

02-20-2009, 02:04 PM

You can also find the file path of the virus and try to delete it in safe mode. Just make sure you get all of it if none of the above work.

Flexin

02-20-2009, 03:33 PM

Is it telling you that it found a virus and that you have to click here to install XXX360? If so thats the same problem my mother called me with last week. I went down to fix it and one thing I was able to do was download and install firefox. From there I was able to fix the problem. I'm trying to remember what I did now. This program was putting up a full page or at time just a 3 inch strip at the top of the site that would prevent you from clicking on some links.

I think what I ended up doing was down load some of the Windows anti virus programs.

Post up what program its putting up on that page.

James

Papa_Complex

02-20-2009, 03:45 PM

If it's coming up and saying something like AV2009 and you aren't a PC tech, then you're essentially hosed. Back up your data and reinstall Windows. Trust me; my last 20 service calls have been viruses. You don't have the tools for this one.

*EDIT* Flexin reminded me of something. The latest infections of this virus have been calling themselves AV360. Same shit, different pile. It all links back to an IP address in the Ukraine.

JoJoYZF

02-20-2009, 06:18 PM

Porkchop

02-20-2009, 07:28 PM

Mine wont even let me get to the internet. The only thing thats popping up is a little thing on the task bar that says its infected and to click the bubble to fix it. When I click on it, nothing happens though. And the bubble is from Spyware 2009 or something along those lines, which I never installed anything by that name.

How tough is uninstalling windows? Im very limited in my knowledge of computers. Id assume its pretty straight forward but Ive never had to do it before. And I dont have a whole lot that Im worried about losing so thats not a big issue.

THAT IS A VIRUS! Dont ever click into that program. It is made to look like a real program and gives you a fake number of virus' that are on your computer. It'll just keep making it worse.

I had the same thing about 5 months ago. Somehow something turned my firewall off.... and the floodgates opened. Shit started going down, and i was barely able to get on the internet. And it gave me that fake Spyware 2009.

Somehow get AVG 8.0 onto a jumpdrive and install it. That will put your shit into lockdown..... and then you can install Ad-aware and Spybot Search & Destroy to clean everything up. The new AVG 8 is amazing! Use the computer you are on to put the AVG Runfile onto a USB drive and transfer over to your computer in safe mode. Good luck.... i saved mine just in time....

JoJoYZF

02-20-2009, 08:17 PM

THAT IS A VIRUS! Dont ever click into that program. It is made to look like a real program and gives you a fake number of virus' that are on your computer. It'll just keep making it worse.

I had the same thing about 5 months ago. Somehow something turned my firewall off.... and the floodgates opened. Shit started going down, and i was barely able to get on the internet. And it gave me that fake Spyware 2009.

Somehow get AVG 8.0 onto a jumpdrive and install it. That will put your shit into lockdown..... and then you can install Ad-aware and Spybot Search & Destroy to clean everything up. The new AVG 8 is amazing! Use the computer you are on to put the AVG Runfile onto a USB drive and transfer over to your computer in safe mode. Good luck.... i saved mine just in time....

I was figuring that was the virus. Ill give the avg a shot tonight, if not my buddy said hes going to reformat my comp tomorrow. We'll see what happens.

Sorry I missed your call, my phone is about dead right now, but thanks for the suggestions.

HRCNICK11

02-20-2009, 08:51 PM

Yeah my kid did the same shit. Tried to fix a virus he did not have and fubar the PC. I restarted in safe mode and reinstalled a backed up known good copy.

Papa_Complex

02-21-2009, 02:59 AM

If you can find a memory key with a write protect switch on it, use that. One of the latest and worst infections that we've been fighting migrates by writing an autorun onto a memory key, infecting the hard drive with it, then transferring to any other removable media that gets inserted into the PC. I had 8 PCs infected in one office with this crap and ended up reinstalling WinXP on all of them, because I couldn't be sure that they were cleaned.

When I was putting the final system back in place, someone walked in and reinfected the first system, so I had to reinstall it AGAIN.

There is some seriously nasty shit going on right now.

jtemple

02-21-2009, 10:06 AM

I typically recommend that people keep their important files backed up to some separate piece of hardware, like an external hard drive. If you keep your stuff backed up, it's a hell of a lot faster and certainly less frustrating to just format your HD and restore everything, rather than attempting to clean a virus/malware off of your machine.

racedoll

02-21-2009, 10:35 AM

Boot into safe mode, copy any files you need, then format and install a fresh copy of windows.

This is what I was thinking, but if you aren't sure... then wait for your friend.

THAT IS A VIRUS! Dont ever click into that program. It is made to look like a real program and gives you a fake number of virus' that are on your computer. It'll just keep making it worse.

I had the same thing about 5 months ago. Somehow something turned my firewall off.... and the floodgates opened. Shit started going down, and i was barely able to get on the internet. And it gave me that fake Spyware 2009.

Somehow get AVG 8.0 onto a jumpdrive and install it. That will put your shit into lockdown..... and then you can install Ad-aware and Spybot Search & Destroy to clean everything up. The new AVG 8 is amazing! Use the computer you are on to put the AVG Runfile onto a USB drive and transfer over to your computer in safe mode. Good luck.... i saved mine just in time....

This happened to Erik on his desktop a while back. I kept ignoring the popups and got AVG installed and kind of cleaned up. He ended up taking it to the local computer store and they cleaned it up better for him.

Hope you got it fixed!

Lamnidae

02-21-2009, 11:11 AM

#1.

Run a decent AV on your system. Keep it up to date (duh). Like it was posted earlier, AVG (http://www.grisoft.com is a good one, and so is Avast (as noted in an earlier post).

#2.

Do your fucking operating system updates....

#3.

If you're going to do go do that bullshit and search for songs and stuff to save a few bucks... at least be smart about it. Run a virtual machine, that way the VM gets hosed and it's easy to just restore (http://www.vmware.com) It's free, and since you are obviously not wanting to pay for stuff, free seems to be a good word for you.

#4.

Probably one of the more solid pieces of advice was mentioned earlier by JTEMPLE. Place most of your sensitive data on a 2ndary partition (or better still, 2ndary drive)... Granted, that doesn't protect you from physical issues (ie, HDD crapping out) but it's a more limited risk than you getting infected or corrupting your OS and you dont' know how to get it all back it makes it easier to keep/retrieve your sensitive data.

#5.

You're a douche.

JoJoYZF

02-21-2009, 04:51 PM

#5.

You're a douche.

And go fuck yourself, thanks for your input.

My buddy just reformatted it and its back to normal. Thanks everyone.

Papa_Complex

02-21-2009, 04:56 PM

And go fuck yourself, thanks for your input.

My buddy just reformatted it and its back to normal. Thanks everyone.

I recommend that you set hings up to try and mitigate this sort of thing, in future. Install Microsoft Defender and Spybot Search and Destroy. Run Spybot's "immunization"; it blocks known bad websites, which can infect your system. Make sure that you install a good antivirus and, most importantly, keep it updated.

Lamnidae

02-21-2009, 08:02 PM

And go fuck yourself, thanks for your input.

My buddy just reformatted it and its back to normal. Thanks everyone.

bwahahha.

but seriously, keep your sensitive data on another drive, it's probably one of the easiest things to do to mitigate the risk of getting "free stuff"

Hey, i'm not passing judgement, I myself have gone for free stuff too.... just in different ways.

Anyways, seriously one of the biggest things that people DONT do is keep their shit up to date. Do your updates, they're there for a reason.

Douche.

I recommend that you set hings up to try and mitigate this sort of thing, in future. Install Microsoft Defender and Spybot Search and Destroy. Run Spybot's "immunization"; it blocks known bad websites, which can infect your system. Make sure that you install a good antivirus and, most importantly, keep it updated.

.... what he, me, and a lot of everyone else has said.

Seriously, if you're gonna go try to get "free stuff" like that, look into the VMware option.

pauldun170

02-21-2009, 09:16 PM

Malwarebytes should take care of AV2009 and it's variants

JoJoYZF

02-21-2009, 11:44 PM

Everything I had on this comp was saved since I dont have much on it. I only had a few job related things and those are all on my jump drive. And honestly I didnt have all that much music on here. Maybe 3-400 songs and about 5 movies. Now that Im done with school I pretty much only use my laptop for playing online. And now it is protected with a few different things. I was one of those that would only run programs to check for viruses every once in a while, but even though I didnt lose much, it was still enough of a hassle that Im keeping it protected now.

L8 Braker

02-22-2009, 12:11 AM

Malwarebytes should take care of AV2009 and it's variantsThis is one of the best you will find :dthumb:

Lamnidae

02-22-2009, 07:45 AM

I was one of those that would only run programs to check for viruses every once in a while, but even though I didnt lose much, it was still enough of a hassle that Im keeping it protected now.

Yeah thats how it typically works.... even though you don't loose much, you still loose stuff (time, mostly) and it's a hassle.

Angee

02-22-2009, 09:33 AM

Papa_Complex

02-22-2009, 11:42 AM

Malwarebytes should take care of AV2009 and it's variants

Unless your system has already been added to the bot-net. At that point I haven't found anything short of reinstallation that can guarantee a clean system.

Papa_Complex

02-22-2009, 12:35 PM

Keep a copy of MalWareBytes on you computer. I've had that virus (more like Trojan) and you have to remove it MULTIPLE times in safe mode, the again in regular mode, then safe mode agin. AVG CAN NOT CATCH THIS ONE, NOR CAN ADAWARE! We have all kinds of "tech tools" here and none of them worked except the MWB. Bitch is, it keeps replicating itself, which is why you have to do it in safe mode and on every profile on your computer. AVG is the best I've found for antivirus, but it's not infallible. MWB Rocks!

Oh, and don't try to remove a virus while you're drunk...that popup is how it blew up on me...I was in Nashville and it was 4am and we were drunk...:lol:

You need a copy of ERD Commander 2005 or something similar, if you can law your hands on it. Boot from the ERD CD and go into both the Windows and Windows\System32 directories. Sort the directories by date and delete files that don't look kosher, that all came in on the same date. Most will have random names. You may also find a file that starts with two or three underscores in the sys32 directory, that may not show the same date. Kill it. Delete everything in Windows\Temp. Also delete everything in any user's internet cache and Application Data\Temp directories under their user accounts. There will be executable files there that get called in the registry. Kill the files and the registry entries don't matter.

In regedit Go to HKLM\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\W inlogon\Notify and in there you'll see at least one of the randomly named files being called at boot. Kill that key. It's the reinfect vector and why you couldn't kill it without multiple attempts. It starts as soon as Windows does.

While you're in there, look for processes in HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services that don't belong. I realize that it's hard to sort through that mess, but there may well be a service running that allows the system to be controlled externally, as part of the bot-net. It's gotta go. There may even be more than one. In one case I found two separate services and four items in Notify.

While in ERD, use a memory key to copy your tools to the hard drive. I use Spybot and HijackThis. Once you've done your cleaning in ERD, reboot into safe mode and run HIjackThis. You'll find several BHO, toobar, autorun entries that don't belong. Keep an eye open for entries that say "file missing." Since you deleted a ton of stuff already in the previous steps, a lot of the bad stuff will show up this way. If so, kill it. Also keep an eye open for browser hijacks and other stuff that doesn't belong. If you miss it, then the system will reinfect when you reboot it.

Now reboot and restart in Safe Mode with Networking. Install Spybot, update it, and run it. Try running your antivirus at this point too, if it isn't too broken. Once all of this has been done either the system is clean, or it isn't. If it isn't, then it will never be, because you haven't managed to find all of the infection vectors.

This is why I have just been reinstalling Windows lately, rather than trying to clean them.

**EDIT** I should add that none of this is necessary if the user doesn't click on that damned "antivirus" pop-up in the first place. If they don't, then AVG, McAfee, likely any reasonable anti-virus will get rid of the basic infection. Even Spybot will kill it as "Fake-AV" when you run it. The problem is that nothing can stop it, once someone has actually TOLD Windows to install something.

Lamnidae

02-22-2009, 03:49 PM

^____ be careful when going in and mucking with your system directories and the registry....

SoFlaSV

02-22-2009, 03:50 PM

I got hit too. The bastard got me 6 different times before I blocked his e-mail address.:panic:

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj173/pkstanger/Funny/mexicanhacker.jpg

Papa_Complex

02-22-2009, 03:52 PM

^____ be careful when going in and mucking with your system directories and the registry....

That's why my first post in this thread indicated that most people don't have the 'tools' to deal with this virus ;)

What I wrote, above, should only be attempted by someone who has a high level of Windows knowledge.

Lamnidae

02-22-2009, 03:55 PM

What I wrote, above, should only be attempted by someone who has a high level of Windows knowledge.

Yeah I definately agree w/ that statement..... ;)

Ya know, last time I got a virus/malware was aboutttttt..... 4 years ago? I let my mother use my computer...... Yeah, never did that again. lol

njchopper87

02-22-2009, 04:45 PM

Yeah I definately agree w/ that statement..... ;)

Ya know, last time I got a virus/malware was aboutttttt..... 4 years ago? I let my mother use my computer...... Yeah, never did that again. lol

Ha, most of my experience with viruses came from my sister. I had my fair share of fuck ups too, but I only caused one blue screen compared to her two or three times. I eventually lowered her account status to limited since she kept on downloading kazaa and shit like that.

I had a lot of good times on the phone with the Dell reps. I think I only had one guy that was cool throughout everything, he went above and beyond trying to help me along with some Dos shit.

Lamnidae

02-22-2009, 04:50 PM

Ha, most of my experience with viruses came from my sister. I had my fair share of fuck ups too, but I only caused one blue screen compared to her two or three times. I eventually lowered her account status to limited since she kept on downloading kazaa and shit like that.

I had a lot of good times on the phone with the Dell reps. I think I only had one guy that was cool throughout everything, he went above and beyond trying to help me along with some Dos shit.

Not bad, not bad.

Yeah, I think I've only gotten Vista to blue screen like one or two times since I've had this thing (about a year and a half, almost two years). Either Vista Business or Ultimate or don't go w/ vista at all...

JoJoYZF

02-22-2009, 05:53 PM

Lamnidae

02-22-2009, 07:25 PM

Just installed malwarebytes to go with avg and spybot.

Good good.

btw for the record i have a purchased license for AVG+Firewall.

For those of you out ther ethinking of actually paying to support AVG, don't bother splurging for the firewall... Doesn't buy you much more IMHO.

zed

02-22-2009, 09:22 PM

I had one a week or so ago. kept redirecting links I clicked on after the google search to random pages that wanted to look up what I had already googled. couldn't get rid of it with spybot/adaware/AVG. finally did a restore.

JoJoYZF

02-22-2009, 11:33 PM

Good good.

btw for the record i have a purchased license for AVG+Firewall.

For those of you out ther ethinking of actually paying to support AVG, don't bother splurging for the firewall... Doesn't buy you much more IMHO.

Good to know. Looks like Ill stick with the free one the.

Lamnidae

02-23-2009, 07:34 AM

Good to know. Looks like Ill stick with the free one the.

*nod nod* I'll be honest I occasionally go out and "get free stuff" to test things out. If i like it, I buy it, if not, I delete.... I just won't waste good money supporting bullshit stuff that's crap.

Granted, I do this w/ some stuff, but of course w/ my licenses I can't do it for Microsoft crap... but then again they tend ot have betas, release versions and other trials typically.

JoJoYZF

02-23-2009, 10:07 AM

*nod nod* I'll be honest I occasionally go out and "get free stuff" to test things out. If i like it, I buy it, if not, I delete.... I just won't waste good money supporting bullshit stuff that's crap.

Granted, I do this w/ some stuff, but of course w/ my licenses I can't do it for Microsoft crap... but then again they tend ot have betas, release versions and other trials typically.

Yeah I think Im going to have to find a trial for microsoft word. I had it but dont know where the disc is and it got deleted in the reformat. Im hoping to find it but if not looks like Ill be buying a new copy.

Papa_Complex

02-23-2009, 10:09 AM

Yeah I think Im going to have to find a trial for microsoft word. I had it but dont know where the disc is and it got deleted in the reformat. Im hoping to find it but if not looks like Ill be buying a new copy.

60 day trial version of Office 2007 Standard can be found HERE (http://www.microsoft.com/products/info/product.aspx?view=22&pcid=04ea691a-7698-417d-bf3b-2d1ce6cce13a&crumb=catpage&catid=9d273393-92c9-4807-be9c-515a0d152415#ProductDetails).

Lamnidae

02-23-2009, 07:24 PM

Yeah I think Im going to have to find a trial for microsoft word. I had it but dont know where the disc is and it got deleted in the reformat. Im hoping to find it but if not looks like Ill be buying a new copy.

not sure if many of you would be interested, but look into the Microsoft Action Pack.... $300/yr and about 10k easily worth of software for you to use.

JoJoYZF

02-23-2009, 10:47 PM

60 day trial version of Office 2007 Standard can be found HERE (http://www.microsoft.com/products/info/product.aspx?view=22&pcid=04ea691a-7698-417d-bf3b-2d1ce6cce13a&crumb=catpage&catid=9d273393-92c9-4807-be9c-515a0d152415#ProductDetails).

Thanks man, thatll hold me over for a while until I figure out if I need to buy a new copy.

jtemple

02-24-2009, 08:18 AM

Yeah I think Im going to have to find a trial for microsoft word. I had it but dont know where the disc is and it got deleted in the reformat. Im hoping to find it but if not looks like Ill be buying a new copy.Look at OpenOffice. It's free and will do anything that MS Office will do, including work with MS Office documents.

Papa_Complex

02-24-2009, 10:31 AM

Look at OpenOffice. It's free and will do anything that MS Office will do, including work with MS Office documents.

I'm not real big on the interface, but definitely am on the concept.

Lucky3623

02-24-2009, 01:42 PM

Thanks man, thatll hold me over for a while until I figure out if I need to buy a new copy.

Check with your company. Your IT department (if you have one) may have a partnership with MS. My company does, and I bought Office07 pro for a whopping $20... just a thought.:idk:

JoJoYZF

02-24-2009, 09:02 PM

Look at OpenOffice. It's free and will do anything that MS Office will do, including work with MS Office documents.

That might be perfect for what I need, Thanks man.

Check with your company. Your IT department (if you have one) may have a partnership with MS. My company does, and I bought Office07 pro for a whopping $20... just a thought.:idk:

Ill have to look into that. Home Depot gives me discounts on a ton of stuff but Ive never checked into software. Great suggestion.

Lamnidae

02-25-2009, 06:25 AM

Check with your company. Your IT department (if you have one) may have a partnership with MS. My company does, and I bought Office07 pro for a whopping $20... just a thought.:idk:

That's always an option, but also when you leave the company most of the license agreements state that you have to uninstall the software. just FYI.

I'm not real big on the interface, but definitely am on the concept.

Same same bruddah.

Look at OpenOffice. It's free and will do anything that MS Office will do, including work with MS Office documents.

Google Docs. Simple enough and you can get to your documents anywhere. We keep bill totals/due dates/yadda yadda in GDoc's, just makes it easy to hit from anywhere we want. Did a lot of our wedding planning in GDoc's while I was in Afghanistan, made it easy to track changes and work on documents togehter w/o emailing attachments back n forth.

Smittie61984

03-05-2009, 06:12 AM

Install AVG...update it and run.
Uninstall AVG
Install Avast..update and run
Install MalwareBytes and run
Nab HijackThis. run and check

I'm needing some new anti-virus stuff since my Norton is up in a few days. I've heard about AVG but why would I want to uninstall it?

Papa_Complex

03-05-2009, 06:23 AM

Because it's free and it works.

Smittie61984

03-05-2009, 08:40 PM

Because it's free and it works.

I was planning on going with AVG. But I saw the person I quoted mentioned installing it and then uninstalling it. Didn't get hte reason why.

Another computer buddy of mine who knows this stuff pretty well said he didn't really like the new version of AVG. Said it slowed his computer (Which is pretty mac daddy) down big time.

Papa_Complex

03-05-2009, 09:32 PM

I was planning on going with AVG. But I saw the person I quoted mentioned installing it and then uninstalling it. Didn't get hte reason why.

Another computer buddy of mine who knows this stuff pretty well said he didn't really like the new version of AVG. Said it slowed his computer (Which is pretty mac daddy) down big time.

I've got free access to the corporate level version of McAfee. I run AVG on all of my computers. That should tell you something.