Posted on 03/29/2011 11:26:05 AM PDT by Professional
Last week I got hit with a nasty set of viruses, malware, and trojans.
One of the first things I did, was to check out Freerepublic to get some free advice. Unfortunately, it didn't help much, so I've decided to try and add some value here for folks that have something similar happen to them.
My problems began, by using Google searches for information pertaining to the Japan Earthquake. Now, I suspect that part of these internet virus scams, is to embed the trouble in searches that are very popular at any given time.
I took the advice of this forum, and downloaded malwarebytes. Sure enough, it helped identify a bunch of the stuff, some that my avira virus scan could not detect. So, after identifying the problems, they were removed. I also did a system restore going back a few days in time, beyond the origination of the trouble.
Trouble is, that each time I restarted the computer, I got more viruses, etc. I also could no longer contact microsoft updates, it was being blocked. My browser was being hijacked, and I was getting all sorts of websites redirected, mostly about a survey and a free walmart gift card. While the computer ran, eventually I got a message reporting problems to WIN32 being shut down. This turned out to be a huge problem, because that would shut down the msft security center!
I did some searches about viruses, and that only brought me to MORE plague filled pages. This is a huge RISK, DO NOT DO SEARCHES about viruses!! Many fake leads using key words, then you wind up with more trouble than you started with.
I downloaded Microsoft Security essentials on another computer and put it on a thumb drive. I ran the program on the infected computer, but it could not solve the win32 problem, and I still could not use the internet to contact microsoft.
Ok, now I'm into this like 3 days, and I'm really, really getting ticked off. Nothing is working, and I'm about to call a guy and pay him to fix the computer. My concern there, is that they almost always just wipe out your computer, and give you a few of your old files back.... In my case, that means an enormous amount of work that I'd rather avoid.
Finally, I use the other computer to browse microsoft website about viruses. There was a toll free number available, so I gave it a shot, figuring that would be a long, long hold.... No, it rang straight through to Bombay. Raj does a remote takeover of my computer, and runs into one obstacle after the next. Finally he finds a way to get through, and do a virus scan. After 1/2 an hour or more....my computer is supposedly "clean". I get disconnected, and I go home and go to bed. But, Microsoft doesn't give up that easy. By Monday morning, I've gotten 2-3 emails at yahoo, and two voice mails at my office. Next thing you know, Bombay is calling me again.
Now, I've got one of their experts. He takes the computer over again, and this time he fixes the busted windows registry stuff. That was the heart of the problem. Once that was completed, I ran a few more virus checks, and did a msft update and got the system fully up and running again.
I'm very pleased with how microsoft helped me. I should have gone straight to them, and in the future that is what I'm going to do!
Right now, I have a paid computer expert in my office, and he's analyzing our operation. We have service through comcast, and he informs me... that norton antivirus is FREE, full version, due to our business with comcast. We were not aware of this.
I hope my description above is helpful for all freepers.
COMODO Firewall
I REALLY liked comodo firewall from it's beginning until they added the whitelisting... After that, it became too confusing for my clients... And Windows firewall has improved enough that I don't install an after-market anymore.
AVAST! Anti-Virus
I am sorry, but I have never understood the unswayed loyalty folks have for avast... I have never found the product to be particularly effective - and I tested it every winter until this last one. In the past, AVG was my recommendation in free antivirus, but it has grown fat and does not detect like it once did... Now, Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) is my top choice. It is very lightweight and very effective... And I have always recommended AntiVir Personal, though it has no e-mail scanner, so would not recommend it unless the client only used webmail.
The rest of your picks I am in 100% agreement with.
How about relaxing; I was kidding.
A sense of humor is a good thing.
Hoss.
Too many fanboys post the same thing in all seriousness even though it is ridiculously stupid for it to be a joke or funny.
That's just the way it is.
And the toll free number IS? ....
Isn't Kaspersky the engine Zone Alarm uses?
The thing with that, was that while malwarebytes could find the nasty stuff, it could not find/fix the root of the problem that was really the issue. The real trouble was in the corruption of WIN registry, the Win32 something. Malwarebytes would remove the virus, trojans, etc, but each reboot would kick in a new set of problems, and hijack the browser, and shut down the security system. Pretty clever little btsard, but finally I beat it with the help of MSFT.
Again, I am very impressed with the MSFT folks, and the outsourced group working from Bombay. They would not give up on me, and called me and emailed me several times to make for DARN sure, there was not a customer dismayed/lost.
I must say, from reading all these various posts about troubles, that the simplicity of just picking up the phone and having msft do it for free, is a HUGE peace of mind.
I knew someone would ask...
I went back, and did a couple clicks, could not find it. I guess you need...motivation. I sure had it...
XP Pro is the worst os system I’ve ever seen. In fact, it is so bad, that not even the search system can find my files....
Good grief, msft used to be so easy, you just made separate nice folders for each program on the C drive, and there it was, all nice and tidy...
Now, it’s like going into a house of mirrors.
Thanks!
The following two programs have kept my computers clean and running very fast.
The first is CCleaner (the C stands for Crap). It’s free but the people who provide it do ask for a donation.
http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner
The other is Advance System Care. This cost $20 a year and will keep your computer running like Day 1.
http://download.cnet.com/Advanced-SystemCare-Free/3000-2086_4-10407614.html
Now I still do have McAfee, but I use the top two programs about once a week to keep things running smooth. Love them both.
I haven't used Linux in a few years because I'm a gamer but when I did it was fun. You'll have all Internet functions, good Internet radio, a huge library of cool stuff including games, desktop widgets, office suites, etc, a huge user base and web presence and it's fun.
For kids not playing major release games it's perfect, they won't mess it up, no anti-virus programs needed, they will actually learn inside computing and if they do experiment and manage to mess something up it re-installs easily.
Thanks for info!
Yup. For the past few years anyway. It was CA Assoc. before that. But I can't tell you much about it... I would check to see whether it uses the current KAV engine, and that it uses KAV defs... In my experience, Kaspersky does not release it's current engine to resellers, though that may have changed recently...
Funny.... enterprises use windows to keep control over their workers desktops and the use Linux on their servers to get real work done...go to progressive companies that know computing and windows is shunned like herpes....
heh--I found a cool on-line GIMP tutorial....
On desktops and work stations it is windows.
Simply a fact.
The 99% of the employees don’t give a tinkers damn what is on the servers.
I use Microsoft Security Essentials. Its free and so far has worked flawlessly.
Yes it is you can try before you commit couldn’t b e easier.
Well this didnt get in my post to you for some reason. I would add that if you have an old computer you dont want to invest money in, one for the kids to use or just want to play around you cant go wrong as the cost is nothing but CDs or DVDs lol.
Sorry for my late answer I was up way to long yesterday and finally nodded off.
So one just downloads the Iso file and burn it to a CD/DVD and then the computer boots off of that?
I down loaded MSE and it found "phone home" crap in Adobe PDF viewer's exe file and deleted it.
Cool!
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