My Morning Jacket

Off-Topic => Off-Topic Ramblings => Topic started by: dragonboy on Jan 09, 2006, 08:13 PM

Title: Any PC wizards on the forum? Please help!
Post by: dragonboy on Jan 09, 2006, 08:13 PM
I seem to have a virus of some kind that is giving me all kinds of PC problems.
I updated to Norton2006, which says I'm virus free but that simply can't be true.
It started with a pop-up page (I have a stopper) that said it was a free virus scan of some kind. I get it all the time now & over the last few days things have gotten much worse.
I sometimes can't open new windows on the internet, pages freeze or close themselves, I've lost my address bar & today I can't access my hotmail or yahoo email account.

I'm not too good with PCs & have never had a problem like this. Any help or advice would be much appreciated!
Thanks in advance.
Title: Re: Any PC wizards on the forum? Please help!
Post by: EC on Jan 09, 2006, 09:18 PM
What browswer are you using, sweet pea?

Are you IE or mozilla?
Title: Re: Any PC wizards on the forum? Please help!
Post by: EC on Jan 09, 2006, 09:27 PM
Just sent you a pm.  Hope it helps.   :-/
Title: Re: Any PC wizards on the forum? Please help!
Post by: Jellyfish on Jan 09, 2006, 10:08 PM
Could be spyware...download and run the adware program.
Title: Re: Any PC wizards on the forum? Please help!
Post by: dragonboy on Jan 09, 2006, 10:09 PM
Hey EC - Just sent you a PM!

It would seem I have a Trojan (not detected by anti-virus software) & will have to put my PC in for repairs!!!  >:(
Title: Re: Any PC wizards on the forum? Please help!
Post by: dragonboy on Jan 09, 2006, 10:10 PM
QuoteCould be spyware...download and run the adware program.

Thanks Jellyfish, am downloading Spybot right now.
Title: Re: Any PC wizards on the forum? Please help!
Post by: EC on Jan 09, 2006, 10:28 PM
I just sent you another email from something I remembered from before.

Also, and I'm sure spybot is awesome, but I actually downloaded a spyware program, and it totally fucked my computer.  It wasn't until after I installed it that my computer went blank, and I had to have a repairman come and take it off, and then it was smooooth again.

But I don't think it was called spybot.  So maybe that one's okay.

Get thee to the mozilla website immediately!!!
Title: Re: Any PC wizards on the forum? Please help!
Post by: EC on Jan 09, 2006, 10:32 PM
Oh crap he's gone.  I wonder if he'll check before taking 'er in...

Anyhow, maybe I should share this.  I had a really bad virus a couple of years ago, and a friend directed me here:
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm

You press ctrl+alt+delete and hit the processes tab.  Check every process by the alphabetical listing, and it can tell you whether you have a virus (and sometimes how to fix it).  It's long, and fucking annoying, but it's better than spending money if you don't have to.  :)
Title: Re: Any PC wizards on the forum? Please help!
Post by: dragonboy on Jan 09, 2006, 10:51 PM
Thanks for all your help!

Went to this forum:
http://www.karlsforums.com/forums/viewthread.php?tid=12362

Downloaded Spybot  http://security.kolla.de which I think took out the trojan.

Have now downloaded Firefox & seem to be OK  ;D  ;D  ;D
Title: Re: Any PC wizards on the forum? Please help!
Post by: peanut butter puddin surprise on Jan 10, 2006, 09:11 AM
you may also want to search on symantec's website for the trojan you found and see if there is additional removal instructions.

if you are using windows xp, you need to turn OFF system restore (which will delete ALL previous restore points), reboot the computer in safe mode, and follow any or all removal instructions given by either symantec or your antivirus software's company.  very important-trojans usually just don't go away with a scan and deletion of said files, they tend to burrow into your computer's registry and live there like roaches until you remove them like I described above.

putting the computer in safe mode will allow you to really get rid of it because the files won't be in active memory.  turn ON system restore only after you are sure the virus is gone.

spybot is great for many things, but not trojan removal.  never trust one product to take care of these things, you need a blended approach to detection/removal just like viruses/spyware/trojans are blended threats.

hope that helps....
Title: Re: Any PC wizards on the forum? Please help!
Post by: peanut butter puddin surprise on Jan 10, 2006, 09:14 AM
also, not to swim against the current on mozilla, but exploits are written for it as well.  most of the exploits that come about as trojans are written for Windows, regardless of the browser you are using, so don't feel like you've squashed all the bugs by switching browsers.

often, these exploits are written for the media player, toolbars, or other Windows components that have nothing to do with what browser you use.  a fully patched system (via www.windowsupdate.com) will help immensely in the battle against bugs/worms.

Title: Re: Any PC wizards on the forum? Please help!
Post by: dragonboy on Jan 10, 2006, 07:08 PM
Thank you much John!  
I'm pretty clueless when it comes to PCs (having mine in Japanese doesn't help!) so everything you wrote is very helpful.
I will get on the case & sort things out...
Title: Re: Any PC wizards on the forum? Please help!
Post by: Tree on Jan 22, 2006, 06:44 AM
i have problem with opera!
every time i use opera and visit this forum i can´t see any pics!

help me  ;)
Title: Re: Any PC wizards on the forum? Please help!
Post by: CC on Jan 22, 2006, 07:18 AM
Quotei have problem with opera!
every time i use opera and visit this forum i can´t see any pics!

help me  ;)

man, you still haven't fixed it? ;) there's some java goin on here, do you have that plug-in? try that. I think the latest opera version comes with java installed.
Title: Re: Any PC wizards on the forum? Please help!
Post by: Tree on Jan 22, 2006, 07:24 AM
Quote

man, you still haven't fixed it? ;) there's some java goin on here, do you have that plug-in? try that. I think the latest opera version comes with java installed.
hehe  :)

nah, i didn´t know how to fix that problem!!
i think i have that plug-in!.
Title: Re: Any PC wizards on the forum? Please help!
Post by: Tree on Jan 22, 2006, 07:32 AM
hm installed the latest version of opera but it couldn´t be fixed. where can i download this plugin?
Title: Re: Any PC wizards on the forum? Please help!
Post by: CC on Jan 22, 2006, 08:00 AM
Quotehm installed the latest version of opera but it couldn´t be fixed. where can i download this plugin?

http://www.opera.com/docs/plugins/index.dml
Title: Re: Any PC wizards on the forum? Please help!
Post by: Tree on Jan 22, 2006, 09:24 AM
Quote

http://www.opera.com/docs/plugins/index.dml
thx for the link. installed these java plugins but it doesn´t work... ???
Title: Re: Any PC wizards on the forum? Please help!
Post by: CC on Jan 22, 2006, 09:50 AM
Quote
thx for the link. installed these java plugins but it doesn´t work... ???

do the images show when you hit SHIFT-G?
Title: Re: Any PC wizards on the forum? Please help!
Post by: Tree on Jan 22, 2006, 10:06 AM
every time i hit shift + g nothing happens.
Title: Re: Any PC wizards on the forum? Please help!
Post by: CC on Jan 22, 2006, 10:25 AM
Quoteevery time i hit shift + g nothing happens.

mmm. I just tried myself with opera and also had a problem with the images. hitting shift-G while on a page with images solved it.

maybe it's time to give some love to firefox ;)
Title: Re: Any PC wizards on the forum? Please help!
Post by: Tree on Jan 22, 2006, 02:25 PM
hm that sucks. can´t see pictures, avatars....