Halp! (Virus/trojan/malware ahhh)

ChessSafari · Jan 1, 2012

Hmm.

Explorer seems to be working fine. All icons on the desktop are there as before. Maybe the "duy.exe" that I deleted served that purpose (i.e. association). The question is how to fix it.

Oddly, I can still open all the files where I know what program to utilize. Fortunately, that includes Internet Explorer, Microsoft Word and Mozilla Firefox. Unfortunately (so far), it does not include System Restore so that I can revert back to 8:40 ET last night.

As an aside, it opens Firefox by going to the Internet and downloading an exe file first (apparently). If I'm not hooked to the Internet, then Firefox won't open. Maybe that's a helpful clue.

Thanks again, Charles. I appreciate your insight.

Best wishes,
Frank

Deleted member 42 · Jan 1, 2012

ChessSafari said:
Hmm.

Explorer seems to be working fine. All icons on the desktop are there as before. Maybe the "duy.exe" that I deleted served that purpose (i.e. association). The question is how to fix it.

Oddly, I can still open all the files where I know what program to utilize. Fortunately, that includes Internet Explorer, Microsoft Word and Mozilla Firefox. Unfortunately (so far), it does not include System Restore so that I can revert back to 8:40 ET last night.

It sounds to me like your Registry is munged.

There used to be a Microsoft utility that would essentially do a walk-through and repair the registry; I've not had to support Windows for five or so years though, so I don't know if that's still an option.

Charles Farley · Jan 1, 2012

You can still accsess the internet. .

Download and run this

http://www.tweaking.com/content/page/windows_repair_all_in_one.html

The steps are easy to follow but I would run the custom mode

run the checked options . .

Charles Farley · Jan 1, 2012

Medievalist said:
I've not had to support Windows for five or so years though

You're not on a Mac are you? . . . Traitor . .

Deleted member 42 · Jan 1, 2012

Charles Farley said:
You're not on a Mac are you? . . . Traitor . .

Dude, I went from the VAX to DOS to Mac OS 6.0 and haven't looked back

I bleed in five colors.

I used to charge an additional 25.00/hour to touch Windows.

Charles Farley · Jan 1, 2012

I tore down an XP install to 900 megs on one of my fun comps.

I'm loving windows 7 .. great to play with

MysteryRiter · Jan 2, 2012

I really have nothing to add to this discussion, just want to say that my computer got infected by the Win 7 Protection 2012 (or something like that) and I almost fell for the fake security scan! I was about to download the darn thing, thank god I googled searched it first.

The computer is currently in the repair shop, though, because it still had begun to infect my computer and a few of my un-backed up docs for my various stories and chapters of my novel. Hopefully, those will be salvaged. *sigh*

Charles Farley · Jan 2, 2012

Unless the hard drive is Physically damaged . . all can be recovered . . well I meant the docs

by physically I mean the disk itself, if it is split or cracked . . which it should not be in your situation

Charles Farley · Jan 2, 2012

Medievalist said:
I bleed in five colors.

Kateness · Jan 2, 2012

Just for the record...

after my meltdown last week, my laptop was fine. I was connected (via ethernet) to my apartment building's internet. I ran regular virus scans because I'm a hopelessly paranoid type.

All good.

I went back to my parent's house (where the first incident occurred) on Friday, switched onto their wifi...

...and within three hours of being active on their wifi network....same effing problem.

Fortunately, in my case, I had a heads-up....before the virus/whatever shows up, it shuts down firefox. Giving me ten seconds or so to shut the computer down the conventional way before it really got into full swing.

Restarted in safe mode, ran malwarebytes, and then restarted into regular. Everything cool.

I don't know whether it's (a) my parents' wifi (a secured connection) or (b) I've caught a nuisance bug that'll take away an hour of my day every Friday (both times I caught this thing it was Friday).

And I am waaaaaaaaay too much of a computer-moron to have any frikking clue.

LadyDae · Jan 2, 2012

Kateness said:
Just for the record...

after my meltdown last week, my laptop was fine. I was connected (via ethernet) to my apartment building's internet. I ran regular virus scans because I'm a hopelessly paranoid type.

All good.

I went back to my parent's house (where the first incident occurred) on Friday, switched onto their wifi...

...and within three hours of being active on their wifi network....same effing problem.

Fortunately, in my case, I had a heads-up....before the virus/whatever shows up, it shuts down firefox. Giving me ten seconds or so to shut the computer down the conventional way before it really got into full swing.

Restarted in safe mode, ran malwarebytes, and then restarted into regular. Everything cool.

I don't know whether it's (a) my parents' wifi (a secured connection) or (b) I've caught a nuisance bug that'll take away an hour of my day every Friday (both times I caught this thing it was Friday).

And I am waaaaaaaaay too much of a computer-moron to have any frikking clue.

It may come back again. I had this same one a few weeks ago and ran malware bytes and system restored. The next day, it came back and I system restored. When it didn't disappear, I just deleted the user that the virus was on.

While it's not running now, go troubleshoot some more to see if you can find the root problem, because I think this one may come back.

Halp! (Virus/trojan/malware ahhh)

ChessSafari

Don't Ever Quit

Deleted member 42

Charles Farley

Bango Skank

Charles Farley

Bango Skank

Deleted member 42

Charles Farley

Bango Skank

MysteryRiter

Murder isn't so bad...

Charles Farley

Bango Skank

Charles Farley

Bango Skank

Kateness

LadyDae

New AW user. Veteran Writer 8+