computer mostly unfunctional after virus..

[Sonar87]

Not the best topic title, but I wasn't quite sure what to put to some up all this..

Last night after going to a web page (one I've went to for years without problems, no strange places) Looked like it wa starting to download something but it happend to fast to really see. After wards it opened up a fake windows security center and a window titled xp guardian (did a search and confirmed that it was a virus through other recent help topics). The xp guardian window was set up like it was scanning the computer, and it kept giving me popups saying my computer was infected and wanting me to register and pay to remove them. I could close them all but they kept comming back. I ran ad-aware but its acting a bit strange, taking hours to scan only a third of the number of files I know it used to scan in only an hour, not scanning the rest, so that got me nowhere. After restarting my computer it came back up right away, and was slowing down anything I tried to do severely.

SO reading one help topic for the same basic problem on another site which hadn't got many answers yet, one person said that they did a system restore to before they got it and that stoped it comming up right on start up so they could actualy get something done. I knew that didn't quite sound like it was going to work, but I figured why not try it, worst case I do a quick restore and its still there, and I'm back where I started.

So I did the restore, turn the computer back on. The xp guardian program didn't come up at all, and I tried to open a browser. It gave me the window saying it didn't know what to use to open that file type and gave me the option to select what to open it with. So I tried opening it though the start menu thinking maybe there was something wrong with the destop shortcut, and it did the same thing. I then tried opening MSconfig through the run box to see if it was just the programs I had downloaded myself, and again, for MSconfig it asked me to choose how to open it.

I can't get into options in my control pannle either, when I select one like 'change user accounts', it shows me the name of the .exe file and says 'application not found'. I can't even open up the comand window through run.

So far I've been able to get my browser to open by selecting it to open itself when asked, it'll tell it it can't 'open itself' then let me continue using it like normal. Mostly. I can sign into forums like this fine, but if I try to got to anything like yahoo or msn email the browser can't open it. It acts like if you tried to go it it when you have no internet conection. I've also got a small popup box now that says

reg.exe

application not found

and then gives me a button that I can click saying 'ok'. No matter how many times I click ok it closes then pops right back up.


Running windows xp, and I think I have all the details there.. I apologize if its a bit messy, I have to leave in a few min so I'm in a bit of rush.

[wakayi]

You can check if it has problems by Safe Mode

[Sonar87]

Unless I'm missing something about that sentance,.. wheather or not there are problems is not the issue since there clearly are..

[brad211987]

These are actually a pretty popular trend, to emulate antivirus programs to mask a virus. I would use a second computer and download a decent set of tools, my suggestions:

Avast antivirus
Spybot search and destroy
Ad-aware
Spyware blaster

By far not the only list, but they have been quite effective for me.

Boot into safe mode and load up the tools and let all of them scan as thoroughly as they can.

Also run msconfig in the start ----> run prompt and look at the startup tab and remove anything that looks remotely suspicious to keep things from booting up when your computer starts.

See where that gets you, its usually my first steps in trying to take control of an infected system.

[_Aerospace_Eng_]

Super Anti Spyware is another option. They have since made a portable app that generates itself as a random file name so existing spyware/viruses won't stop it from running.

[Sonar87]

Ok, well I don't have a second computer to work with right now since I'm traveling. So that option will have to wait. Also, I've gotten around to checking the other account on the computer (the admin account, the one I was on when I got the virus was a limited account) and that one seems to be working fine, can open all my programs and finaly get into things like MSconfig. Still curious as to what exactly happened with that account though.. some one else I know got the same virus and it went away easily for them, and before the restore I did it didn't seem to be anything more then an annoying string of pop ups for me.

[sentril]

Those type of viruses have to be removed in safe mode. Open up msconfig in safe mode uncheck the startup entry causing problems, also go to the location and delete the file. I recommend getting googling cleanup by steven gould and install and run it. It cleans out your temp folders, just in case you have some residual virus files.

[bazz]

My suggestion would be to remove that user account and all its files. Run your favourite spyware tools - the ones mentioned cover all those I would have suggested (and more). then if you need to you can set up that limited account again, which seems lke a good idea because, were you on your admin account, and were infected as you describe, you would be more stuck, I think.

bazz

[Sonar87]

Yea, I already came to the conclusion that the accounts gonna have to go. Have to get back on and make a list of all the programs I have on there first though so it will be a pain getting it all back..

@sentril: Nothings comming up on startup anymore, I did look through the startup items in MSconfig, but nothing stood out as something that would be causing the problem. I don't know which things in there (the obvious things that I instaled myself aside) are supossed to be in there and what may not, so I couldn't really do much else with that.

[wakayi]

Has you got a backup of your computer?

[Geek]

That was one type of virus that scans automatically infect your computer and starts to install its own program. After completing it's job your computer becomes a messy idiot:):). But there is some program that clean those **** from your computer. You can visit this link for more details. (http://www.techtipsgeek.com/clean-computer-removing-antivirus-live-application/2522)

[dniwebdesign]

Malware Anti-Bytes is also a very good scanner to run as well. Hopefully you didn't get a virut virus as they are nasty. I have removed it from my computer but there are still issues that I am working out with it (removing requires a lot more than just a few scanners), but for the most part it's back up and running.

Good luck.

[tdave]

Most of the time ,installed antivirus software doesn't 100% guarantee we are save,having our files back up is a must.

[tdave]

Delete cookies, clear temporary Internet files and clean up Windows files that slow down your PC.