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Malware

Well you shouldn't have two antivirus programs running at the same time. It will usually cause conflicts with other programs. So one or the other. Though I have windows firewall and Comodo running simultaneously and it does not cause conflicts for me.
 
Yeah, I get Mac envy on this subject. :)

I use the Avast 'free' version, and like it because it talks to me. I can tell my family to ignore any virus message that doesn't talk to them in a sexy voice.

I run AVG on another PC. It seems to do a better job with malware, but the messages are a little hard to tell from fake ones.

The Microsoft Defender kept getting shut off. It is not hard to turn back on, except my kids never would. I finally removed it.

Malwarebytes is what I use if an infection strikes and I can recommend the bleepingcomputer site in general.

A recent addition to my home toolbox (verboten at work) is Secunia PSI. It doesn't prevent anything, but compares most of your programs to a database of possible upgrades and warns you if something needs an update - and will upgrade many of them itself. I like it. Apple software by the way, at least for Windows PC's is pretty insecure...
 
Another free layer of protection (on Windows anyway) that won't conflict with anti-virus is a little commented upon feature in Windows called a Hosts list. It's a blacklist of web addresses that will make Windows ignore any attempts to go to them. I like to use This One as it's kept fairly up to date. The only downside is that it won't automatically update so you have to remember to do it on your own every now and again. This is NOT a suggestion to get rid of your other means of protection, just another layer that you can add that has the benefit of a low CPU and memory overhead.
 
Dancing David said:
Well Java, Flash and Quicktime are now targets of choice, after teh Windows OS
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The thing that makes me feel better about this is that browsers are more and more being installed in their own sandboxes, though I tend to be somewhat of a software purist and dislike the trend of a single point of failure like a browser to do everything like open documents and pdf's, etc.




Sam.I.Am said:
Another free layer of protection (on Windows anyway) that won't conflict with anti-virus is a little commented upon feature in Windows called a Hosts list. It's a blacklist of web addresses that will make Windows ignore any attempts to go to them. I like to use This One as it's kept fairly up to date. The only downside is that it won't automatically update so you have to remember to do it on your own every now and again. This is NOT a suggestion to get rid of your other means of protection, just another layer that you can add that has the benefit of a low CPU and memory overhead.
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A million times this.

I ALWAYS use a modified Hosts file on EVERY computer I can get my hands on, whether I own it or not. Well, okay, not on a client's computer unless I get permission first.

And because it's platform and browser neutral, no code to run and takes advantage of the normal operations of networking, I simply can't recommend using them enough.

I also go right to MVPS and get their Hosts files and I carry it around on my flash drive.
 
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I use Avari anti virus, windows own firewall, and malwarebytes for the malware. I also have spywareblaster which so long as you check for updates every week, then enable them, its like a vaccination, and doesnt interfere with your other programmes. I havnt had any virus or malware since I started using this combo! (I did use zone alarm firewall but after reformatting recently just clicked on the windows one for now. until I make my mind up)
 
That same malware killed my computer more than a few months ago. I went out and bought a Mac.

I can open my old computer in safe mode to copy the files, but otherwise I've just abandoned it. Fortunately I was considering a new computer at the time anyway, so it wasn't a huge loss.
 
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WildCat said:
I don't know if you have to buy one, the free version of malwarebytes works pretty good. I just cleaned out my girlfriend's father's computer of one of those fake antivirus programs with it.

Yeah, he was fooled by it and clicked it. I didn't comment on the porn cookies I saw. :p
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I didn't click on anything. I went to some unknown infected website, but I did not open any email attachments. Malicious bastards have spread this rot to thousands of computers. I haven't looked online recently to see if anyone has exposed the method they are using to get in past everyone's firewalls and virus protection.

Someone must know by now.
 
lionking said:
The malware somehow changed my user settings, so I had to create a different account. All working now, but it was a real bugger.
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Can you tell me what your son did? If I open in safe mode, I can't install anything to fix the problem and if I just boot up, the I have no control over the computer.
LionKing said:
My son, who is a IT professional came around and fixed it by running an anti-malware program.
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This makes me chuckle because I'll probably have to get my son to fix my PC also.
 
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Skeptic Ginger said:
Can you tell me what you did? If I open in safe mode, I can't install anything to fix the problem and if I just boot up, the I have no control over the computer.
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My son used a malware program (I'll check and let you know which one) he downloaded using my laptop, copied it to a memory stick and scanned all drives with it. It took a couple of hours.
 
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lionking said:
My son used a malware program (I'll check and let you know which one) he downloaded using my laptop, copied it to a memory stick and scanned all drives with it. It took a couple of hours.
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Thanks. I've been putting off fixing my PC because I have the Mac, but I would like to fix it. It's a pain to find files and transfer them to the Mac. I have a lot of policy work on the PC.

I can download to a flashdrive. I'm sure that must be a memory stick in Oz language.

Ask him if he then opened the computer in safe mode or just booted it.

Thanks. Take your time. My PC's been disabled for months.
 
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I clicked on the wrong link somewhere on the internet and ended up with a virus that has disabled my virus scanner as well as most of the programs on my laptop and corrupts anything I download, like a new virus scanner. The only thing that works anymore is the Firefox browser, but I have to type in each web address as the bookmarks link to the wrong websites.

The only solution I can think of is to re-format and do a complete recovery. If I was at home I would connect to the network in the house and scan/eliminate the virus. I am awaiting the arrival of the recovery disk my wife is sending to my hotel in New Hampshire so I can do a complete system recovery. In the meantime I have to close pop-up windows several times a minute as well as close IE when it opens up to various sites I have no interest in while it fails to work for anything I want it for.

Ranb
 
Skeptic Ginger said:
Thanks. I've been putting off fixing my PC because I have the Mac, but I would like to fix it. It's a pain to find files and transfer them to the Mac. I have a lot of policy work on the PC.

I can download to a flashdrive. I'm sure that must be a memory stick in Oz language.

Ask him if he then opened the computer in safe mode or just booted it.

Thanks. Take your time. My PC's been disabled for months.
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It was malwarebytes, and it worked a treat. Good luck. He didn't use safe mode, but I don't know what difference it makes either way.
 
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lionking said:
He didn't use safe mode, but I don't know what difference it makes either way.
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It depends on the malware infection. Some are designed start up every time you log on to Windows and run in the background. By doing that, the nastier ones might be able to prevent you from taking steps to get rid of it (not letting you run a program like Malwarebytes, for example). That's when Safe Mode might come in handy.
 
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bozman said:
It depends on the malware infection. Some are designed start up every time you log on to Windows and run in the background. By doing that, the nastier ones might be able to prevent you from taking steps to get rid of it (not letting you run a program like Malwarebytes, for example). That's when Safe Mode might come in handy.
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Hey, thanks. I'm a self-confessed dummy.
 
Ranb said:
I clicked on the wrong link somewhere on the internet and ended up with a virus that has disabled my virus scanner as well as most of the programs on my laptop and corrupts anything I download, like a new virus scanner. The only thing that works anymore is the Firefox browser, but I have to type in each web address as the bookmarks link to the wrong websites.

The only solution I can think of is to re-format and do a complete recovery. If I was at home I would connect to the network in the house and scan/eliminate the virus. I am awaiting the arrival of the recovery disk my wife is sending to my hotel in New Hampshire so I can do a complete system recovery. In the meantime I have to close pop-up windows several times a minute as well as close IE when it opens up to various sites I have no interest in while it fails to work for anything I want it for.

Ranb
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Have you tried safe mode and TDSSKiller?

http://support.kaspersky.com/faq/?qid=208283363
 
I tried safe mode yesterday and it did not start up. I downloaded TDSSKiller and extracted it today, but it failed to open.

I tried safe mode again today and it worked. Updating Kaspersky now. :)

Ranb
 
Ranb said:
I tried safe mode yesterday and it did not start up. I downloaded TDSSKiller and extracted it today, but it failed to open.

I tried safe mode again today and it worked. Updating Kaspersky now. :)

Ranb
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I just read your initial post. Sounds like you have that exact kind of nasty one I was talking about. Those are really fun. :D

Are you updating your anti virus software from within safe mode on the infected computer? If so, you might want to disconnect your internet as soon as it's finished updating. Having an infected computer connected to the internet can be a security risk.

If Kasperskey identifies it, post the name of the virus here and we can find more information about it that will probably help. Hopefully kasperskey can kill it, but it's not always that easy.
 
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