Computer Virus Problems
Well I have been having a lot of problems with my computer lately. First it was Personal Antivirus, which was a real pain to remove, and it seems to be gone. One of the problems that started with PA was my computer will not turn off. When I try to turn it off, it just restarts (Windows XP). I'm not sure if PA may still be lurking. Also, I recently downloaded McAfee and it is telling me I have certain trojans, etc. but when I try to delete them from the directory (right click, delete), nothing happens. Or I can't find the file in the directory listed by McAfee. If I keep McAfee updated, will it prevent these problems in the future?
Comments
1/ Download the install file for AVG free to your desktop from:
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition - Reviews and free AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition downloads at Download.com
2/ download the install file for Malware bytes from: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware - Reviews and free Malwarebytes Anti-Malware downloads at Download.com
3/ Uninstall MacAfee
4/ Delete the files in the temp folder which is in your documents and settings folder under your user name. Then go Tools, Folder Options, View, Click on show hidden files and folders. You should then see a folder called temp. Delete everything inside it.
5/ Delete your temporary internet files.
6/ turn off system restore, Control Panel, System icon, System restore tab, turn off system restore.
7/ Go to start, run, type msconfig. On the general tab turn off "load startup items". On the Services tab click "hide all microsoft services", then click disable all. appy and close. Let system restart.
8/ Do a Trend Micro online virus scan from: Trend Micro HouseCall - Free Online Virus and Spyware Scan - Trend Micro UK
9/ Install the MalwareBytes program, let it update. Run it and have it remove anything it finds.
10/ Install AVG Free Edition, update it and run. Again have it remove anything it finds.
Repeat previous 2 steps until both run clean, except for cookies which aren't a concern. Once both run clean go to next step.
Start, Run, Msconfig again and turn everything back on.
Control panel, System icon, System Restore tab and turn it back on.
Reboot and hopefully all is ok.
Keep AVG Free as your regular antivirus program. You can either keep or remove MalwareBytes.
Your welcome... Bills in the mail.. lol..
btw, why should I get rid of McAfee? its not a good program? I get a free licence from my office for home use.
Well it didn't save you did it? No real issue with McAffee but you don't want 2 antivirus programs resident at the same time. Did the steps I suggested help?
"online555casino.com" and "windowsclick.com" are definitely spyware and can be removed manually if MalwareBytes doesn't do it. However it's a little beyond the scope of what I could describe on here. I would be very surprised however that if you followed the steps as I described your problems wouldn't be greatly reduced or eliminated...... lol... Stay of those porn sites!
I plan to try these steps over the weekend; will probably take quite a bit of time. I guess pornhub is my weakness
Make sure you set your BIOS to boot from the CD first, pop in recovery disk and go.
don't think I have a recovery disk; would this have come with the computer when I bought it (HP)?
Ya, they don't send out windows discs anymore, just recovery discs that are an image of what they initially sent you.
Actually, they don't even send out these most of the time any more either. If you read the little papers that come with it, it usually says, go run this utility from the HP directory to create your recovery discs before doing anything. You make a DVD, then that becomes your recovery option ....
All of Jeff's instructions are good, but from a time comparison, when I help people out, I usually wipe/renew. Sometimes it is faster.
Doesn't this mean that everything you have added including all data files will be gone... and, your computer will be back to the day you bought it? It may be faster but then you have to reload any data or programs you have added.
Long answer: Every off-the-shelf PC out there is made with the cheapest parts available for the specs. Doesn't matter where you get it, what brand, etc. Dell changes providers all the time. You buy 6 identical "models" from them over a year, open them up and you will find different RAM, different hard drives, different CD drives, etc even though the specs are identical. You never really know what you are going to get.
Failures happen. If you have critical stuff that you don't have backed up (ie. your files) either on an external HD or DVDs or even a 64GB thumb stick or camera memory card then you are basically just keeping your fingers crossed.
There are lots of tools out there (either free or pay) to let you make images. You can re-make your "recovery discs" at any point, say after you've installed all of your apps and updates.
A little pre-planning is required if you use the PC for anything more than checking email and playing poker. It isn't a matter of "if", it is a matter of "when".
Most "local" computer shops which build their own (I am one of those) supply the original Microsoft disk and license as I do.
Now for your problem if you don't want to go through the steps as I provided, which would take me about 2 hours, you can back up your data and restore, using the following procedure. After getting the system back to original you will have to restore your data and reload any apps that you have installed since new.
Procedure to restore an HP PC...
The first thing you should do is backup any important data, such as pictures, music files, favorites, and anything important that you've saved since purchasing the computer. All new data will be lost and the system will be returned to factory condition.
Next, you'll want to unplug any external devices, such as USB printers, cameras or scanners. These devices could interfere with the recovery process.
There are a couple of ways to reach the recovery screen. The easiest will be to tap the F10 key repeatedly when booting the PC. This will take you to a screen to begin the process. Or, once in Windows, you can go to Start>All Programs>HP Tools>HP PC System Recovery.
Follow the onscreen instructions. The process may take an hour or two depending on the size of the hard drive. Once complete, your HP computer should be reverted to the original factory condition.
Eset NOD32 ftw.
The rest of you - start doing backups or stfu