OT My computer upstairs has a virus

[Arizona-Willie]

NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER run more than one Anti-Virus program on your computer at the same time.

You CAN have more than one anti-spyware and should. But virus programs conflict with each other and all wind up failing.

Microsoft Security Essentials is rated only fair.

Not ready for prime time.

AVG / AVAST / Kapersky are all well rated programs.

But don't cheap out. Get the paid version.

[FinceMgr]

Nope no control- del or startup manager in XP, but the Task manager right click or cntrl-alt-del works the best in all windows versions yes.

Maybe you meant in config.sys from the run menu command which contains a statup tab, one may disable/enable most startup apps.

[quote="Arizona-Willie"]Actually the < BEST > way to close any pop-up is to use Startup ...( cntrl-del in XP / right click taskbar in Windows 7 ) and close it there.
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[FinceMgr]

Daily I fix PC's that were supposidly protected with AVG. Ratings are a good start, but experience is the best teacher.

AVG / AVAST / Kapersky are all well rated programs.

[Wulfman]

I'm not sure whether you meant "Task Manager" or "Task Bar"........but I always close what few pop-ups I get by right-clicking on its space in the Task Bar.....and selecting "Close" (which is Alt + F4).
The only pop-ups I seem to see lately are from NetFlix. Apparently they're paying for some advertising privileges with some of the online newspapers I read.


Den

[tgzlavistane]

McAfee comes free with my Cox cable company Internet service. Have you asked your internet provider if they offer a service for free?I have not had any problems with my computer and I can tell you I do a lot of Internet surfing. It's very easy to use. You can scan your computerand remove virus infection, clean your files , remove any accumulated junk e-mails , defragment your disk and it also warns you to stay away from untested sites. I think the price is comparable to Norton if you decide to purchase this type of service.

[GumbyCT]

McAfee Site Advisor and No Script are MUST have's on all my computers. Both are Free!!

When doing a Google MSA will let you know if the site contains any malicious links. If they do I don't go there, period. If it is unknown - you can submit it for testing. I use the cached site from Google if I don't know for sure what to expect. And I don't accept the cookies from cached sites either.

http://www.siteadvisor.com/

No Script is a FireFox addon which blocks malicious script from running, unless you allow it of course. But it needs to be customized or many sites will appear to be non-functional. You may not see what someone else is seeing on the same web page. Yes, it works that good.

[Gerryk]

If you are still using Internet Exploder (IE) then you are just inviting Trouble. I use FireFox and if the website won't work with FF, I don't go there. Haven't had pop-ups in years. If the pop-ups STOP then the unsuspecting can't click on them.

But all that is prob better off in another thread.

Well, even if that would be better in another thread, I like Firefox (although there is a small issue with Win 7 X 64) also. Additionally, I've used the Mozilla Thunderbird mail for a few years now and have not had one piece of spam. Best filter I ever saw. Never had anything important sent to junk folder either. There's no anti-virus program installed. I run a Malwarebytes scan occasionally, but there's never been any infection found.

An IT pro that I know used Malwarebytes to remove 90,000 infections from a friend's machine. I didn't know a comp could have that many infections.

I am sure their are computers out there that have more. I just spent three days fixing my mom's computer that she let someone use. They knew what they were doing and got past everything I had set up. They got past my administrator password and deleted my mom's account and limited the administrators account. I had so much malware, spyware and so many viruses on that computer that the scroll bar on the right was so big the scroll bar itself was too small to grab with the mouse.
I was able to save all her files and got everything removed, but the damage was done. A format and fresh install was in order.

Gerry

[BleepingBeauty]

Wulfman, would malwarebytes also be a possible help? We've has some good luck with that program as well.

We were posting (I was editing my post) at the same time, so I didn't see yours till just now.

I've never tried that one, but left my preference in the edit to my post.

Thanks for the input.


Den

(I haven't read all the posts in the thread yet, so further discussion of Malwarebytes may have taken place already.)

FYI, I have (and run regularly) Ad-Aware, Spybot Search & Destroy, and (recently) Malwarebytes. These are in addition to my usual McAfee virus protection.

When I somehow became infected with a malicious virus a few months ago, my virus protection programs were able to find the suspected file(s) but NOT eradicate them completely. My ISP's tech support suggested Malwarebytes. I went to a friend's computer and downloaded the program to a CD, came home, installed it, ran it, and was thrilled to find that this program WAS able to completely eradicate the offending files.

It's freeware, and more than worth the short time it took to download it, IMO. http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Happy computing.

[6PtStar]

I have been using Malwarebytes also and had good sucess with it. Pugsy helped me clean up my laptop and recomended it. She has not been around much since she moved to the farm but she was very knowledable when it came to cleaning up computers. I miss her advice.

Jerry

[Jaylee]

This is me, admitting defeat

At this point I could care less if I ever see the dang thing again, and I was really tempted to throw it out a window earlier!!

It is disconnected and waiting to be taken to the shop tomorrow. Let someone else deal with it. I would love to have a sledgehammer right now though Really!

[Gerryk]

I have found the best thing to do is backup backup backup. As I am updating my mahcines and straightening them out I am setting them up to do regularly scheduled backups. I had a new machine that I built this past spring run into problems. I had the most simple fix of all. I formatted the hard drive did a quick reinstall of the OS and did a restore from one of the backups. I have the computer setting so things should be safe, but some how the kids occassionally get past that and they do it in about two second not knowing what they are doing. Thats when the problems start, so I now do on a regular basis what everyone should do.

Hey it's easy to do a backup. It's not like you have to swap tapes out anymore.

Gerry

[DreamOn]

Hey it's easy to do a backup. It's not like you have to swap tapes out anymore.

Oh my gosh, I remember the tape backups!!! That dates me.

[mars]

This is me, admitting defeat

At this point I could care less if I ever see the dang thing again, and I was really tempted to throw it out a window earlier!!

It is disconnected and waiting to be taken to the shop tomorrow. Let someone else deal with it. I would love to have a sledgehammer right now though Really!

you also said in your first post -

I don't have the money to take it to the computer repair shop.

Hi Jaylee

I am sorry to hear you are admitting defeat.

It sounds like you are going to get the computer shop to charge you for doing the second option I mentioned, which you could do with virtually anyone else who has a computer, and it would cost nothing. You do not need any great computer knowledge to do it.

If I have missed something out, or there is something you or your other computer friend does not understand, PM me and I will elaborate. And there have been other suggestions you could try.

You do not have to admit defeat - if you really don't want to.

However, whatever you do, I hope it works out for you.

cheers

Mars

[Arizona-Willie]

Most decent backup programs can even be scheduled so you can backup every Sunday while watching the football game.

Or during the night if you leave you computer on.

I well remember tape backups. I remember backing up to floppy disks too.

My first hard drive was a used Apple external hard drive that held a whopping 52 megabytes!!!
Back about 1984.

And that was plenty to hold programs and games.

My brother has my old Apple IIC in storage somewhere. Oughta sell that thing, probably worth a couple of bucks now.
Stupidly I wound up putting my Apple IIGS in the dumpster. Shoulda kept that one too.

My first computer experience came about 1961 on the AN / ASB7 an analog - digital bombing computer for the A3D aircraft in the Navy.
Before that our computers were mechanical. All synchro servo motors and gears.

When I got out in 1964 IBM wanted me to go to work for them. I laughed at them and went into construction.

Best thing I ever did.

I wasn't the suit and tie type.

I'm sure I wouldn't have lasted long in that buttoned down environment.

[Jaylee]

This is me, admitting defeat

At this point I could care less if I ever see the dang thing again, and I was really tempted to throw it out a window earlier!!

It is disconnected and waiting to be taken to the shop tomorrow. Let someone else deal with it. I would love to have a sledgehammer right now though Really!

you also said in your first post -

I don't have the money to take it to the computer repair shop.

Hi Jaylee

I am sorry to hear you are admitting defeat.

It sounds like you are going to get the computer shop to charge you for doing the second option I mentioned, which you could do with virtually anyone else who has a computer, and it would cost nothing. You do not need any great computer knowledge to do it.

If I have missed something out, or there is something you or your other computer friend does not understand, PM me and I will elaborate. And there have been other suggestions you could try.

You do not have to admit defeat - if you really don't want to.

However, whatever you do, I hope it works out for you.

cheers

Mars

I don't, Dad is paying. When it stopped coming on, I gave up. I have a feeling the whole thing is fried.