Wife's PC killed by virus

[Junk Parts]

I'm in the process of restoring my wife's PC. It had two virus progies on it that I couldn't remove. I did find the hunt and destroy instructions for deleting them but I couldn't do it. Any key stroke went to a web site for "Antivirus system Pro". The other virus was called "conduit". It was another leg of that same virus that couldn't be removed. I hate pricks that write crap like this for no other reason in that they have nothing better to do. I'd do this to them if given the change! Screw them!

[Sparkey55]

Re: Wife's PC killed by virus

I'm in the process of restoring my wife's PC. It had two virus progies on it that I couldn't remove. I did find the hunt and destroy instructions for deleting them but I couldn't do it. Any key stroke went to a web site for "Antivirus system Pro". The other virus was called "conduit". It was another leg of that same virus that couldn't be removed. I hate pricks that write crap like this for no other reason in that they have nothing better to do. I'd do this to them if given the change! Screw them!

Before you take actions to remove the malware look into the Internet History of whatever browser she was using just before the infection occured. You need to know what websites she went to as to not get reinfected.

[Sparkey55]

Re: Wife's PC killed by virus

Her computer was using a proxy server to connect to the web to be redirected to anything they wanted.

[goontron]

Re: Wife's PC killed by virus

Wait is my sig the same *looks*
And thats why i run linux!
Sorry i help people fix ther pc at the non-profet denver tech for all, its called virus camp

[Junk Parts]

Re: Wife's PC killed by virus

I'm not a smart enough of a PC dude to do anything like that. I do the best that I can to keep mine up and running with free antivirus scans...ect. She has been up and running naked for years. It caught up to her just as its caught up to me in the past.

[Sparkey55]

Re: Wife's PC killed by virus

I'm not a smart enough of a PC dude to do any like that. I do the best that I can to keep mine running with free antivirus scans...ect. She has been up and running naked for years. It caught up to her just as its caught up to me in the past.

I never use active scanning programs at startup, big waste of resources. The best way to not get infected is educating oneself on how surf the WWW safely.

Thier are some virus out in the wild that will hide a copy of themselves in the bios or the HDD.

[Sparkey55]

Re: Wife's PC killed by virus

For what it is worth, I average about two or three computers a month cleaning up from malware infestations. That earns me $100 to $200 income. That is more than my pc repairs in a month.

[Junk Parts]

Re: Wife's PC killed by virus

First I never use "Active Scanning" Antivirus software. Second I''m not going to use Linux! It can be hacked and is far from perfect. I will stay with the crest of the wave and that is still windows even today. Say all the things that you want to agaist it but its still here. Jee move the mouse, click, and it does what you expect it to. The is no command line. There are no special handelers to download to make it work. I'm dumb and Windows still works for me.

[mockingbird]

Re: Wife's PC killed by virus

Linux is a bloated mess these days... Got a chance to resurrect the old Debian Lenny install on my laptop and was amazed how simple and intuitive the old distro was compared to the behemoths that pass for LTS releases these days.

Next time run ComboFix.

[c_hegge]

Re: Wife's PC killed by virus

I never use active scanning programs at startup, big waste of resources.

I use Norton Internet security on my main PC. Right now, it's using a whole 5MB of RAM. If you do any online banking here, you have to have an active antivirus and 3rd party firewall, otherwise, the banks will blame you if your account gets hacked (regardless of the actual cause), and won't be of much help. If you can prove that you were doing your part to keep your end secure, then they will usually re-imberse you. 5MB of RAM isn't much of a sacrifice at all for that. I've installed NIS on old s478 and AXP machines before, with no noticeable impact on the performance at all.

The best way to not get infected is educating oneself on how surf the WWW safely.

I do agree on that one. If you're careful, you'll probably get away with no AV. I haven't ever had malware problems on any of my own PCs, and that's probably because my browsing is restricted mostly to forums and ebay (And a few other well known online PC hardware shops). At work, though, I see A LOT of PCs which get used for porn and illegal downloads, and they are usually crawling with malware, which usually gets around all the free AV programs. The paid ones seem to do a better job at keeping it out, especially Kaspersky and the paid Malwarebytes. I've never seen a computer which had malware problems with one of those installed.

There are some virus out in the wild that will hide a copy of themselves in the bios or the HDD.

I've only seen that once. It was a boot sector infection. I low-level formatted the HDD, and that computer hasn't been back since.

[Junk Parts]

Re: Wife's PC killed by virus

If you want a software package that does everything it will become a bloated beast. Its just the nature of things. If you have a "modern" PC run Xp, W7 or a full verisio of Linux. If you want to be a "programer" and have that command line run Linux. If you want to point and click run Xp or W7. That is how I see it.

[Sparkey55]

Re: Wife's PC killed by virus

Linux is a bloated mess these days... Got a chance to resurrect the old Debian Lenny install on my laptop and was amazed how simple and intuitive the old distro was compared to the behemoths that pass for LTS releases these days.

Next time run ComboFix.

comboFix is good tool. But in the hands of someone that does not understand Windows it can do some damage. With some people, having malware problems, hitting the F11 key or whatever key it is for a complete Recovery is the somewhat only solution for them.

[Junk Parts]

Re: Wife's PC killed by virus

Yes Sparkey55 I'm that guy but whatever. The deed is done now.

[Sparkey55]

Re: Wife's PC killed by virus

I use Norton Internet security on my main PC. Right now, it's using a whole 5MB of RAM. If you do any online banking here, you have to have an active antivirus and 3rd party firewall, otherwise, the banks will blame you if your account gets hacked (regardless of the actual cause), and won't be of much help. If you can prove that you were doing your part to keep your end secure, then they will usually re-imberse you. 5MB of RAM isn't much of a sacrifice at all for that. I've installed NIS on old s478 and AXP machines before, with no noticeable impact on the performance at all.

I do agree on that one. If you're careful, you'll probably get away with no AV. I haven't ever had malware problems on any of my own PCs, and that's probably because my browsing is restricted mostly to forums and ebay (And a few other well known online PC hardware shops). At work, though, I see A LOT of PCs which get used for porn and illegal downloads, and they are usually crawling with malware, which usually gets around all the free AV programs. The paid ones seem to do a better job at keeping it out, especially Kaspersky and the paid Malwarebytes. I've never seen a computer which had malware problems with one of those installed.


I've only seen that once. It was a boot sector infection. I low-level formatted the HDD, and that computer hasn't been back since.

I was brought a computer 10 years ago that was infected with a variant of the Chernobyl CH virus. It destroyed the bios chip and HDD completely, not salvageable. The user was tricked into installing it by sharing software.

[Sparkey55]

Re: Wife's PC killed by virus

Yes Sparkey55 I'm that guy but whatever. The deed is done now.

Do you not come on here and complain at least once a year about being hit with some virus?

[Junk Parts]

Re: Wife's PC killed by virus

Yes Sparkey55 I'm that guy and what is your problem with it? I'm nolonger on point. This isn't Xp which most of the time I could fix. This PC is a W7 PC. The sick PC is not my PC. The point is that it is fixed now. It may not have been fixed in the way that you could have done it but its fully healthy now. There is now no way that I have to worry about it having a patched up OS or a lingering virus. I fixed it as best I could. Other word take a long walk on a short pier!

[shovenose]

Re: Wife's PC killed by virus

Anti-Virus software is only as good as the user.
Your wife clicked something nasty.
Linux is the only solution for somebody who is not computer-savvy to seperate the ads and fake download buttons from the real flash player updates!
Can it be hacked? of course. But not from a casual compromised or malicious website. And Avast! has a Linux version that's free and can scan for infections if you think you have one.

[goontron]

Re: Wife's PC killed by virus

Anti-Virus software is only as good as the user.
Your wife clicked something nasty.
Linux is the only solution for somebody who is not computer-savvy to seperate the ads and fake download buttons from the real flash player updates!
Can it be hacked? of course. But not from a casual compromised or malicious website. And Avast! has a Linux version that's free and can scan for infections if you think you have one.

Than why does it run web servers? And why does the Jefferson county windows 2012 servers crash every 2 months and the linux servers never crash.

[kaboom]

Re: Wife's PC killed by virus

Yes Sparkey55 I'm that guy and what is your problem with it?

His "problem" is something I can relate to. There's always "that" customer, who, for one reason or another, always seems to be caught off guard. No matter how much they're warned, no matter how much they're shown what to be wary of (toolbars, "buttons," etc.) it always becomes our problem. On top of that, there's the "Hurry up! My documents! MY DOCUMENTS!"

If those documents are that damn important, BACK THEM UP. I don't care how you back them up, just be sure you have posession of said backup- IOW, no clouds.

I'm nolonger on point. This isn't Xp which most of the time I could fix. This PC is a W7 PC. The sick PC is not my PC. The point is that it is fixed now.

Fixed enough to trust with banking/CC info? I certainly wouldn't use it.

It may not have been fixed in the way that you could have done it but its fully healthy now.

And the earth is flat.

There is now no way that I have to worry about it having a patched up OS or a lingering virus. I fixed it as best I could.

We're interested. Tell us.
If people cannot (will not?) learn how to stay sharp while online, they've got no business doing so after suggestions have been offered too many times. This probably happened with internet exploiter, without a hosts file.

Other word take a long walk on a short pier!

Don't let the Worst Buy door hit you in the ass, after your Dork Squad "experience."

I'm in the process of restoring my wife's PC. It had two virus progies on it that I couldn't remove. I did find the hunt and destroy instructions for deleting them but I couldn't do it. Any key stroke went to a web site for "Antivirus system Pro". The other virus was called "conduit". It was another leg of that same virus that couldn't be removed. I hate pricks that write crap like this for no other reason in that they have nothing better to do. I'd do this to them if given the change! Screw them!

They play both angles. "They" write the stuff, and dupe people into their "mycleanpc," finallyfast , and others, where they then charge people their $130 "fee." "Oh look! Just pay 'em, and it's all gone!" Yea sure.

It's no different than "excessive prices" on ebay. Rather than clamor when a beat up old Hallicrafters goes for $800, wonder instead why some fool would spend that much.

I've had enough "problems" that I'm no longer sympathetic to those who click anything online, especially after they're warned multiple times.

And if said fucked up computer needs a wipe and redo, the "too much money" problem rears its ugly head.

In six hours, I'd save your docs pix and music, while wading thru malware no less, to an ext hdd, find out what apps/drivers you had on your system, fdisk/format, reinstall windoze/drivers/apps, restore docs/folders, test/configure LAN/WLAN, put back bookmarks, etc. A helluva deal, but not charity. I don't do it anymore. People can find their own way.

[ratdude747]

Re: Wife's PC killed by virus

if you set it up right, linux is one of the hardest things to hack. It CAN be hacked, just as one can tow a 5th wheel camper with a smart car... takes effort, skill, and luck... so its about as secure as anything can be.

I agree that some distros's are bloated... hence why I use arch (with gnome 3.8) but I don't suggest that for non-experts. For non experts who wish to stay current, manjaro is pretty good (arch based but user friendly without the bloat). Both distro's run very well (if your gpu is supported) and aside from a finiky touchscreen on my p400, it's been a treat.