!@#$% VIRUS!

[cactusjack]

My PC has a virus. Technically, it's malware - I keep seeing this popup that says:

"Your computer is infected! Windows has detected spyware infection. It is recommended that you use special antispyware tools to prevent data loss. Windows will now download and install the most up-to-date antispyware for you."

If I click on the popup, it goes to a Microsoft-looking website and tries to download a commercial product.

This malware has disabled my Spybot software that I would normally use to remove this sort of thing. It is intercepting my browser, if I try to go to norton.com or mcafee.com, I get a "PAGE NOT FOUND" error. Yet I can get to any of them easily from my laptop. I used my laptop to download a new antivirus program (AVG) and I burned it onto a CD and copied it onto my PC. The damn virus won't let me install it.

I'm thinking the only option I have left at this point is to reinstall the Windows operating system. That means a lot of work. It galls me that companies can resort to this kind of marketing to sell their product. It's like if Goodyear dumped nails and wood screws on the road to try and sell new tires.

I am going riding this morning and I'll deal with it after I get back. Maybe I will have cooled off by then.

[dantama]

That's really too bad Cactus. My wife's work warned her about it, and she called and forwarded the warning to me at home last week.

I deleted her warning email, but I just did a search and it was something similar to this.

Dear LiSP Client,

Recently emails that appear to be from Microsoft are being sent. These actually contain a virus, even though they say they are a security update or similar.

Microsoft have released a statement recently stating that they will never send such updates via email.

If you receive such an email, delete it.

To make sure you have the lastest patches from Microsoft, download them from the Microsoft website directly. http://www.microsoft.com

Regards,
LiSP Systems Administration.

I'm glad I got warned; I may have done the same thing, though yours was a pop up version.

By now there's got to be something that will fix it without reinstalling your whole operating system.

Good luck with this. I wish the egg heads would find new challenges to keep themselves entertained, rather than trying to be the most clever virus maker.

I had the exact same thing CJ. That message was dispayed on a blue background screen and I couldn't even get online at all. I ended up paying geek squad 300 bucks to back up my hard drive then they deleted the whole thing and had to reinstall everything and it took them about a week.

[damark115]

I had the same thing on my PC and paid dearly to have it removed. Got it on my old laptop I was using while the PC was down also. My kids are always using it for myspace crap and I believe it was attached to some of the applications sent from friends.

[formikec]

If you can get to this site, go there and follow the instructions for a free scan (and fix) of your hard drive:
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

Having said that, I have learned over many years, that the best combination is:
Norton Antivirus or Norton Internet Security, in combination with Webroot Spysweeper

I never have problems.

[blowndodge]

housecall is a very good site. I run a scan every month. All viruses are stored in your registry and if you know how to remove it from there then you can run your spyware and remove the rest of it.

[MarkG]

My mother's machine had a rootkit virus when I was up there on vacation. It wouldn't let me download anything to fix it with Explorer or Firefox. However, it did not recognize the Opera browser, and I was able to download programs. I found a good many of the so called fix it programs were come ons. Even their preliminary scans came up with phony problems. The one that worked for me was CounterSpy. It was actually a functional trial program that wasn't crippled. CJ, if you get home soon enough from your ride call me and I can give you a copy of it. Avast is quite a bit better than AVG, IMO.

[blowndodge]

KAWANOW TO THE RESCUE!!! Try Mark's and/or then the Housecall website scott. Since you it appears you havent downloaded the client from Housecall Micortrend you might be ok. It takes a good 30 minutes even with high speed internet. I've always been able to download when some jerkass site actually got a worm (most likely in your case) into my computer.

I ran it today along with Ad Aware and registry mechanic today and all is clean. Thank Goodness!

[lw]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

It galls me that companies can resort to this kind of marketing to sell their product. It's like if Goodyear dumped nails and wood screws on the road to try and sell new tires.

You mean they don't do that?

I would have thought that would have been a frequent flier in the employee suggestion plan. . . . Can you imagine a correlation between the Business section headlines reporting a tire manufacturer's not meeting earnings expectations and an upturn in the sales of nails & screws? Things that make ya say Hmmmmmm. . . .

[lw]

Avoiding the temptation to ask if this virus could be somehow related to CJ's Weekend to myself thread

I hate computers that don't do what you want them to when you want them to.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by formikec

If you can get to this site, go there and follow the instructions for a free scan (and fix) of your hard drive:
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

Having said that, I have learned over many years, that the best combination is:
Norton Antivirus or Norton Internet Security, in combination with Webroot Spysweeper

I never have problems.

Thanks, but it won't let me connect to the webpage. It acts as though it can't resolve the IP address.

I work in IT, and although I only deal with UNIX systems, I know more about this type of thing than the average person. I don't click on questionable emails and I am very cautious about software I might load on my PC. I have all my data backed up a an external drive, so I'm not worried about losing stuff, it's just the time involved in restoring it will be a pain.

[dogdoc]

cant you do a system restore CJ to a previous day before you had this problem? it would take windows XP but doesnt everybody have it now??? I have done this many times to clear up a problem. I also have Norton Internet security system and have no problems.

[misunderstood]

I had the exact same one Scott. I unplugged the computer to close everything down. Rebooted in "Safe Mode" and ran my AT&T Security suite and got control back of the computer. Was even trying to prevent my security suite from working until I got it opened in safe mode, which it tried to prevent. Had to unplug it to shut the computer down because it wouldn't let me close it's warnings. Try cleaning your computer up in safe mode. You won't have access to the net while in safe mode, but if you have a security suite on the computer you'll be able to run it while in safe mode.

[misunderstood]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

I don't click on questionable emails and I am very cautious about software I might load on my PC.

Let's see his wifes away and he picksup a virus on the computer...................................... perhaps from some questionable sites he frequented while Momma was away!! Just kidding Scott, hope you get it cleaned up without too much trouble.

[ponch]

Buy a Mac.