My PC Is Under Siege...Again

[Longhair - MarioD]

Oren, it has been a year or so since I checked a Win computer with Ubuntu but when I did I ran Ubuntu from a disc.  Can you still do that now?

I ask because of Thom’s situation.  If he is infected like I think he is then loading any software onto his system might get corrupted.

[Oren]

Indeed, Mr D., Ubuntu can run a computer from the dvd drive, without installing to the hard drive.  ... 

[folderol]

Sorry to hear you're under attack again Thom. What kind of connection to the 'net have you got?

Almost all reasonably modern routers have a built in firewall, and it is recommended that to start off with you set it to block everything inbound.

I strongly recommend everyone to visit this site from time to time.

P.S.
Sadly, it's also recommended that you disable wireless connectivity unless it is essential, as even the most recent protocol can be hacked on some routers

[elwoodblues91]

Thom what is your operating system (XP, Win 7 etc)

What is your antivirus?  Is it up to date?  When was the last time your ran a full scan?

Do you have any other anti-stuff like Anti-Malwarebytes?  If so is it up to date?  When was the last time your ran a full scan?

Do you have Ccleaner?

My OS is Windows 7 64 bit SP1.I have Windows Security Essentials installed and I am also running IObit anti-virus and I scan my PC everyday.I ran a scan just before my PC went haywire and no threats were found.
Now however,my IObit has been rendered inoperative....but my Windows Security Essentials is functioning.No...I don't have Ccleaner on this PC.

[elwoodblues91]

Sorry to hear you're under attack again Thom. What kind of connection to the 'net have you got?

Almost all reasonably modern routers have a built in firewall, and it is recommended that to start off with you set it to block everything inbound.

I strongly recommend everyone to visit this site from time to time.

P.S.
Sadly, it's also recommended that you disable wireless connectivity unless it is essential, as even the most recent protocol can be hacked on some routers

I have a DSL connection.I had done a registry edit and it fixed a couple of minor problems...but on the whole,my computer usage is minimal...as most of my software is inoperative.

[Longhair - MarioD]

Thom, you should not have to anti-virus programs running at the same time.  One may counter the other so neither of them may be working correctly.

Do you run a full or quick scan?  I always run full scans.

Here is what I do and I strongly suggest you do it also:
1-DL the free Ccleaner and run the cleaner only
2-do a full Essentials scan
3-DL the free version of Malwarebytes anti-malware and run a full scan.  This program looks for bugs that no anti-virus looks for.  If you are infected you can run this in safe mode.
4-go back to Ccleaner and run registries scan and backup up then fix the registry.  I have found that this registry cleaner is one of the best.
5-buy one or two external hard drives and back up everything on your computer. Win 7 has a backup option to do this.  If you do this then restoring a really infected computer is only a couple of hours job. This has saved my ass a couple of times on my wife’s computer.

I know that like me you have a lot of money wrapped up in software.  Without doing what I have listed about you are at risk for loosing it all.  There are hackers out that are locking computers up tight and without paying them a ransom you loose everything.  With backups you can, if this happens to you and/or you get a really bad virus/trogan, format the hard drive then restore your computer via the backup drives.  Of course you periodically have to backup your drive(s).

If your computer is so messed up that you can’t DL or anything is their another computer where you can DL the above mentioned programs?  If so DL them, burn them to disc and pray that you infected computer will run them.  If not then I suggested taking it to a computer tech.

Good luck. 

PS an after thought, if you do buy external hard drives then do a back up and unplug the HD and put it on a shelf.  If it is connected to the computer it could also get infected. I have five externals sitting on a shelf, two for my music computer with the rest for the other computers in our house.

[Longhair - MarioD]

Thom, have you looked at msconfig/start menu.  In Win 7 search for msconfig and run it.  Look under the start menu and unclick anything that you don't know you have.  Sometimes bad guys add things there. Immediately after this then DL and run the programs that I suggested. 

Note that sometimes there is a program that will reinstall the bug so you may have to go back to msconfig a couple of time.

[elwoodblues91]

Thom, you should not have to anti-virus programs running at the same time.  One may counter the other so neither of them may be working correctly.

Here is what I do and I strongly suggest you do it also:
1-DL the free Ccleaner and run the cleaner only
2-do a full Essentials scan
3-DL the free version of Malwarebytes anti-malware and run a full scan.  This program looks for bugs that no anti-virus looks for.  If you are infected you can run this in safe mode.
4-go back to Ccleaner and run registries scan and backup up then fix the registry.  I have found that this registry cleaner is one of the best.
5-buy one or two external hard drives and back up everything on your computer. Win 7 has a backup option to do this.  If you do this then restoring a really infected computer is only a couple of hours job. This has saved my ass a couple of times on my wife’s computer.

I know that like me you have a lot of money wrapped up in software.  Without doing what I have listed about you are at risk for loosing it all.  There are hackers out that are locking computers up tight and without paying them a ransom you loose everything.  With backups you can, if this happens to you and/or you get a really bad virus/trogan, format the hard drive then restore your computer via the backup drives.  Of course you periodically have to backup your drive(s).

If your computer is so messed up that you can’t DL or anything is their another computer where you can DL the above mentioned programs?  If so DL them, burn them to disc and pray that you infected computer will run them.  If not then I suggested taking it to a computer tech.

Good luck. 

Mario,

I am unable to download the Ccleaner.I am currently in the process of backing up my main music computer.I've been working around the clock to burn everything to DVD and I am 50% there.External drives are not an option(as I have zero funds to buy them) and this way,I don't have to worry about storing viruses on my DVD's(as far as I'm aware).

As for my other PC,I am currently running a restore point,in order to fix my User Profile Log In problem...so maybe that will fix that PC.I let you know how I make out.

Thanks for all of your help...much appreciated!

[Longhair - MarioD]

Thom if your main music computer is bug free then yes your DVD backup will be bug free.  BUT if your computer has bugs then your DVDs will have those bugs.  Recording to a DVD does not eradicate bugs.

[elwoodblues1969]

Thom if your main music computer is bug free then yes your DVD backup will be bug free.  BUT if your computer has bugs then your DVDs will have those bugs.  Recording to a DVD does not eradicate bugs.

I can't afford to go to a computer technician right now & depending upon how much it will be...I won't know when I'll be able to go to a repair shop.
Apart from that,I don't know what else to do,because I am blocked from going into safe mode...so all that is available to me that I can do,is to at least have my personal files stored on DVD(assuming that I can somehow re-install them,without re-infecting my computer....or maybe once the re-install is done,perhaps I can somehow re-gain the ability to go into safe mode and scan my PC.

[elwoodblues1969]

By the way(as you can tell from my K-M handle),I got my other PC up & running and everything is intact on it...so maybe there is hope for my other PC.

[Longhair - MarioD]

Thom, can you DL Ccleaner and anti-malwarebytes on this computer? If so do it, burn them to a CD and install them on your infected computer.

[elwoodblues1969]

Thom, can you DL Ccleaner and anti-malwarebytes on this computer? If so do it, burn them to a CD and install them on your infected computer.

I plan on doing this,but my other PC has been running for 2 days & I only have 70% of the back up completed...so it appears that the burning process will go well into tomorrow...so I don't think it's a good idea to try and run Ccleaner while this is still going on.

[Longhair - MarioD]

No you can not install and run Ccleaner and Anti-Malwarebytes while it is backing up.  After you finish DL both programs on your good computer, burn a CD then install them on your infected computer.  SOMETIMES this will work.  If it doesn’t let me know because the next option will be to put the HD out of the infected computer and disinfect it that way.

[elwoodblues1969]

Mario,

After burning 24 DVD's and still only being at 73%,I gave up on backing up my files.After I had run the Ccleaner,I was able to scan with my IObit AntiVirus....but then after I uninstalled it and tried to launch Malwarebytes from my USB stick,I was unable to open the file.
As for the Safe Mode thing,the only thing that happens when I repeatedly hit the F8 button,is that it takes me to a Boot Up screen with a few options.