Computer help....

I need some help from some of you computer guys here. I download the firefox web browser and used that for a few days and now I have all these pop ups and maybe a virus that I cant get rid of. I have used spybot and a couple different antivirus software but it will not go away! any suggestions?? Thanks

Mike

What AV programme are you using? I've switched from Norton (which I did like, and use for a number of years...) to AVG (which is free, and also works well.)

I'd also check your security settings in FireFox - I've been using it for some time now, and I don't have any trouble with virii, pop-ups, and spyware.

I don't recall the site, but you may want to Google <AVG Antivirus> and download AVGAV and AVGAS, then run both.

Also note - if you've been using MSIE up to now, a lot of scripts and such will automatically trigger with MSIE (like email scripts and virii automatically triggering with MSIE or Outlook/Outlook Lite - I don't use either, if it can be avoided...) and you won't know it until you get clobbered...

I am using AVG...I have tried to restore my computer to a couple weeks ago but my comp says it cant. It wont let me enter safe mode either...I think I have a nasty virus and its starting to piss me off...

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

http://www.castlecops.com/

Don't know what firefox had to do with your problems? IE blows.

If it is a virus I am surprised that AVG did not catch it, Update your virus definitions. If you still think AVG is not helping try one of the other free AV that are being offered, my personal favorite is clamwin.

As of what I here you have an extreme case of ad/spy ware I would try to spybot S&D again and download Lavasoft's Ad Aware remover another TOTALLY free program. I had to run the combo of both 2-3 times to get it off, but it worked. Oh yeh before you start make sure you turn off system restore in "my computer properties"

In the future I would download a firewall if you already do not have one, the one microsoft sucks for internet browsing, I have been happy with zone alarm, my buddies like AVG firewall too.

Do not use IE; one exception is when you have to update throught microsoft.

yup, I use AVG, Zonealarm, Spybot S&D, and Ad-Aware. haven't had a bug in longer than I can remember. UPdate weekly at very least. Set AVG to autoupdate, as well as Zonealarm, you won't be sorry. And the 2 sites JeeperG mentioned are good places to doublecheck and make sure you're not violated by some webcrap.

Another site/radio show that may help.

http://www.komando.com/

Just a couple of things you can do pro-actively, on your own, is to dump your cookies and temporary internet files daily. Tip, empty your trash can, I've had viruses reload themselves from the trash can.
I keep track of Zip files, I virus scan any new ones before opening. I write down any Zip files I've downloaded (date and time) and often search for all ZIP files and sort by date. Delete any I can't account for and then empty the trash can.
I periodically dump image and video files out of the temporary internet files. Many are large enough to hide anything in.
Some of the stuff that pops up on your computer is fairly benign, any that turn up on mine that are more than trash or somebodies passing curiosity. I give to a buddy, he has sent a few bombs out for me in the past. I seem to get hit by the same ISP's over and over again. Somebody in San Jose doesn't like me very much. I've been thinking of nuking that ISP.
A small thread jack but I have a problem. I have a German ISP, and many times when I try and access American sites that are also active in Germany, I get redirected back to the German site (force fed pop ups and advertisements). I use multiple firewalls and route through other sites, which takes time and is often an iffy solution, there must be a better way.

http://onecare.live.com
It's a MS online scanner that will do virus, spyware, registery, disc issues. I've used it twice, third time counting the current running on another machine. It's for XP, the first time I used it I had been pulling my hair out with my new laptop and it was down to 'run it' or 'hit the blue IBM recovery button' that would have reimaged it from the image stored on the rescue partition on the disc. That would have entailed a good 8 hours of reinstalling my CVS repository and a bunch of other building software that I had just spent the past 3 days installing and getting to run. Both times it has saved my ass. I'll also be running it again later on on another machine that I have had recurring issues with, hoping that resolves those issues.
Run the full system scan, be advised it will take a while and you need to use Internet explorer, it won't do the directx with firefox.

What kind of pop ups are you getting? Is it virusburst, spysherrif or some other kind of ad that tells you that you have a virus and to download their software to fix it?

Its usally anti virus pop ups...I think its winantivirus or something like that....

XbajajeepX said:

Its usally anti virus pop ups...I think its winantivirus or something like that....

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1. download and instal Adaware SE (do all updates)
2. download and instal Spybot Search and Destroy (do all updates)
3. do all critical windows updates.
4. go to start>run type msconfig hit ok then go to the startup tab and hit disable all then apply and ok
5.reboot
6 run Adaware full system scan remove all the crap it finds.
7 run Spybot S&D do all the imunizations then run a scan and remove crap
8. repeat steps 6 and 7 until no crap is found
9. update antivirus software and run scan
10 defrag hard drive (optional but a good idea)

XbajajeepX said:

Its usally anti virus pop ups...I think its winantivirus or something like that....

Click to expand...

find out.

Win anti virus and the smitfraud variants are ugly, but if you pin it down to something specific there are many automated tools that will remove it, provided you follow instructions well.

RichP said:

http://onecare.live.com
It's a MS online scanner that will do virus, spyware, registery, disc issues. I've used it twice, third time counting the current running on another machine. It's for XP, the first time I used it I had been pulling my hair out with my new laptop and it was down to 'run it' or 'hit the blue IBM recovery button' that would have reimaged it from the image stored on the rescue partition on the disc. That would have entailed a good 8 hours of reinstalling my CVS repository and a bunch of other building software that I had just spent the past 3 days installing and getting to run. Both times it has saved my ass. I'll also be running it again later on on another machine that I have had recurring issues with, hoping that resolves those issues.
Run the full system scan, be advised it will take a while and you need to use Internet explorer, it won't do the directx with firefox.

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OK, ran the one care on my problem machine, took 4 hours [too many linux/solaris/windows iso's on that box, gotta move them off], it fixed 547 registery problems, runs one heck of a lot better now thats for sure. Will kick off the other machine when I get home on friday.. so far that free onecare scan an fix is good by me... and most of you already know I'm not a MS fan either.

For information regarding this type of malware check out this link.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WinFixer

I'd follow RichP's advice first. If that doesn't work, google for a different fix. I've used ewido before with good results.

I have done EVERYTHING everyone has suggested and I stll have the damn pop ups and a sluggish computer....

I had one really persistent slow down (worm), I had a file that I would purge and it would pop up someplace else. Whomever wrote that one was a real sadist.
I first found it by listing all my ZIP files and would move them one at a time to trash. I finally narrowed it down by the date on the ZIP, as it would reload (clone) itself.
I had Norton at the time, which really wasn't helping me much. Every time it would try to purge the file, it would clone itself and change addresses.
I finally got lucky and threw it into trash and emptied the trash. before it could finish cloning itself. Then defraged the computer.
I'm pretty much a computer idiot, but am persistent and sometimes lucky. There is probably (likely) still something in my boot files, but I disabled a nwlink file, that seems to have stopped the cloning process. I get a persistent trouble message, that doesn't seem to affect anything.
Look at all your ZIP. files especially the ones that are in unlikely places, like your network program.
I spent, I don't know how many hours, backing up programs then deleting files, one line at a time.
I don't know were it all started, but have my suspicions it was a video file in the temporary internet files.

Three comes a time when it's just not worth it looking and fixing unless you are just in it for the exercise. Depending on your computer I'd list all the hardware drivers so you know what the nic, video, sound, etc card/devices are, wipe the box. Start a linux install and let linux format the disc then go and boot from a windows cd and reinstall. I would download SP2 if your original cd is not the SP2 version, chipset drivers, video drivers and nic driver and the newest version of Free AVG. Install the OS, chipset, video and nic drivers first then the avg, at that point plug the nic in but not before you start the anti-virus install and go from there. As far a tracking it down and fixing it, how much is your time worth to you... I'd do it mainly because it is somewhat relaxing to me, like working on the jeeps...

I have given up.....If I were to go out and buy a new OS system and reformat the hard drive would that get rid of all the viruses and spyware? also, someone told me that you cant reformat E machines...I dont know ifthats true or not. Do any of you know?

XbajajeepX said:

I have given up.....If I were to go out and buy a new OS system and reformat the hard drive would that get rid of all the viruses and spyware? also, someone told me that you cant reformat E machines...I dont know ifthats true or not. Do any of you know?

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Yes, it would remove everything from your hard drive. You would format the drive as part of the installation process. Save your data before you do this because afterwards everything will be gone forever. You can save you data onto flash drives, external hard drives or you can burn it to cd-r's. I hope you have copies of all your applications because you are going to have to reinstall everything.