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Offline Chris_

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One more question
« on: May 05, 2009, 08:05:06 PM »
Okay, I think I've finally regained control of my computer. I went through several different scans. AVG found a couple of things. Malwarebytes found a couple of things. Exterminate2 found a couple things. Even with all of that I still had some issues. I finally ran Dr. Web Cureit. Apparently it found the most elusive culprit that finally gave me back my card reader and System Restore.

Now that System Restore is back would it be wise to restore to a point BEFORE I was infect and then rerun the scans?
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Offline Thor

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Re: One more question
« Reply #1 on: May 05, 2009, 11:34:49 PM »
If system restore was turned off, I believe you won't be able to go back before today. I would most definitely set a restore point for today's date and then re-run your scans. A quick test is to see whether or not you can get to http://www.trendmicro.com and http://www.pandasecurity.com. If you can get to those sites, MOST of your big trouble is over. I would also run Housecall through the trendmicro site. (Free Tools)
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Offline Chris_

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Re: One more question
« Reply #2 on: May 06, 2009, 04:51:07 AM »
Quote from: Thor on May 05, 2009, 11:34:49 PM
If system restore was turned off, I believe you won't be able to go back before today. I would most definitely set a restore point for today's date and then re-run your scans. A quick test is to see whether or not you can get to http://www.trendmicro.com and http://www.pandasecurity.com. If you can get to those sites, MOST of your big trouble is over. I would also run Housecall through the trendmicro site. (Free Tools)

Thor, system restore wasn't technically turned off. The virus disabled it somehow. The previous restore points still show up. My thoughts were to restore to a point that I'm 99.99% sure was before the infection and then rerun the scans. Could the previous restore points be corrupted or inaccessible as a result of the virus?

As you can tell I don't know much about system restore.

One other thing, my anti-virus is still gone, but it really doesn't matter as it apparently wasn't very good. Which free program is the best? Avast or AVG? I had used AVG for years before switching to a paid suite, but it seems a lot of folks are now swearing by Avast.

By the way, thanks to everyone whose given me some input on things.
« Last Edit: May 06, 2009, 04:55:21 AM by ChuckJ »
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Offline Thor

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Re: One more question
« Reply #3 on: May 06, 2009, 06:42:19 AM »
IF your computer will allow you, you can always set a restore point to a date before the virus. I would also set a current one.

Also, I would run both Avast and AVG simultaneously. I'd just set the scan schedules to where they would be at different times so they didn't massively affect my PC by drastically slowing it down. IF your computer has the resources, you could always run both of them. No single antivirus is "bullet-proof". The most important thing is that they work & play well with each other. Trend and AVG don't work well with the other. You'll usually get an error message if they aren't compatible.
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"The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation."- IBID

I AM your General Ne'er Do Well, Troublemaker & All Around Meanie!!

"Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated."-Thomas Jefferson

Offline Chris_

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Re: One more question
« Reply #4 on: May 06, 2009, 12:03:30 PM »
Quote from: Thor on May 06, 2009, 06:42:19 AM
IF your computer will allow you, you can always set a restore point to a date before the virus. I would also set a current one.

Also, I would run both Avast and AVG simultaneously. I'd just set the scan schedules to where they would be at different times so they didn't massively affect my PC by drastically slowing it down. IF your computer has the resources, you could always run both of them. No single antivirus is "bullet-proof". The most important thing is that they work & play well with each other. Trend and AVG don't work well with the other. You'll usually get an error message if they aren't compatible.

When you say simultaneously do you mean real-time protection from both at the same time?

I understand that none of the programs are bullet-proof, but until this happened I never realized how UNbullet-proof they are. In the last few days I've run a ton of different scanners. None of them found everything. This one would find something and miss something. That one would find something and miss something.

I am curious about something. I didn't downloaded anything. Or get any emails with attachments. The only thing I can imagine out of the ordinary is that I followed a link to a site that had one of those BS pop-ups. Is that the likely origin of my problems? If so, short of limiting my web surfing is there a way of preventing (or reducing the risk of) it from happening again? Would switching to Opera from FF help any?

I do appreciate your time with this.
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Offline Thor

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Re: One more question
« Reply #5 on: May 06, 2009, 02:28:26 PM »
Quote from: ChuckJ on May 06, 2009, 12:03:30 PM
When you say simultaneously do you mean real-time protection from both at the same time?


Yes, if your PC has enough resources to run both of them simultaneously and they will work with each other.

Quote
I understand that none of the programs are bullet-proof, but until this happened I never realized how UNbullet-proof they are. In the last few days I've run a ton of different scanners. None of them found everything. This one would find something and miss something. That one would find something and miss something.


That's not abnormal. That's why I use several different anti-spyware/anti-virus programs


Quote
I am curious about something. I didn't downloaded anything. Or get any emails with attachments. The only thing I can imagine out of the ordinary is that I followed a link to a site that had one of those BS pop-ups. Is that the likely origin of my problems? If so, short of limiting my web surfing is there a way of preventing (or reducing the risk of) it from happening again? Would switching to Opera from FF help any?

I do appreciate your time with this.

I use Firefox almost exclusively. I also use the ad-blocker add on. That helps. But, for every fix that is done by the software makers, there are virus writers that develop viruses that will circumvent the fixes. I've done something as trivial as going to a lyrics site and caught a virus. Even macs are no longer safe from viruses.  I don't know what to recommend, as in my experience, no anti-virus program will catch everything.

Here's some things I use:

CCleaner
Malwarebytes
Avast
AVG
Spy Bot Search and Destroy
whatever free online scans I can find. (Many free online scans will locate the problems, but not all will fix them for free.) I'm computer literate enough to be able to track them down with a little help and get rid of them.

I did use the trendmicro trial version for a while, but when the free trial ran out, I uninstalled it. Trendmicro worked pretty well, especially the pay version and it didn't seem to hog a lot of resources, unlike Norton or McAffee.
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"The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation."- IBID

I AM your General Ne'er Do Well, Troublemaker & All Around Meanie!!

"Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated."-Thomas Jefferson

Offline TheRightWay

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Re: One more question
« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2009, 11:32:42 PM »
Quote from: Thor on May 06, 2009, 06:42:19 AM
IF your computer will allow you, you can always set a restore point to a date before the virus. I would also set a current one.

Also, I would run both Avast and AVG simultaneously. I'd just set the scan schedules to where they would be at different times so they didn't massively affect my PC by drastically slowing it down. IF your computer has the resources, you could always run both of them. No single antivirus is "bullet-proof". The most important thing is that they work & play well with each other. Trend and AVG don't work well with the other. You'll usually get an error message if they aren't compatible.

I would recommend not running two at the same time

I have had good luck with viper AV, I have evaluated it for enterprise class AV and it is on the block for replacing semantic corporate in July for us.

Either way a lot of the majors will do a good job if you run them from safe mode. Though most of the time though it tends to be spyware/malware I have had good luck running spybot/adaware a few rounds and then hunting down the stragglers manually
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Offline Thor

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Re: One more question
« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2009, 11:06:22 AM »
I've run two AV programs for a while. As long as they are compatible and the scan times are offset, I've had ZERO problems.

I see that you're from the St Cloud area of MN. I used to work in St Cloud and lived in Becker.
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"The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation."- IBID

I AM your General Ne'er Do Well, Troublemaker & All Around Meanie!!

"Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated."-Thomas Jefferson

Offline Ree

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Re: One more question
« Reply #8 on: May 12, 2009, 08:27:06 AM »
Are ya usin the free Avast?
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