Virus help, please

Becky has gotten a virus of some sort on her laptop. Unfortunately, it
prevents us from running the virus protection/removal software (Norton) so
we can't even identify it, let alone do anything about it. A brief check
online suggests that finding any reference to it based on a description of
the effects might be a long and tedious job. I'm hoping that someone here
can at least point me in the right direction.

When she turns the computer on everything runs slowly and, at apparently
random intervals, one or more copies of IE will open......sometimes as many
as 15 or so in rapid succession, all accessing the same site....or trying
to, at any rate. Last night, I was able to open an IE window myself and
begin downloading all of the latest updates from Norton, but the download
couldn't be completed and I couldn't run the software.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Wolfgang

On Jan 5, 11:45 am, "Wolfgang" wrote:
Becky has gotten a virus of some sort on her laptop. Unfortunately, it
prevents us from running the virus protection/removal software (Norton) so
we can't even identify it, let alone do anything about it. A brief check
online suggests that finding any reference to it based on a description of
the effects might be a long and tedious job. I'm hoping that someone here
can at least point me in the right direction.

When she turns the computer on everything runs slowly and, at apparently
random intervals, one or more copies of IE will open......sometimes as many
as 15 or so in rapid succession, all accessing the same site....or trying
to, at any rate. Last night, I was able to open an IE window myself and
begin downloading all of the latest updates from Norton, but the download
couldn't be completed and I couldn't run the software.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Wolfgang

I had a similar problem a few years ago, and at Mike Connor's
suggestion, I downloaded the AVG anti virus program from freeav.com. It
worked like a charm, finding and deleting all the troublemakers. After
that, I junked Norton, and have been running AVG ever since. I hope the
solution to your problem is that simple.

If the computer runs at all, copy all your data files to a cdrom.
Then wipe the hard disk and reinstall the operating system. Then
install new anti-virus,
then and only then reload the data from CD.

Better yet, run Mac or Linux.

There will be a Mac/Linux virus someday. But it hasn't happened
yet, not installed through the browser anyway. There have been
some "virtual machine" hacks that have leaked into Mac,
but nothing yet that installs just by visiting a website.

salmobytes typed:
If the computer runs at all, copy all your data files to a cdrom.
Then wipe the hard disk and reinstall the operating system. Then
install new anti-virus,
then and only then reload the data from CD.

I'd suggest this only as "plan B." George Adam's suggestion is worth a go as
"plan A."
--
TL,
Tim
-------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

"Wolfgang" wrote in
:

Becky has gotten a virus of some sort on her laptop. Unfortunately,
it prevents us from running the virus protection/removal software
(Norton) so we can't even identify it, let alone do anything about it.
A brief check online suggests that finding any reference to it based
on a description of the effects might be a long and tedious job. I'm
hoping that someone here can at least point me in the right direction.

When she turns the computer on everything runs slowly and, at
apparently random intervals, one or more copies of IE will
open......sometimes as many as 15 or so in rapid succession, all
accessing the same site....or trying to, at any rate. Last night, I
was able to open an IE window myself and begin downloading all of the
latest updates from Norton, but the download couldn't be completed and
I couldn't run the software.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Wolfgang




Time to dance the security tango: http://securitytango.com/


--
Scott
Reverse name to reply

Scott Seidman wrote:

Time to dance the security tango: http://securitytango.com/

Damn, that looks like one long, laborious, painful hoedown.
I took one brief walk on the dark side because of Word but
by the time that little Vaio crapped out Apple had gone Unix
and my Windows days were over forever. I will never, ever,
ever subsidize Frank Jr.'s retirement again.

Micro$oft sucks *big time*.

--
Ken Fortenberry

Ken Fortenberry wrote in news:kTvnh.11484
:

Scott Seidman wrote:

Time to dance the security tango: http://securitytango.com/

Damn, that looks like one long, laborious, painful hoedown.
I took one brief walk on the dark side because of Word but
by the time that little Vaio crapped out Apple had gone Unix
and my Windows days were over forever. I will never, ever,
ever subsidize Frank Jr.'s retirement again.

Micro$oft sucks *big time*.


Emacs is better than vi! So there!

--
Scott
Reverse name to reply

Ken Fortenberry wrote in news:kTvnh.11484
:

Damn, that looks like one long, laborious, painful hoedown.

Agreed. This site definitely goes by the "do it once" paradigm, as opposed
to "do it quick"

--
Scott
Reverse name to reply

Scott Seidman wrote:
Ken Fortenberry wrote:
Scott Seidman wrote:
Time to dance the security tango: http://securitytango.com/
Damn, that looks like one long, laborious, painful hoedown.
I took one brief walk on the dark side because of Word but
by the time that little Vaio crapped out Apple had gone Unix
and my Windows days were over forever. I will never, ever,
ever subsidize Frank Jr.'s retirement again.

Micro$oft sucks *big time*.

Emacs is better than vi! So there!

Pffft, it's just a big waste of memory. EVE was better than
both of them.

--
Ken Fortenberry

Remove your computer from the web. Then take your Norton CD and boot
from it. This allows a "clean" boot with an AV check. It sounds like
a script from a website.
After that, do a "disc cleanup." This may get the crap off your 'puter
permanently.
Secondarily, reconnect and go to MS and update all your patches (turn
on the auto-update). This may help. Ensure your MS firewall is turned
on before you hit the web.
Frank Reid

Wolfgang wrote:
Becky has gotten a virus of some sort on her laptop. Unfortunately, it
prevents us from running the virus protection/removal software (Norton) so
we can't even identify it, let alone do anything about it. A brief check
online suggests that finding any reference to it based on a description of
the effects might be a long and tedious job. I'm hoping that someone here
can at least point me in the right direction.

When she turns the computer on everything runs slowly and, at apparently
random intervals, one or more copies of IE will open......sometimes as many
as 15 or so in rapid succession, all accessing the same site....or trying
to, at any rate. Last night, I was able to open an IE window myself and
begin downloading all of the latest updates from Norton, but the download
couldn't be completed and I couldn't run the software.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Wolfgang