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My computer is virus but, I lost the program

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Old Sep 27, 2011 | 1:10 am
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My computer is virus but, I lost the program

Hi All,

I have a problem when I opened the files that I download it. It was mix-up. I got a viruses on my computer. It was something is wrong with my computer. So I have go to store to fixed the computer or I will try to talks with my friend David to see if he can do something for me. I lost the program on my PC computer. So right now, I am used my laptop tonight. It was not my fault that I opened the files. So I need you guys to do something to fixed with my computer at home. Thanks all.
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Old Sep 27, 2011 | 1:22 am
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Presuming you are running Windows, see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/129972
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Old Sep 27, 2011 | 5:24 am
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I've been able to salvage many computers with Malwarebytes (malwarebytes.org) and AVG's free virus (free.avg.com). Both are free for the basic version.

If your computer is hiding icons, forcing you to webpages you don't want to go to, and giving constant "you have a virus, download this program" issues - you have malware, so start with Malwarebytes. You may have to download it on a different PC and save it to a USB drive if your other computer is already infected and blocking the site. I have also run into malware that will not allow any exe file to run, so you have to rename the mbam.exe downloaded file to mbam.bat or mbam.com that Windows can still execute. Again this is probably easiest on a non-infected machine.

Once you get malwarebytes running, run a full scan (or deep scan - forget their terminology). It might take a couple passes to find and kill everything, so keep running it until it returns no issues.

Then install and run AVG to clean up any other issues that might be out there.

I've also heard good things about AVAST and even Microsoft Security Essentials (both also free), but AVG works for me.
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Old Sep 27, 2011 | 9:10 am
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Google "Rkill". It might help with this. After that, run MalWareBytes.
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Old Sep 27, 2011 | 9:52 am
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Did you try a starting in 'Safe Mode", then going to an earier restore point.

This has always worked for me. Once I get in, I then run the free version of Superantispyware.com followed by malwarebytes.org.
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Old Sep 27, 2011 | 2:26 pm
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Please PM me with activation code and I am trying to get it back to normal. I am not sure what I am doing onto my computer. We need your help to fixed the computer.
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Old Sep 27, 2011 | 2:38 pm
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Best option is to format it and install Windows OS anew, if thats not possible install Microsoft Security Essentials and scan your computer, it should be able to clean out the virus or atleast quarantine it.
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Old Sep 27, 2011 | 10:17 pm
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Unfortunately. I have some bad news for you guys. My computer is crashes and I am trying to fixed the computer but. it didn't work too well. So it was trying to fixed the computer but, I am already having a conversation with my friend Mark who need my help to fixed the computer. So from now on, I will use my laptop as long as I can. I have try to talk with my friend David to see if he can do fixed the computer for me tomorrow or next a couple days later. I'm sorry that I am unable to get fixed the computer.
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Old Sep 28, 2011 | 6:47 am
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Originally Posted by planensimple
Best option is to format it and install Windows OS anew, if thats not possible install Microsoft Security Essentials and scan your computer, it should be able to clean out the virus or atleast quarantine it.
Reinstallilng the OS is the last resort. Most malware can be cleaned without damage to the OS if you use the right software.
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Old Sep 28, 2011 | 9:14 am
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Originally Posted by tev9999
Reinstallilng the OS is the last resort. Most malware can be cleaned without damage to the OS if you use the right software.
Besides the fact that you lose all your files with an OS reinstall. Kind of misleading advice from planensimple who didn't mention this.

The easiest first step is to try to use System Restore to go back to a point where the computer was working well, then do all the antivirus/cleanup things mentioned above. You may have to start in safe mode to do this.
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Old Sep 28, 2011 | 9:37 am
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Originally Posted by tev9999
Reinstallilng the OS is the last resort. Most malware can be cleaned without damage to the OS if you use the right software.
You are assuming that its a malware, i went with what the OP wrote "virus" and i deal with them all the time so have a bit of an idea about them, As per Wikipedia "A number of recovery options exist after a computer has a virus. These actions depend on the virus. Some may be safely removed by functions available in most anti-virus software products. Others may require re-installation of damaged programs. It is necessary to know the characteristics of the virus involved to take the correct action, and anti-virus products will identify known viruses precisely before trying to "dis-infect" a computer; otherwise such action could itself cause a lot of damage. New viruses that anti-virus researchers have not yet studied therefore present an ongoing problem, which requires anti-virus packages to be updated frequently."

So untill or unless you can determine it in a sure shot way with the help of an expert it would be best to reinstall the OS rather than having your data being stolen and uploaded to remote servers.
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Old Sep 28, 2011 | 9:39 am
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Originally Posted by Doc Savage
Besides the fact that you lose all your files with an OS reinstall. Kind of misleading advice from planensimple who didn't mention this.

The easiest first step is to try to use System Restore to go back to a point where the computer was working well, then do all the antivirus/cleanup things mentioned above. You may have to start in safe mode to do this.
System restore was a good strategy for early era viruses, the viruses that exist today corrupt your registry as the first step so no matter what you do your restore images will never be clean.
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Old Sep 28, 2011 | 1:57 pm
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I got hit with the Palladium mal-ware earlier this year. Took over my computer. It locked me out of my files. I used rkill to get back to my files so I could back them up. Then I reformatted and reinstalled XP. I did not trust just using anti malware programs.
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Old Sep 30, 2011 | 10:46 am
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Originally Posted by planensimple
You are assuming that its a malware, i went with what the OP wrote "virus" and i deal with them all the time so have a bit of an idea about them, As per Wikipedia "A number of recovery options exist after a computer has a virus. These actions depend on the virus. Some may be safely removed by functions available in most anti-virus software products. Others may require re-installation of damaged programs. It is necessary to know the characteristics of the virus involved to take the correct action, and anti-virus products will identify known viruses precisely before trying to "dis-infect" a computer; otherwise such action could itself cause a lot of damage. New viruses that anti-virus researchers have not yet studied therefore present an ongoing problem, which requires anti-virus packages to be updated frequently."

So untill or unless you can determine it in a sure shot way with the help of an expert it would be best to reinstall the OS rather than having your data being stolen and uploaded to remote servers.
But the first step is not to format the drive and reinstall everything. Thats kind of like nuking a city because one person has strep throat. If you are worried about data being stolen, disconnect the internet connection. You can install anti-malware/virus software from a USB stick downloaded on another computer.

I believe there are also viruses that can survive an OS reinstallation and even drive format. I do then agree that it is good to let an expert figure it out - which is what the folks at AVG, Avast, Norton, Symantec, etc. have done by writing the software to diagnose and clean them.

Of the last 25 systems I have cleaned, only one required an OS reinstall. I saved all the data, but the OS had been damaged - plus an upgrade to Win7 made sense. The others were all fixed with a few hours of scans by Malwarebytes and AVG.
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Old Oct 3, 2011 | 12:45 am
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Originally Posted by planensimple
Best option is to format it and install Windows OS anew, if thats not possible install Microsoft Security Essentials and scan your computer, it should be able to clean out the virus or atleast quarantine it.
When/if I have ever gotten a virus I've reformatted and call it a day, pro tip always make backups ^
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