HELP! COMPUTER INFECTED

[quintr]

Yesterday I got a notice that my computer was infected with a worm that gathers email addresses from a compromised computer, also a trojan. I started getting a critical warning on the desktop.

I have long been a customer of McAfee and thought that McAfee would keep these kind of vermin off my computer.

However, now it appears that problems are getting through.

Need any suggestions you may have. My field is analytical chemistry, not computer science.

Does anyone have a better source than McAfee. I'm willing to change -- especially if I can get a vendor that provides a tech support telephone number to its customers!

[ShadowAce]

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

“Yesterday I got a notice that my computer was infected”

Did this come from your on-board McAfee application?

[Dacula]

go with AVG anti virus (free) and use Spybot (update regularly)

[exbrit]

That’s why I bought an Apple computer, no need for anti-virus stuff.

[quintr]

Please add me to your ping list!

[TomGuy]

Give us more info so we can help you.

What was the name of the virus?

Do you run a messenger program?

PC, I assume. What version of Windows?

How did you get ‘the notice’? by email, by pop up? What did it say, exactly?

I use Avast (free home version). I dropped McAfee years ago for being bloatware and inefficient.

[beagleone]

Went to the Cash for Clunkers website, did you?

[ShadowAce]

You been added. Welcome Aboard!

[Dacula]

You could also run the McAfee Stinger I use it every few months

http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/

[Clive]

Was this an email notice? Was it a notice that came up when you opened a web site?

What operating system. Was it written in Redmond? (Or need I ask?)

[QQQQ]

Try PC tools,spyware doctor.

[jcsjcm]

go with AVG anti virus (free) and use Spybot (update regularly)

Was also going to suggest the same thing. AVG got rid of two trojans on my computer. I also use McAfee

[ThreePuttinDude]

This is what I use, along with FireFox

Ad-Aware protection from spyware and data mining cling-ons.
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

Spybot and Ad-Aware, a must have also.
http://www.download.com/3000-8022-10122137.html

CCleaner 1.41.544
http://www.download.com/CCleaner/3000-2144_4-10720990.html?tag=lst-0-1

[Matchett-PI]

"Yesterday I got a notice that my computer was infected with a worm that gathers email addresses from a compromised computer, also a trojan. I started getting a critical warning on the desktop."

If I were you, I wouldn't necessarily believe that "notice". Copy and paste a portion the the exact notice you got into Google and run a search on it. You may find others talking about it and being advised that it is a fake notice.

If you don't find others talking about it, then it may be worth worrying about.

[InterceptPoint]

Download Malwarebytes and run it. In all likelihood the warning you are getting is from a Trojan. Malwarebytes is pretty good against this sort of virus. If you find that you cannot run Malwarebytes then you for sure have a Trojan. In that case you have to take extra measures. As I recall you have to rename the Malewarebytes folder and the Malewarbytes executable in order to have it execute properly.

Good luck. Your problem is solvable.

[kevinm13]

Check out Leo Laporte (The Tech Guy) at http://techguylabs.com/radio/pmwiki.php

He has a regular tech radio show on weekends and usually advises when something like this happens to reformat the drive and start over. Save everything first.

[Pistolshot]

Was this while surfing or was it a notice while idle?

AVG is the best. CA, Computer Associates has a good anti-virus system along with a suite of software.

[vacuumbob]

I would like to be put on your ping list.
Thanks.

[Admin Moderator]

Did you get that notice visiting wunderground.com?

They were getting false alerts via McAfee for a couple of days.