Posted on 05/29/2011 5:09:43 AM PDT by Daisyjane69
I'm typing fast. My computer is restarting itself every 20 minutes or so.
While finishing my news site browsing before bed, I got a pop up claiming Adobe. I tried to ignore it. Since I had an Adobe file open, I finally relented and agreed to install. BIG MISTAKE. It was a Trojan virus and is in the process of destroying my computer.
Trojan.Win32.Generic.paklacobra
I heard that Macs are better as far as viruses. Is there a reputable dealer that sells Macs? I don't imagine I can afford a brand new Mac.
Failing that, would there be another browser other than IE that would be less hospitable to viruses? This tower is only two years old. And I'm getting messages telling me:
Damaged hard drive clusters RAM usage is critically high RAM memory failure Hard drive failure
This virus is attempting to wipe out my AdAware & AVG as we speak.
I store NOTHING of value on this computer. No photos, movies, passwords, account numbers. I do NO online banking.
I was able, after several tries, to finagle one measly operational window, and it's what I'm using to post this to the people who know everything important...FReepers.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm a plant chick, not a computer chick! LOL
Also, please forgive me if you post a suggestion and I don't reply right away. I have no idea if this window is going to work 5 minutes from now, let alone 5 hours from now. If TSHTF on this thing I won't be able to check replies until Tuesday at the library (as we are in a holiday weekend). Naturally....
I should have been in bed 4 hours ago, and I've been playing around with this box of wires ever since, and I'm exhausted.
This was scary as hell. I never saw anything gobble up things as fast as this miscreant. I knew something was dreadfully wrong within 10 minutes.
Thanks for any help & ideas you have.
Good advice.
I actually have three computers at my desk because I like to play with operating systems.
I have a suggestion that is much less expensive than buying a MAC: LinuxMint. Very easy to install and use. And best of all, its free!
Macs have won me over.Same here.
I've been a computer programmer for 30 years, using everything from CP/M and Microsoft Unix(!) through MS-DOS and Linux (and other, more obscure *nix-based systems), every version of Windows since 3.0, and now OS/X.
I find it interesting that all the people badmouthing Macs are Windows users (who presumably don't have much, if any, actual first-hand experience).
I use AVG. I did try Avast for a bit. I liked it. It has nice features, required low RAM ( MS recommends 1 GB ). The only problem I ran into was in watching streaming videos. It would be choppy. If I turned off the Avast shield, it was fine. Adding the sites ( such as youtube ) to the exceptions reduced the choppiness by about 90%, but it was still there. It was too bad since I really liked the features.
“I store NOTHING of value on this computer. No photos, movies, passwords, account numbers. I do NO online banking. “
So have you reinstalled vista yet?
If not why not?
“an no macs arent any better.”
Not true, although there is no such thing as a “perfectly safe” operating system - since the user must be able to install software. The latest MacDefender attack requires the user to give permission before the install.
“There is a massive malware attack impacting them right now which works the same way you were attacked.”
Really, just how “massive” is it? Link please...
I just built my own box for under $300. Not a screamer but does everything I need. I don't play games just photo editing, docs, internet, etc.
‘The latest MacDefender attack requires the user to give permission before the install.”
As she did in this case. Run away and bother someone else
I did the same thing, but it said my computer was infected and “click this” to clean it.
Big mistake. I had to restore my computer to it’s 1st day, it would not allow me to restore to any previous backup dates.
I’m not computer literate in ANY sense. However, restoring to the original date isn’t too hard.
I don’t know if you tried it yet, but hit the F8, like FReepers stated previously, while booting up and just follow the “directions”.
Look for system restore, or something like that (I can’t remember exactly what it said), but it was pretty easy to follow.
Good luck!
Go here to get tools and instructions on how to fix: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/remove-win-7-internet-security-2011
Once this is run you may still have problems. In two computers (both laptops), every folder and file was marked hidden, so I had to unhide all files and folders. Then all shortcuts had been removed from the start menu. I had to rebuild, luckily I have other laptops with same menu so it was just a matter of copy and paste.
It is fixable.
Haven't had any problems with video streaming on my desktop or laptop. The netbook, on the other hand, struggles a great deal but that is probably due to having a weak CPU and no (I don't think) dedicated video processor. Maybe that would be a good candidate for the MS program instead of Avast.
I'm going to keep 'em both for now - experiment with the relative features of each to see if I can keep them co-operating on my machines.
Flashing a BIOS requires a “flasher” tied to the specific BIOS. It’s not easy for a virus to know that info. It would have to transmit back and receive the proper flasher.
I follow Drudge on Twitter because I don’t trust his website.
NEVER leave a browser open. When you are done, shut it down.
A little off topic, but can someone explain for me how to capture a screen shot in Windows 7?
I see no reason to spend much more for a Mac when I can get a free copy of Linux to do the same thing. I use Macs at school and they don’t impress me.
Hello, I have seen this all over and am working on offering my help as it seems lots of us do it and want to die after we do. This works well on compaq computers xp/vista however Im sure it can be effective with most computers running windows os
How to restore after pc recovery
I recommend printing this before moving your computer into safe mode.
—””Before you complete the process””
Click START
Click MY Computer
Double click the main hard drive C
Click DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS
—mouse over all the user in this folder, the one that shows empty, and once clicked on does not give you premission to open is the folder you want to use when completing the process. This should be the user (user name) you had before the restore, is may have a .PC(with numbers behind it)
—write down and remember this folder name
1. Shut down the computer.
2. Turn the power on, and when the blue HP or Compaq screen appears, press F8 to display the Windows Advanced Options Menu .
3.Use the arrow keys to move up to Safe Mode and press Enter .
4.Press Enter on Microsoft Windows Whistler Personal or Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition .
5.Click Administrator and, enter your password (if necessary) or press Enter .
6.A window will appear to prompt for confirmation to keep operating in Safe Mode .
7.Click Yes .
8.Click Start and My Computer . Then, double-click the main hard drive ( C: ) and Documents and Settings .
9.Right-click the folder name of the user account and click Properties . (This is the folder you found and wrote down before starting this process)
10.Click Security .
11.Click Advanced . On the Owner tab,(third tab over) click the checkbox to select the Replace owner on subcontainers and objects option.
12. Click Apply .
13.Click Yes to the security message.
14.Click OK .
15.Click OK again.(you should start to see the files being transferred that your trying to access)
—Restart your computer in normal operation.
—Login to your user name
—make a new folder on your desktop and name it “BINGO”, open that folder and create a folder named “FOUND IT”
click START
click MY COMPUTER
Double click the main hard drive :C
click DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS
—from here go to any user that does not contain adminstrator, or all users in the file name
(if you don’t find the folder your looking for exit out of that user and choose another until you find the Folder)
—once you open each user
click DESKTOP
—look through the desktop folder, your looking for the folder BINGO open that and you should see the folder FOUND IT, this is the user that you want to copy all your lost files from the old user to.
—Write down this user name
Exit back to the DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS folder
-— at this point you should see all the users folders again, however when you click on the user folder you used the process on (the first folder you have written down) that folder will now open.
—From here you need to move your files back from (the first folder you have written down) to your currently operating user name (the second folder you have wirtten down)
—you should see all of your desktop, my music, my pics, my movies, (in the first folder you have written down) however until you move these files from the old user to your current user the computer will not always find them in your basic programs(ie.—windows movie maker, media player, ext.)
—with some of the folders it may be easier to move them first to a desktop folder and then reorganize them from there.
This should work you will get your lost docs. back however you may still need to reinstall some programs that you lost. Moving your files back to your new user can be another interesting issue, however you should for now have all your lost info recovered.
http://en.kioskea.net/forum/affich-58085-anwser-to-restoring-files-after-pc-recovery
Also:
if your using vista., u could try this..,
1. click on start menu
2. on the start search box type regedit and press enter
3. then on the regedit go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
4. on the right pane check if you can see the missing files or folders (under Name column) has the default %USERPROFILE% location (under Data column) for it.
5. right click on the missing files or folders and click modify
6. Type in the default location of the missing personal user folder (EXACTLY), then click OK.
7. Close regedit.
8. Logoff and logon, or restart the computer to restore the folder.
Go to All Programs | Accessories and fire up the Snipping Tool.
You can select the entire screen, a windows, or any arbitrary rectangular area of the screen to capture.
Gonna try it! Thanks.
Download this free utility. It allows full screen or partial screen capture.
It works! Thanks alot. I just gaVE IT A RUN ON THE PALIN bUS IMAGE. ... oH BOY, THIS IS GONNA GET FUN WITH DNC MEDIA ‘JOURNALISTS’ to satire.
Print Screen button
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