I just ran a complete scan using Dr. Web Cure It. It detected 16 infected files among other possible trojans and viruses that it did not allow me to move or delete. Previously, I have been infected with Virut-C as identified by Avast and some other Win32 worms.
I am not sure if I need a professional and if the computer should be reformatted. In fact, I don’t know the first thing about reformatting the computer.
Please help and advise whether it is safe to use this computer for matters involving confidential information.
Thanks for your comment. I have have attached the MBAM log and nothing was found. Is Dr Web reliable? It is also finding Trojans on another computer on the same network that both MBAM and Avast have not detected namely something called installhelper.exe.
Is there a way to reinstall XP if you do not have the original disk? I have one for my Dell computer but not for my Compaq. Can I use the same cd for both computers?
I believe that the compaq is about 10 years old. We previously had to hire a professional to repair the computer because it would not start. Many of the viruses have been found in the recovered files. How do I tell if there is a recovery partion? Is it still possible to buy XP in the stores? How do I contact Essexboy for further assistance?
Hi try this first to see if a recovery partition is available
•Turn the computer on. Tap the “F11” key repeatedly until the graphical interface for the recovery partition loads. Click “Next.” The first screen will ask if you would like to use the Windows system restore feature to restore your computer to a previous state. Click “No” to proceed to the full system recovery.
•Click “Yes” when asked if you would like to recover your system, then click “Next” to start. This process will format your hard drive and reinstall Windows, returning the computer to its original factory state.
Thank you for your responses. I suspect that if Virut is on my Compaq is it probably on all of the computers connected to my household network. So I am planning on reformatting all computers. I am going to start with the Dell computer because I have all of the cds. I have a few questions about reformatting after reading your article Essexboy.
1- How does reformatting get rid of the virut problem? What types of files can I keep? Word files and pictures?
2- How do I reinstall avast without being on the internet? How to I keep my user licence (I have paid for the avast service)?
3- Once the computer is reformatted, how do I know that it is free from infection?
4- What software do you recommend in addition to Avast to protect the computer from malware etc.?
I’m sorry if some of these questions are silly, but I am a beginner.
When you are reformatting yor hardware then everything will be deleted and you will therefore keep non of the files.
I would recommend you to contact Avast to give you a new one or if you have got it through your email then go to a friend or download it from your work (don’t forget to download Avast pro or AIS (Avast Internet Security)). now transfer the license file and the Avast file to your usb stick.
look at 1)
I recommend you to download Malwarebytes, superantispyware and Hitmanpro.
everyone here were once a beginner, so your questions are not silly/stupid. It’s better to be stupid for a moment than for the rest of your life.
Do not back up any files with the following extensions… Com, Exe,Scr,Vbs,Htm,Html
And as stated keep a note of your licences, or in the case of Avast copy the licence file to a USB/CD along with a freshly downloaded - but not run copy of Avast
Thank you for your valuable comments. Does it matter whether I download a fresh copy of avast and the xp SP3 from the infected computer? Or, should I go to a friend’s house and download it there? When you download the file do you have the option to save it to a cd?
So I tried hitting F10 on the Compaq and here is the message about System Recovery that was displayed:
"The system recovery program, in this normal default mode of operations, recovers applications, drivers and the operating system, to their factory shipped condition. Accordingly, after system recovery finishes, you need to reinstall and reconfigure any application that you installed youself (including upgrades or revisions to the factory-shipped version of any application).
However, the system recovery in this normal default mode of operation, will not delete any Data Files that you created".
Is this was I need to do to reformat the computer and get rid of all the viruses? I was reading that there is a distinction between reinstalling and reformatting and that reinstalling does not removethe viruses from your hard drives. Could you please advise? There is an option for advanced settings, but I am not sure what this does.
Here is a hijackthis report from my compaq. Could someone explain the results?
Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.4
Scan saved at 6:30:02 PM, on 12/12/2010
Platform: Windows XP SP3 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v8.00 (8.00.6001.18702)
Boot mode: Normal
I see:
C:\Program Files\Java\j2re1.4.2_03\bin\jusched.exe
Java is way down level.
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