A few days ago, I was having trouble opening any programs or documents on the computer I mostly use as a server for my printers, and started looking at the programs folders, and nothing is there…no C drive or any other drive, every document and file vacant, Apparently eaten up by a ?Trojan?..don’t really know for sure, no file to look at…all this while protected by Avast. I would like to attach a log of malwarebytes findings from another computer, but I suspect one of these is responsible for what has destroyed everything on my desktop pc. I found my restore disks made when the computer was new, and at least got it booted up and have a C drive now. How can this happen?? and as I asked before, how can I be getting all these Trojans when Avast is “protecting” me all the time??? Can I attach a file which is the list of findings on my laptop? also protected by Avast. Am I safe connecting the external hard drive I use to backup one of my other computers to restore this computer?
Follow these instructions here https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=53253.0 and attach the logs malwarebytes antimalware scan log, Farbar Recovery Scan Tool (2 logs will be produced), and scan logs for aswMBR.exe.
Ok, everything just got erased…start over.So I have done all the scans on the above mentioned Desktop computer, and emailed them to save on Laptop2. Want to be sure I don’t infect my USB external backup drive, when I transfer files from it to the Desktop. I did do the MCShield and scanned the flash drives I’ve used on that computer most recently. I am sending one file from the Laptop MBM Quarantine log, just so you can see what is getting through the Avast firewall, which, of course is on all the computers. If this is too confusing, let me know? There will be more than 4 files to get all the scans out there…
Will attempt to attach the rest of the scans you requested from the affected computer. If something is missing, please let me know…thank you!
The logs I am seeing show no indication of an infection… Although it has McAfee on it and not Avast so do I have the wrong logs ?
No, I restored it to factory condition, since it had nothing stored in memory…I lost the Avast account number for that computer, but will try to download it today, I do have the password. If it shows no infections, I will also copy a backup hard drive to this computer and remove the trial programs (McAfee and Norton)…it has to wait until later today. Thank you…I still don’t understand how this can happen when the Avast Program tells me I am “protected”. Can you explain? This is really puzzling. I need to keep this computer on, since it is my printer server…I see no evidence of hacking through my router as before, I guess I opened an infected email?
Make sure you remove them completely.
Using add/remove in control panel is not enough.
Uninstall tools / information : http://www.ache.nl/
After removing is a good idea to run CCleaner and/or Glary utilities.
Also you may want to check the drive(s)/registry manually for leftovers and (if found) remove them.
As far as the disappearing drive(s), there are several options that come to my mind.
Mostly it is one of the below that is causing it.
- Messed up MBR (mainly on the C drive)
- BIOS problem (cmos battery empty?)
- Bad connection (data cable) from motherboard <> drive
- OS corruption
- Dying (or even dead) hardware
Want to be sure I don't infect my USB external backup drive, when I transfer files from it to the Desktop. I did do the MCShield and scanned the flash drives I've used on that computer most recently.Install MCShield on all computer (if you dont have) then they are all protected ;)
That behaviour is wrong for malware as the authors get nothing from it, now ransomware would be better…
So I do not think it was a Trojan or the like more likely a system error of some sort
When you look at the drive in Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Administrative Tools\computer management\storage\disc management what does it report ?
Is the drive alright ?
It reports Healthy Recovery partition, Acer C: Healthy (Boot, Page File, Crash Dump,Primary partition, )
CD Rom Healthy everything is dated 2009, so guess I’ll spend some time updating.
Looks good to me! So glad I was able to locate my System Restore Disks.
Tomorrow, I will remove the programs I don’t want/need, reinstall Avast and MalWare Bytes, and MC Shield. then all of my documents and programs I use.
As of now, it looks like a brand new computer. Lost my Malwarebytes password and account #, how do you suppose I can get back in…I have the Avast password. No documents in my Documents folder, I really have to start all over…I don’t think this was a drive or system failure…usually you would get a warning or something, first. Who knows?
You could take this opportunity to upgrade to windows 10
MBAM resend licence https://support.malwarebytes.org/customer/portal/articles/1835295-how-do-i-obtain-my-license-information-and-or-confirmation-email-?b_id=6438
Advise :
if you got the system running and configured as you wish again, create a image of the drive.
Not that I hope so, but putting back a image is a lot faster than installing/configuring from scratch. 
I have just decided that instead of spending all the time and effort to re-load the hard drive and uninstall all the trials,etc., I am going to order a new 1T HDD and another 4GB of ram, and clone one of my hard drives to the new one before I install it. I think that will be so much easier than messing with this drive which is not big enough for my multi-tasking anyway.That way, I can get a hard drive with 7200 RPMs, will be much more efficient…if there is anything remarkable going on when I exchange the drives, I will post to this thread? By the way, I did try Windows 10 for a little while, did not like it, uninstalled it.