system
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About the same thing happened to my one month newly built Windows 7 64 bit “dream machine.” I first noticed the small window that jumps around the screen while Avast is working as a screen saver scanner had turned red and when I moused out of it the Avast warning box popped-up with I think the same named “bad guys” mentioned in a previous post. Cybot-K or whatever. I say “think” because my notation of it was supposed to be done with FastStone screen captures which seemed to work as usual when performed, but I later found the captures files I had made were not saved.
Again, I “think” (because I’m a frazzle headed old fart) there were three items in the list and I tried to put them in the chest, but was not allowed so I opted to delete them. That seemed to work and I then followed the suggestion to do a boot time scan. After which, like others, I could not run programs on restart. I tried using a couple restore points, but both attempts were un-successful. I found all 32 bit programs I tried were un-responsive. Double click on the icon and nothing. But! 64 bit programs I tried worked.
Anyway I took stock of my situation and friggin FREAKED! I HATE this when it happens … then took a couple days to cool off and go back to my old PC to look for help. Thankfully I discovered this thread and the solution to get back to what seems normal.
The SFC /Scannow thing worked for me too. Afterward full scans with both Avast and Malwarebytes show I’mn clean … but alas left more than a bit paranoid. I’ve tried to figure out how I could have been invaded and wonder if it happened when I turned Avast OFF to install software. Often I would disable the shields until a re-boot, and sometimes I would forget to do that right after the install. I also wonder if I had hints of attack prior to this happening.
I access the net through a mobile broadband USB device and have a 5G per month limit so I sort of monitor my up/down load activity using visible sent and received counters showing in the device’s software. It was about a week ago I had a mysterious happening. I noticed about 140meg went OUT of my machine when maybe only 10 to 20 meg should have. That’s a huge amount of upload for what I recall was a period of normal activity. I’m still worried what went out and to where. Could that have been the work of this Cybot-K bug. I’ll have to try to learn more about it.
Holey Moley tho … it wasn’t an easy thing for me accomplish the Scannow action as after I figured out how to get the Command Prompt and typed in the command I was “told” it had to be done by an administrator in a certain window or something. I pulled my hair out over that for awhile finally finding with online help using my old PC that a right click was need so the command prompt could be run as an administrator. DUH! OLD frazzled is my excuse again. ;>
Something else I wonder if a clue things had gon amiss was that the Avast screen saver suddenly changed on me. Instead of the colorful mystic flow lines and the jumping box showing which files Avast is scanning I had the box and a large text message saying I needed to get a better video card and DirectX 9 for it to work right. At the time I though maybe it was due to a change made due to an Avast program update, because GEEZE I have a $200 GTX560 in my new “hot rod!” I had fuzzy thoughts that symptom happened about the same time as a update, but I dunno for sure. After this “fix” the screen saver scanning is back to looking like it should.
Lessons learned … I need to disable Avast for software installs only for a very short time especially when online. I need to learn how to make a bootable back-up using Acronis that I’ve recently purchased for the puropse. And, I need to THANK and support the Superman fighters for Homeland PC Security and pray they seriously kick some badguy hacker butt!