Originally posted by: Baked
You downloaded pirate games. Fail.
Originally posted by: CrazyLazy
Originally posted by: Baked
You downloaded pirate games. Fail.
Quite the assumption you make there. Could just be weird pron.
Originally posted by: BoomerD
Yes, and apparently the damage is worse than originally thought. It also directed you to the wrong forum where you can be ridiculed for
a) posting in the wrong forum
b) Not knowing how to google a solution
c) downloading infected pron.
Originally posted by: mechBgon
If the hijack occurred because you downloaded and ran a Trojan Horse program, thinking it was a ________ (Flash Player update, codec, ActiveX dealiebob, whatever), then be more suspicious in the future. Bait... fish hook... you get the picture.
If the hijack occurred "under the surface" without direct help from you, then look at these security steps to make it unlikely to happen again.
Regarding your current problem, could you list these:
1) your Windows version and Service Pack level (for example, "Windows XP Home Edition, SP3" or whatever)
2) do you have a router?
3) what antivirus software you have installed
4) what anti-spyware software you have installed
It may sound like a far-fetched possibility, but if you have a router, it may have been compromised. Give it a full reset using the RESET button on the back, for starters.
As a starting point for cleaning up the infection, use a working computer to download and burn a .ISO of F-Secure's Rescue CD. Boot your infected computer from the bootable CD, and run a scan with it. It will take time, so this may be something you want to do overnight.
Originally posted by: mechBgon
Ok, give the Rescue CD a try, and then I would go in this order:
1) after the Rescue CD is done, boot into Windows and disable your wireless.
2) while your wireless is disabled (and wired network connections are unplugged), now uninstall the McAfee software and reboot as needed.
3) while your wireless and wired network connections are still down, enable the Windows Firewall as shown in my security steps link above. Use the No Exceptions checkbox for now.
4) now that the Windows Firewall is enabled, you can turn your wireless back on. To get started, I'd go get the free version of AntiVir from http://www.freeav.com/, and get that installed and updated. No AV is perfect but I feel it's a lot better than McAfee these days.
5) AntiVir will put a shortcut on your desktop. Double-click it and you'll see where it says there's never been a full scan of your computer. So run a full scan, and now you've scanned the system with two different antivirus products (F-Secure/Kaspersky and AntiVir).
6) Once that's done, head to Microsoft Update to upgrade your Windows Update engine to the Microsoft Update engine. Then go back again, and again, and again, until your system has all the Service Packs and all the Critical or High-Priority patches. This will take quite a while, so make sure you have lots of snacks
7) Next, get your Data Execution Prevention fully enabled (the "security steps" link has info on that).
8) Run the free Secunia Personal Software Inspector to fix vulnerable stuff that no one realizes they've got. There's a link to that in the "security steps" page too.
Keep the Windows Firewall enabled. You may need to allow exceptions as time goes by, but don't take the firewall down altogether. Hope that helps
Originally posted by: enwar3
Originally posted by: mechBgon
Ok, give the Rescue CD a try, and then I would go in this order:
1) after the Rescue CD is done, boot into Windows and disable your wireless.
2) while your wireless is disabled (and wired network connections are unplugged), now uninstall the McAfee software and reboot as needed.
3) while your wireless and wired network connections are still down, enable the Windows Firewall as shown in my security steps link above. Use the No Exceptions checkbox for now.
4) now that the Windows Firewall is enabled, you can turn your wireless back on. To get started, I'd go get the free version of AntiVir from http://www.freeav.com/, and get that installed and updated. No AV is perfect but I feel it's a lot better than McAfee these days.
5) AntiVir will put a shortcut on your desktop. Double-click it and you'll see where it says there's never been a full scan of your computer. So run a full scan, and now you've scanned the system with two different antivirus products (F-Secure/Kaspersky and AntiVir).
6) Once that's done, head to Microsoft Update to upgrade your Windows Update engine to the Microsoft Update engine. Then go back again, and again, and again, until your system has all the Service Packs and all the Critical or High-Priority patches. This will take quite a while, so make sure you have lots of snacks
7) Next, get your Data Execution Prevention fully enabled (the "security steps" link has info on that).
8) Run the free Secunia Personal Software Inspector to fix vulnerable stuff that no one realizes they've got. There's a link to that in the "security steps" page too.
Keep the Windows Firewall enabled. You may need to allow exceptions as time goes by, but don't take the firewall down altogether. Hope that helps
Thanks for all the help! I will definitely try your suggestions.
As for Rescue CD, there are a lot of warnings about how the cd will rewrite system files that could turn my currently-limping-along laptop into a completely dead laptop. Should I go ahead and run the scan still?