Hmm, virus.

Drez

I just literally watched a virus fuck up my computer and it is a nasty one. Disabled task manager, windows defender, and a bunch of other crap. Can't open malwarebytes or spybot or security essentials.

What can I do?

The virus suddenly started popping some stuff up about adobe flash installer...dozens of dialogue boxes claiming an error.

I'm running trend's online thing now, but what else?

edit: Windows 7 Home Premium, 64-bit.

minirhyder

Back up the most vital of data and clean reinstall your OS.
That's what I do whenever there's even a hint of a virus.

You can try booting in safe mode and try running anti-virus scans and such if you're really committed to getting rid of it instead of reinstalling.

Drez

I'm in safe mode now, and nuking my OS install is a last-resort option.

JaysonFour

Do you know what hit your computer?

TychoCelchuuu

Drez wrote: »

I'm in safe mode now, and nuking my OS install is a last-resort option.

Nuking is by far your best option, but if you must, run Microsoft Security Essentials, Malwarebytes, Kaspersky Antivirus Removal Tool, Dr. Web CureIt!, if possible FSecure and/or ClamAV from a bootable USB or CD, Super Anti-Spyware, Spybot if you like Spybot, and AVG. If the last two or three scans you run come up clean you might be good.

Drez

Nuking is definitely not my best option. It may be the only 100% safe, sure option, but it is an ordeal that i really cannot spare the time for right now. So, I'm looking for non-extreme ways of getting rid of the virus, which may also be an ordeal, but hopefully a far less time consuming one that doesn't involve backing up 700 gigs of data first.

That said, I will most likely be doing a reinstall in the near future for different reasons.

JaysonFour: No idea.

Mr. Pokeylope

The Computer security thread in moe's really helped me when I had a virus. You might want to take a look.

http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=108166

TychoCelchuuu

Depending on where you store stuff, since you have Windows 7, you can just reinstall it and it'll dump all your old shit in a folder called Windows.Old.

Dunadan019

try renaming the malwarebytes file as a .com and run it that way.

http://www.myantispyware.com/2009/06/08/malwarebytes-wont-install-run-or-update-how-to-fix-it/

Drez

TychoCelchuuu wrote: »

Depending on where you store stuff, since you have Windows 7, you can just reinstall it and it'll dump all your old shit in a folder called Windows.Old.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm you know, I forgot that. Mainly I have a LOT of iTunes stuff and other media on my C: drive. Will it save all that crap to Windows.old? I also have a lot of saved games I don't want to lose nor track down.

TychoCelchuuu

Drez wrote: »

TychoCelchuuu wrote: »

Depending on where you store stuff, since you have Windows 7, you can just reinstall it and it'll dump all your old shit in a folder called Windows.Old.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm you know, I forgot that. Mainly I have a LOT of iTunes stuff and other media on my C: drive. Will it save all that crap to Windows.old? I also have a lot of saved games I don't want to lose nor track down.

If it's all in the "My Documents" sectioon it'll stick around. Saved games end up there 50% of the time and in the game folder 50% of the time so you might want to grab those real fast.

Drez

Duna I am able to run MWB via safe mode, but I will keep that in mind for the future.

Mr. Pokeylope, thanks for the link.

Drez

TychoCelchuuu wrote: »

Drez wrote: »

TychoCelchuuu wrote: »

Depending on where you store stuff, since you have Windows 7, you can just reinstall it and it'll dump all your old shit in a folder called Windows.Old.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm you know, I forgot that. Mainly I have a LOT of iTunes stuff and other media on my C: drive. Will it save all that crap to Windows.old? I also have a lot of saved games I don't want to lose nor track down.

If it's all in the "My Documents" sectioon it'll stick around. Saved games end up there 50% of the time and in the game folder 50% of the time so you might want to grab those real fast.

Are you sure it's just My Documents that gets backed up? I could have sworn that just about everything was in Windows.old last time. I can't believe I forgot win7 does that.

TychoCelchuuu

Pretty much everything does end up in Windows.old but I can't remember if it's literally everything or just almost everything, and I know that it does grab the User folder (aka My Docs).

Drez

Okay, thanks. So basically, I just have to boot into my home premium disc and reinstall over the existing partition? Do I delete anything? Its a full, retail, non-upgrade version of home premium.

TychoCelchuuu

When you install it will say "are you sure you want to do this, we're going to move everything into Windows.old" and you say yes. Don't hit the "format" button or anything.

There's a chance you'll still have infected files in Windows.old but there's also a chance you won't. In fact if you want to run a system restore to before you got infected, that sometimes pretty much kills the virus.

Buttcleft

Drez wrote: »

Nuking is definitely not my best option. It may be the only 100% safe, sure option, but it is an ordeal that i really cannot spare the time for right now. So, I'm looking for non-extreme ways of getting rid of the virus, which may also be an ordeal, but hopefully a far less time consuming one that doesn't involve backing up 700 gigs of data first.

That said, I will most likely be doing a reinstall in the near future for different reasons.

JaysonFour: No idea.

nuking is the most time efficient and safest way to get rid of an infeciton, any other way leaves you open to still having it and possibly greater headache in the future.

If you have 700gigs of data on the same partition as windows then will take this as a lesson not to after you reformat.

erc

I'm going to suggest running ComboFix

You can download it from bleepingcomputer.com

If you're really interested in cleaning instead of format/reinstall, there are forums dedicated to this stuff. Usually it starts with you running HijackThis and posting the log, and someone responds with instructions for manual removal.

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/forum22.html

Drez

Thanks, erc.

I ended up saying "fuck it" and reinstalled Windows 7 (without a format). Seems to be fine now. I'll run a full scan of all files overnight. And I'll keep ComboFix in mind for next time.