Sigh...Virus Help: Problem Solved, Thanks, Appreciate the Help

BlackbeardonGuitar

So I downloaded an infected version of software, and I'm tyring to install spybot and avg since its a new computer, but problem is whatever the fuck is on my computer won't let me access said sites. When I tried to use spybot it told me it couldnt access the server. I have a version of AVG I'm gonna try to install but this shit is not fun. It actually is preventing my from going to various virus protection websites. Ugh.

Anyone that has an idea, let me know. Running Vista 32.

Buttcleft

You said it was a new system, would it be possible to just nuke the drive and reinstall? or is that out of the question?



Do you have a second computer capable of reading vista's file system? [ I'm assuming its NTFS, I've never used vista though ]. If so, you could always set up the antiviral and antispyware software on the secondary PC, simply slap the Vista drive into the secondary PC, scan the drive, disinfect and return it to the main PC.

BlackbeardonGuitar

Relatively new. Were past the point of nuking. I just tried to do a restore and it didnt work. Fuck fuck fuck. It seems to do have this memory surge and shut down every 5 minutes now.

Need help asap.

Buttcleft

What about removing the harddrive and putting it, temporarily, into another PC to scan the drive?

nerdgaymer

reboot into safe mode to see if that unblocks the virus removal sites, or try running IE with no addons (its in the Accessories folder under System Tools). oh yah and backup any important files before doing any removal stuff.

theSquid

Having another computer to hook the drive up to would make this 5 million times easier. I'm guessing you don't have an actual Vista installation, just the system restore?

BlackbeardonGuitar

I think I have the disc, but I don't want to lose anything if possible. I tried running AVG in safe mode and it seemed to put alot in the virus vault or so it said. After that I tried restore again and restore wouldnt work, when I log in to regular mode it tells me theres a multiple threat detection.

I don't have a spare computer at the moment to use, I'd prefer to find a way to save it without using another pc.

BlackbeardonGuitar

Update
So I can run safe mode with internet obviously, but if I run vista normal it will still crash after 5 minutes. I can't download certain virus update or software because it will not load various websites. I've gotten around this a little bit, but am still having trouble. I have AVG but it's not completely updated due to the previously mentioned problems.

Before I ran AVG in safe mode it was crashing in safe mode to, but I can't run it in normal Vista because it crashes too fast. Additionally I can't run spybot because it can't access updates (part of the virus problem I assume is causing this).

Damn.

Sir Carcass

Check your HOSTS file? Maybe it altered that.

BlackbeardonGuitar

So I have the old install disc, would reinstalling solve the problem.

More importantly I have my main hard drive partioned. C is approximately 100 GB and the other part E is 368 GB. Will reinstalling on C overwrite everything on E?

Also I generally don't know what I'm doing when it comes to a reinstall, never done it before.

Crashtard

Download a program (from a different computer obviously) called malware bytes. That's my super secret backup plan, and it picks up all sorts of things that avg and other antivirus programs miss.

Edit: This is assuming that you have a USB jump drive, or some easy way to move the installer over.

JaysonFour

I'm going to go out on a limb and say you didn't install any antivirus software. Anyways...

You're not going to know how to get rid of this thing unless you're willing to do one of two things:

1) Somehow identify this particular little ass-pain so you can formulate a way to get around it, and go in and delete the damn thing manually

or

2) Nuke from orbit. From the trouble you're experiencing, I'd go with this. The computer is el fucked-o grande, and you'll never get it working the way it was before you had to deal with this thing.

Now, what did we learn here, kids? Never download ANYTHING from a questionable source, and the first thing you do when you get a new computer is INSTALL AN ANTIVIRAL.

BlackbeardonGuitar

Agreed.

I was still wondering though, partitioned hard drive, will the whole drive be wiped if I reinstall windows, or just the part that windows is on. In this case it's on C, and 368 other GB are on E, but its all the same drive.

Also, will this solve the problem?

And finally, how to I do this, I have the disc, but have never done it before and don't want to fuck up. Plus the virus is actually preventing me from finding help from various sites. God damn I was dumb.

Ruckus

When you put a Windows OS cd in, it is bootable (the computer will give you the opportunity to boot to CD during startup).

Then you go through and choose to install windows, and pick which partition. If you pick a partition that already has Windows, it will ask you whether to just install it or format the partition and install. You want to format and install, which should obliterate any traces of the virus.

As long as you don't delete the second partition, anything you put there should be fine.

JaysonFour

As long as the virus hasn't stored itself/been stored to the other partition, you should be fine. If you put the program there, well, you're SOL because there's always going to be a copy of the virus laced into the program.

BlackbeardonGuitar

Crashtard wrote: »

Download a program (from a different computer obviously) called malware bytes.

Great advice. This and a combination of AVG solved the problem.

Also luckily while dumb enough to run infected software, I did not put the program on my other partition which is storage of music and tv shows only. So I think I might still do a reinstall sometime, but for now my comp is running normal.

Thanks for the help all.

JaysonFour

Good work! Your Computer Geek level has gone up by 1!

...lame role-playing jokes aside, get a good antiviral suite- others can reccommend one that fits your activities and skill. Make sure to update it before going on to whatever you're doing or have it update and scan automatically.

If you know what you had, look it up on a site like www.symantec.com and see what kind of damage it did. If you use your computer for banking, Paypal, eBay, WoW, etc, you might want to look at changing passwords/notifying banks/etc. just in case.

Crashtard

BlackbeardonGuitar wrote: »

Crashtard wrote: »

Download a program (from a different computer obviously) called malware bytes.

Great advice. This and a combination of AVG solved the problem.

Also luckily while dumb enough to run infected software, I did not put the program on my other partition which is storage of music and tv shows only. So I think I might still do a reinstall sometime, but for now my comp is running normal.

Thanks for the help all.

Glad to hear it! That program has saved a number of computer from viruses so far for me, so I recommend to everyone that they at least install it.