limewire!!

[5Stars]

My son's computer just freaked out last week and from every indication from Circuit City is that if the boy was using limewire (yes he was) then he caught a virus from it and now Internet Explorer will not connect to the internet.

For $160.00 Circuit City will back up all data and restore the system. I want to do that myself but am afraid to format the c drive. We don't need any data on it, we just need to clean it up and remove that program that is messing everything up!

According to Circuit City, I am about the 15 customer this past week that has caught a virus from limewire, so BEWARE! Apparantly there is someone out there sending out a nasty virus!!

Any suggestions on how to find or remove this virus without me haveing to go take it in...any experts out there?

 

[Dallas]

My son's computer just freaked out last week and from every indication from Circuit City is that if the boy was using limewire (yes he was) then he caught a virus from it and now Internet Explorer will not connect to the internet.

For $160.00 Circuit City will back up all data and restore the system. I want to do that myself but am afraid to format the c drive. We don't need any data on it, we just need to clean it up and remove that program that is messing everything up!

According to Circuit City, I am about the 15 customer this past week that has caught a virus from limewire, so BEWARE! Apparantly there is someone out there sending out a nasty virus!!

Any suggestions on how to find or remove this virus without me haveing to go take it in...any experts out there?

McAfee - Antivirus Software and Intrusion Prevention Solutions

The best up to date, automated process by any company.

We have a couple million dollar contract w/ Symantec here at the state, and I hate the product.

I use McAfee at home and for all of my clients. It is a fantastic piece of software. It does it all.

I think you can pick it up for about 60$ at Best Buy. Make sure to get the WV and the Internet/Content firewalling.

Good luck

 

[Kilyin]

Wow, never thought I'd see someone refer to Mcafee as fantastic.

 

[Dallas]

Wow, never thought I'd see someone refer to Mcafee as fantastic.

It used to not be. They used to be terrible. They are MUCH better now.


The product is excellent.


What would you suggest?

Now remember. I am taking the scan engines these clients use as a huge factor.

Symantecs rtvscan is a huge resource hog.

 

[Yeagermeister]

It used to not be. They used to be terrible. They are MUCH better now.


The product is excellent.


What would you suggest?

Now remember. I am taking the scan engines these clients use as a huge factor.

Symantecs rtvscan is a huge resource hog.

We use the Corp Edition and haven't had any problems with being a hog.

 

[Mash]

Try using Hijackthis.....u might see your virus running in the background and can delete it.

http://www.download.com/Trend-Micro-HijackThis/3000-8022_4-10227353.html

ususally the virus likes to locate itself in windows/system32 folder....

You can also do this

Also download TrendMicro's free HijackThis program which is available here (http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/prog... After you install it, run the program, and select scan and save a logfile. The scan runs pretty fast, it probably takes 5 minutes tops. A notepad file will pop up, select everything there and copy it, then post it in the box here: http://www.hijackthis.de/en, and press 'Analyze'. It should hopefully show you infected files.

Or this....

If u have system restore enabled on your computer.....

Start>programs>accessories>systemtools>systemrestore..........and restore to a previous date that when your comp was working.

Then run a virus scan.....there is one online like Trend Micro...etc....or just update your current one if the system restore connects to your internet.

I hope its a virus.....if not you might have something wrong in the registry....run this

http://www.spychecker.com/program/winsockxpfix.html

I hope this helps......sorry if its confusing.....

 

[5Stars]

Try using Hijackthis.....u might see your virus running in the background and can delete it.

http://www.download.com/Trend-Micro-HijackThis/3000-8022_4-10227353.html

ususally the virus likes to locate itself in windows/system32 folder....

You can also do this

Also download TrendMicro's free HijackThis program which is available here (http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/prog... After you install it, run the program, and select scan and save a logfile. The scan runs pretty fast, it probably takes 5 minutes tops. A notepad file will pop up, select everything there and copy it, then post it in the box here: http://www.hijackthis.de/en, and press 'Analyze'. It should hopefully show you infected files.

Or this....

If u have system restore enabled on your computer.....

Start>programs>accessories>systemtools>systemrestore..........and restore to a previous date that when your comp was working.

Then run a virus scan.....there is one online like Trend Micro...etc....or just update your current one if the system restore connects to your internet.

I hope its a virus.....if not you might have something wrong in the registry....run this

http://www.spychecker.com/program/winsockxpfix.html

I hope this helps......sorry if its confusing.....

Thanks, Mash...But I cannot connect to the net to get any of this!!

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

You could just reformat the whole hard drive and it would be free to do so.

Or buy a whole new hard drive with the money CC would charge you..still reformat your existing hardware and have two hard drives.

As far as not being able to get on the net to download or check things others are suggesting.

Find a friend that is willing to bring his/her computer over and you can use that computer to search or download programs. Once they do, you can burn it to a cd and transfer it to your computer.

 

[Dallas]

Find a friend .

Finding a friend is the problem. Didn't he get it from a friend?

Wow, where I could take this conversation.

 

[5Stars]

You could just reformat the whole hard drive and it would be free to do so.

Or buy a whole new hard drive with the money CC would charge you..still reformat your existing hardware and have two hard drives.

As far as not being able to get on the net to download or check things others are suggesting.

Find a friend that is willing to bring his/her computer over and you can use that computer to search or download programs. Once they do, you can burn it to a cd and transfer it to your computer.

Well, Im on the net because I'm talking to you from my computer downstairs. Maybe I could burn those to a CD.

But, if I format the harddrive and lose everything, do I just need to install Windows XP again and that's it? Is that the whole operating system included in Windows XP?

 

[Mash]

Thanks, Mash...But I cannot connect to the net to get any of this!!

Sorry....thought maybe you had another comp in the house that was working.....

You could try system restore.....also try......hit ctrl+alt+del and and let us know whats working in the background....

or go to start>run and type in msconfig......and look into the startup folder...



A usb jump drive is always a nice tool to have.....alot easier then burning cd...etc....they are pretty cheap now.....great way of getting files....music...etc from your friends comp to yours....hehe

 

[Mash]

Well, Im on the net because I'm talking to you from my computer downstairs. Maybe I could burn those to a CD.

But, if I format the harddrive and lose everything, do I just need to install Windows XP again and that's it? Is that the whole operating system included in Windows XP?

The safe way is to do a fresh install.....but you have to reinstall all your programs and you will lose all your docs and music...

You can do a install overtop of your existing OS....but that wont get rid of the virus Im afraid

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Well, Im on the net because I'm talking to you from my computer downstairs. Maybe I could burn those to a CD.

But, if I format the harddrive and lose everything, do I just need to install Windows XP again and that's it? Is that the whole operating system included in Windows XP?

Yes...it will wipe everything clean and you start from scratch with a complete OS.

You will just have to do your windows xp updates and that could take some time.

Then you would install any other programs you want back on the computer.

I tell people that I normally reformat my hard drive around once a year.

Cleans out all the clutter and after a fresh install it seems to run better.

Just sucks having to download updates and installing stuff again.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

The safe way is to do a fresh install.....but you have to reinstall all your programs and you will lose all your docs and music...

You can do a install overtop of your existing OS....but that wont get rid of the virus Im afraid

He could do backups with the music and doc files.

 

[5Stars]

Yes...it will wipe everything clean and you start from scratch with a complete OS.

You will just have to do your windows xp updates and that could take some time.

Then you would install any other programs you want back on the computer.

I tell people that I normally reformat my hard drive around once a year.

Cleans out all the clutter and after a fresh install it seems to run better.

Just sucks having to download updates and installing stuff again.

Man, I don't know if I have the balls to do that! And, if I do, should I reformat the other drive too...I think it the e: drive?

I have an old version of Windows XP that I can install afterwards if I do reformat them...also, I told the boy that all his crap is going to be gone because I'm not backing all that crap up...I don't have enough disks or anything else to back them up to...

 

[5Stars]

The safe way is to do a fresh install.....but you have to reinstall all your programs and you will lose all your docs and music...

You can do a install overtop of your existing OS....but that wont get rid of the virus Im afraid

I think you are right!

Right now I'm running McAffe virus scan from a disk that I bought two days ago, but I'm not sure it has the current updates because I cannot get on the internet...I'll see if it picks up anything.

Thanks guys...I'll probably be back.

 

[Mash]

try burning hijackthis from your old comp and then runnning it on your sons comp.

If you want you can post here what its says and I can give u a idea what should be running and what looks suspicious.

Funny thing is.....just had a friend phone me with the exact same problem.........

I will try to google it and see if there is a .exe fix to run to fix this problem.......might be a new virus....I dont know....I havent experienced this yet in the schools Im a tech for....but then again....they arent allowed to use limewire

 

[Rack]

All I can say is DO NOT use norton's antivirus. It slows your computer down way too much. I'm waiting for the subscription to run out then I'm switching to something else.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

All I can say is DO NOT use norton's antivirus. It slows your computer down way too much. I'm waiting for the subscription to run out then I'm switching to something else.

I never use full nortons security suite.

I do however use the corporate edition and it does not bog my computer down like others have.

Of course it is also nice to get it for free because we need it for work and I just take it home and install it as well.

Same with MS products like xp and word and so on.:laugh1:

 

[Mash]

5stars;

Are you sure it might be a virus.....?????

Are you using a router......have you checked all your internet connections settings?

Are you getting a ip address from your router? etc?.

Just wondering