Attempting to install security

[Chemfree]

Hi,Wonder if someone could advise me how to clean up an infected computer please.

In "Safe Mode" on "Administrator" at the moment.I suspect computer was infected through a Competition Mag I joined (after cookie setup)because after closing browser it randomly popped up on screen.Took a photo of it but would like to prove its guilt before contacting that particular company.Have uninstalled three browsers and with difficulty installed an old one back again.

Even in "Safe Mode" on "Owner" I was getting a message that browser was still open and then detailing paypal etc were still open even though I had signed out of paypal.I contacted paypal previous to this re logging in with demand for card no.They assured me a card number on its own was safe.Today I find someone has added a card,deposited money and then withdrawn a similar amount.Dealt with this.Similar happened to friend who uses this computer.

Their email account was attracting thousands of random email address with equally random headings(Hotmail)Three weeks later I`m picking some of these up on my BT account.

Trying to access any security is blocked by the trojan? or whatever it is, and even emptying the recycle bin was not possible until using "Safe Mode" ....which I don`t believe is that safe.

Good old Microsoft(I`ll blame them under "allegedly",as their hold wouldn`t allow me to uninstall or change browsers without hassle) ...yes I know I should get an iPad.Meanwhile I have to work with what I have.

I managed to download Free Avast but daren`t install it in case it`s a con masquerading as aforementioned.Am I just being paranoid?Any advice please?Thanks,Pat

[reginaldo]

Do you have a Windows install disk? I'd be looking to rebuild it if it was me.

If not you could start with Avast. It is a good AV solution, but I'm not sure how capable it is of cleaning up a large mess like this. Get it installed and do a scan on boot.

I would avoid all use of Paypal (change your password from a clean pc) and anything else that involves banks or card details until you have this sorted.

[mark21lancs]

I would also recommend a fresh reinstall of windows, once a computer is infected you rarely get is clean again. However if you don't wish to reinstall for whatever reason then I would recommended Avast AV however my chosen method would be BIT DEFENDER security suite it is not free, however if you look you can find last years edition (that's fully updatable) for a few quid. We I'll look for a link and post later

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[mark21lancs]

Hi again, here's a link for back fiver, I hardly ever pay for software as I'm tight so tend to use free ware however I do party fire this as think it's a very good low resource demand piece of kit.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/BitDefender-Int ... 796&sr=1-4

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[Chemfree]

Many thanks to everyone for the advice.Got the ball rolling with paypal late last night as nearly £700 had appeared in my account(nice if I could have kept it).Rang relevant paypal dept when they opened at 8am this morning as instructed by them last night.They had misunderstood things ,so had credited me with the dosh....very nice!Didn`t think I`d get away with that so put them right.Someone has presumably removed dosh from another account and stuck it in mine and was in the process of transferring said monies to their account,by the looks of things.

Back to my infected computer;looks like I`m going nowhere until lunchtime,stuck trying to sort this mess out.This is my second computer bought some years ago from a nice chap who unfortunately has long since moved onto the tobacco fields in the sky :sad:He had a great workshop and knew what he was doing.I remember him saying that he`d installed something relating to retrieval, but as computers aren`t my thing it went in one ear and hotfooted it out the other.

I tried to install Avast this morning but it couldn`t due to "existing security",so I tried AVG(which it had originally).It asked for my licence details(don`t have such a number),where did I purchase etc(I didn`t purchase)...so I`m stuck.

"reginaldo"...I will look for a Windows install disk but not holding out much hope.

"mark21lancs"...`Yeah I don`t part with a penny without good reason(Scots blood and Yorkie father ).Spose I`d better save a few pics etc from my computer to Cloud ??and start again??
Is that BitDefender ok dated as it is 2011?

Cheers,Pat.

[wine~o]

download and install the free version of MBAM here..

http://www.malwarebytes.org/products/malwarebytes_free/

Run that and it should sort you out...

[BillyGoat]

Good old Microsoft(I`ll blame them under "allegedly",as their hold wouldn`t allow me to uninstall or change browsers without hassle) ...yes I know I should get an iPad.Meanwhile I have to work with what I have.

If you crashed a car, would it be the manufacturers fault that you are incapable of driving?

If you choked on a bit of apple, is it a farmers fault?

If you drown in a bath, is it the water companies fault for not reminding you that you are not a fish?

There is NO reason or obstruction put in place by Microsoft that will stop you changing you browser. More than likely, your computer is that infested with god-knows-what that you are being prevented from doing pretty much anything, but why ignore the bigger picture?

As for the 'great bloke' you got the PC off, where is your Media to allow you to reinstall the PC? A genuine installation is not just him using a disc he's got or a key he got off the net. Makes you wonder.

As for your other software - is it trial, or some pirated copy off the net? They looked at some 1000's of software downloads recently and found that over 78% of ALL software illegally downloaded contained malicious or harmful additions.

I'm sure you'll manage to download a new copy and start fresh again though and it'll be someone else's fault when it goes wrong again.

Good luck.

BG

[Chemfree]

Good old Microsoft(I`ll blame them under "allegedly",as their hold wouldn`t allow me to uninstall or change browsers without hassle) ...yes I know I should get an iPad.Meanwhile I have to work with what I have.

If you crashed a car, would it be the manufacturers fault that you are incapable of driving?

If you choked on a bit of apple, is it a farmers fault?

If you drown in a bath, is it the water companies fault for not reminding you that you are not a fish?

There is NO reason or obstruction put in place by Microsoft that will stop you changing you browser. More than likely, your computer is that infested with god-knows-what that you are being prevented from doing pretty much anything, but why ignore the bigger picture?

As for the 'great bloke' you got the PC off, where is your Media to allow you to reinstall the PC? A genuine installation is not just him using a disc he's got or a key he got off the net. Makes you wonder.

As for your other software - is it trial, or some pirated copy off the net? They looked at some 1000's of software downloads recently and found that over 78% of ALL software illegally downloaded contained malicious or harmful additions.

I'm sure you'll manage to download a new copy and start fresh again though and it'll be someone else's fault when it goes wrong again.

Good luck.

BG

Thanks for the analogies What were microsoft fined £millions for recently?
A sibling has just informed me that my parents have had it with microsoft too(I will get you the reasons if you`re interested).Both are buying iPads.My old father has been mucking about with computers since year dot so will have a chat with him on Mon to see why his dislike for that company has grown.Should be genuine reasons as he only thinks with his head.

Cheers,Pat.

[BillyGoat]

They were fined by the EU courts for not providing a hotfix in the latest service pack that allowed users to select their browser of choice when they first used their computers, not for restricting choice.

It was deemed people are too stupid by the EU courts to choose an alternative to those provided unless it's in their face. Then of course, people complain when it presents them with choice as they don't know what to do with it.

You have misunderstood what the lawsuit is actually about and are confusing it with your computers issues.

I've never understood the dislike for the company or software - they are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

Interestingly, the law suit was brought about because the media player and browser were built in to the OS, thus restricting peoples rights (let alone the fact they COULD have got any other player and browser - this has NEVER been stopped) yet Apply supply iTunes and Safari in their OS yet don't have to provide any such choice. Are they evil too?

Good luck with your Apple purchase.....

BG

[Chemfree]

download and install the free version of MBAM here..

http://www.malwarebytes.org/products/malwarebytes_free/

Run that and it should sort you out...

Thanks Mike?.....really didn`t expect it to take that(but it did ),as had trouble uninstalling malwarebytes previously. During this installation process it detailed it was removing its previous existence of nine months standing.Claims to have found and removed a dozen security issues including a Trojan.We`ll see....now to change a load of passwords.

Also had a call from the other person who uses this computer and they`ve had £400 removed from their bank account(returned today).The perpetrator had contacted their phone service provider and redirected their calls so that they could verify the withdrawal.

I`ve contacted my phone provider and now have yet another "memorable word" to pluck letters from on request if I need to divert my calls.

Expect I`m still living in the dark ages

Cheers,Pat.

[wine~o]

Glad to have been some help...In future be careful what you download, or at least from where..

One of our members (Sadly, no longer with us) put together a list of free software

now-that-s-what-i-call-software-2-t35814.html

Have a look and choose what you need...all the links will be the "official" sites, and not some pirate outfit...


Edit..

Any further problems, you know where we are..

[Chemfree]

Thanks again Wine-o,plenty of food for thought,great list too

[mark21lancs]

Where shouts do you live if your local I could come look.

If your considering apple iPad due to the way Microsoft operates I suggest you look again as apple and Microsoft are just as bad as each other. I suggest that you butty a tablet with android installed it is a free open source software with much more free choice in the store

I recommend a Asus nexus 7 by Google ih have one so am taking from experience an I did a lot of research before getting one

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[aeromech3]

Having built my own PC last summer loaded with original W7 OS, I was randomely hit with BSOD; sometimes even during shut down sequence and always the codes were different; each time and most of the time it re-booted instantly. Hardware or soft ? Made the decision that if it was W7 I will need to re load the CD and even then it might be defective; so have gone to Linux Mint 14.1 Nadia with Cinnamon.
Lucky to have a mate whom is Linux bred. Love the multi work screens with this, I have 5 on the go; had to dig around to activate the firewall; though my router has one, I just felt a bit naked without AVG popping in and out, don't want anything near what Chemfree is going through.
AVG scanned my XP laptop and ext HDD just incase, started to get yahoo demon mail alerts for address book mail I had not sent which, after looking at my activity log, was from Poland and Brazil- also changed passwords.Used the malware suggested by wine-o, thanks, but nothing showed up, was using Firebird as mail client and perhaps this was where they got in!
Life is so much fun around computers.

[gary.1321331]

A Nexus 7?

Not a chance! It is a very poor mans iPad indeed.

Even worse due to your dreadful spelling errors above.