Friend has a virus ..

Well , here i am asking for ideas . It's a multitude of viruses
actually i think opening up by an active desktop ... it freezes the
computer by spamming mass amounts to the point where you cannot move
the mouse..

I'm thinking of formatting it using a Distro of linux that works though a thumbdrive.

Its known as puppychubby and can interact quite well with windows :wink: .
i've already tested it out on my home computer. I think after
formatting it i'll let her use my win 98 cd , or somthing , and then
she can get the updater that brings it to xp if she wishes..

She's computer .. Retarted btw... so i'll prolly have to go over there and fix it myself.. T___T oh well..

---

.else /me ~kill you
www.arclan.net

boot in safe mode: this will stop services from running.

then go to "start|Run..." and type in "msconfig"

then go to the startup tab and deselect everything.

then press okay and restart. this takes care of most windows annoyances enough so you can delete the files they execute from. or repair or run AVG or something. :biggrin:

---

I tried sniffing coke, but the ice cubes kept getting stuck in my nose.
http://www.dimebowl.com

You can run most virus and spyware scanners in safemode as well.

You can't, however, update the definitions or anything (and I wouldn't suggest enabling network access, since that's part of the problem)

A lot of virus's however, will start up even if you remove them from the msconfig window. They could be logged as a service ... or just in the registry somewhere.

The best thing to do is goto safemode, like nickle said, then run a scan which will recognize all the virus's if they're there (hopefully) write them down.

Try to delete them, and turn everything off in MSconfig, hopefully that'll turn it off so you can boot with network support. Then go online and find detailed removal instructions. Usually, it's easiest to make a batch file with the removal commands.

You can do that, if it doesn't work, make the batch file (or get a remover ... which don't work all the time, just about every one I've ever used hasn't gotten rid of what they're suppose to) reboot in safemode ... in the administrator account, and run those batchfiles, it should be able to delete everything. Goto the directories and delete everything it tells you to .. blah blah blah.

You get the gist, I'm sure.

By the way, AVG is really bad with some of the most basic virus's it lets them through without any hassle.

Also, if you want to install XP, don't do it through 98. That'll make the file system FAT32 and as far as I know it's just a really s**tty file system.

---

Blame it on Microsoft, God does.

You can easily upgrade from FAT32 to NTFS when upgrading fomr 98 to XP, it even asks you if you want to do it.

Yes, but what's the point if you're going to do that anyway? Just start with it. Just like anything else in the word, converting something over and over again isn't as good as just doing the final thing. (Connection converters are a good example)

---

Blame it on Microsoft, God does.

By the way, AVG is really bad with some of the most basic virus's it lets them through without any hassle.

Is it? Damn!

I've been riddled with viruses and I was under the impression that I'd
thwarted them by installing AVG - and yet, after I switch my computer
on I have to wait ages before
I can do anything, while it whirrs and clanks - seemingly doing
nothing. Which anti-virus software would you recommend, Crono?

Crono said:
A lot of virus's however, will start up even if you remove them from the msconfig window. They could be logged as a service ... or just in the registry somewhere.

Windows98 doesn't have "services"

To make sure you get rid of ALL startup programs in Safe Mode, run "regedit" and go to the key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

and delete any values inside. Also, remember to empty the "startup" group in the start menu.

---

I tried sniffing coke, but the ice cubes kept getting stuck in my nose.
http://www.dimebowl.com

I thought the computer was already running XP. Not that he specified what it was running.

jake, it's been my experience to have pretty much zero protection while using AVG. I used it on my laptop at school ... it got plastered with viruses (in a matter of minutes, actually).

I use Norton, but there's plenty of good ones. I just use norton because it's widely supported and they've got a pretty expansive definition set. McAfee is suppose to be good and then there's all sorts of professional and corporate antiviral software out there. Most of which actually sever your network connection on virus detection (it's usually adjustable, but sometimes not). It's to protect the rest of the network.

But, something like Norton should work find. I find Norton and a Spy/Adware scanner is good to have. I use ... um ... Ad-Aware. It's pretty good. But I don't use it unless I go into safemode and scan.

Also ... I'm behind a hardware firewall on my Belkin router. But, I have noticed, with the same version of Norton (2005) on my laptop, at school I rarely notice anything. Actually, it runs pretty smooth and fast ... this is equally amazing because the laptop is ten years old.

Also, Nickle, I'm not sure about Win'98, but you have to check the same path under HKLM.

---

Blame it on Microsoft, God does.

Crono said:
Also, Nickle, I'm not sure about Win'98, but you have to check the same path under HKLM.

With the more insidious spyware and viri, yes you do. Most of the time it's under local user, though.

---

I tried sniffing coke, but the ice cubes kept getting stuck in my nose.
http://www.dimebowl.com

I know. All I said was that that is another 'run' path that is used often. Actually, if the virus writers were smart that's where they'd put it ... since it pertains to the computer and not just that user.

---

Blame it on Microsoft, God does.

yeah this virus was caused by a MSDOS file that left big holes for
other stuff to come in . i'll mention the stuff we have to her. i
recommended a full sweep , just because she had nothing important on
there and it'd more within my timeframe that i'd have if i tried to go
over there and fix it. I also found that she'd have a new version of XP
so thats handy

---

.else /me ~kill you
www.arclan.net

Tell him to get to the Doctor and get a shot.. lol

I would of been more constructive, but I think everyone above me pretty much have it coverd.

Ive known AVG to let through a few things so yeah its not that hot. I use an online 1 on top of AVG just to be sure.

http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/activescan.htm

---

Hello there.

Just load Windows XP "FCKGW- Edition"

---

I tried sniffing coke, but the ice cubes kept getting stuck in my nose.
http://www.dimebowl.com

Umm.. I'd suggest Winborg XP... and if you have licenced all the programs on the CD you need to worry about nothing :biggrin:

But even more... I'd suggest your friend Linux... Mandriva for
beginner, Suse for medium and Fedora for advanced :smile: But... suit
yourself :biggrin:

---

HL2 tutorials 'n' stuff: http://madedog.pri.ee
217.159.236.34:27050 - CSS Server - Clean | koffer.ee

Are you implying Fedora is more complicated then SuSE?!

Fedora is cake walk in comparison. Prettier startup too. Those are all pretty "beginner - intermediate" suites though. If you want talk advanced, You're talking Gentoo and Slackware. s**t where you have to build your own binaries ... almost always.

---

Blame it on Microsoft, God does.

Nickelplate said:
Just load Windows XP "FCKGW- Edition"

In my experience, that particular version doesnt support any service packs.

---

"If you talk at all during this lesson, you have detention. Do you understand?"

• My yr11 Economics teacher

wil5on said:
<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Nickelplate</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>Just load Windows XP "FCKGW- Edition"

In my experience, that particular version doesnt support any service packs.</div></div>
That's thier way of "punishing you" for using the hacked version. They don't allow service packs. Which was kinda ironic, because Service pack 2 is like a different operating system when you're just using the computer for LAN parties and you want to be able to actually ACCESS the machines remotely.

---

I tried sniffing coke, but the ice cubes kept getting stuck in my nose.
http://www.dimebowl.com