What to do?

[Rokabur]

     I'm totally, royally fucked. Pretty sure my laptop has atleast 1 virus if not more. 10 weeks now and still can't use default Windows Explorer without it crashing. Now my antivirus software keeps turning itself off and won't update its definitions. Malwarebytes won't run and can't update definitions. I can't reinstall the OS cause my DVD-ROM hasn't worked in like 2 years (anytime I put a disc in my laptop always insists the drive is empty), I can't access the recovery parition because its not the original factory parition. (DELL PCs, if the original parition is lost then thats it, even a remade one can't be used) and I can't afford another pc for about 2 years.

[wildtangent]

Start computer in safe mode, (usually F8 key) run virus scan.

 

 

[kingkong]

not sure for the virus,   as it might be your start up profile that had or has a probleme  ; depends on what systeme you are running.

    try to start and repair in safemod

 

for your dvd-rom  there is some cd that clean the laser optic  ( you might try one of them )   you can always use an external one !!!

 

when you reinstall everything make sure you do an external image disk or a start up disk for the next time.

[D_ManXX2]

if the dvd is not working that bites. because there is not much alternative you can do to install What operating system is it ?? unless you can get an image online and then turn a usb stick into an start-up disk ??

 

If you can do the usb trick you will be able to reinstall windows through usb stick.

[badbat111]

spybot search and destroy get it it can find bad shit to help your virus scanner but DONT use it as a virus scanner on its own it can only pick some things up sounds like you have some sort of ware in your comp try downloading spybot search and destroy then update it then click the immunise button not sure if thats how its spelt that will protect from new ones for a while then once its done scan the whole computer chances are itll find it and send it to oblivion where the deadras can have a bit of fun with it

 

edit forgot to mention if it finds anything the search for problems button changes to fix problems when scan has done click fix problems

 

 

just make sure your not on the net since what ever it is could be latched onto the net to prevent it being deleted

[Rokabur]

I'll try Spybot. SuperAnti-Spyware and Microsoft Security Essentials won't run at all in Safe Mode. Norton Security Suite will only do the Complete Virus and Spyware scan without updating definitions. Only Malwarebytes will update and run normally. For the system i'm running Vista. Tried one of those lens cleaning discs, didn't do shit. Can't afford to buy an external drive. Thinking of just dropping Norton Security Suite. What are good free firewalls and antivirus? I know I used to use Comodo firewall.

[brokencircle]

Have you tried Malwarebytes Chameleon?

[Rayblue]

Avast is a mite too zealous. AVG, Norton and McAfee are bloated that only the gullible would use them. Right now I stick with Avira Free and it works.

 

How much is an external DVD drive in your place? It shouldn't cost too much.

 

Also, have you visited Bleeping Computer? I'm guessing malware really hit up your lappy.

[Rokabur]

Avast is a mite too zealous. AVG, Norton and McAfee are bloated that only the gullible would use them. Right now I stick with Avira Free and it works.

 

How much is an external DVD drive in your place? It shouldn't cost too much.

 

Also, have you visited Bleeping Computer? I'm guessing malware really hit up your lappy.

 

Pretty sure it all started when I got the MoneyPak FBI ransomware virus back in February.

 

I'll give the Bleeping Computer site a try after I'm finished all the scans by the morning. Already registered on far too many sites over the years.

[Guest corespore]

 

Avast is a mite too zealous. AVG, Norton and McAfee are bloated that only the gullible would use them. Right now I stick with Avira Free and it works.

 

How much is an external DVD drive in your place? It shouldn't cost too much.

 

Also, have you visited Bleeping Computer? I'm guessing malware really hit up your lappy.

 

Pretty sure it all started when I got the MoneyPak FBI ransomware virus back in February.

 

I'll give the Bleeping Computer site a try after I'm finished all the scans by the morning. Already registered on far too many sites over the years.

 

Yeah, i got that FBI ransomeware a couple of times. Once from porn, and the other from nexus. It wasn't until i switched to Webroot that i was finally able to get it completely removed. If you do any virus killing make sure to do it offline, many of the latest versions of the little bastards will use your internet connection to download a new version of itself and even call for what you can only describe as back-up whereas it downloads several versions at once overloading any virus removing software trying to get rid of it. Also, as pointed out before it would be best to do this in safe mode. 

[Rokabur]

 

 

Avast is a mite too zealous. AVG, Norton and McAfee are bloated that only the gullible would use them. Right now I stick with Avira Free and it works.

 

How much is an external DVD drive in your place? It shouldn't cost too much.

 

Also, have you visited Bleeping Computer? I'm guessing malware really hit up your lappy.

 

Pretty sure it all started when I got the MoneyPak FBI ransomware virus back in February.

 

I'll give the Bleeping Computer site a try after I'm finished all the scans by the morning. Already registered on far too many sites over the years.

 

Yeah, i got that FBI ransomeware a couple of times. Once from porn, and the other from nexus. It wasn't until i switched to Webroot that i was finally able to get it completely removed. If you do any virus killing make sure to do it offline, many of the latest versions of the little bastards will use your internet connection to download a new version of itself and even call for what you can only describe as back-up whereas it downloads several versions at once overloading any virus removing software trying to get rid of it. Also, as pointed out before it would be best to do this in safe mode. 

 

 

I am in Safe Mode right now. Still have 2.5 hours left on Spybot to finish scanning plus Norton and Malwarebytes are running as well. Once all the scans are done just gonna dump Norton and use Avira and Comodo. I'd scan with microsoft Security Essentials and SuperAnti-Spyware as well but they don't run in safe mode. Just hope my laptop can last another 2 years (it's already 6 years old).

[AnnaFly]

Greetings.

 

 @ Rokabur.

 

Well there are more than only one problem with your laptop .

Two years ago I was a helper ( helperess ???) on Microsoft TechNet, Answers and sometimes on the Kaspersky Labs  forum too  ( Loukiana is my user name ) ... but unfortunatly for you , french section.... do you speak french ... or read , it would be better ... ;°)

 

So first , from wich country are you come from ... this is just to try to post you the right link ...

 

I will first suggest than you try to run the Kaspersky removal  virus tools :

 

http://support.kaspersky.com/fr/viruses/avptool2011  or and may be it's better try first the Kaspersky security scan ( ..but i'm not sure it is alviable now .... so try to dowload it ).

http://www.kaspersky.com/fr/security-scan#

 

No need to be a Kaspersky client to use these tools .

Of course you need to get an computer able to go there to download these tools.

 

Microsoft also provide a very good "removal tool" .

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/cu_sc_virsec_b107

 

Keep in mind that all "virus" cannot be removed as this ... sometime there is no other solution to first  totaly clean a hard disk ( i'm talking about  a "classic" hard disk , not a SSD ... ) to do so you need to launch a pragrm named "ZeroFill " , this one will write "zero" ( 0) everywhere ... and of cause you'll lost all informations stored in this drive ... logic !

 

If you need to save some very imprtant file , documents etc ... first , with a minimum of risks i only see a tools like "UBCD" or "UNCD for Win" ... it works under Linux but with a "Windows interface" very intituive , really.

 

Some very "nasty  virus " ( "nasty is not the right term , "very well done" is more appropriate...) need a specific tools to remove them ... and of course , first , you need to run a generic antivirus just to know if that sort of "virus" are there ... then you need to find the specific related tool if this one exist !

 

Now if you need to create a new "Recovery" partition , you can buy a new DVD from Dell , it will cost about 15-20 US dollars i think ... in France it cost about 20 € ...

 

After that , to update your Vista go to Microsoft Answers , because i " don't like " Vista ... and i will not try to help you for this operating system.

 

As you can see , all these links are "French" but you can select another "tongue/language" .

 

Last thing : do you use this "altered " computer to post something here ? 

 

For the "ZeroFill" utility you need to go to the manufacture from wich your hard drive came from ... Seagate , Western Digital and or others ... " ZeroFill " was the generic name for this utility from "Quantum"  and IBM ( you need to go to "Fujitsu" if i remember well if your model come from "IBM" )  ... i think Maxtor keep the same name , but probably not Seagate ...

 

All those utilities are "free of charge "of cause ... except the DVD from Dell.

 

Very last thing :  with a lot of "virus" you 'll not be able to connect your "infected" machine to a security center ... if you cannot go to these links  , it's better to try with another computer ... by better i mean "more safety..." of course.

 

NB : for UBCD you need a functional DVD drive. Do NOT use an USB version just for safety.

 

http://www.bing.com/search?q=UBCD&src=IE-SearchBox&FORM=IE8SRC  ... make your choice but to avoid "problems" prefer the first or second link ... not others !

 

Cheers.

 

PS : Another way is to try to install Windows7 in dual-boot and from this one test your "Vista" with a "strong" antivirus... of course it would be  better if your DVD drive works , but an USB key works too ( i don't like USB stick just for security reasons .... it's very hard to clean one infected USB "key/stick" and to much more hard to be sure it is well cleaning !!! That's why i talk about the ZeroFill utility ... it is like an "Atomic Bomb"  nothing subsist ... not at 100% but  99.95 guarantee.

 

To install Windows7 , in dual-boot , of course do not activate it , you can try it for a full month ... in the beginning of the installation you just need ( and you must) to "zap" the activation key .... After this month choose if you still want to keep that operating system and buy it or not ... but that's another question ....

 

PPS ; if i'm right you use an OEM opertating system ... so don't forget that Microsoft doesn't support OEM products ... ( but Microsoft helpers will help you , don't worry about that ... ) .

 

PPPS : Witch exactly model from Dell ? I need a "full" ( complete) reference of course .

 

NB : a very usefull link but only if you can translate it in your  native language ( it's about how to create a "recovery" disk for whom doesn't have anymore an original support of their operating systems. It talks about XP, Vista and Windows7 operating system ...

 

http://fspsa.free.fr/pour-ceux-qui-n-ont-pas-le-cd.htm

 

[prideslayer]

1. Safe mode is likely not going to help much.

2. Try trendmicro's housecall. Non-installed AV you start from a browser.

3. AVG has a bootable rescue image that can also boot off USB, if your laptop can do so. Download and make the bootable usb stick on a different computer or the trojan may damage/infect it as you create it (this is why safe mode probably will not help).

[Rayblue]

http://malware.dontneedcoffee.com/

 

If a porn site of uncertain origin tells you to download a codec, fuck that. All of them are paying a portion of their proceeds to Uncle Vlad.

[Rokabur]

http://malware.dontneedcoffee.com/

 

If a porn site of uncertain origin tells you to download a codec, fuck that. All of them are paying a portion of their proceeds to Uncle Vlad.

 

VLC player doesn't need codecs to play and file types.

 

Still running scans right now. Spybot did a full scan, I fixed all the problems it listed plus I ran the Immunization option. Ran Malwarebytes through the Chameleon but it only did a quick scan. Dumped Norton Security Suite provided for free bt Comcast and went back to Avira free and Comodo Firewall. Doing a full system scan with Avira right now. Gonna try another scan with Malwarebytes then gonna run Super Anti-spyware again and Microsoft Security Essentials just to make sure. The only persistent problems I have are my laptop hangs about 50% of the time when I select the options to shutdown or restart my laptop and Windows Explorer not liking something on my laptop. Funny thing is both problems seemed to start AFTER I installed a free to play game called Elsword. Last time I had a problem with Windows Explorer it was an updating program called Secunia PSI that Windows Explorer didn't like and I had to stop using. This entire 6 months so far the only thing that changed when the problems occured is installing the game.

[D_ManXX2]

explorer crashing can be allot of things even if you installed a videocard driver. if the crashes persist try this. go to your windows directory and search for explorer.exe now use copy on it go to windows\system32 and paste explorer.exe in it it will override the explorer.exe and try and see if it working again.

 

There are more ways to fix explorer.exe but you need to search for it.

[kingkong]

D_ManXX2 is right there no single solution as it can be a multitude of things.  if you type in google  " explorer crash "  you will have few things to try and fix explorer.

 

look again at your dvd drive if it is not a slip-in : open it and clean the lense your self with damp cloth or a mild soap water solution  ofcorse when the power is off or you might burn it for good. 

 

if your dvd drive is dead.    i think you will have no choise and find an external dvd ( about 50 euro or dollars ) to reinstall your systeme

[Rokabur]

explorer crashing can be allot of things even if you installed a videocard driver. if the crashes persist try this. go to your windows directory and search for explorer.exe now use copy on it go to windows\system32 and paste explorer.exe in it it will override the explorer.exe and try and see if it working again.

 

There are more ways to fix explorer.exe but you need to search for it.

 

I know it isn't the video drivers cause I updated them after Windows Explorer started crashing. Windows Explorer works just in Safe Mode so somwhow it must be some process thats running. But like I said, nothing changed at all on my laptop except installing Elsword through Steam. I did drop Norton Security Suite and got Avira Free Anti-virus. Had to drop Comodo Firewall as well cause Elsword didn't like it on my pc. I tried http://www.helpwithwindows.com/techfiles/explorer-crashes.html and disabled all non-Microsoft shell extentions. Still crashes anyway whenever I try to open any folder. Thinking it could be a botched Windows Update but because Windows Explorer crashes any time I try to open a folder or many other options, I could never check. I would have tried System Restore to see if it fixed it but System Restore hasn't worked since the day i got this laptop. But if it was a botched Windows update wouldn't it crash even in Safe mode?

[Rokabur]

Ugh. Just really wish I could either fix everything or just get a new pc (desktop this time). In addition to the listed problems, I'm getting the dreaded blue screen, sometimes when I plug in or remove a game controller from the USB port and sometimes when I mount my external HDD in TrueCrypt. Plus Adobe Flash hasnt worked for a few years in Firefox. If I want to download some video, I gotta uninstall flash and install older 10.3 version. Anything newer just auto-crashes constantly. I already did a complete reinstall of Firefox including deleting all settings and everything, Flash still crashes anyway.