# The single most god-awful virus my computer has ever had! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 19, 2004, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-most-god-awful-virus-my-computer-has-ever-had/265028 "2004-09-19T19:22:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-most-god-awful-virus-my-computer-has-ever-had/265028/21 "2004-09-24T16:31:23Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > Sorry if people are getting sick of being told to switch browsers… At least you’re not saying to switch the OS. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-most-god-awful-virus-my-computer-has-ever-had/265028/22 "2004-09-24T16:34:53Z")
> [@SpaceDog](#): > > b) Going to a website _could_ trigger this flaw if it has a JPG embedded. As could opening a JPEG via e-mail, a word doc, or anything really. XP Service Pack 2 prevents JPEGs being automatically opened in email, at least in Outlook. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-most-god-awful-virus-my-computer-has-ever-had/265028/23 "2004-09-30T15:52:23Z")
Someone from the LJ SDMB Community wanted to thank everyone for the tools listed in this thread. > [@sistercoyote](#): > > This thread has dropped back to page 4 of the Pit, but could someone who still has posting privileges please poke their heads in and thank the posters who suggested software to fix the OP’s problem? Because, you see, I’ve been having issues with my computer as well, and decided to follow their advice on the off-chance that I’d picked something up without knowing about it (and yes, I don’t use IE anymore - I adore Firefox and am NOT switching back for anybody…). > > Lo and behold, a trojan called “WinTools” had been installed (without my willingness nor participation). 48 hours later (don’t ask) it is finally GONE, via the tools linked in that thread. > > So, will someone please thank those folks for me? (I don’t know how many or if any of them post/read here as well.) ---
**Author:** ![Daniel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Daniel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daniel)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-most-god-awful-virus-my-computer-has-ever-had/265028/24 "2004-10-01T01:07:58Z")
If it was a keylogger, you should probably go the extra step and, once you’re certain it’s gone, change all of your e-mail and online banking passwords, and monitor the accounts to make sure nothing’s missing. Also check your credit report to see that the info hasn’t been used to borrow money in your name. Keylogging is an increasingly common tactic for fraudsters to use to capture this information. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-most-god-awful-virus-my-computer-has-ever-had/265028/25 "2004-10-01T03:58:42Z")
Bummer, man. I sympathize. Sucks, doesn’t it! Fucking bastards! With all the cool things you can do on a computer and they choose to use them to make other folks’ computing experience painful and even tragic. Believe me, I understand, I’ve been there. I had the nVir virus once, just 16 years ago, and after it had infected dozens of my floppy disks it started throwing up these damn messages, “Don’t panic”, and the local computer shop wouldn’t let me insert my diskettes in their computer with the virus on them and… …OK, I guess I really haven’t exactly been there. Well it still sucks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-single-most-god-awful-virus-my-computer-has-ever-had/265028.md?page=1)