Apparently, I’ve got one. I use WinXP home, and I’ve run AVG, AdAware, and Malware Bytes. I still seem to have a dirty computer. What do I use to remove this damned dirty hijacking virus?
Symptoms: When I use Google as a search engine, I always get misdirected the first time I click a link, but if I close that window and click on the link a second time, then I go to the real link.
Oh, and of course I need the answer fast. Because otherwise I’m gonna kill someone. Preferably the person and company who made and released that virus.
I would prefer not to do anything that drastic. My tech skills are not that great.
I have a new computer in the box, ready to be fired up…but I want to transfer files and such from THIS computer, too, so I don’t want to transfer infected files to the new computer.
To transfer files from an old computer to a new one, simply mount the hard drive from the old computer into the new computer. If they use different plugs, just buy an external hard drive case for like $15 bucks from your local computer store that plugs into the USB. Then, you can just copy and paste what you want. Run Microsoft Security Essentials (FREE) and use that to scan.
I just migrated to a new machine last week and I moved the files I wanted to keep by putting them on a thumb drive and scanning/cleaning the drive as needed.
Second running a separate user account on your new machine.
Yes, I am. I am designated an administrator because of the tools that administrators get. I can do IP bans, total and partial, for instance, and do domain bans. Most of the actual technical stuff is not something that I, personally, have the tools or knowledge for. For instance, if I wanted to make someone a Mod or Admin on this board, I’d have to have someone in the CR office do the actual changes, because a lot of the technical stuff is only done on site. I could change the member title, I think…but that wouldn’t give that person the powers of a Mod or Admin.
The point of message board software these days is to provide tools for the people who run it, so that those people DON’T need Mad Computer Skilz. I know of several message boards that are run completely by people who are less technically skilled than I am.
I am sure that I can learn to reinstall Windows and backup my data. However, I’m old enough that I’ve learned how to do this, that, and the other on various computer systems, and I’m also old enough to know that these skills will become obsolete in the next couple of years. Learning new skills for each new system has completely lost its charm for me. I just want to know what program I need to use to get rid of this damned virus, without learning a new skill set.
Possessing one set of IT skills as a message board administrator does not equate to being Carnac the Magnificent of IT. Lynn is very good at what she does but cut her some slack that her Funk and Wagnalls is not the latest edition.
I’ve had good results with them, going back to the days of DOS. I collect viruses, like other people collect coins or stamps, and they have always given excellent cleaning results. I can’t say about your particular virus, however, because I don’t have that one in my collection.
Seconded. I do online marketing, as well as designing complex websites, web systems and UIs, but I certainly don’t program anything - and though I have a fair few mad HTML/CSS/JS skillz, but I know jack-shit about computers really. I get calls from friends and relatives going “all my email has disappeared” or “can you help me set up my home office”. And I’m like, so? Just because I use a computer to work doesn’t necessarily mean I know any more than you, and I certainly don’t understand networking. (Though actually I do, a little bit anyway, but I won’t tell them that.)
It appears that Microsoft Security Essentials has found and removed the problem. I no longer get misdirected on Google links. I have been crazy busy with changing all my passwords.
My thanks for all the comments and help offered. I still have a post that’s several days old on Bleeping Computer, and I think that I’ll leave it up, in case there’s something that I didn’t catch.
If it comes back in a day or so, you likely have a rootkit that is hiding files on your hard drive. I second the recomendation for bleepingcomputer.com, they are tops for removing rootkits.
