[AT] Off topic, computer related.

[charliehill]

Thanks but Malware Bytes was the first program that I ran.  I had it from my 
previous problem.  It partially stopped the problem but not completely and 
the program kept trying to re-install while I was running housecall.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "dglass" <dglass at numail.org>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Monday, March 15, 2010 8:29 AM
Subject: Re: [AT] Off topic, computer related.


> Try downloading Malwarebytes from www.download.com.   It is a free
> program and is the only one I know that will find and get rid of this
> problem. I think
> the problem was called "Internet Security 2010".
>
> charliehill wrote:
>> This is not a question.  I just want to share my experience of the last 
>> 24
>> hours in case it helps someone or in case someone knows what might be 
>> going
>> on.
>>
>> Yesterday morning while doing an Internet search I hit one of those sites
>> that re-directs you somewhere else.  Then I got that pop up that says I 
>> have
>> a virus and must down load this program RIGHT NOW to stop it.
>> Well, this ain't my first computer rodeo and I knew immediately that the
>> antivirus site it's self was a piece of malware.  I've dealt with it 
>> before
>> so I immediately,  I mean within 2 seconds, started trying to shut it 
>> down
>> and stop if from infecting my computer.  I thought I got it stopped until 
>> a
>> few minutes later when the spam "anti-virus program" started trying to 
>> load
>> and run.  Then I started running my anti-virus and anti-spyware programs 
>> to
>> try and stop it.  Interestingly enough I had Zone Alarm Pro with all the
>> bells and whistles up and running when I hit the thing to begin with and 
>> it
>> went right past it without an alert.
>>
>> Ok I'll spare you the details but about 6 or 8 hours later I pretty well 
>> had
>> it licked after finally getting it beat down enough (continually cutting 
>> off
>> it's attempts to finish loading) that I could get to Trend Micro's House
>> Call online.  I wish I could remember the exact details but I didn't have
>> time to write them down but at some point something happened that made me
>> think something or someone else was acting as my system administrator.
>>
>> Let me interject here that I had this same virus/malware some months ago 
>> and
>> thought I was rid of it but after that my computer just didn't run right 
>> and
>> I always had the feeling that something was running hidden in the 
>> background
>> but I could never find it.
>>
>> Ok back to yesterday's activities.  I decided to see if I could change 
>> users
>> and sure enough I found another use that presented it's self by an Icon 
>> for
>> some web site called by three letters which I can't remember (for example
>> ABC.com).  I quickly did a web search on that site and everything that
>> popped up said it was some sort of Microsoft program that had something 
>> to
>> do with building web sites (something I've never done).  It looked to be 
>> a
>> legitimate program but I deleted it anyway and got rid of the other user.
>> Also, during that process things were getting hung up on my computer and
>> when I would hit Ctrl, Alt, Del to bring up the task manager it would 
>> tell
>> me the system administrator had shut down task manager.
>>
>> Jumping forward, eventually I got everything cleaned up.  As a last step 
>> I
>> decided to go to my web browser and delete all the temp internet files,
>> cookies, etc.  Now this is something I do almost everyday just to keep 
>> the
>> clutter off my system.  Depending on how much time I have spent online it
>> usually takes anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes to complete 
>> that
>> process.  Well, when I started the process last night about 6 pm it
>> continued to run and run and run for an hour or better.  I finally 
>> decided
>> something had gone haywire so I told it to cancel.  At which point it
>> continued to say it was cancelling for an hour or so.  I decided I'd shut
>> the computer down.  When I tried it told me that windows was in the 
>> middle
>> of a long process (almost those exact words) and to either wait or 
>> cancel.
>> Well I had already tried to cancel and couldn't so I let it run.  In fact 
>> I
>> went back and told it to delete again.  Then  I had two windows open, one
>> supposedly deleting and one cancelling the previous delete if that makes
>> sense.  About 10 pm I gave up and went to bed.  When I got up this 
>> morning
>> it was still "deleteing" temp files and folders.
>> I've checked and it's not deleting anything I use or have stored so far 
>> as I
>> can tell.  It appeared just to be hung up.  However I have a feeling 
>> that's
>> not the case.  I think that it really is trying to delete all the junk
>> that's been running in the background for months.  If finally did a cold
>> boot restart.  It's a notebook computer so I had to do that by removing 
>> the
>> battery momentarily.
>>
>> When it started back up it seems to be running fine.  I still don't know
>> exactly what is going on but the computer seems to be running fine now.
>> Later on I'll try running the delete files and folders, cookies, etc.
>> routine again and see what happens.
>>
>> The bug that started this whole thing this time was "Security Essentials
>> 2010".  The similar bug that got me last year was something like
>> "anti-malware 2009"
>>
>> I wish I was still running a program like Windows Washer.  I'd let it do 
>> a
>> complete disc clean up and wash the open areas of the drive and 
>> everything
>> but I don't want to pay $40 for it right now.  I might look for a 
>> freeware
>> washer.
>>
>> Hopefully my experience will help someone else.  If anyone thinks they 
>> know
>> what was going on with the other user and system administrator deal I'd 
>> like
>> to hear your comments.  PLEASE RESIST THE URGE TO TELL ME TO SWITCH TO 
>> SOME
>> OTHER BROWSER.  There are reasons why I don't want or need to do that. 
>> I'm
>> not going to go into the details right now about that.  By the way this
>> machine is runing windows XP home premium with all of the updates.
>>
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