computer help
Printed From: Speakerplans.com
Category: Other Chat
Forum Name: Computer Talk
Forum Description: Help and discussion about your manly PC or girly Mac
URL: https://forum.speakerplans.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=23091
Printed Date: 19 April 2024 at 11:47am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.06 - https://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: computer help
Posted By: justamadman
Subject: computer help
Date Posted: 19 January 2009 at 5:57pm
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right guys this is slightly long winded so bear with me, i recently brought a fujitsu siemens esprimo mobile laptop running Vista home premium. i installed a torrent of the latest norton internet security, and at first all was good, i'd run full system scans a few times and they picked up all threats, and the firewall was also spot on. but in the last few days, my firefox searches have been redirecting to ad sites and various other crap. i've run full system scans with norton, which usually scans 20,000+ items and it's only scanning 6000 odd items and saying all is fine. i then used windows defender and it scans many more items before i get a blue screen saying there is an error and that my laptop needs to close to prevent damage and it does this everytime i run windows defender. the error report gave me a list of files that were involved with the blue screen and they were all in the temp files list, so i deleted all the temp files to see if that helped but still no luck. anyone got any ideas? many thanks Ian. ------------- in front of the bass bins baby |
Replies:
Posted By: odc04r
Date Posted: 19 January 2009 at 6:10pm
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I prefer spybot S&D and adaware for these issues. Norton is a pretty useless product, will pretty much just slow your system down for no extra gain. If you can find the offending files research them using google, remove them with the software that detected them if possible, if not try killbox or deleting in safe mode. Use noscript for firefox to prevent sites running unwanted scripts, and stop downloading dodgy exe files ;) The blue screen I cannot advise on, sounds unusual. |
Posted By: Phil.2008
Date Posted: 19 January 2009 at 6:33pm
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Cut your losses and install XP. Vista is terrible. Your laptop will run quicker then as well. |
Posted By: jbl_man
Date Posted: 19 January 2009 at 6:49pm
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^What he said...also its worth trying using AVG antivirus,its free,and its good...it will also find the ad-bot and suspect cookies causing the mis-directs . ------------- Be seeing you. |
Posted By: numtie
Date Posted: 19 January 2009 at 6:53pm
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sounds like the work of malware download http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php - http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php and use this tool proberly one of the best for getting rid of that sort of thing and norton is crap resource hungry program use avg free insted ------------- Disco Hire Wales |
Posted By: tallmike
Date Posted: 19 January 2009 at 7:35pm
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I don't know if Firefox uses 'addons' like MSIE, but usually that search engine redirect script is an addon, often called something inconspicuous like 'research'.
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Posted By: nickyburnell
Date Posted: 19 January 2009 at 7:49pm
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Whoa, Do what Numptie says first. If it won't run then re-name it and run in safe mode.
Find another PC to download and while you are there do a search for combo fix. Download and run. Once again re-name if need be. Ignore the message about recovery console.
IF and when it's all run and removed stuff go to IE tools, connections and make sure no proxy is set. I would also do a search for winsock fix and run that afterwards.
Get all the Norton stuff off you PC, Download Kasperky free trial or NOD 32 free trial (my choice) and run it.
IF all this works and you still get re-directed then Google Pack and download Spyware Doctor, this should weed out the rest.
Combe Fix Is vicious, it can cock everything up, gotta try though. Maybe try with Malware Bytes and Spyware Doctor first?
Saying get rid of Vista may well be good advice, nothing to do with this though, IE7 and Firefox are same as for XP and Vista, in otherwords vulnerable.
When your done PAY for NOD32 or Kaspersky, £29 ish for a year, torrents for AV, your asking for it!
 PS, Norton couldn't catch a cold. (allegedly)
MODS, this needs moving to Computer section.
PS if Malwarbytes won't update change the mirror. ------------- It's everything, not everythink! |
Posted By: Spuggy
Date Posted: 19 January 2009 at 11:50pm
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Firstly - stop browsing dodgy web sites, including porno, which is where most mallware comes from. Facebook and other similar so-called community sites are also riddled with mallware. Download and install the free version of "Ad-Aware" and run it. This software is designed to deal with issues such as yours and should kill it. If the problem still persists, or even for your own 'peace of mind', download and install 'Spyware Doctor'. (Make sure you download it from one of their own servers though, there's at least one other version of this that will actually corrupt you computer further!). There are some issues with it if you decide to purchase it and install it for permanent protection (but nowhere as bad as Norton!), however I've found that SD is currently the most effective at killing anything that shoudn't be there! I would also agree with installing "NoScript" into Firefox. Also "CookieSafe" (which will give you control over your cookies - most these days can be blocked anyway, though some per session are still needed to keep track of e.g. your 'shopping trolley'). Also set your browsers to delete 'all temporary files on exit' or the equivelent. Another usefull utility is 'ATF-Cleaner' (Google it for further info). Given that it's a laptop, and recently purchased, I'm assuming that most software was pre-installed. Obviously I don't know your level of IT expertise, but I'll just say that my Sony Vaio (about four years old now) went so bad so very quickly with it's preinstalled setup that within weeks of it's purchase I re-formatted the hard drive and set it up again from scratch. Needed to purchase new set of oem CD's for everything though, as well as download a number of drivers. But then I've enjoyed doing that sort of thing (and on servers as well) since MS DOS 3.3. BTW, my daytime job is in IT Technical Support. |
Posted By: JaKe
Date Posted: 20 January 2009 at 12:09am
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Also make sure your using a router and not a crappy USB modem, the only sure way of getting rid of malware is to delete all partitions and start again, formatting the C: drive should do it though. Kaspersky can be had on Ebay for about £15 for 3 user licence. Your laptop may have a restore partition so be careful with just sticking a Vista/XP disk on as you may permanently destroy it, not a problem if you don't ever intend on using it - will free up some disk space if you do. |
Posted By: levyte357
Date Posted: 20 January 2009 at 12:18am
2x Biggest mistakes you ever made. As someone else suggested, Get Kaspersky 3 user Internet Security off ebay or Computer Fair for £20. Will be best money you ever spent. Vista is a dog on most machines, but at least Kaspersky + Firefox + Noscript + legal copy of Windows + auto updates, will do excellent job of keeping you safe. Also, if you intend to Install XP+SP3 instead, make sure you have located all the XP certified drivers for your laptop first.  ------------- "Who am I? I'm the guy who does his job.. You must be the other guy". |
justamadman wrote:Posted By: Spuggy
Date Posted: 20 January 2009 at 12:27am
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Sorry, I missed something there. First step is to uninstall 'Windows Defender', as the running of this is what is causing the BSOD. (Actually I find it useful to manually copy the first line of the BSOD message into Google on another computer, even though in these sort of cases it can mislead you into areas of hardware faults and driver conflicts - totally irrelevant here!). Nicky's solution is a good one if you are in a BSOD situation after bootup but during loading of startup progs., and have the knowledge and experience to deal with the unexpected, as will surely happen. Depending on what I see I sometimes prefer to go for either a parallel or even an overwrite re/installation of the OS. (Both have their own problems, but I did once bring back to life a company's NT4 File Server with the parallel installation approach. Yes, I was as delighted as they were!). |
Posted By: nickyburnell
Date Posted: 20 January 2009 at 12:49am
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No bad language here please. NT4 indeed!
Also, as said, Format and re-install or, "Resore disks" probably quicker.
Also, off subject a bit but a good tip: If you have one of the, "Ready made" type of PC's with Vista RESTORE or make your own RESTORE disks, get a proper copy of Vista off someone, any one will do as long as it's real. That way you can run the automated repair stuff from boot. It will sort most MBR stuff.
Anyhow, Windows 7 will soon be with us and we can forget Vista forever, resigned to the cupboard with Millenium....Unless 7 is worse.... ------------- It's everything, not everythink! |
Posted By: Spuggy
Date Posted: 20 January 2009 at 1:18am
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Oh dear, so much mis-information coming out! I would suggest you all search the propper IT forums! Kaspersky always has and always will let through more than it stops, it's only a simple generic antivirus prog. As indeed are all other cheap or free so called antivirus solutions. and the only thing they are any use for is detecting such things as the old MS Word viruses. Norton is no longer the same reliable company that saved Microsoft's DOS 5 many years ago, the suite they hardsell now takes over your computer and slows it down. More important is that it is so very easily hacked by Trojans, which is why this guy at the top of this thread can no longer run a full scan without a high proportion of his files being ignored! (Well they will be won't they! And any other poor quality scanner will get confused because these files are being held by Norton as 'suspicious' but with no conclusion as to whether they've already been tagged as malicious or not - to the corrupt Norton they've been taken out of the eqation, probably held in cyberspace somewhere?). Good computer protection costs a lot of money per year. There are many components of mallware protection and they require a balance of probably three sets of software installed to provide even a minimum level of detection. BTW. In this context, there's no diference between a USB modem and any other type of modem. This USB is purely the connection between the modem and the computer. Whatever the connection you still need firewall (and not just IP address translation) software on your computer. Sadly, this in itself these days is useless - they only close off the ports traditionally used for infiltration into your computer. These days all mallware comes into your computer via port 80, and guess what - everything you view on "t'interweb" comes in via port 80! Oh I do wish that I didn't work in IT Technical Support - it donarf get tedious !! |
Posted By: Spuggy
Date Posted: 20 January 2009 at 2:02am
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I get this feeling Nickyburnell knows far more and is far more competent than I first realised. I should have looked at the number of his posts - over 1100! I also get this feeling that he and I could create the longest thread on record on IT issues. ('nough said!) Never had any luck with any form of 'rescue', not even from disks. Most supplied anyway with laptops are useless after you've installed your own software, and are usually of the Norton Ghost variety. I know there's a massive difference between a computer being used in a working environment and one being used at home. The situation the fella's in at the start of this thread if it had been in my working environment I wouldn't even had bothered looking at it, I would have just advised the helpdesk to re-Ghost (reclone) it. However this is obviously a home laptop probably being used to control his sound system, so I have to give way to your approach. BTW, please don't knock NT4. :) Apart from my bulding from scratch and implementin a double rack of NT4 servers (including MS SQL and MS Exchange Mail Server, along with interfaces to AS400 and Novell 3.12, and then migrating the Novell into NT4 for 300 or so users), I was well and trully miffed when the company I worked for then wouldn't pay for my MCSE exams! Sickening!! 
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Posted By: levyte357
Date Posted: 20 January 2009 at 2:13am
http://www.consumersearch.com/antivirus-software - http://www.consumersearch.com/antivirus-software http://internet-security-suite-review.toptenreviews.com - http://internet-security-suite-review.toptenreviews.com I have Kaspersky Internet Security 7.0 installed, and it catches a lot more than Word viruses.  ------------- "Who am I? I'm the guy who does his job.. You must be the other guy". |
Posted By: Spuggy
Date Posted: 20 January 2009 at 3:34am
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levyte357, If you take another look in those stats you will see a product called Panda Internet Security which is a total security package including automatic firewall (by software package as well as by port), advanced antivirus including heuristic analasys, trojan, and worm detection. Several years ago Panda was criticised like mad, mainly due to the price, however you now get licences for three PC's /laptops for the price of one which now makes it cheaper for most users, and my goodness they ain't half improved the product since their original antivirus only solution. I accept there are very serious problems with the Anti-Spam side of it, even in the latest 2009 IS version, but let's face it - who in their right mind would download all their email regardless to their PC anyway? Unless perhaps if it were prefiltered by MessageLabs? I still have Panda IS running on my second laptop, an old IBM Thinkpad under Win2000, and have to say I hardly notice it there (mind you when I open the log file I can certainly see it's been doing it's stuff!). The great thing is because it's a lesser known product it never gets hacked and disabled / partially disabled, as well known solutions like e.g. Norton etc. will be. I accept that Kaspersky has improved, yet from what I see on BB's it still has a very long way to go. My own preference lies within the Trend Proffessional Suites of solutions (a part of the Computer Associates organisation, [.......as was??????....... My g/f just nudged me there while I was typing!....... Anyone out there know the situation with C.A.?.... Well my products here are still updating.]). Anyway, it's still a fact that what you get is what you pay for. |
Posted By: COWFOOT
Date Posted: 20 January 2009 at 4:10am
| Has there ever been a murder of a hacker by the owner of the corrupted pc? |
Posted By: Spuggy
Date Posted: 20 January 2009 at 4:17am
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Ha! Probably not. But probably not enough of either thrown into prison either! |
Posted By: COWFOOT
Date Posted: 20 January 2009 at 4:31am
| Time for the hacked to do some hacking I say.Hack for hack. |
Posted By: JaKe
Date Posted: 20 January 2009 at 8:26am
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I've had remove Panda off a few computers so that the owners could actually use them again, at first thought their machines were slow because of Malware but it was the Panda sh*t all over them that was the problem. Router firewalls are a hell of a lot better than having no hardware firewall and you don't need to be browsing porn and warez sites to get your computer chogged full of malware, just click on one dodgy link in an infected web page. I have one machine here that the customer wants cleaning rather than reinstalling and against my better judgement I am on about the fifth scan product and have manually trawled the registry, searched for rootkits and I'm still finding stuff. Malware is big business and they are nearlly always a step or two ahead of the antivirus companies and now with the ongoing development of Rootkits it is impossible to be absoluteley sure that you have removed all traces of an infection without completely wiping the HDD. |
Posted By: levyte357
Date Posted: 20 January 2009 at 9:13am
I also notice from the stats, ZoneAlarm Internet Security is rated above Kaspersky by some people. Zonealarm was the best firewall software for a long time, but now it has Kaspersky AV technology, it seems well 'ard. Problem is, I now understand every bit of config in Kaspersky, and even though my current PC is just a dual core 3.0 ghz Pentium 530 Prescott HT, with 2gb ram +XPSP3, even with Kaspersky running, I can still play games, whilst in the background, Outlook, Firefox3, IE, MSN Messenger are still running. ------------- "Who am I? I'm the guy who does his job.. You must be the other guy". |
Posted By: nickyburnell
Date Posted: 20 January 2009 at 9:47am
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Keep it Lev. Had to remove ZA AGAIN last week from a machine. The firewall is fine IMHO untill it updates, loadsa trouble sometimes, coupled with Joe Public denying everything. The one in question had just had a firewall update (!) and had gone 100% cpu, a ZA service gone mad. Also when I installed Nod32 the customer said the machine was better than when she had it new with ZA.
ZA, McAffee, Norton, FSecure, Panda and the Virgin thingy seem to all be too resourse hungry still.
Also in my experience, those AV that use/have used Kaspersky's engine (Active Virus Shield & The Shield Deluxe) don't implement it at all well. The horror on the thread entitled, "Complicated" on here is looking like a culprit of The Virus Shield, a user of Kaspersky's engine. ------------- It's everything, not everythink! |
Posted By: levyte357
Date Posted: 20 January 2009 at 12:02pm
OK, if you insist.. Favourite bits about Kas is when alarm box pops up when Utorrent or Limewire has "just" finished downloading s/w or music, and Kas says its dody, or when MSN Messenger periodically tries to connect somewhere or phone home without my permission. Also being able to config which Apps are allowed to even run, never mind access the net is invaluable. ------------- "Who am I? I'm the guy who does his job.. You must be the other guy". |
Posted By: nickyburnell
Date Posted: 20 January 2009 at 1:04pm
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True, 'tis very good, too much control for some people though! ------------- It's everything, not everythink! |