# My Computer Virus journey - Important Information



## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

My computer virus journey started last weekend. I started getting popups while in the Internet Explorer that warned of computer threat. I thought it was my virus protection and like an idiot clicked on the continue button after it kept coming up everytime I clicked on a link. I also had this icon in my systray at the bottom right of my screen. When you click on it a Window pops up wanting you to buy the protection. I didn't do it, but it was already to late for my computer. I spent hours with my virus protection help and with Dell support, but nothing got rid of it and I can no longer use my laptop. I now have to completely reformat it to get rid of the virus.The title of the virus is *Spyware Protect 2009 *  and it is part of the Conficter virus that steals user ids and user passwords. Once it is on your computer it takes over the internet explorer and when you search for it, it will take you to websites for removing it. They are bogus and if you download the removal it then installs the Conficter virus completely. My company is also seeing this problem on our work laptops and our IT department sent out the warning at the bottom of this message.

















*Here is the email from my IT department*:

A recent development regarding the Conficker virus has been detected, where it is now directing infected machines to download new, harmful files, thus activating the botnet. Here's how this new behavior works:

Conficker sends out email spam without your knowledge. In addition, Conficker uses pop-ups to warn of PC infection and offers fake antivirus software, called 'SpywareProtect2009' at a price of $49.95. If purchased, credit card information is stolen and the virus downloads even more malicious software.

If you encounter a pop-up like this, do not click on the pop-up at all - not even to close the box. To remove the pop-up without infection, open your Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Delete), and close your Browser in the list of Applications (Explorer, Firefox, etc.). You should take additional precautions to ensure you are not already infected and have adequate protection.


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## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

Ugh.  The "click here to get virus protection" is a classic phishing scheme, but recent versions seem to be particularly nasty.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Besides the obvious advice of making sure you have up-to-date protection software, I'd suggest that you download and install pretty much any web browser other than IE (Firefox, Opera, Google Chrome...) and set it to be your default browser, and then never use IE again. While it may be debatable as to the inherent security level of any of those others compared to IE, the likelihood is still that a hacker will be much more inclined to target IE since it is the most used browser (just as a hacker is more likely to target Windows than Mac OS, as Windows is a much more "target rich environment").


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## Shizu (Oct 27, 2008)

Thank you for posting this. I'll tell my daughters. They usually call me when something pop-up but never know what they'll do... and I'm the one who need to setup their computer.


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

Hope it helps someone else not have a problem. This has been a week of frustration for me.


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## KindleKay (aka #1652) (Jan 20, 2009)

OH MY!!!!!

I have been trying to get this off my son's computer for 2 weeks now!!!!

OH NO!!!!!!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I went through this last year.  After several calls to my ISP, I switched over to Firefox from IE, which helped immensely.  Then I had to get rid of the darn thing.  

Go to trendmicro.com and run housecalls65.  It takes several hours to run, but it's pretty thorough.  I then did a scan through McAfee, to clean up the quarantined items (and there were over 100).  Finally, I ran Spybot S&D, which finished off the rest of the junk.  

It took me about three months to find the right combination to cure the cold.


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## KindleKay (aka #1652) (Jan 20, 2009)

Gertie Kindle 'Turn to Page 390' said:


> Go to trendmicro.com and run housecalls65. It takes several hours to run, but it's pretty thorough.


I went to trendmicro.com but I can't find housecalls65....any ideas? Or maybe you can post a link??


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## KindleMom (Dec 11, 2008)

I got this exact virus too.  And I didn't click on it!  Luckily I'm married to a computer nerd who knew how to fix it or I would be computerless right now.

Good luck to anyone without a computer nerd amongst your family/friends.  I have no idea how I would have recovered my computer without my sweet DH's expertise.


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

The problem I have is that I am the computer nerd in the family and just didn't heed my own advice. I am just trying to restore to a place where my computer will stay on long enough for me to recover important files. Once I do that I'm just going to do a factory restore and start over. I have run everything I can find and spent countless hours online with support people trying to fix my computer. I'm have been surprised with the support folks I have talked. They don't seem to know what this virus is and have actually hurt rather than helped throughout this whole thing. This is a bad virus and I urge everyone to do a complete scan on their computers. 

Thanks Gertie with the information. Once I do the restore, I'm going to do all of the things you suggested before adding back the recovered data. I'm also going to scan every file before putting it back on my laptop. I have a very expensive system that I love and just want it back working like it should.


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

Wishing you the best of luck Kathy - I don't know of anything more frustrating than computer problems!  And I remember when we didn't have computers


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## ladyknight33 (Feb 2, 2009)

Kathy, I feel your pain.  

I have a virus on my laptop too. It started acting funny while I was on vacation. My daughter was online and it started downloading anupdate and the rest is history. Zapped. My brother the computer guru has isolated the viruses and is working to get my laptop clean. I have a desktop but its not the same as having the laptop. My mobie creator is on the laptop so I have not dwonloaded any new books to my Kindle form other sites. 

Good luck in getting your computer up and running soon.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

KindleKay (aka #1652) said:


> I went to trendmicro.com but I can't find housecalls65....any ideas? Or maybe you can post a link??


Here's the link. Click on the free scan. You have to stay by your computer for a while to go through a few steps and then it takes about 4-5 hours to run. Just keep checking back on it.

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/


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## KindleKay (aka #1652) (Jan 20, 2009)

Gertie, you are a doll!  Thank you for the link....I have DS laptop here next to me and I am going to run it now.  Fingers crossed that your step 1 will work....


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## KindleMom (Dec 11, 2008)

Kathy, I'm sorry that even the IT people are no help.  Dang!  

I asked DH what he did to get rid of it.  He said he googled what to do about it, came up with about 20 different ways to get rid of it, after trying about 10 he ended up wiping the computer clean and starting over.  We back up via Mosy every night so it was fairly easy to get everything back on it.  What took him forever was the trial and error process.  And it was extremely frustrating.

Hang in there!  I hope what Gertie has linked you to will solve all of your problems and not just the computer ones.     And thanks for the warning for other folks.  We always need reminders not to click on stuff.  At least I do.  Clearly.


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## KindleKay (aka #1652) (Jan 20, 2009)

Poo!  

I can't get the stupid page to come up because the infection screen keeps blocking it!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

KindleKay (aka #1652) said:


> Poo!
> 
> I can't get the stupid page to come up because the infection screen keeps blocking it!


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## KindleKay (aka #1652) (Jan 20, 2009)

Gertie Kindle 'Turn to Page 390' said:


>


Yea....that about covers it


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## Neversleepsawink;) (Dec 16, 2008)

Just about 20 minutes ago I got a thing saying they were checking my computer for viruses....I shut down my computer instantly...its gone.  Phew!!!  I learned in my childs technology class that you should shut your computer down as soon as you see something like this.


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

I'm so sad. I never could get Windows to come back up. Just spend the last hour with tech support and nothing I could do, but to a restore. I have my computer back, but lost data. I back up pretty regularly, but still I'll have to reload all of my programs that didn't come with it back on. A lot of them were downloaded and I lost all of my email, so I will have to hunt to find them to redownload. I don't know if I'll find everything, so I'll probably be buying new. Lost some pictures. The only ones I didn't have backup off were ones taken or emailed to me from my children in the last 3 or 4 months. I've been getting a lot because I have 2 that were born last year and they send me weekly updates. The others are older and I had backed those up recently. The email is going to be the hardest. 

I have tried for the last 2 weeks to back up everything, but Windows wouldn't stay up long enough for me to do it. Please everyone learn from my mistake, don't click on anything you are not sure of. I hit the continue button before I even realized that it wasn't the cancel button. I just wasn't pay attention.



KindleKay (aka #1652) said:


> Poo!
> 
> I can't get the stupid page to come up because the infection screen keeps blocking it!


This is exactly what happened to me. Everytime I tried to go to a website I was diverted to other places and trying to force me to download the remove, which is really the install of the complete virus. Believe me I feel your pain.



Neversleepsawink;) said:


> Just about 20 minutes ago I got a thing saying they were checking my computer for viruses....I shut down my computer instantly...its gone. Phew!!! I learned in my childs technology class that you should shut your computer down as soon as you see something like this.


Smart move.


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## Neversleepsawink;) (Dec 16, 2008)

What is funny is that technology class was his online class...and well he is in 1st grade.  So my 1st grader has better technology skills than I do.  LOL!


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

Something that no one has mentioned so far is that you can create a user account for yourself that is NOT an administrator.  So you have no permissions to install anything.  It makes it much harder to accidentally damage your system when you are running just as a general user.
It's a bit of a pain, because you effectively have to manage two accounts - one that you use to install software and printers and stuff and one for everyday use, but it has tremendous payoffs.
We have been doing this at work for a few years and the number of calls that we get now about accidentally installing something have dwindled down to practically nothing.


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

Andra said:


> Something that no one has mentioned so far is that you can create a user account for yourself that is NOT an administrator. So you have no permissions to install anything. It makes it much harder to accidentally damage your system when you are running just as a general user.
> It's a bit of a pain, because you effectively have to manage two accounts - one that you use to install software and printers and stuff and one for everyday use, but it has tremendous payoffs.
> We have been doing this at work for a few years and the number of calls that we get now about accidentally installing something have dwindled down to practically nothing.


That is how I was set up, but gave myself to much power. Live and learn.


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## Buttercup (Oct 28, 2008)

I had that on my computer a while back too but was immediately suspicious of it.  I did a google search and found a free removal tool which took care of the problem.


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## KindleKay (aka #1652) (Jan 20, 2009)

Do you have a link Buttercup?  Maybe I can get to it....


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## Buttercup (Oct 28, 2008)

Sorry I don't remember which site I used but here are links to several and a you tube video with instructions

http://www.411-spyware.com/spyware-protect-2009-removal

http://www.2-spyware.com/remove-spyware-protect-2009.html


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## Shizu (Oct 27, 2008)

About 12 years ago I had really bad experience with virus. It's not like this virus at all. I didn't even had a chance to use any software to remove it. Well, I downloaded a free software and click on it. It started and it was taking so long to install. Okay so I waited and in some point I reboot the computer. What happen is my computer won't turn on. I tried so many times but still the same so I used the Window CD to see if I could find out what is happening... well... the entire files from hard disk are wiped out including the external disk and the zip disk that was connected to computer at the time leaving only the folder names. I lost everything in my computer. It was so scary.

I'm more careful now. I do backup more often now but sometime things happen to the computer and when I lose pictures, files... I'll be so sad and upset that day.


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## KindleKay (aka #1652) (Jan 20, 2009)

UPDATE!

I am making PROGRESS!!!!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Maybe this will help. Can't hurt.


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## KindleKay (aka #1652) (Jan 20, 2009)

<sigh>

update: I got on the housecall65 website and got as far as beginning the scan, but it keeps freezing up.

ugh

I really thought that I was getting somewhere..... Is it wrong that I am thankful that it is my DS computer and not mine??


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

KindleKay (aka #1652) said:


> <sigh>
> 
> update: I got on the housecall65 website and got as far as beginning the scan, but it keeps freezing up.
> 
> ...


Are you sure it's freezing? Did you get as far as the "test" screen?


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## KindleKay (aka #1652) (Jan 20, 2009)

OK....I am on a screen that is "updating and starting Housecall".  There is a scroller thingy on the left hand column that is whizing back and forth....and the indicator on the bottom of the screen is about 1/3 loaded but it doesn't seem to be going any more than that......I have just hit the refresh button and it did refresh and the bottom indicator thingy went back to nothing and then slowly loaded back to where it was before, so maybe it is working  The screen before this one said it was transferring files....so maybe I just need more patience.  I thought that this was just step one and the 4-5 hour scan would be later, but maybe not.....


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## Buttercup (Oct 28, 2008)

I seem to remember the scan and removal process taking a long time so hang in there!


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

Good luck KindleKay! I have to say, even though I had to do the factory restore my laptop is running great. My children were kind enough to send me all of the pictures I was missing. I'm happy now. Got all of my mother's day calls, so life is getting back to normal. Hang in there.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

KindleKay (aka #1652) said:


> OK....I am on a screen that is "updating and starting Housecall". There is a scroller thingy on the left hand column that is whizing back and forth....and the indicator on the bottom of the screen is about 1/3 loaded but it doesn't seem to be going any more than that......I have just hit the refresh button and it did refresh and the bottom indicator thingy went back to nothing and then slowly loaded back to where it was before, so maybe it is working The screen before this one said it was transferring files....so maybe I just need more patience. I thought that this was just step one and the 4-5 hour scan would be later, but maybe not.....


When my computer was so chocked with malware, the first housecalls run took nearly all day.


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## KindleKay (aka #1652) (Jan 20, 2009)

With my DS, there is no telling what all is on there.  He is 12 and doesn't pay as much attention as he should!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

KindleKay (aka #1652) said:


> With my DS, there is no telling what all is on there. He is 12 and doesn't pay as much attention as he should!


The whole thing started with DGS typing in an address incorrectly. Then I added to it by accidentally clicking OK instead of Cancel on one of those pop-ups. It was all downhill from there.


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

Gertie Kindle 'Turn to Page 390' said:


> The whole thing started with DGS typing in an address incorrectly. Then I added to it by accidentally clicking OK instead of Cancel on one of those pop-ups. It was all downhill from there.


My problem as well. The popup that came up for me, where the cancel button usually is, it said continue. It was downhill for after that.


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## Shizu (Oct 27, 2008)

Do you remember how this started to happen? Like opening a email or some site or something.


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## KindleKay (aka #1652) (Jan 20, 2009)

My son said that it was a pop up on the lower right of the computer.  He thought that it was his virus protection telling him he had a virus so he clicked OK......


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

No, I really don't know how I got it. When I opened my internet explorer and went to a website, it popped up. After that, the icon appeared in my systray at the bottom and kept opening this







screen. A dialog came up and I hit continue without realizing it. I thought it was a cancel button. I didn't read it fast enough. After that I could not get rid of it. Every search I did on it took me to websites that looked real, even the Microsoft site, but they had the same download software. That is when I realized that I was in trouble. I got on my husband's laptop and found the info on the virus. Nothing that I did got rid of it. Eventually all of the fixes that I did, just completely shut my computer down. I would get into Window, but as soon as I tried to open something, my computer would shut down.


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## Shizu (Oct 27, 2008)

So that icon/program was installed while he was using his computer without notice...


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

Shizu said:


> So that icon/program was installed while he was using his computer without notice...


The icon just appears, you don't see it installing. It comes up everytime you click on anything in the Internet Explorer. This virus takes over your IE and tries to force you to install.


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## Shizu (Oct 27, 2008)

Kathy said:


> No, I really don't know how I got it. When I opened my internet explorer and went to a website, it popped up. After that, the icon appeared in my systray at the bottom and kept opening this
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That sound very scary. When I turn my computer off, sometime I get worry that when I turn it on the next time, it won't turn on. The last virus I got really got to me...


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

The first thing you should do is switch to Firefox.  IE is too vulnerable.


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

Shizu said:


> That sound very scary. When I turn my computer off, sometime I get worry that when I turn it on the next time, it won't turn on. The last virus I got really got to me...


Everyday that I turned mine back on something new happened. I have had 3 chats with Trend Micro, my virus protection, and 4 chats with Dell support. They would help me get it back up and running and then something new would happen. The virus kept trying to invade my laptop. Everything ran slow. I finally could not load Windows XP at all. I finally gave up and just did the Factory Restore and now it is great. The only thing that bothers me the most is losing my email and email addresses. I don't know how to get them all back. I have most in an Excel spreadsheet, so hopefully I'm not missing to many. The other thing is getting all of my software programs back on. A lot of them were downloaded, but I seem to be finding them. Just a headache is all.


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## Neversleepsawink;) (Dec 16, 2008)

I'm glad the restore worked....on my last computer Dell charged me $70 just to tell me how to do it.  I will never forget it...I'm a pro at system restore now...LOL!


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## Shizu (Oct 27, 2008)

Kathy said:


> Everyday that I turned mine back on something new happened. I have had 3 chats with Trend Micro, my virus protection, and 4 chats with Dell support. They would help me get it back up and running and then something new would happen. The virus kept trying to invade my laptop. Everything ran slow. I finally could not load Windows XP at all. I finally gave up and just did the Factory Restore and now it is great. The only thing that bothers me the most is losing my email and email addresses. I don't know how to get them all back. I have most in an Excel spreadsheet, so hopefully I'm not missing to many. The other thing is getting all of my software programs back on. A lot of them were downloaded, but I seem to be finding them. Just a headache is all.


I backup all the software I'm using, pictures, and files on external hard disk which I do not connect unless I do the backup. But sometimes my computer crashes before the backup...  I have to start making the spreadsheet too. I think I'm losing my memory each day a little by little.


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## Shizu (Oct 27, 2008)

Neversleepsawink;) said:


> I'm glad the restore worked....on my last computer Dell charged me $70 just to tell me how to do it. I will never forget it...I'm a pro at system restore now...LOL!


I'm using Dell too so I'll ask you (the pro) for advice next time I need to do system restore.


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

Neversleepsawink;) said:


> I'm glad the restore worked....on my last computer Dell charged me $70 just to tell me how to do it. I will never forget it...I'm a pro at system restore now...LOL!


My laptop is still under warranty, so no charge. I work with computers, so knew how to do the restore. I got a little put off yesterday, because all of my questions were answered with one answer and that was how to do the restore. Finally I got snippy, not proud of that, but I just wanted simple answers to simple questions. In the middle of our chat, I got an a question that did not make sense at all. He was doing to chats at once and ask me the question instead of the other person. That didnt make me to happy. Finally, after much hair pulling, he explained that the problem I was having with opening windows could not be fixed without the restore. I would get a blue screen that said "STOP: c0000135 {Unable To Locate Component} This application has failed to start because KERNEL32.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem.", which made me think I could repair it. What it meant was that I couldn't repair it without wiping out everything. It was a long 2 week struggle, but now I'm glad I did the restore. My laptop is running great now.


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## Neversleepsawink;) (Dec 16, 2008)

Shizu said:


> I'm using Dell too so I'll ask you (the pro) for advice next time I need to do system restore.


No problem...I'd be glad to help


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