Normal Service Will Be Resumed...
...Eventually.
Peter, Tony: I am a bit of a geek, on the QT, you know, and I had Microshite's anti spyware updated automatically, as was AVG. I'd defragged the hard drive recently. In fact, I'd done everything a good geek should to keep a PC running smoothly.
What actually happened was, I spent a few hours on Saturday morning surfing, and then I'd turned off the computer fully... Later, I switched it back on and got that chilling message inviting me to boot up in safe mode. BUT it wouldn't even let me do that, I restarted several times with the same result: I couldn't actually get into Windows so there was no way I could get on line and get help.
So, I reloaded Windows from the CD (short of a full reformat), and it booted up but it was very slow: and dialogue boxes kept popping up: one was telling me .net framework couldn't run, and another was wanting to install HP photogallery, for God's sake. No matter how many times I clicked on them they'd come back. It was really slow, but I managed to do a virus scan: nada. Nothing else would work, I tried to install the programs it was after, but couldn't. After several hours, dozens of restarts, and much use of the 'c' word, I gave up and reformatted the hard drive, naturally losing all my data because it wouldn't read the blank CD I was trying to burn it to.
Now, obviously, it's running again. But it's really slow, and I'm going to be most of today nursing it back to health.
Peter, Tony: I am a bit of a geek, on the QT, you know, and I had Microshite's anti spyware updated automatically, as was AVG. I'd defragged the hard drive recently. In fact, I'd done everything a good geek should to keep a PC running smoothly.
What actually happened was, I spent a few hours on Saturday morning surfing, and then I'd turned off the computer fully... Later, I switched it back on and got that chilling message inviting me to boot up in safe mode. BUT it wouldn't even let me do that, I restarted several times with the same result: I couldn't actually get into Windows so there was no way I could get on line and get help.
So, I reloaded Windows from the CD (short of a full reformat), and it booted up but it was very slow: and dialogue boxes kept popping up: one was telling me .net framework couldn't run, and another was wanting to install HP photogallery, for God's sake. No matter how many times I clicked on them they'd come back. It was really slow, but I managed to do a virus scan: nada. Nothing else would work, I tried to install the programs it was after, but couldn't. After several hours, dozens of restarts, and much use of the 'c' word, I gave up and reformatted the hard drive, naturally losing all my data because it wouldn't read the blank CD I was trying to burn it to.
Now, obviously, it's running again. But it's really slow, and I'm going to be most of today nursing it back to health.
Sounds like a W32 Spasser type worm or a variant.
ReplyDeleteCan you download a specific search and destroy ?
If you have Ad-Aware you'll probably find a load of nasties quietly operating in the background.
To speed up your re-boot go into the start directory and type msconfig in the run section (bottom section of the right hand window in XP)
Go to the start onglet and untick all the start programmes, reboot and you should be much faster.
Or am I telling granny to suck eggs ?
Rather disputable.
ReplyDelete