In trouble!

clearingout

Hello,
wonder if anyone can help?

I have two free e-mail accounts - hotmail and gmail. computer working fine when closed down last night. Opened this morning - gmail fine and I opened one email only which came from ebay. went into hotmail which was very slow - closed it down without opening anything and since then, all hell has broken lose! My computer keeps telling me I'm infected with both spyware and viruses and I need to remove them. Fair enough. Trying to download free scans/removal software (as recommended on the sticky at the top of this thread) but can't down load them - keep being told that the related exe file is infected. I frequent very few websites when it comes down to it - all of which I would suggest shouldn't cause me any problems. I have not been anywhere unusual recently!

computer is old - running XP. Is it terminal? anything at all to be done? I am single mum, no money whatsoever to get someone out to sort this so any advice very gratefully received.

fwor

Certainly sounds like a scareware virus.

Have you tried booting in Safe Mode (hit F8 as Windows is starting up)? This will usually get it running without the virus starting, and you should be able to run Malwarebytes from there.

S0litaire

Make sure you pick "Safe Mode with Networking"

*Note*
Did the wallpaper change to say you are infected?
Dealt with a laptop last week that this happened to.

If it did then try the below:
You just need to rename a single file to let things install.
(This is not a cure! just a way to let the anti-virus / spyware programs to be installed so you can clean out your system.)

Check "Program Files" for a unusual folder that looks a bit like this "024fc4d34ec45" (It will looks like random characters).
You'll find in that folder a .EXE file with the same name as the folder.
Rename it to anything else.
Then reboot into "safe mode with networking".
That should let you download the virus/spyware removal tools and install them.
install the programs and run them.
Then reboot normally and run them again.

dogmaryxx

Detailed instructions for removal can be found here.

Scroll down to
Automated Removal Instructions for System Tool using Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware:

clearingout

thanks for trying.

yes, the screen changed - it is a blue screen now advising me in huge red letters that I am in mortal danger of viruses and spyware!

1) went into safemode - couldn't access internet.
2) tried safemode with networking and here I am
3) couldn't find the file you mention - not sure if I'm looking in the right place, though? tried in my documents. Can't find 'program files'. Sorry if it's obvious, will keep looking for it!
4) Tried to download malwarebytes - wouldn't let me. Error in the middle of it.
5) Tried to download stopzilla - same problem.

where to do now? do I need a professional?!

macman

What antivirus software are you using?

clearingout

dogmaryxx wrote: »

Detailed instructions for removal can be found here.

Scroll down to
Automated Removal Instructions for System Tool using Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware:

thank you - this is exactly it. Am trying to work it out now! Will let you all know.

S0litaire

Yup

That's the same one i fixed last week.

*Opps!*

Forgot that I basically did the same as the instructions. ^_^ but i used another computer to download the programs and copied them over using USB and not on the infected machine.

clearingout

Just a quick update. I'm here in 'normal' mode, no flashing lights and 'you will die if you don't install our software now' signs. There is, however, a small bubble that keeps coming up telling me that 'antivirus software might not be installed'. I am ignoring it and it keeps going away.

I am very, very grateful for your help. If nothing else, I have today learnt that computers are perhaps not as scary as I thought they were!

Now, just a few questions.
a) where did it come from? I am assuming Hotmail as it was entering that site that seemed to trigger it. I am 99.9% sure I didn't open any e-mails, but rather deleted a load (I use it for my ex husband and for signing up to sites like this, nothing else!). I am nervous about going back in. Am I right to be concerned? Anything I can do to minimize the risk?
b) It's probably fair to say I have no anti-virus sofware as we used to use Norton and I haven't updated it since I've had possession of this machine which is quite some time now. Can anyone advise as to the 'best', low cost (preferably free) software I should be using?

Many thanks. Your support quite literally saved my day!

macman

Remove Norton (using the Norton Removal Tool). You have the option of several good free AV programs such as Avira, Avast, or MSE to name just three.
I'm afraid that if you have been running without a updated AV program for some time, then your machine will inevitably be heavily infected by now, so 'where did it come from' seems a strange question-it's inevitable.

Kaz2904

It came from ebay. There's tonnes of it about at the moment and loads of us with issues. Gits!