I sent detailed info on Running Avast Boot Time Scans in another e-mail from my Windows Machine. Here is another thing you should check after your Boot Time Scan...
After you do your Avast Boot Time Scan and the Computer Boots up, it may show you a Report Window listing every potential problem from the Scan. If it does not do this... Open up the main Avast Program and look in the Virus Chest and see if there are any infected files in the Chest. Or try opening up Avast and opening the Log or Reports from the main Program. Either way, look through the Scan Report and select the infected file or you can hold down the control or shift key while selecting multiple files. Then Right Click or use the Menu's at the Top to tell Avast to delete the file or files. If this does not work and returns a can't delete error, then select delete during next reboot. This pretty much always works...
Don
Laura Thompson wrote:
Hi,
Yeah, I used advast. I didn't see how to set up boot scan though. I don't have spybot though, I had it one time on one of my computers but I never did DL it to this one. I do have ad aware. I know TJ has a lot of problems with his computer running really slow, I think it has something to do what all the stuff that he has start up and for some reason his windows updates aren't updating like they should, it's up stairs now, I need to bring it down and really talk a look at it...
I don't have any problems with my laptop other than for some reason my WinXP word will not spell check. I get the: missing msspell.dll and one other one. I can't find the paper I wrote the errors down on. I haven't tried uninstalling the program and reinstalling yet. I have tried inserting the disk and trying repair but that doesn't work.. not really sure what I should do. Tried looking it up on the net and apparently a lot of people have the problem but don't remember reading how any of them fixed it. One said to reinstall...
Anyway, I'll let you go for now. TTYL.
Laura ~ Proverbs 17:17
Date: Wed, 13 May 2009 20:16:37 -0500
Subject: Re: Viruses now penetrating deeper | Tech News on ZDNet
Well, with these new Viruses that get into your MBR (Master Boot Record). You probably wouln't even know when you get one. They are being hidden in web sites and you can get them by just surfing the site. These are called Drive By Viruses. The owner of the Site may not even know that the Virus is there. Many reputable Sites have been infected by Hackers this last year and these Drive By Viruses are the main way of Spreading these PC illnesses. E-mail is falling behind in infection rate next to these new types of Viruses. You may not even know you have one. Unless of course it destroys your MBR and your Computer Wouln't Boot:O I would keep watching how my computer acts, because there are several different versions of these new Viruses and they may act differently. As usual with a Virus, if it starts acting weird, slowing down allot or things not working like they should or sends out e-mails that you know you didn't send. You'll start getting Returned Mail Notices from your ISP from addresses that you didn't send e-mail to. But, the worst thing about Viruses now, are the Trojan Viruses. They may not even make your Computer act weird at all. Not if their main goal is to collect Personal Information that is in you Computer. Keep your AntiVires Software updated Daily and do a complete Boot Scan with Avast or what ever AntiVirus software you have if you suspect a problem. Most Viruses can hide while Windows is Running now days. If your AntiVirus Software can't do a Boot Scan, (scanning all Hard Drives before Windows Boots)... then get a different Antivirus like Avast. I know it will do Boot Scans and it's free. I would get SpyBot Search and Destroy (freeware) too and set it up to run when Windows Starts. It will notify you of System Changes if you turn on the "Tea Timer" feature in it. You'll have to go into the advanced settings to turn on the Tea Timer. And there is allot of other stuff in there too. But it gets pretty complicated in Advanced mode. I wouldn't change anything that I didn't really understand. That could give you head aches. The bad thing about these new Viruses that get into your MBR (Master Boot Record) is that most PC Users have no Idea even what an MBR is, much less how to fix a problem there. And if you mess up your MBR, your Computer Will Not Boot at all!:O I think it would be a good idea to get ready in case you get one of these MBR Viruses. There are some freeware and Open Source MBR Restore Tools out there, that I think could fix or even prevent changes to your MBR. Here are a couple that I have found lately....
HDHacker backs up and restores Master Boot Records
Windows by Brad Linder Jan 30th 2009
HDHacker
The Master Boot Record (or MBR) of a hard drive contains the information
your computer needs in order to know how to boot any operating systems
installed on your system. In other words, if something happens to your
MBR or BootSector, you could be left with an unbootable computer.
HDHacker is a Windows utility that lets you backup or restore your boot
record in a snap. The standalone program can be run from your hard drive
or a USB flash drive. The one thing it does require is a working Windows
installation. So if you've accidentally locked yourself out of Windows,
you'll need to find a way back in before you can restore your MBR.
Read more on my blog at,
http://donsdeals.blogspot.com/2009/01/hdhacker-backs-up-and-restores-master.html
Download HDHacker here...
http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/01/30/hdhacker-backs-up-and-restores-master-boot-records/
AutoSuperGrubDisk is a very easy to install and use Program that you can either leave on your Computer or Uninstall after you fix your MBR. In this case I would just leave it on my Computer. I have it on my Duel Boot Win XP and Linux Computer for easy fixing of the MBR, when I take the Second Hard Drive out...
What is Auto Super Grub Disk ?
Auto Super Grub Disk is an special Super Grub Disk fork. It can fix the
Linux boot without having to ask anything to the user who do not have to
bother about what option should (s)he choose.
Go there...
http://www.supergrubdisk.org/wiki/AutoSuperGrubDisk
My Don's Deals Blog at DonsDeals has more links and articles on Computer Security and allot more stuff too. Just do a search for what you are looking for and you can find links to things I have already found out there...
Don
Laura Thompson wrote: so what is your best advice for not getting a virus? I mean have Virus software, ok what else? If you can get one just by surfing which I don't understand how, how do you protect yourself. ?
Laura ~ Proverbs 17:17
Date: Wed, 13 May 2009 18:49:36 -0500
Subject: Viruses now penetrating deeper | Tech News on ZDNet
Viruses now penetrating deeper
By Victoria Ho ZDNet Asia
Posted on ZDNet News: May 13, 2009 6:52:27 AM
New malware variants have taken researchers by surprise by adapting new "stealth" methods to penetrate systems deeper so as to avoid detection, according to Kaspersky Lab. The antivirus company said in a video conference Wednesday, a new variant of botnet, Sinowal--also known as Torpig--marks the first time cybercriminals have used such sophisticated methods.
Kaspersky said Sinowal writes itself to the user's hard drive master boot record (MBR), the operating system's lowest level, and has been successful in avoiding detection by antivirus products.
It said the worm has has over the last month been actively spreading through a number of methods including Web sites exploiting the Neosploit rootkit and a vulnerability in PDF software, Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Read more...
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-301551.html
