My computer has been hijacked by "Adware Virtumondo" and I can't seem to get rid of it. I've used McAfee VirusScan, Microsoft AntiSpyware, Adaware and Spybot over and over and over. Also used scandisk to remove temp files, etc.

And, not sure if this is related but Windows Task Manager shows my cpu running at close to 100% most of the time (previously ran much, much lower).

I thought I remembered an earlier thread with links to free worm/trojan removal but can't find it. Any advice on getting rid of this nasty bug?

Thanks in advance. Who would believe that I could go to a cruise board for computer advice! :lct:

Donna, I was hijacked yesterday while researching how to fix my girlfriends hijacked computer :)

I fixed mine by turning back my registry to last week. Before I did that, I tried everything imaginable and nothing else worked.

Assuming you are using Windows XP
Go to your start button then to programs then accessories then to PC help and tools and then system restore.

I set my pc's registry back to Sept. 1st and I am fine now.

Thanks, Karen, I did "restore" but unfortunately had already outsmarted myself. You see, when I perform my once-a-week computer maintenance I always delete all but the last restore date. Maybe I won't be doing that anymore!

I ran both virus softwares again and so far, looks like I have finally removed the bad guy. Part of the problem was that the programs are operating so slowly that it takes forever to do the virus scan. After the virus scans, I went to the Control Panel and deleted the paging files and then set that up again. Seems to have helped. I'm wondering if my last Micrsoft update added some program that is using too much memory.

So much for getting any work done today. Computer diagnositcs taking up all my time!
Thanks again, Karen.

I run noAdwhere, Spy Sweeper amd a Microsoft spyware every morning in the backround, while doing my morning internet. I update Norton every mornig and do a virus scan every night. All three spyware progams pick up different things.

I've only had one problem when someone highjacked someones e-mail that was a friend and sent me an attchement which I opened. My computer guy has a way to trace that sort of thing, so I can find out who did it.

It's just what you have to in this day and age.

PS I also defrag the hard disk every day which makes everything run much faster.

Chip, none of those spyware programs work with most of the hijackers. These evil things corrupt your registry and they are VERY hard to get rid of. Even if you do remove the programs with a spyware program, there is a hidden file that reinstalls them right away.

Editing to add, if your computer guy can figure out who originally created and sent a virus in an email, he should be working for Microsoft or the FBI!! He would be a millionaire!!

He can't tell who wrote the virus. But there are ways to track e-mails.

Chip:

I am curious about this. I've always understood that it is nearly (or completely) impossible to track e-mails to their point of origin, or from point-to-point. I'd like to understand how.

Thanks,

I'm not sure how he does that, but he takes all the routing information, that you don't see on a e-mail and finds the orginal ip and service provider. {My Norton software can trace attacks like Trojan Horses and even come up with the personal address of the attackers, sometimes.} I don't know everything he does, that's why I pay him

I had this guy that worked for me 18 years ago send me treatening things. Turned out he is now in a motorcycle gang in Texas, but anyway I found out all about him. So it can be done.

I lost some computers to virus a few years so I make it a point to learn and do everything I can to prevent it. It just really ruins your day when that happens.

Interesting, Chip, thanks. I can't say I understand - guess I'd pay someone too! LOL

I'm back to normal computer now. Chip, if I ever have a computer problem that I can't solve, hope you'll share your computer guy's number.

Be glad to.

Donna, how did you end up solving it?

I ran McAfee Virus and Microsoft AntiSpyware again. They both found files and I assume they were part of the problem. I just hope I don't have a "sleeper" file lurking to be activated when I click just the right page!

I also ran all my other things again...Spybot, Adaware, and did a clean up of all temp files, etc. Then, for good measure, I ran the defrag program. Also cleared the paging file. All is well so far.

Donna or Karen,

How do you clean your temp files?. Also how do you run a defrag program?

I couldn't even follow Karens' instructions on her first repsonse to you. Where is this "PC help"? Is it in the long list of all the programs I have installed? Is it something that comes with Windows XP? Help!!! Thanks

Maria, to delete your temp files, click on "tools" in the top tool bar then "internet options" then click "delete files"

Sorry Karen, I'm so dense, "top tool bar" is top where? Do I go to Control panel for this?

No Maria, the tool bar on the top of this page, above where you type in an address.

Thanks Karen, I use AOL so the top of my page didn't show that. I switched to Internet Explorer and now I see it.

I think I'll buy some sort of book to learn how to do things in Windows XP. I only know how to turn the computer on , surf the net and send e-mails :( . Obviously that's not enough to protect the system.

Thanks again!

Maria, I need to remember that not everyone uses the same browser! I am useless when it comes to AOL help.

Even if you use AOL and you have broadband, cable or DSL, you also have Internet Explorer. Sometimes things still creep in through IE.

Maria, I clean my "temp" files (both Internet and other temp files) once a week. I am using Windows XP Home and here's how I do it:

Click the green "Start" button on the lower left-hand side of the screen (task bar)to access your programs.
Click on "Control Panel" (on left side column with blue background).
Click on "Performance and Maintenance"
Then click "Free up space on your hard disk"
It will take a few minutes for the program to scan your computer. When it is finished a box will appear with all the files you can safely delete. You have the option of un-checking anything you don't want to delete. Once you decide, click on the "delete" or "remove" button (I can't remember exactly what it says). The program will slice and dice again and delete your temp files and also compress your older files to make more room.

When I am finished with that process, I go back to "Performance and Maintenance"
Click on "Rearrange items on your hard disk to make programs run faster"
Then, click "Analyze"
Most of the time, the program will tell you that you don't need to defrag. Do it anyway about once a month. To defrag you just click the "defrag" button and will take awhile (similar to the time it takes to run a virus scan).

Hope this helps and that I haven't confused you too much!

Donna, my computer runs sooooooo slow and I think this is what I need to do also. I get into the control panel fine; there's many icons but NONE say performance and maintenance????

I've learned that there is something new that comes up every week that I don't have a clue on how to fix. I tried to set up a Vonage phone on mine. After I couldn't get it to work I got my computer guy to come for $50 an hour, after 2 hours he got it to work. I made 2 calls and it went deader than a doornail. Hasn't worked since. Where's the shotgun?

It's amazing what we can do with them but it's also a fact that they cause lots of stress.

Donna has XP home, I am not familar with that edition of XP.

With my regular XP, to do what Donna does, I click the start button, go to "programs" then to "accessories" then scroll to "system tools" then choose "disk clean up"

Thanks Karen....I have the same as you!

So, Karen and Marcie, do you have XP Pro? Wish I did! The same programs are all there, just a matter of how they are displayed. I also can access these programs the way Karen described.

It's not only computers, Chip. Everything is so "digitized these days. I feel sorry for people who aren't computer literate. My parents and also in-laws can hardly work their house thermostats these days. For that matter, neither can I. And, of course, I've already admitted in these threads that I can't work the remote to the TV. Just leave it on all the time and turn on mute at night. Works for me!!

I think I have XP Cheapie???

I have plain old XP, too.

Thanks Karen!

Peggy

I thought that XP Home was the "cheapie" version. Is there another XP besides "Home" and "Pro"?

No, it's XP Home and XP Professional. What I think people are seeing is the difference in the Control Panel between "category view" and "classic view". If you open the Control Panel (as Donna described above) and DON'T see the Performance and Maintenance icon in the control panel, look along the left side of the screen. There should be an option to "Switch to Category View" (in the blue section of the left side of the window). It'll rearrange your Control Panel and you'll see the Performance and Maintenance icon pop up and you'll be able to follow Donna's instructions above.

To get back your regular icons in the Control Panel, click on "Switch to Classic View" in the same section of the Control Panel.

Masaki

Gosh, I just looked and I do have the home edition! I never knew it was called that, LOL. I do have mine set for classic view, as Masaki decribed above.

I have XP home on one machine and professional on the other, I can' tell the difference. There is a difference but I can't remember what it is.

Professional has a little bit more security and some more network tools built in than Home, if I remember correctly. I would daresay that most people wouldn't notice the difference.

Masaki

Marcie…

One of the ways to speed up your computer is to stop a lot of things to load and run when you start up your computer.

Click your start button on your task bar, then click “Run”. Type in… msconfig
Then hit OK. And a box will appear that says…System Configuration Utility.
The last two tabs are Services and Startup.
Click on Services….put a check in the box that says.. Hide all Microsoft services… then uncheck all the services except your antivirus software.
Then hit the Startup tab and uncheck all the boxes, except your antivirus software.
Click ok and restart your computer. It should now run faster.

There are a lot of programs that take over your computer…Norton and AOL are two of them…..I won’t go near them.
I use a free antivirus called AVG. it is at www.grisoft.com
I also use Firefox as my internet browser. It can be found at www.mozilla.org

jack

Thank you so much Jack! I did all of this except there is no box that says "Hide all Microsoft services" ????
I had about 25 boxes and they were all checked! :eek: I clicked "disable all" and they unchecked all but a couple (apparently they're important ones).

I went to www.grisoft.com but I don't see anything free, except for "free trial". Is that what I should do?

editing: OH NO, after I did all this and restarted my computer I got an error message and the "general" box came up and I clicked "Normal Start Up" now I just looked and all those boxes are checked again!!

Marcie...
Under the Services tab the Hide Microsoft services box will be outside the list on the bottom of the page. You never want to uncheck the microsoft services.

Try this link for AVG....

http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1

OK Jack, I found it and checked the "Hide all Microsoft services". Under "General" am I to have "Normal Start up" checked? When I checked this it checked all the boxes I had previously Un-checked. Thanks so much for your help!

No...selective startup should be checked.

Jack, since doing this I've lost my google toolbar. I reset it, then rebooted but it still didn't come back. Instead I have something called AIM.?? Can I check a box to allow my google toolbar back?