Screen keeps going black for no reason

[blackenthesun]

There is malware on my expansion hard drive, but I can't figure out which file it is. I've scanned it with mcafee, malwarebytes, and bitdefender. I am paying 25 dollars a month for antivirus software and it's ****ing useless. I only have two games on the drive and the rest are music and movies.

 

[Eric3742]

Each antivirus, internet security, etc are not able to do the job alone.

For me, i use Panda Internet Security 2016 and Superantispyware Pro, both are paid version.
Panda is active, whereas Superantispyware is not active.
Panda check for suspicious websites may able to visit your computer.
Superantispyware is mainly lookout for temp files, cookies, etc that store spyware, malwares, virus, etc.
Superantispyware is not active, but do daily update virus /malware files that is detected worldwide.
Hence both will not interfere with each other.

Windows do have its own antivirus loaded, mostly in the background.

I recommend you can go to SUPERAntiSpyware free version, and download & do full scan.
The malware, virus, spyware, etc files are listed, before you press Continue to remove.
You can continue to use this either run daily or few days at a time, just do quick scan will do.
Being doing this for several years, without any issue. Just need to update the database, before run.
My friend computer had over 200+ virus/malware/spyware, after the full scan i did for him.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hello blackenthesun now for one thing $25 a month for an AV is really quite unbelievable my Kaspersky costs me around $0.04 a month and if you are talking about a McAfee scan well I would would not have it on my machines for starters and rely on it definitely not.

Now while I have only ever run this Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10 on the C: drive in my machines I have an idea it may scan externals if they are hooked up - like I said I have never tried it with an external hooked up - but having said that it would do no harm to scan the C: drive in your machine anyway in case it has the infection because the scan looks at everything and in a non Windows environment.
You could even try the Kaspersky virus removal tool as well Free Kaspersky Security Tools | Free Downloads | Kaspersky Lab < look under the download for the rescue disk for it.

Edit: I meant to add that there is this too very similar to the Kaspersky disk and which I find works better from an optical disk. Eric has also mentioned some and I would add to that this if you can get it to run AdwCleaner Download < do download from Bleeping computer or you will be stuck with French language and also
https://www.malwarebytes.com/ < free version

 

[MoxieMomma]

Hi:

This sounds more like a hardware problem, or perhaps a rootkit (in which case SAS will be useless).
You might want to try some more powerful tools, such as MBAR-BETA (Malwarebytes Anti-Rootkit BETA, not Malwarebytes Anti-Ransomware beta) (note, it is a BETA tool); it's not likely to pick up something that MBAM did not, but one never knows.

ESET online scan, Sophos Virus Removal Tool and even Zemana Anti-Malware may be more productive than SAS, which pretty much only picks up adware tracking cookies.
There are other tools, such as AdwCleaner, Junkware Removal Tool, etc.
And you may need some custom scripts, e.g. with FRST or Zoek.
I would back up the registry and set a system restore point before doing any cleanup.

As an aside, I don't know why you're paying so much for security protection. Most of the popular paid security applications run ~$25 - 30 per computer per YEAR, not per month.

If you are running multiple overlapping applications (e.g. McAfee and Bitdefender), then; 1) you are paying too much, and 2) more importantly, you are reducing your computer security. Running more than 1 AV on the system (or even having leftovers/drivers) can cause serious system stability and performance issues, as well as reduced security. The general rule of thumb is: 1 realtime AV + 1 realtime AM + (perhaps) 1 realtime anti-exploit. More is not better -- it's often less.

>>If you have more than one antivirus (or remnants thereof) installed, my first suggestion would be to fully, cleanly uninstall all but one (using the vendor's removal tool, if available), then reboot.
>>I would keep ONLY one AV + MBAM (preferably Premium, for realtime protection).

If that does not correct your issue, then....
You may need to run some basic diagnostic scans to give the forum helpers a better idea of your system.
They can then assist you with running the needed cleanup tools.

HTH,
MM

 

[Layback Bear]

From post #1

There is malware on my expansion hard drive

Two question to start off.

1. What is a expansion hard drive; do you mean a external drive?

2. How do you know you have a infection?

Please explain your reasoning you think you are infected.

 

[blackenthesun]

I'm thinking it's a hardware problem, because I wiped the drive with dariks boot and nuke, and the screen still keeps going black. I will try a different pci e slot for my graphics card.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Did you try the on board graphics without a card in? If it goes black then it could prove to be a mobo issue but by all means try the second slot.