Window 7 is infected

[vicvic]

hi all

This is a long story. I have a virus infection on my laptop with windows 7, xp (desk top ) and my external hard drive.

I am missing drivers on both machines. I think the external hard drive is carrying the infection. I need to work of this computer.

I created a repair disk - missing some driver - (vista was better, Xp is hopeless) don't know how to get it to run

What should i do i can recover the computer and reload windows and my programs (downloads) - not connect the hard drive then work that out from the xp machine and the hard drive clean

oh i know i have something either machine won't run spyblot and destroy ( every other scanner works for some reason but that one)


any ideas what i should do

one should never use thumb drives at internet cafes.

 

[Tews]

Boot into safemode and use spybot ... select run on boot method... this should take care of the infection... What antivirus are you using?

 

[Uber Philf]

Have you tried downloading and scanning your system with Malwarebytes?

 

[vicvic]

hi thanks for the suggestions

I have scanned with everything. Malawarebytes, spyblot and destroy -got it working on the xp. Might work now that i restored the recovery image in 7 from the infected hard drive. the windows up date from a couple of days ago made a couple of my program unworkable. ( on top it )

I have done 2 online scans - nothing but i have 3 computer that all will type backwards at times freeze and flash at you. When it is flashing program open by themselves. It all is a long story ( spilt water on old keyboard so then got virus from usb at the same time - thought it was water) plugged it to new computer before putting 7 on and went a brought new external hard drive plug that in and there is my friend the virus. scan everything nothing.

any ideas how to clean the external hard drive -without lossing the data


thanks guys

 

[zigzag3143]

hi thanks for the suggestions

I have scanned with everything. Malawarebytes, spyblot and destroy -got it working on the xp. Might work now that i restored the recovery image in 7 from the infected hard drive. the windows up date from a couple of days ago made a couple of my program unworkable. ( on top it )

I have done 2 online scans - nothing but i have 3 computer that all will type backwards at times freeze and flash at you. When it is flashing program open by themselves. It all is a long story ( spilt water on old keyboard so then got virus from usb at the same time - thought it was water) plugged it to new computer before putting 7 on and went a brought new external hard drive plug that in and there is my friend the virus. scan everything nothing.

any ideas how to clean the external hard drive -without lossing the data


thanks guys

Hi and welcome

I think you know by now that the only way you are ever going to truely be rid of these problems is to do a clean install. You have so many different problems that y ou are never going to be able to seperate one from another unless you start eliminating variables.

You have
Definate hardware problems-- keyboard soaked
Probable infection various symptoms
definate software problems-drivers, etc
and who knows what else

IF YOU ARE INFECTED AND IMPORT ANY DATA FROM THE EXTERNAL DRIVE YOU WILL BE AFFECTED AGAIN

so we need to know how we can help you. What do you want to do from here

Ken J++

 

[Barman58]

What I would advise in this situation is to totally disconnect the external drive from the system.

With the system disconnected completely wipe your system drive including a low level format.

You should also boot from a known clean boot medium to perform the format - many free partitioning applications will allow you to create a boot disc that can be used to totally wipe the drive - create this disk on a different system that is known to be clean.

Once the system is clean and you have re-installed your operating system(s). you can install a selection of Anti Malware applications and re-connect the external drive -

The first thing to do on reconnect is to run several full malware scans of the external drive, and clean those files that show infection.

You may find that you will lose some data, this is probably unavoidable, I would also advise that you change all on-line passwords from a clean machine

 

[vicvic]

Ok one question.

I have an upgrade disk for windows 7. Should i do the clean install from the vista installation disk or the windows 7 disks or the partition on the hard drive - which do you guys think would be best

How do i do a low level format with these disks. I have a Hp dv- 6

I have no problem clean installing i just need some of the data of the external drive. eg past tax returns

Any ideas how to get my data of the disk. I need those tax returns


thanks for your help guys

 

[vicvic]

so i should use the disks i create when i got the laptop

 

[Barman58]

The first and most important thing you need to do is to completely disinfect the system drive.

Have a look at the boot disk from Partition Wizard to completely wipe the partition(s) you currently have Operating systems on

Partition Wizard is a Windows based FREE Partition Manager. It works as partition magic and supports Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008 server and Windows 7. FREE for Home and Business user.

You have to decide if you need your vista install or not, if you choose to re-install Vista I would tend to use the disks that you made, (before the infection?), as there is a chance that the restore partition on the drive may me infected.

If you choose to just go for the Windows 7 install I would completely wipe the system drive, (including the Vista restore Image), and perform a clean install from the Windows 7 Upgrade Disk (See the tutorials for full instructions)

 

[vicvic]

ok what ever this thing i have - I am worried about the old file with seven or would it be wiped

thank you so much for your help

 

[Barman58]

Assuming that the install disk for windows 7 has not been compromised - downloaded and burned to disk from an infected system - then there is no way that the new seven install disk can be infected - the fact that you boot from a clean medium, either the install disk or partitioner disk, ensures that the memory is clean.

once the install is completed the system should be clean and thus can be used with suitable AV software to clean the external drive.

The only infection that could possibly survive this procedure would be the extremely unlikely one in the system BIOS - if this is a concern then you would need to re-flash the BIOS from a clean external source disk, before any other operations.

 

[vicvic]

one quick question - before i go.

I have been running avast for years - Is avira better than avast

just wonder which works better with 7

thank you so much guys

 

[vicvic]

sorry just saw your post

I have upgrade disk that where sent to me by hp - so they are clean - there is something to flash the bios how do i do that there is something i my disk that did that when i installed 7 can flash them again

 

[Barman58]

I have used Avast and Avira - both are competent Anti-virus solutions - which is the best is subjective and will change from test to test.

What I personally recommend to anyone is rather than an AV or firewall or security suite - you need a security aware mindset - the tools are an important part of course, but most important is to not go to high risk areas on the net and follow basic rules for safe computing, if your not 100% sure don't click on it

 

[Jacee]

It sounds like you've been infected with a BOT!

Once you do your clean install, change all your passwords because they have no doubt been stolen. Also, since you had critical information (tax returns) on the drive, keep an eye out for identity theft.... such as with credit cards, banking, etc...

 

[Superdog]

Is there any chance that Combofix would fix it. I've used that program before and have seen it do seemingly impossible fixes.

 

[TGSoldier]

I
What I personally recommend to anyone is rather than an AV or firewall or security suite - you need a security aware mindset - the tools are an important part of course, but most important is to not go to high risk areas on the net and follow basic rules for safe computing, if your not 100% sure don't click on it

*Points to Sig*

 

[vicvic]

hi thanks for the advice on the passwords. I already plan to do that.

i have got advice from another forum (these guys are experts on this stuff) on how to get it my data of the hard drive. i will post link, if that is allowed or if anyone is interested.

comfix might work but i don't have time easier to reformat the hard drives.

I picked it up by using a usb at an internet cafe to print something. Before i put it in the first computer. The drive probable hasn't been used for about 8 months.

all good fun.

 

[vicvic]

very quick update.

erased the hard drive. It took so long but will be worth it.

Then i loaded Windows 7 straight on the drive. It was a bit hairy at first as it kept telling me to please load a operating system. I worked it out.

The interesting thing is it didn't create and old file at all. Which is great.

Decided to go with avast. as i know the program.

thank you guys

vic

ps i will up date about the removable process when i get to it.