I have a virus? HELP.

[Relapse.LP]

Recently, I got a virus from visiting a "Free-Movies" website. Now, a virus (I don't know which one) is on my PC and it's really bugging me.

Symptoms are...

1. When I turn on the computer regularly and log in, I receive a message saying "The computer has detected a critical error. You will be shut down in one minute. Please save all your work." or something in that similar fashion. Strange thing is when I log in with Safe Mode and then log in normally RIGHT after logging off from Safe Mode, it works. It's annoying I have to repeat that process just to access my PC.

2. Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer don't start up. When I try to open either one of those browsers, I get a message saying that "Firefox has stopped working" or "Internet Explorer has stopped working" and it automatically closes. Maybe it's a security precaution that my PC takes, because the browsers are corrupted or whatever, but it bugs me. I can still use my other browsers (Google Chrome, Opera, Safari), but I liked Mozilla Firefox. It used to work, so obviously, the virus messed with it.

3. Anti-virus programs do not function properly. Installing the scanners are not the problem; the issue is when I try to scan. It scans right for several seconds and when it reaches a critical place to scan (System32 files or something like that), the application closes down without warning. Trying to open up the program results in another message informing me I cannot open it due to either permission or connection problems. Funny thing is when I copied the folder where the program is, I can re-do the scan. My mystery "virus" obviously tweaked something regarding the anti-virus service, but what?

4. My PC has reduced performance. Weirdly enough, going on Task Manager shows that I'm using 1GB out of 2 available GB of RAM. I have 3 GB of RAM total, but the little performance bar says I'm using half of my RAM at 1 GB... Terrible math? I doubt it. Also, booting up my computer takes longer and everything just doesn't seem exactly right and properly working like it was before the virus came.

What I've tried...

1. Re-installing the browsers that fail to open and the anti-virus programs do not help at all. They still fail anyways, after I try to start them up and I've downloaded many alternative scanners, but they fail.

2. Searching for the changes in registry and system files seem like it takes too long. Dumb approach, but I'm at my last rope. I've tried to fix the problem for several hours already (4-5 hours, at most).

3. I really don't want to re-install my operating system so please don't suggest I do that, unless you really can't think of any sort of solution to this virus that infects my computer...

Notes...

1. The virus doesn't seem to be spreading and causing more damage, as I see. Not sure though.

2. No pop-ups and other browsers work completely fine without random advertisements.

3. No suggestions that come up asking me to download other fake anti-virus programs to scam me.

4. None of my anti-virus scanners had the chance to identify the type of virus. Maybe Trojan?

5. I'm not good with computers, so explain everything step-by-step and thoroughly, if you can.

PLEASE HELP ME! I'll be really grateful, since I suck when it comes to computer engineering or debugging or whatever it is. This has really bugged me and nothing seems to work... so good luck!



EDIT: Please don't say I was dumb to go on insecure websites. I know I'm an idiot and I've learned my lesson, although I'm usually pretty safe while surfing the web... Loopholes in my firewall apparently.

[InMy64]

I got a couple questions for u

How many anitvirus software programs do u have on ur comp? (if u have more than 1 it can mess ur computer up)

What is the name of ur anti-virus software?

[Ella]

you shud quickly save everything u want & need w/e cos ur comp is gonna get real slow
ur internet explorer not working is a bad sign.. ur anti virus cant help u so dont bother
only thing u can do is re-boot ur comp unless im wrong

[InMy64]

well, i gotta go 2 bed soon so i'll give you my advice. I suggest u disconnect from the internet first while u r doing all of this. Backup files u deff want to keep on an external hard drive or on cds. Uninstall ALL software you don't use any more. Delete all files u no longer need (this will clear space up and hopefully make ur computer work better). I would reccomend getting TREND MICRO SECURITY for your anti-virus software. I've had the BEST EXPERIENCE with Trend Micro. I had Norton, and my computer crashed, then i switched to Mcafee and it crashed again. Trend Micro is the way to go and u can buy it at best buy. Run a scan once trend micro is installed and it should catch if something is on ur computer. If this doesn't work ur probably going to have to restore your computer to factory settings. and if u have trend micro on it ur computer should stay clean so this doesn't happen to u again. so back up important files. There's my advice

And ur probably not going to want to hear this but u really should avoid movie watching sites and sharing sites and programs like limewire. In the end, you'd be better off just paying for the movies then having to buy new anti-virus and a whole new computer. Trust me, I messed up a few computers back when i was in high school.

[embm]

[quote="Ella"]you shud quickly save everything u want & need w/e cos ur comp is gonna get real slow
ur internet explorer not working is a bad sign.. ur anti virus cant help u so dont bother
only thing u can do is re-boot ur comp unless im wrong [/quote]

tru

[Kez]

I once had a computer where i got that "your computer will shut down in one minute" message.

What i did was completely re-boot, defragment or whatever it's called where you re-install the Operating System, and it worked fine for me after that.

But i don't claim to be an expert

[Relapse.LP]

I got a couple questions for u

How many anitvirus software programs do u have on ur comp? (if u have more than 1 it can mess ur computer up)

What is the name of ur anti-virus software?

Actually, I didn't have an anti-virus before, excluding Windows Defender, because I was a safe surfer.

It sounds stupid, but I never got a virus advertisement in the one year I used my laptop, without any sort of Firewall or Anti-Virus.

But I downloaded AdAware and SpyBot and Malawarebytes and they all failed to work after the initial try.

well, i gotta go 2 bed soon so i'll give you my advice. I suggest u disconnect from the internet first while u r doing all of this. Backup files u deff want to keep on an external hard drive or on cds. Uninstall ALL software you don't use any more. Delete all files u no longer need (this will clear space up and hopefully make ur computer work better). I would reccomend getting TREND MICRO SECURITY for your anti-virus software. I've had the BEST EXPERIENCE with Trend Micro. I had Norton, and my computer crashed, then i switched to Mcafee and it crashed again. Trend Micro is the way to go and u can buy it at best buy. Run a scan once trend micro is installed and it should catch if something is on ur computer. If this doesn't work ur probably going to have to restore your computer to factory settings. and if u have trend micro on it ur computer should stay clean so this doesn't happen to u again. so back up important files. There's my advice

And ur probably not going to want to hear this but u really should avoid movie watching sites and sharing sites and programs like limewire. In the end, you'd be better off just paying for the movies then having to buy new anti-virus and a whole new computer. Trust me, I messed up a few computers back when i was in high school.

I understand where you're going, but the virus disabled an Anti-Virus program as soon as it scans the critical areas of my PC where it is hiding. So downloading another scanner won't do much good, unless it is prepared for the virus's special effects. And I don't want to restore or back-up!

I have so much schoolwork and music and programs... I know I can probably save it all to an external hard-drive, but it takes too much time and work and I don't have that capability at the moment.

Actually, the movie-watching website prompted me to install the latest version of Adobe Flash Player to play the movie and it turned out it was a virus... I was pretty dumb.

Frostwire doesn't have 30% of the viruses Limewire has so that's how I go.

More help please! And read my first post to fully understand the symptoms. It's no normal infection.

[Dark Blue]

I understand where you're going, but the virus disabled an Anti-Virus program as soon as it scans the critical areas of my PC where it is hiding. So downloading another scanner won't do much good, unless it is prepared for the virus's special effects. And I don't want to restore or back-up!

I have so much schoolwork and music and programs... I know I can probably save it all to an external hard-drive, but it takes too much time and work and I don't have that capability at the moment.

Actually, the movie-watching website prompted me to install the latest version of Adobe Flash Player to play the movie and it turned out it was a virus... I was pretty dumb.

Frostwire doesn't have 30% of the viruses Limewire has so that's how I go.

More help please! And read my first post to fully understand the symptoms. It's no normal infection.

yeah this happend to me a few times and i get pretty pissed off with it so i had to stop using all downloading programs( bearshare,limewire whatever else is there i had it) but after i got rid of that stuff but it didn't really help so i download some anti-virus software shit and that didn't even help so i had to restart/reboot/recover or whatever u wanna call it. i had no other choice and u might not either just try to save as much stuff as u can

[gutawafang]

Sorry if I sound harsh. But the simplest way is to reformat.

[DelinQuent]

you guys are fucking stupid.

YOU DO NOT GET VIRUSES FROM LIMEWIRE, NOR FROSTWIRE. you get the viruses from the people you connect to when downloading songs. When utilizing a p2p connection a person with the correct know-how can gain full access to your computer, and then, put a virus onto it. Then with some minor scripting, the next time you open a certain file, the virus is executed, it's called a "Logic Bomb"

as for your virus, malwarebytes.org, download it and run a full scan.

by the way, i work for Geek Squad, and i have an Associate's Degree is PC Systems and Networking. So i'm not just bullshitting, i actually know what i'm doing.

[Ella]

When utilizing a p2p connection a person with the correct know-how can gain full access to your computer, and then, put a virus onto it. Then with some minor scripting, the next time you open a certain file, the virus is executed, it's called a "Logic Bomb"

damn i didnt know that about p2p connections.. i use them a lot but neva got a virus from it
i remember when my bro got a virus from thisis50 lol aint that a bitch ? lol

this is why i own a mac

cant wait till geeks figure out a way to fix that problem..

[DelinQuent]

it's already been figured out.

Actually Macs are MUCH easier to hack due to their Operating System being a modified version of Unix. There aren't as many viruses for Macs simply due to the numbers. The majority of the population of the world uses PC, so why write a virus to steal credit card information for the minority of people?

[Bistnal]

it's already been figured out.

Actually Macs are MUCH easier to hack due to their Operating System being a modified version of Unix. There aren't as many viruses for Macs simply due to the numbers. The majority of the population of the world uses PC, so why write a virus to steal credit card information for the minority of people?

Mac fans won't like hearing that...most of the ones I know are arrogant about their Macs always boasting how they're better and more secure than pc's. If what you say is true, the only thing 'saving' them is that their less popular.

[DelinQuent]

it is. they're far easier to hack than PC.

[neversnooze]

do a system restore to an earlier date

start>accessories>system tools> system restore