The Energon Pub

News Credits: 1 · by **Scatterlung** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 3:16 am

EDIT: Latest development, page 2...

So I was on Windows Live Messenger when I get a message from a friend:

"[Link] Your photos are being hosted on this website :S"

I quickly leap at the link because if anyone DID host my stuff I'd want to know about it. I then got a download/install window that had 'MSN' written in some places, and I figured these might be something to view the page or something on it. So I go ahead and install.

And then I get a goofy picture of some ones warped face, and nothing else. And then I know I've got some kinda goddam Virus.

At the moment, it doesn't seem to do much damage, per se. At random points when I'm signed in, it'll start flicking through my contacts, one by one, opening a conversation, sending the invitation I got, and closing again. Very quickly, but not totally inconspicuous.

I don't know how to get rid of it, I can't find the program on my Task Manager or anything. I think I need someone to either point me in a logical direction to remove it, or an anti-virus that'll get rid of it. I've searched around and it sounds like a similar virus to the 'Virkel.f' virus that went around pretending to be an MSN 8 download.

Sigh... Some one help =(

News Credits: 226 · by **Burn** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 3:44 am

Okay, I read that and from what i've gathered you don't have an anti-virus program.

If that's the case, I shall help you with a large stick!

But anyway, I use AVG. It's free, pretty reliable. Give that a go and see if it picks it up.

You'll also need to do a spyware scan.

However your best bet, hard drive wipe and reinstallation.

News Credits: 1 · by **Scatterlung** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:23 am

Burn wrote:However your best bet, hard drive wipe and reinstallation.

Ach, gawd, don't say that!

I had enough trouble doing that the last time because my CD drive reader thing has apparently "worn out" and wouldn't read the XP disc properly. Worked in the end but it was hassle.

I would do a System Restore but when I got this damn virus it wiped all my restore points. Lovely!

Right.. Fingers crossed, I'll try your recommendation. Thanks.

News Credits: 226 · by **Burn** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:29 am

While you're doing that, may I proceed to beat you with a large stick for clicking a link and then downloading a strage file?

News Credits: 1 · by **Scatterlung** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:47 am

Burn wrote:While you're doing that, may I proceed to beat you with a large stick for clicking a link and then downloading a strage file?

I promise, I'm usually smarter than that! I did enough self beating afterward, don't worry. I just do get slightly aggressive at the notion of peopel stealing me work. Damn virus played with my emotions like so many private parts.

... And the anti-virus didn't work. But then I'm using the free edition. Maybe I should try pay a little for the pro versions or something?

News Credits: 226 · by **Burn** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:55 am

Not my place to tell you whether to spend money or not.

Someone else might have a free alternative so wait until someone else chimes in.

And don't worry about beating yourself up. I did that myself the last time I got a virus because it was a momentary lapse in concentration.

News Credits: 1 · by **Scatterlung** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 7:09 am

Burn wrote:Not my place to tell you whether to spend money or not.

Someone else might have a free alternative so wait until someone else chimes in.

And don't worry about beating yourself up. I did that myself the last time I got a virus because it was a momentary lapse in concentration.

Well.. okay, I'm going to jinx this now, but whatever. While I did lose all my restore points, I still had the option of 'Undo last System Restore', but with no way of seeing which date that was, I didn't know how far back I'd go. (I treat my system restore like a real time machine =]) The last restore I did was when I tried to update my graphics card and for some reason the whole computer went into some archiac 4-bit disgusting... you know, that old 95 look, and refused to go back. so I had to do a restore THEN in order to sort that out. So I was half expecting the PC to go back to then, but when I did it, it seemed to go back to yesterday (when I still had the virus). I didn't create a point yesterday but here we are. And it SEEMS to have fixed it. I've had MSN running a good long while now and nothing's come up. But it has gone a few hours before without trying to spread itself. So... hopefully!

As you can tell, I don't use System Restore sparingly.

Cheers for the help though! (incidentally AVG got wiped with the restore...)

News Credits: 49 · by **Senor Hugo** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:53 am

I've been using NOD32 for about a year now. It's done me good.

http://www.eset.com/download/index.php

Also they have a free spyware/virus removal, hopefully either of those will help.

http://www.eset.com/download/free-virus-remover.php

NOD32 however, isn't free, I forget how I got mine, but I know I didn't pay for it, so I imagine I did something illegal.

But Nod is worth it.

by **Nightracer GT** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:55 am

Meverix wrote:But then I'm using the free edition. Maybe I should try pay a little for the pro versions or something?

No! You're far too trusting. That's the attitude that got you into this predicament.

This isn't Soviet Russia. The internet doesn't surf you. You need to show it who's boss by learning its secrets. Clicking on strange files and paying for things are not two of them.

In all seriousness, I say save everything you want to save, and reformat the bastard. It's the straight truth.

News Credits: 38 · by **TheMuffin** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:17 am

This is why God created External hard drives and cloned images of your hard drive on a DVD.

News Credits: 1 · by **Scatterlung** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 1:43 pm

Sigh. Well, I'll try the recommendations, thanks guys.

So, I just came onto Seibs to see how the thread was going and low and behold, POP-UP! Yes, the virus is one of those b*****ds!

So yeah, it's still here.

Sigh. Meesa so dim...

News Credits: 1 · by **Scatterlung** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 1:58 pm

Senor Hugo wrote:I've been using NOD32 for about a year now. It's done me good.

http://www.eset.com/download/index.php

Also they have a free spyware/virus removal, hopefully either of those will help.

http://www.eset.com/download/free-virus-remover.php

NOD32 however, isn't free, I forget how I got mine, but I know I didn't pay for it, so I imagine I did something illegal.

But Nod is worth it.

I'm on the second link... can you tell me which of the many, many files there I should download? I don't know wher to start...

News Credits: 49 · by **Senor Hugo** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 2:17 pm

Meverix wrote:
Senor Hugo wrote:I've been using NOD32 for about a year now. It's done me good.

http://www.eset.com/download/index.php

Also they have a free spyware/virus removal, hopefully either of those will help.

http://www.eset.com/download/free-virus-remover.php

NOD32 however, isn't free, I forget how I got mine, but I know I didn't pay for it, so I imagine I did something illegal.

But Nod is worth it.

I'm on the second link... can you tell me which of the many, many files there I should download? I don't know wher to start...

I really don't know, it depends on the virus you have. If you can find out which virus it is you have.

Other than that, I'd suggest trying all the programs that aren't worm cleaners. There are 6 that don't have "worm cleaner" after them. So try those.

News Credits: 1 · by **Scatterlung** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 2:30 pm

Senor Hugo wrote:
Meverix wrote:
Senor Hugo wrote:I've been using NOD32 for about a year now. It's done me good.

http://www.eset.com/download/index.php

Also they have a free spyware/virus removal, hopefully either of those will help.

http://www.eset.com/download/free-virus-remover.php

NOD32 however, isn't free, I forget how I got mine, but I know I didn't pay for it, so I imagine I did something illegal.

But Nod is worth it.

I'm on the second link... can you tell me which of the many, many files there I should download? I don't know wher to start...

I really don't know, it depends on the virus you have. If you can find out which virus it is you have.

Other than that, I'd suggest trying all the programs that aren't worm cleaners. There are 6 that don't have "worm cleaner" after them. So try those.

I'm trying the trial version for Nod32 3.0, seems to have picked up a few things, though its hung up on 22% on the scan... Or maybe it's just slow, I don't know... Again, fingers very very crossed...

News Credits: 2 · by **Powersurge** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 9:26 pm

I had something like this when i used to use MSN messanger, it was a link that when you clicked on it, it took you to a site, but after that it would send the link to other people and it would sometimes open a virus.

I tried all sorts to fix it, in the end all i had to do was change my login password, so that might help you, it sort of sounds like its the same thing.

by **Outrider2000** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 2:34 am

who is your ISP? most providers make some sort of pro antivirus software availble free for customers (IE Comcast gives Mcafee, ETC.. ) check with that would be my suggestion to get a really good one for free.

News Credits: 1 · by **Venomous Prime** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 4:47 am

Mev, you gave me the virus too :-(

News Credits: 2 · by **Bombus distinguendus** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:45 am

i once had a spyware program that had virus symptoms...no clue how i got but but if i remember right it was called bunu denu. it showed up in both my norton and ad-aware scans. i would delete it but it would come back right after. the darn thing was invincible. at first things just slowed down but then programs stoped working. it was the worst ever, the only way to get rid of it was to reboot my comp back to manufacures settings...ya needless to say i had to go through the ordeal of backing everything up onto cds....ya i had alot of cds after that.....it took a months for me to get my comp back to where it was with all my stuff... so anyways that sucks dude. hope you can get rid of it.....why cant windows rock like macs...god i have bill gates

News Credits: 38 · by **TheMuffin** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 10:07 am

You had to make that last comment. Mac's only rock when it comes to viruses because the creators of said viruses don't want to waste their time trying to infect such a small user base.

News Credits: 1 · by **Scatterlung** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 11:18 am

Okay so...

None of the anti-viruses work.

The computer keeps freezing up completely.

Windows Live Messenger is totally unusable.

Pop-ups galour.

I guess I have to wipe this thing 100%.

... Now how do I do that.

News Credits: 38 · by **TheMuffin** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 12:17 pm

Man that really sounds more like spy/adware than a virus. Have you tried Spybot Search and Destroy and then Adaware?

If you just don't want to deal with it anymore, back up whatever files you want to keep first. Then put your windows CD in and restart the computer. It should boot from the CD first. You'll then have three options. One of them involves formatting the drive.

News Credits: 11 · by **Robinson** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 1:21 pm

OK, i got infected with a real bad malware last week. I looked around and found a forum. http://www.geekstogo.com, They have you post scan logs of your comp and they dissect it and tell you what fixes to do. It took about a week of different programs and scans and logs, but my comp came clean and they are good with it. I would try them out before wiping your drive.

News Credits: 1 · by **Scatterlung** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 1:28 pm

Well, I've decided to wipe the computer. I mean, i'll just feel all clean again after a good format.

Backed up all I needed and I'm all set. Following a guide on eHow. If any one has any objections, tough, by the time you read this I'll already either be on my way to resurrecting my computer or damning it to cyber-limbo.

I've never done this before, so see you on the other side!

News Credits: 6 · by **City Commander** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 2:28 pm

That sounds a hell of a lot like an msn virus my mate had.

It would enter random convos and post links to 'wicked cool pix!' etc.
It would then make you install it on your pc.

In short, he too had to wipe his harddrive. Completely.

I dunno why everyone does, but we all seem to use AVG free edition. It seems pretty good to me I suppose.

News Credits: 1 · by **Scatterlung** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 2:36 pm

Problems already.

So I'm following a guide on http://www.ehow.com about reformatting with XP.

It tells me, in the XP setup, to delete the C: Drive after making a partition. But during setup, I can't delete it because apparently temp files FOR the setup are being stored on it...

help?