Tuesday, April 04, 2017

Bad Computer News

     There's something wrong with my Windows 7 desktop computer -- and it is almost certainly a virus.  I thought it was just an iTunes update goes wrong; removing iTunes fixed it... for one boot-up.  Next time I started the machine, the same symptoms as before: it won't run any of the installed software but the Web browser, my antivirus is off and can't be started, Task Manager comes up but stalls with a (not responding) tag.

     This is not good. 

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you have any data you value on it, get it onto a flash drive or the like asap, but consider it potentially infected.

There is some wisdom in periodically rebuilding the OS from scratch.

I have to admit the data I regretted losing the most has been my browser bookmarks...

rickn8or said...

Fixed for one boot, then it's back? Sounds like a rootkit. Look at the boot drive allocations; there may be one more than you think you should have, that occupies 1-2 meg.

Jerry said...

Hi Roberta,

I've had good luck running Spybot from a PortableApps flash drive. Typically, it gets rid of enough infection to let the installed anti-virus recover and do it's job.

MalwareBytes is another good program.

Hopefully you don't have anything too nasty but you have my e-mail address. Feel free to ask questions.

Jerry

Roberta X said...

I have both Spybot - S&D and MalwareBytes, but neither would launch. I got another one from the IS guys at work, SUPERAntiSpyware, which they swear by despite the goofy name, and it ran, found the problem, and appears (from they way the computer runs) to have taken care of it.

Jerry said...

Hi Roberta,

Our good friends at Microslob should not be omitted from the list of suspects. My Win 10 laptop updated and is now unable to connect to wireless or wired networks. Fortunately, I have a Win 7 desktop that Microslob refused to update. Why am I reminded of the axiom that if something is working, keep improving it until it doesn't.

Jerry

Roberta X said...

This was an actual virus. Antivirus software found it and eliminated it -- and the strange computer behavior went away. I still didn't trust it and it was time for a replacement anyway.