System Restore Questions

tvismyfriend

I think my computer has a virus or something. My system has been running funny every since my brother used my computer to download Windows XP. When I'm on the internet a window keeps popping up saying that I have a virus and that my computer is vulnerable. They ofter to do a virus scan for me, but I'm sure this will just make things worse so I just ctrl+atl_delte and close Firefox. Norton keeps coming up with nothing and says my system is clean.

So my question is that if I do a system restore to last week, will it get rid of whatever spyware and viruses came with whatever his was downloading? If not what other options do I have?

kel.c

I'd be running AdAware and/or "Spybot Search and Destroy" as soon as possible, ensuring that they are up to date with the latest updates.

Also, check out HiJack This (google it, and download it). Kill off anything there that looks suspiscious.

It is best to run these in safe mode if possible as well.

The restore won't lose any of your data but may restore your registry (which could help) so I would use that as your next option after the Spyware searches.

Good luck. :geek:

vedder_soup

system restore would nit get rid of it
download something like malwarebytes, that is the best of them i have used of late
run it is safe mode so only the required processes are running

oh, and get rid of norton, it is a piece of shit that will do more harm than good, plenty of good free programs out there which do a better job, and are more resource friendly

tvismyfriend

Alright, thanks for the advice.

Stone Is God

Run Super Anti Spyware and the free version of Malware Bytes. The combo of the two is the trick I normally use.

vedder_soup

Stone Is God wrote:

Run Super Anti Spyware and the free version of Malware Bytes. The combo of the two is the trick I normally use.

yeah, they are good ones

TravisTheSky

I have "restored" my computer 3 times. Once: After mailing it cross-country to my new home, it looked like it was dead. The cable man who was installing internet service got nervous and backed out of my apartment door when I wasn't looking! Hitting Restore made it wonderful again, there was no data loss.

The second and third times were this spring after some dodgy websites put viruses and spyware on my hard drive. I did not have any important files, so I could risk having them erased. It did so both times. My photos disappeared. But so did the virus and spyware! It was a quck fix.

I now have contact with a techie friend who works in computer servicing. So she has advised me of the best free programs to install. (Sorry, I don't remember.) I also tried Norton for a year back around 2006 because it came with the PC. It annoyed me with its incessant scans loudly running the motor, its interruptions telling me what it was up to, announcing that it had just blocked such and such... I wanted to type to it, "Shut up already!" Anyway, my computer had no protection software for 2 years after that and never had a problem. It was only when I stopped having TV reception and browsed online for shows and movies that the problems occurred. Try the free software that the others recommend whilst you still have Norton. Then you can decide which is best.