Alan you are correct. Perhaps we're a bit ahead of the OP. It would be nice
to get some answers.
Vincent Winterling
Vineland, NJ
-----Original Message-----
From: simplycomputers2@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:simplycomputers2@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Alan
Sent: Friday, December 30, 2011 4:55 PM
To: simplycomputers2@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [Simply Computers] HELP!
I'm puzzled Roger. What makes you think the system is infected so badly? Why
is everyone so keen to get the OP to take the hard drive out and hook it up
to another computer, then as other members have suggested, maybe even wipe
the hard drive and re-install everything? This is a lot of work, possibly
unnecessarily. The reason I suggested System Restore in this case is because
there's nothing to lose and it could be a quick fix if it isn't a viral
problem.
A. Nobody is sure the OP has a virus. If you look at his first mail he said
he'd switched from AVG to Avast and 'he thought' he'd caught a virus in
between. What are the chances of catching a virus in the few minutes between
switching from AVG to Avast?
B. He described no viral symptoms other than not being able to start up in
normal mode.
C. I at least know nothing about tacowl or his computer skills and I asked
him if he'd uninstalled AVG properly before installing Avast. I've seen no
reply since. Maybe he's an advanced user or maybe he's a novice. Who knows.
D. All of the symptoms he describes in Safe Mode (Avast not reacting, IE
pages not displaying, Security Center not working etc.) can be attributed to
the fact that he's in Safe Mode and not Safe Mode with networking i.e.
there's no Internet. I just hooked up a PC with XP, started it up in Safe
Mode and sure enough, the antivirus program, MSE, acts like you can't do
anything at all with it and the Windows Security Center service is switched
off. Likewise his Avast.
E. He can still get into Safe Mode so the obvious choice for me at least
would be to use System Restore then scan the computer thoroughly afterwards.
This could save a lot of work.
The word 'switch' caught my eye. I have a laptop here at the moment that
belonged to somebody who had no faith in MSE (I'd sold it to him last
November and lost touch with him after that). So he went and bought Norton
360. For some reason he was unhappy with that so he went out and bought
Panda Global Protection - this person is obviously not a member of
SimplyComputers2 ;-) But he never removed the previous antivirus programs
before installing the new ones - twice. Apparently, the laptop refused to
boot after that. I couldn't get into Safe Mode even or Last Known
Configuration. Nothing worked. But I only discovered this after I took out
the hard drive and saw these other antivirus programs on there. After
fishing a bit, the full story came out. The reason that this person's laptop
here isn't booting obviously has nothing to do with a virus. That's why I
tried to ask tacowl if he'd removed AVG properly. Maybe I'm on the wrong
track but it's frustrating sometimes getting no reaction at all to basic
questions.
I just have serious doubts about this 'infection'. It certainly won't hurt
for the OP to go out and buy a SATA/IDE to USB adapter for $20, remove the
hard drive and hook it up to another computer to scan for viruses. My point
was that it can't do any harm to try a simple system restore first in this
case. But I seem to be in the minority.
Alan
-----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
Van: simplycomputers2@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:simplycomputers2@yahoogroups.com] Namens RogerX19
Verzonden: vrijdag 30 december 2011 18:52
Aan: simplycomputers2@yahoogroups.com
Onderwerp: Re: [Simply Computers] HELP!
Your computer seems to be infected so badly that your System Restore points
will be infected also, if System Restore even works!
As the others have said, a good solution would be to remove the hard drive
and connect it to another computer, and then use the second computer to run
antivirus scans on the drive.
You do not actually have to install the drive INTO another computer, you can
connect it externally via USB, as Mike noted.
I have not used the particular drive adapters that Mike gave links to , but
I have used one from Apricorn that works perfectly each time:
http://www.amazon.com/Apricorn-Drivewire-Universal-Adapter-2-5IN/dp/B000QY9K
IS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325267402&sr=8-1
It's more expensive ($35.00) than others, but it has paid for itself over
the years.
rogerX
--- In simplycomputers2@yahoogroups.com, "tacowl" <tacowl@...> wrote:
>
> How do you do that?
>
> --- In simplycomputers2@yahoogroups.com, "C. Michael Stone" <Enots123@>
wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > I'm with Vincent on this one. I don't System Restore will help the
problem. Removing the drive and scanning it on another computer is the first
thing I would do.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Mike Stone
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Alan <snavenala@>
> > To: simplycomputers2 <simplycomputers2@yahoogroups.com>
> > Sent: Wed, Dec 28, 2011 11:59 pm
> > Subject: RE: [Simply Computers] HELP!
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Since you can get into Safe Mode, I would suggest doing a system
> > restore and going back to a point before you installed Avast. Then
> > start afresh. Did you uninstall AVG properly before installing
> > Avast? There's also a removal tool available for this now.
> >
> > There's no point in trying to get everything to work smoothly in
> > Safe Mode because a lot of services just aren't running. e.g. your
> > Internet won't be working at all unless you started up in 'Safe Mode
> > with networking' rather than just Safe Mode. Rather try to get back
> > to a good working normal mode with system restore.
> >
> > If you haven't used it before, in Vista, click Start - All Programs
> > -
> > Accessories- System Tools - System Restore. If you don't see a
> > restore point going back far enough (give yourself a better chance
> > by going back a bit farther than when the problem started),
> > checkmark the box to show restore points older than five days.
> >
> > Alan
> >
> > -----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
> > Van: simplycomputers2@yahoogroups.com
> > [mailto:simplycomputers2@yahoogroups.com] Namens tacowl
> > Verzonden: donderdag 29 december 2011 5:02
> > Aan: simplycomputers2@yahoogroups.com
> > Onderwerp: Re: [Simply Computers] HELP!
> >
> > When I start the computer in normal mode and I put in my password,
> > it acts like the computer is going to go through the regular steps
> > but it does not and instead the screen says that it is logging off,
> > it logs off and then restarts and goes back to the password page.
> > If I go into safe mode and pull up AVAST ANTIVIRUS program, the
> > screen says it is not protecting the computer, but when I try to fix
> > it by clicking the "fix now" box or the "start program" box, nothing
happens.
> > Also the Windows Security Center is turned off and cannot be turned back
on.
> > When I try to click on the words to get the latest security center
> > information from Microsoft, the web page cannot be displayed and
> > when I try to set up Internet Explorer 9 with the recommended
> > security and compatibility settings the web page cannot be displayed
> > and at the bottom of the page it states that your current security
> > settings are putting your computer at risk. When I click on fix
settings for me, nothing happens.
> > Also, when I click diagnose connection problems, it says I cannot
> > run diagnostics in safe mode but I must be in normal mode (where I
> > go into a loop of putting in the password, logging off, and then
restarting.
> > --- In simplycomputers2@yahoogroups.com, "C. Michael Stone"
> > <Enots123@>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Please clarify what you mean by theses two statements from you first
post:
> > >
> > >
> > > I cannot get into normal mode because when I log in, the computer
> > > logs off
> > >
> > >
> > > I go into safe mode I cannot adjust AVAST so that it will work.
> > >
> > >
> > > Mike Stone
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: tacowl <tacowl@>
> > > To: simplycomputers2 <simplycomputers2@yahoogroups.com>
> > > Sent: Wed, Dec 28, 2011 12:20 pm
> > > Subject: Re: [Simply Computers] HELP!
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > I ran Malwarebytes which I had previously installed in the
> > > computer but
> > the results said that there were no viruses found even though the
> > computer still operates the same as my other post.
> > >
> > > --- In simplycomputers2@yahoogroups.com, "C. Michael Stone"
> > > <Enots123@>
> > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Download the free version of Malwarebytes and run it and report
back.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Mike Stone
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: tacowl <tacowl@>
> > > > To: simplycomputers2 <simplycomputers2@yahoogroups.com>
> > > > Sent: Tue, Dec 27, 2011 5:16 am
> > > > Subject: [Simply Computers] HELP!
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > I appreciate all the help all of you have given me in the past.
> > > > I need your help again. This time its a Compaq Presario running
> > > > Windows
> > Vista Premium Home. I had free AVG on it but then switched to free
> > AVAST and I think I got a virus before AVAST kicked in. Now I cannot
> > get into normal mode because when I log in, the computer logs off
> > and when I go into safe mode I cannot adjust AVAST so that it will work.
> > > > Please help!
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/simplycomputers2
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