Problem with friend's computer.

[triforcemario]

A friend of mine is having a problem with her computer. On Windows Live, for some reason, some form of program has taken control of MSN, and is typing out random things in conversations, and whenever she tries to start one, the window is closed automatically. She's tried anti-viruses, anti-spywares, and re-installing Windows Live, but alas, the problem still happens.

 

How can I solve this problem?

[Marshmellow]

To go to the extreme you could reinstall the OS.

[triforcemario]

She doesn't want to do that, she's got too much stuff on her PC that she would lose. Is there any less extreme solution?

[Caris]

Buy a external HDD, back up and format.

 

Make sure all of its registry enterys are gone as well.

[Guest Jordan]

It sounds like you just need to back up and format, seroiusly.

[Shorty]

I agree, although it almost sounds like someone playing a prank through remote assistance, chances are it's a virus that you can't avoid formatting away. Back up the most essential things (not everything, or you increase the risk carrying the virus over) and dig out that Win XP disk.

[MadDog]

virus scan the computer

[triforcemario]

She already did (I mentioned that in the first post).

[Marshmellow]

That was an intelligent first post... but mine probably wasn't real intelligent either shoot I still don't make intelligent posts...

 

But back on subject. Maybe now is a good time to upgrade to Vistaaaaaaaaa?

[Nelly]

What antivirus program have they got?

Is the virus definition up-to-date?

[Blue_Ninja0]

1) create a partition on the hard drive

2)backup her files (not the whole system files)

3)format the OS partition

4)install vista, XP, OSX, MS-DOS, whatever you want

5)scan the backuped files on the other partition just to make sure

6)copy the files back to the original partition and merge the partitions if you want

7)smile

 

To make partitions, use Partition Magic 8. It works wonders.

If you're using Windows Vista, then Windows itself can create and merge partitions.

[McPhee]

Any more info on what the virus is doing? To remove the virus you need to know which one it is. If it doesn't get found by a good (i.e. not Norton, McAfee or Avast) virus scanner then that is a start.

What does the Virus type to firends?

Any idea how it got there? Links from a contact?

[triforcemario]

She doesn't know how it got there, at the moment, all it does is go on MSN, close any conversations she's in, and the program sends out random messages about photos.

 

I used Avast since that's one of very few anti-viruses that's in Spanish (she can't speak english), but, I'll probably scan her computer with AVG or something soon.

[Caris]

Download Spybot, and ad-aware and AVG.

 

Run them and see if it sorts it.

[Rummy]

I'd say to have a look at what's running first and see if you can pick out anything that shouldn't be, something similar happened to my friend and everytime they were typing something his screen would black out. He later found some sort of remote controlling program installed on his computer designed for use on networks by admins, which allows for remote access and control. He found it and got rid of it. Of course, whilst you do any of this stuff, make sure the computer is totally disconnected from the internet. If it's wired, pulling out the plug is the best way to make sure.

[McPhee]

She doesn't know how it got there, at the moment, all it does is go on MSN, close any conversations she's in, and the program sends out random messages about photos.

 

I used Avast since that's one of very few anti-viruses that's in Spanish (she can't speak english), but, I'll probably scan her computer with AVG or something soon.

 

I think i know the one

 

Does it say stuff down the lines of:

 

 

If not then some sample messages that its sending out (with any links) would be very helpful, just make sure you wrap

tags around the links so nobody can click them (don't want people on this forum getting the Virus from a help thread)

 

To be honest though its probably easier to re-install the OS than it will be to remove this Virus.

If you've got what i think it is then you're looking at messing around with programs that, if a mistake is made, WILL brake the computer.

[triforcemario]

It's similar to that, besides that it's in Spanish (She's Spanish, after all), and it doesn't include links to photos.

[McPhee]

No links at all? If not then it isn't a worm

 

Try a scan with Ewido: http://www.ewido.net/en/download/