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My wife was using our computer this weekend and somehow she downloaded a virus. Our PC has become infected with various trojan viruses. We have Mcafee virus scan software and I regularly use spybot and ad-aware to check for spyware. None of this has helped. We keep getting warning windows popping up (from our McAfee software) for a "Fake-alert" trojan, "Vundo.gen.bp" trojan, and "Downloader-BVU" trojan.
Fixing this is beyond my capabilities. At this point I can't even get virus scan to run on my PC and it will no longer connect to the internet (I'm using a neighbor's laptop to post this). I can't even start my PC "Safe Mode".
Any tips on what I can do to fix this problem? I am at the point where I think I need to pay somebody to come to my house to fix this.
Sorry, I hate to have to tell you this... but... you are going to have to wipe it clean to get rid of this... reinstall the OS! ?Hopefully?, you have backups of those precious files you had?
My neighbor contracted this very same nasty virus... and there were "signs" apparently along the way that things weren't kosher anymore... however, being a computer novice at best, all of these signs were ignored by my neighbor, too, until it was too late... too late is when you lose internet access to download those pgms that will help you remove this nasty virus. They, too, were depending on McAFee, to fix their problems... ain't gonna happen... McAFee is useless when it comes to this one.
I first tried to help 'em by downloading several virus pgms to a disk from my PC and then loading these files on their PC. Guess what? When I put this same disk back into my drive (MAJOR MISTAKE!) to download more pgm files for their use... that darn virus attached itself to MY computer... just from the disk being in their computer drive! I was NOT copying anything FROM their computer... just TO their computer. So, yep, I had to reinstall MY OS system!
But, some people never learn... they couldn't take my word for it that they had a major virus... and needed to run all of these anti-virus pgms I'd loaded for 'em... some relative came in and told 'em all they had to do was reinstall IE on their PC to get Internet access back up and running because McAFee didn't show they even had a virus... and sure enough... that worked... and they declared him the "genius god" for about a week (so this might work for ya, too, to at least get you some anti-virus pgms downloaded quickly, 'tho not likely!)! So, guess where my neighbors are... again... exactly where they were weeks ago w/no internet access... and now telling me their computer is broke and they have to buy a new one. Hey, I say, go for it at this point, because, as they say, no good deed goes unpunished!
So... bottom line... there is no circumventing this virus... just reinstall your OS as I did... and you're back in business! THEN, install Spybot, Anti-Malware and AVG pgms to prevent this from happening again... and THEN keep these updated and DO RUN them regularly and forget about McAFee!
Also, install the FireFox browser and use it instead of IE... and be sure to check the Tool Option on the General pages to warn you when websites try to redirect or reload a page... as this is exactly what this virus is doing to you now... it has placed a redirect in your OS registry files that is redirecting the IE browser or any other program that tries to access the internet, thus not allowing you internet access.
Hope this helps... we all learn the most, it seems, from experiencing the worst! Good luck!
Last edited by BstYet2Be; 09-22-2009 at 01:19 PM..
Like I mentioned earlier, this virus is removable. I've done it, and I'm sure some of the others here have also removed it.It is NOT easy to do, but the machines I cleaned have NOT have to have the OS reinstalled.
Location: Mableton, GA USA (NW Atlanta suburb, 4 miles OTP)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots
Why do people spend their time infecting others? What is the mind of the hacker?
I can think of a number of reasons why someone might write a virus, trojan, worm, or other similar piece of software.
* The technical challenge (some of the old polymorphic DOS viruses were rather neat technically). Many folks who do this don't release their code into the wild, though. And no, I haven't personally written any. Not in complete form, anyway.
* Getting one's name known. In the Trash-80/Apple II days, people used to release broken copies of copy-protected software for very similar reasons. Greets to The Freeze and Dr. Death! And yes, I thought Nibbles Away and Locksmith were really neat programs.
* Gathering resources for some other goal (e.g., planting code on remote machines for later use as part of a denial-of-service botnet).
* Boredom. It happens.
* Proactive development for an Anti-Virus company.
* Serious dislike of someone, something, some class of people, etc.
Some of the above reasons are "good" ones. Some not. I'm sure there are others.
I've been writing code myself since the late 70's (professionally since 1988), but I tend to find more constructive outlets. Like writing a new tool for work. Or modifying a new tool for work. Or enhancing a new tool for...
Like I mentioned earlier, this virus is removable. I've done it, and I'm sure some of the others here have also removed it.It is NOT easy to do, but the machines I cleaned have NOT have to have the OS reinstalled.
The problem is, how much time do you want to sink into such a machine only to have one of the 35 other active pieces of malware thwart your efforts or even render the machine unbootable once removed?
Bad when your open options are either black or white
Why does your only options open have to be fix it or reload? Neither might be all that attractive in certain cases.
Why I say you want the ability to always have a Master drive from which to clone a new one. Takes maybe 10 minutes at the most. Format away that bad one, reclone it too new. Problem solved, everything looks about like what I just lost. Back up strategy works but not as total fool proof.
One reason to fix it is the challenge and what you might learn. Use the type clone system like I do, can just pull the tray, put it on the shelf until you have time to tackle the lil sucker. If all else fails, reclone. A certain freedon also when you don't have to care if you mess up.
Some of these puppies might not be harmful, those seem to get the attention but there are many others. Recently I had this one called Knowledge World or something like that. Nothing seemed to detect it was even there. The thing that sort of gave it away was this fancy lil icon in the tray. Sophisticated lil critter probably designed to data mine for the Madison Avenue crowd.
I don't ever want my only options to be suffer / fix or reload. The World is too dangerous for those as the only choices. An extra few hard drives is such cheap insurance plan. Don't want to tear that box apart every time I turn around either.
What is supposed to be so bad about this virus????
Well guess what. I am over at this girl's house and her computer has a virus. Yep, that good olde "Fake-alert" trojan, "Vundo.gen.bp" trojan. The nasty impossible to scrub kind.
Naw, I had MalwareBytes on the flash drive I always carry. Loaded it, ran it.
The only sort of difficult part was getting around the popping up windows but that works as normal.
Malware found 12 bad guys, needed to reboot to get three of them. Spybot found 2 more.
The OP just needs to download the right program or always have them on a stick. This ain't no impossible or even difficult virus. Standard day at the office type ho-hum kind.
Probably like most computers you find. Nothing really loaded beyond the virus protection that they depend on so much and always fails to catch anything. Zero maintenance of any kind done on a normal basis.
At this point I can't even get virus scan to run on my PC and it will no longer connect to the internet (I'm using a neighbor's laptop to post this)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cosmic
Duh, it will not run, won't boot.
Could just reload the OS but you learn nothing in that way. Many folks have nothing to reload it with. They don't even have clue what the Product Key Code was, they always ask (the what). The basic problem here is lack of knowledge, equipment and experience. Plus having to use another person's computer. Sort of a deadly combination.
Once you are into the problem it usually is too late. But still could be done using what I described above. The one thing that does happen in some of those cases, especially with Spybot it can take forever to fix the problem and looks like nothing is happening on a number of reboots, just have to let it know to let it run what seems forever with nothing happening on the screen.
Some of these new trojans are not written by some kid in a basement.
Nice to get some extra external hard drives and play around a bit before the wheels actually fall off.
Yes, it does boot, it just won't connect to the Internet.
My apologies to the OP for using a bit of shorthand in my post. I am on the road and was short on time.
Go to the friend's house, download Malwarebytes as described in my earlier post, copy it to a flash drive, CD, whatever you have and then load and run it on your PC.
Do this before you get into any of the doomsayer "reformat all is lost", or "buy a ton of external equipment to fix it".
You have nothing to lose by trying this and it won't cost you a cent. If it works (and it has a good chance of doing so) you won't spend a ton of time reformatting and reinstalling Windows - you do have the CD and the original key code handy, right?
Earlier this week I received a call from a client with the same problem you have. Luckily her sons have a separate computer so I was able to get her to download Malwarebytes to a flash drive and she ran it. It found 11 items and removed them. Before we hung up I told her to run it again to make sure it got everything, reboot and use her machine as usual. I told her to call me if anything else showed up. That was Tuesday. Haven't heard from her.
No need for reformatting and installing Windows again, or buying external drives to fix it. Just a good program.
There is no guarantee you will have the same results, but what can it hurt to try?
The problem is, how much time do you want to sink into such a machine only to have one of the 35 other active pieces of malware thwart your efforts or even render the machine unbootable once removed?
If you run a program like Malwarebytes. No amend that statement. If you run Malwarebytes (make sure it's the latest version) you won't have those (35?) others because Malwarebytes just removed them. That's what is does!
Cosmic, my apologies. I am still half asleep and missed a couple of posts. I now see that I posted virtually the same thing you did.
Perhaps that will convince the OP to try Malwarebytes first...
And before you chuckle at me being asleep at at 10:00 ^^ That is not the time where i am. I haven't bothered to change my PC clock.
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THEN, install Spybot, Anti-Malware and AVG pgms to prevent this from happening again... and THEN keep these updated and DO RUN them regularly and forget about McAFee! 
Bad when your open options are either black or white
