(no subject)

[sapote]

Argh! My roommate's computer has Virtuomonde!
Has anyone had luck getting rid of this with anything except a reformat? Also, I love how this virus actually blocks your email and google searches, so that you can neither search for a remedy nor write for help.

Comments

[phnelt.livejournal.com]

I don't know what that is but it sounds terrible. Here, have some non-constructive support, no charge.

[nimnod.livejournal.com]

A virus that acts like an abusive boyfriend!

Some Help in a huge post

[prchung.livejournal.com]

You've got to shut down the processes and stop the program from running at startup-- that will help with being able to search and use email- maybe.

Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to get to your Task Manager-- Click on the Processes tab-- this will show you everything that is running, some of it is important, but some of it can be virus programming running in the background that you can't see, but is affecting your system. If anything really standsout, click on it, and then click on the End Process button.

Now, Click on the Start button, click on "Run", and type in "msconfig", click on the Startup tab in the new window that opens. You'll be confront with yet another list of programs-- these are the programs that start when you startup the computer.
Anything that stands out uncheck it. Then click apply. Don't restart the computer, just hold off on that. There's still some more stuff to do.

**Also, once you do that with msconfig, and you shut and start back up, a window will appear stating that the computer is running in a customer startup mode-- that's okay, just check off the box that says "don't show this again".

I'll post a link to a download of PDFs with further instructions on how to get rid of it.

Ad-Aware is really good at finding this stuff and helping you get rid of it-- it might mean some work in the registry to get rid of the virus though, don't be daunted, it really not as hard as it might seem.

Here's the direct download link for Ad-Aware: http://lavasoft.com/single/trialpay.php

There's also Hi-JackThis! which finds the spyware and trojans that will "hi-jack" your browswer and email: http://www.download.com/Trend-Micro-HijackThis/3000-8022_4-10227353.html

If worse comes to worse try something called ComboFix - it's a real bunker-buster of a program. I've had to use it at work a couple of times. If you need it, let me know, it's not redily available online anymore-- at least the last time I checked. I'll post a link to a download site for you.

***Get Firefox*** It's excellent at blocking popup ads. This won't solve the problem, but will enable you to search without interruption for the most part.
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

[prchung.livejournal.com]

Here's the link for the PDFs http://www.yousendit.com/download/bVlBT2pDeFVubVhIRGc9PQ

They're just web page captures I did, but since you said you were having trouble searching for fixes, I did it for you. If you can, print them out-- not the one that's like 27 pages though, that's really more of reference.

Read through them and take your time.

If you need more help I have remote assistance available via GoToAssist. I send you a link to click on, you okay my access to the system to perform functions. It's secure and safe.

Just let me know if you need some help on this.

[sapote3.livejournal.com]

Wow. Wow! Thank you so much!

I do have Firefox, and while it did not keep us from getting the virus (the roommate may have been downloading sketchy programs, ahem) I have not actually seen a single popup. Color me impressed. I will get on this later today and see if I can make any headway.

I have installed adaware, spybot search and destroy, and avast. All of them have told me I have the virus, but none of them seem to have any luck deleting it. The boyfriend also just noted that Norton is free through Google Apps now - maybe that will work?

[orangecrush1189.livejournal.com]

the roommate may have been downloading sketchy programs, ahem
not pr0n!

[sapote3.livejournal.com]

WE BELIEVE YOU.

[prchung.livejournal.com]

This particular spyware program (Virtumonde) gave me a hell of a time on three computers at work-- and it took several cleaning programs to get rid of it. So just be patient because it could take some work. But you can get rid of it.

Norton is good, and there is also products from MircoTrend that work well.

Kaspersky is excellent!
http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner
It' free, it's online, and it's free. ;) I used to identify areas that VM had gotten into that other programs had not.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. I know this is one of the most daunting things to do with a computer.

[prchung.livejournal.com]

Oh and about sketchy programs... I've gotten myself in trouble on both my work and personal computer with checking out cracked program sites. They're notorious for dropping stuff on your system, but I still always think I'm smarter than them... I've learned my lesson, I go to bittorrent for my sourcing now. :)

[sapote3.livejournal.com]

My poor roommate actually did source from bittorrent - the problem was an infected keygen. I won't even go to cracked program sites - their typical ads annoy me plenty in webpage form without having them popping up on my desktop forever and ever afterwards.

[prchung.livejournal.com]

Oh, see, that's just not cool posting a tainted KG. Shame on them.

[orangecrush1189.livejournal.com]

omgomgomgomgomgogmg

I hope it gets fixed:( I had bad dreams about my lifeblood computer last night.

I am about to go eat bugs!

[sapote3.livejournal.com]

TASTY BUGS.

If you bring me back a mealworm cookie I will try to talk myself into eating it and then panic and not manage to. It could be entertaining.

My brother is on it and so is prchung, apparently, because check the comment-thread awesome.

[orangecrush1189.livejournal.com]

HOT DAMN! I will learn this time and not ignore the part of my brain that says "don't click it. I know you want to, but don't click it"

I will bring you a cookie. I have a feeling I'm going to be all "OM NOM NOM GUISE!" while secretly dumping the bugs back on the ground WHERE THEY BELONG.