Thread: Need Help
View Single Post
Old 11-29-2006, 06:29 PM   #8 (permalink)
amateur
Moderator, Analyst, Security Team ; Rangemaster, TSF Academy
 
amateur's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 7,303
OS: XP SP3


Hi,

Well done. The virus found by Kaspersky is in the System Restore. We'll flush that in a minute.

You can go ahead and re-enable Windows Defender and the Trojan Hunter.

Since AVG Anti Spyware is a trial version, the realtime guard and automatic update will stop functioning after the trial period. That is why we are not installing the guard so it will not interfere with the cleanup or the malware removal process. You can use AVG-AS as an on-demand scanner (recommended) but you will have to manually update the definition file each time you scan.

Ccleaner is also a useful tool to keep to clean out the cookies and the temp files.

Disable and Enable System Restore It's a good idea to Flush your System Restore points after ridding yourself of malware to make sure there are no infected files found in a restore point. Because Windows regularly sets restorepoints, it's very possible that the malware, you have removed, is still present in the System Restore. If you put Windows back to such a restorepoint, this malware will be put back, as well.
  • Click Start | Help and Support | Undo changes to your computer with System Restore.
  • Click Create A Restore Point then click Next. Give it a name, and then click Create, then Close.
  • Close the Help and Support Center box.
  • Click Start | Run and type Cleanmgr
  • Select (C: ) then click OK.
  • Click the More Options tab.
  • Click Clean Up in the System Restore Section.

This will remove all previous restore points except the newly created one.

You can also find instructions on how to disable and re enable system restore here:
Windows XP System Restore Guide

And that's all. But to help protect you against further infections, and also to help prevent criminals using your computer to infect other people's computers on the web, I recommend the following: (You may already have some of the items)

Make your Internet Explorer more secure - This can be done by following these simple instructions:

From within Internet Explorer click on the Tools menu and then click on Options.
Click once on the Security tab
Click once on the Internet icon so it becomes highlighted.
Click once on the Custom Level button.
Change the Download signed ActiveX controls to Prompt
Change the Download unsigned ActiveX controls to Disable
Change the Initialise and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe to Disable
Change the Installation of desktop items to Prompt
Change the Launching programs and files in an IFRAME to Prompt
Change the Navigate sub-frames across different domains to Prompt
When all these settings have been made, click on the OK button.
If it prompts you as to whether or not you want to save the settings, press the Yes button.
Next press the Apply button and then the OK to exit the Internet Properties page.

Avoid illegal sites, because that's where most malware is present.

* Don't click on links inside popups.
* Don't click on links in spam messages claiming to offer anti-spyware software; because most of these so called removers ARE spyware.
* Download free software only from sites you know and trust. Because a lot of free software can bundle other software, including spyware.

Keep your antivirus-program up-to-date and do regular scans with it. Please make sure that you have only one active antivirus program on your system.
If you haven't got an antivirus, you can download and install one of the following ones wh;ich are free for personal use: Make sure that you have only ONE antivirus running on your computer as more than one would cause conflict and render the computer vulnerable.

AVG Free here
AntiVir here
Avast here

It is essential to keep the anti-virus program fully updated.
IMPORTANT: You Need to Update Windows and Internet Explorer to protect your computer from the malware that is around on the Internet. Please go to the windows update site <http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/> to get the critical updates.

If you are running Microsoft Office, or any portion thereof, go to the Microsoft's Office Update site <http://office.microsoft.com/officeupdate/maincatalog.aspx?lc=en-us> and make sure you have at least all the critical updates installed (Free) Microsoft Office Update.

Keep your pestware-scanners up-to-date and do regular scans with them.

To keep your computer free of Spyware, Adware, Hijackers etc., download and install the following free pestware-scanners (if you haven't installed them already):
AdAware here
Spybot here Remember to "immunize" after each update
Windows Defender here

Install realtime pestware-scanners and keep them up-to-date.

The following free realtime pestscanners prevent a number of malware-variants from entering your computer, in the first place:

SpywareBlaster here Remember to "enable all protection" after each update.
SpywareGuard here

If you haven't got one, already, install a firewall and keep it up-to-date. Please make sure that you have only one active firewall on your system.

A firewall will prevent unauthorized contact between your computer and internet.
If there is no firewall installed on your computer, you can download and install one of the following free firewalls:
ZoneAlarm here
Kerio Personal Firewall here
Outpost here
Important: (Windows XP only) If you install a firewall, be sure to turn off the WinXP-firewall!

Test your firewall here to make sure that it's working properly

Install these programs, to make surfing with Internet Explorer safer:

A popup-blocker, f.e. Google Toolbar here: A popup-blocker prevents popup-windows from opening, when you come along a websites that uses them, during internet-surfing.

IE-SPYAD here: This utility adds a long list of known bad sites to Internet Explorer's Restricted Sites zone. This prevents those sites from executing their malicious programs on your computer.

SiteHound by Firetrust
here:

Firetrust introduces the SiteHound Toolbar - the safe way to browse the Internet. With SiteHound, when you browse the Internet, you're shown a warning page every time you go to a site which is a known scam, potentially loads viruses or spyware on to your computer, has questionable content or anything you would not consider reasonable. You are shown a warning page with information about that site. From there you can choose to enter the site or go back. SiteHound is a free add-on to Internet Explorer.
SiteHound will alert you when you enter a site which is known to contain:
· Fraudulent claims or scams
· Offensive material
· Security vulnerabilities
· Spyware or Adware
· Spam related material
· or other content deemed to be unsafe
Specifically, SiteHound blocks these categories:

o Adult o Spyware o Spam Advertising o Phishing o Possible scam or fraud o Misleading or False Advertising
o Pharming o Rogue or Suspect Product o Adware o Malware or Virus

Install and use an alternative browser to surf on the internet.

Because Internet Explorer is the most-used browser on the planet, most of the hijackers, adware and spyware are made to abuse your computer thru Internet Explorer.
Here are some good alternative browsers:
Mozilla Suite here
Mozilla Firefox here
Opera here
Netscape here
Important: You can not uninstall Internet Explorer.
First of all, it's part of Windows and you'll need it to download and install Windows Updates.
Secondly, There are some sites that are only accessable with Internet Explorer, e.g. most of the Online Malware-scanners.

But above all, keep all your software UP-TO-DATE at all time!!

Also, I would recommend reading the excellent advice by Tony Klein: So how did I get infected in the first place

Happy and safe surfing.
__________________
My services are free. However, you can donate to TSF to help keep it running.




Member of ASAP since 2005
Member of UNITE since 2006
amateur is offline