Image quality disappears..on their own... [moved from Graphics]

ronSauderson · 08-13-2007, 07:32 PM

Hello/ help!
When I download images from the web the longer they display on the screen the more the quality starts disappear.

You can especially see it along the edges, as you watch the image, after about an hour the image is so grainy that it no longer looks like the original image.

**Jack.Sparrow** · 08-14-2007, 02:40 AM

Could be a problem with your graphics (video) card, your monitor or just a glitch. Could you post a screen shot please, comparing the images.

ronSauderson · 08-14-2007, 04:27 AM

This happens on 7 different machines, it's some sort of virus, or something, only on images downloaded from the net. Images not from the net are fine.

Maybe something hidden in Thumbs.db

**Jack.Sparrow** · 08-14-2007, 05:09 AM

7 different machines ... well ignore my previous post.

Does it happen to ANY image from ANY website, or only a particular website?

**koala** · 08-14-2007, 08:37 AM

What format are the image files? (jpg, bmp, tif)

When did you start noticing the problem? If it was just recently, and only recent downloads are affected, then it could be an infection.

Are they all stored in the same folder?

Have you run any virus sans?

Does this only happen when viewing the images fullscreen?

Are you using a 3rd party image viewer or Windows Explorer 'Preview' or a web browser?

Please post a screenshot.

ronSauderson · 08-14-2007, 10:12 PM

Thanks, they are JPG. format.
The images are on about 150 CD's.
I have run a scan, but it doesn't find anything.
It happens on about 95% of the images.
It looks like it may be an infection.
I personally believe that they used the program :"Secrets",
to embedd some sort of malicious program within the jpegs.
That executes when I start Acdsee, they are from Yahoo adult groups.
Unfortunetly I can't post a screenshot, because I didn't want to infect this machine.
I just did a test on the other machine and didn't notice the problem with the windows image viewer.
I am using ACDSEE v.3.0

I thought there might be a program out there that I could use to rewrite the images and clean them.
I may just have to display them on the screen and use the VGAtoNTSC
card and send them to the VCR " before they start to degrade " and then digitize them to a clean machine.
It's just a lot of work and pain, unless someone can come up with a better answer.

ronSauderson · 08-14-2007, 10:32 PM

I also noticed that when I reformat the hardrive and after reloading win98, winME,win2000, or winXP, the CD may have 50,000 images,(as an example) but, a day or 2 later, the same CD might only find 40,000 images, as if they are Hidden now, and the only way I can find or view all of them again is to reformat the hardrive.

**koala** · 08-15-2007, 06:08 AM

150 CDs must have taken a long time to download. Do the earliest ones also appear to be infected?

Is it just files from particular Yahoo groups or all the images on these CDs?

Are you using any pirate software or cracks that you've downloaded? (Windows, ACDSee, etc)

I know JPGs can be infected, although I've never seen any so I don't know what happens to them. I'm just trying to work out if it's the CDs that are infected or the software.

I'll move this thread to Security after your next reply.

ronSauderson · 08-15-2007, 03:21 PM

It mostly seems to be more on the later CD's it's like each CD after the last was worse, in other words cd:1 was ok, cd:3 seems to have started
cd:5 was worse etc. as if the program got more malicious the more CD's that I made.
I was on about 30 different adult yahoo sites,
I did have some cracks on at least 8 of those cd's .
Misc. 3d programs, graphics, adult web sites (that were NOT yahoo).....
But acdsee was NOT a cracked version, it still has a pop up that asks you to buy every 15 minutes or so.

08-13-2007, 07:32 PM	#1 (permalink)
ronSauderson Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 7 OS: win xp	Image quality disappears..on their own... [moved from Graphics] Hello/ help! When I download images from the web the longer they display on the screen the more the quality starts disappear. You can especially see it along the edges, as you watch the image, after about an hour the image is so grainy that it no longer looks like the original image.

08-14-2007, 02:40 AM	#2 (permalink)
Jack.Sparrow Resident Pirate Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Qld, Aus Posts: 17,867 OS: XP SP3/Vista SP1 My System Blog Entries: 6	Re: Image quality disappears..on their own... Could be a problem with your graphics (video) card, your monitor or just a glitch. Could you post a screen shot please, comparing the images. __________________ //PC Wizard//Speedfan//Can you run it?//Posting Screenshots//Posting System Specs//Donations//

08-14-2007, 04:27 AM	#3 (permalink)
ronSauderson Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 7 OS: win xp	Re: Image quality disappears..on their own... This happens on 7 different machines, it's some sort of virus, or something, only on images downloaded from the net. Images not from the net are fine. Maybe something hidden in Thumbs.db

08-14-2007, 05:09 AM	#4 (permalink)
Jack.Sparrow Resident Pirate Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Qld, Aus Posts: 17,867 OS: XP SP3/Vista SP1 My System Blog Entries: 6	Re: Image quality disappears..on their own... 7 different machines ... well ignore my previous post. Does it happen to ANY image from ANY website, or only a particular website? __________________ //PC Wizard//Speedfan//Can you run it?//Posting Screenshots//Posting System Specs//Donations//

08-14-2007, 08:37 AM	#5 (permalink)
koala Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK Posts: 12,344 OS: XP/7/Ubuntu My System	Re: Image quality disappears..on their own... What format are the image files? (jpg, bmp, tif) When did you start noticing the problem? If it was just recently, and only recent downloads are affected, then it could be an infection. Are they all stored in the same folder? Have you run any virus sans? Does this only happen when viewing the images fullscreen? Are you using a 3rd party image viewer or Windows Explorer 'Preview' or a web browser? Please post a screenshot. __________________ New members: Subscribe to your thread (Thread Tools) to receive an instant email notification when you get a reply. TSF Folding@Home Team 85015 - details here

08-14-2007, 10:12 PM	#6 (permalink)
ronSauderson Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 7 OS: win xp	Re: Image quality disappears..on their own... Thanks, they are JPG. format. The images are on about 150 CD's. I have run a scan, but it doesn't find anything. It happens on about 95% of the images. It looks like it may be an infection. I personally believe that they used the program :"Secrets", to embedd some sort of malicious program within the jpegs. That executes when I start Acdsee, they are from Yahoo adult groups. Unfortunetly I can't post a screenshot, because I didn't want to infect this machine. I just did a test on the other machine and didn't notice the problem with the windows image viewer. I am using ACDSEE v.3.0 I thought there might be a program out there that I could use to rewrite the images and clean them. I may just have to display them on the screen and use the VGAtoNTSC card and send them to the VCR " before they start to degrade " and then digitize them to a clean machine. It's just a lot of work and pain, unless someone can come up with a better answer.

08-14-2007, 10:32 PM	#7 (permalink)
ronSauderson Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 7 OS: win xp	Re: Image quality disappears..on their own... I also noticed that when I reformat the hardrive and after reloading win98, winME,win2000, or winXP, the CD may have 50,000 images,(as an example) but, a day or 2 later, the same CD might only find 40,000 images, as if they are Hidden now, and the only way I can find or view all of them again is to reformat the hardrive.

08-15-2007, 06:08 AM	#8 (permalink)
koala Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK Posts: 12,344 OS: XP/7/Ubuntu My System	Re: Image quality disappears..on their own... 150 CDs must have taken a long time to download. Do the earliest ones also appear to be infected? Is it just files from particular Yahoo groups or all the images on these CDs? Are you using any pirate software or cracks that you've downloaded? (Windows, ACDSee, etc) I know JPGs can be infected, although I've never seen any so I don't know what happens to them. I'm just trying to work out if it's the CDs that are infected or the software. I'll move this thread to Security after your next reply. __________________ New members: Subscribe to your thread (Thread Tools) to receive an instant email notification when you get a reply. TSF Folding@Home Team 85015 - details here

08-15-2007, 03:21 PM	#9 (permalink)
ronSauderson Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 7 OS: win xp	Re: Image quality disappears..on their own... It mostly seems to be more on the later CD's it's like each CD after the last was worse, in other words cd:1 was ok, cd:3 seems to have started cd:5 was worse etc. as if the program got more malicious the more CD's that I made. I was on about 30 different adult yahoo sites, I did have some cracks on at least 8 of those cd's . Misc. 3d programs, graphics, adult web sites (that were NOT yahoo)..... But acdsee was NOT a cracked version, it still has a pop up that asks you to buy every 15 minutes or so.