Our desk top has spy-ware and can not load anything from the drives?

Question

I don't know if this happened when one of our kids was on it, our girls go on My Space & Yahoo, my nephew goes to Cartoon network for games and sometimes they all do homework through the net. The day this happened there was a bad lighting storm. We also have in home networking with Comcast high speed the other pc's work fine. I bought a spyware remover program but can not load it. Also can this problem go from this desktop through the high speed conection to our other laptops? The screen says we have spyware and to click here to get a removal program that they want you to pay for,but that screen does not work either and it also says active desk top is shut down. This was a cheap walmart pc that is 3 yrs old. I want to throw it out, but my husband said fix it or the kids will want to be on our exspensive laptops.

Answer 1

Do a system restore to the last day that it was working properly.

Answer 2

A lot of questions there...here's some answers.

1. The spyware warning that you are seeing is NOT legitimate, if fact that warning IS a spyware in itself. It is called a Smitfraud infection and it is basically trying to get you to purchase that useless program for which it is advertising. Myself, I prefer the name extortion-ware. They infect your computer, then want money to remove it. Nice scam, huh?

A solution and free removal tool for this infection can be found here:
http://www.internetinspiration.co.uk/roguefix.htm


2. My Space has had serious virus, spyware and other malware problems in the last month. Some free game sites are notorious for the unwanted delivery of adware and spyware. The makers of these malwares often target websites that are frequented by kids. They realize that kids often know little or nothing about computer security and will click "Yes" to almost any warning box that comes on the screen. Nice, huh?


3. Some viruses can indeed infect other computers on your LAN (local Area Network).


4. If the spyware program that you purchased will not load, try these free on-line scans. they will remove what they find, too!
a. Scan for virus and remove (free online scan) with BitDefender

http://www.bitdefender.com/site/home/

b. Scan for trojans and remove (free online scan) with Ewido

http://www.ewido.net/en/


5. A bad lightning storm can indeed harm your computer even if you are using a surge protector. It is always best to unplug the power cord during an electrical storm. In short, you MAY have 2 problems...spyware and a fried motherboard.



6. The price of a computer has nothing to do with its ability to resist spyware.


7. Your husband is correct. It is better for kids to mess-up or "trash" a cheap computer than expensive one. And most kids, not only yours, will "trash" computers. They are just too inexperianced to properly understand how to safely operate a computer with out causing harm to it. Kids tend to think of a computer as just a "fancy TV" and not the incredibly complex machine that it is, which requires careful usage and regular maintienance.

Hope this helped a bit.
Good luck.

Answer 3

the "click here to fix it" IS the spyware! you need to take it to a professional to have it cleaned, this is a very slippery, tricky spyware.

however, you really should just consider getting another cheap computer, you can get a very affordable desktop.

once you do either fix it or get a new one, install adaware and spybot (both free) and consider getting "counterspy".

counterspy is a cheap, extremely powerful spyware removal tool. in fact, if you can connect to the internet, you should download a trial of it to try before anything else.

also, try googling the problem, sometimes that will lead to a computer forum where someone else has had the same problem and can tell you step by step how to fix it.

Answer 4

Unfortunately you have to format the hard-drive and reinstall the operating system again. I had something like this in my computer several times and I couldn't solve it somehow else.
So save any data you want to keep, make a bootable diskette ON ANOTHER COMPUTER, insert it in the infected computer, restart the computer, go to BIOS setup program, set the floppy drive as the primary boot device, save the settings and restart the computer again. The OS on the diskette will be loaded; at the prompt type "format C:" (if C: is the drive you have "Windows" on) and follow the instruction to reformat that drive.
After that, insert the "Windows" install disc an start the setup program to reinstall "Windows".
Good luck"

Answer 5

hmmmm what you suggested should not have given you viruses. The most common cause sounds like an e-mail virus (a lot of people fall for it) Either take it in the comp. store it will cost maybe 25 dollars to fix it or find out folders that have been recently added and delete them manually. And if it is an e-mail virus it is because of those forward things with attachments. I never open those unless i know what it is.

Answer 6

Someone installed something recently, if you are using XP then you can "Restore" to a previous time. Have you thought of using the Help files? I'm sure there is a swag of info and people that can help you. I'll have a look at describing some "key strokes"

Answer 7

You have a Trojan Horse.
iworm_attck_v122.02a

Only ONE way to remove it. By running a program called "Roguefix V1.43."

More information on Roguefix V1.43 can be found here:
http://www.internetinspiration.co.uk/rog...

It can also be downloaded at thir site too. A WORD OF CAUTION - Carefully read this webpage and follow ALL instructions on removing it.

Answer 8

i've got been utilising eset for awhile and have no lawsuits in any respect it rather is super nod 32 is an identical without firewall and so on..i hate mcaffe and norton as they take to a lot administration of my pc..why replace from what works in otherwords if it aint broke dont restoration it.

Answer 9

Do what Powerful_Turtle said to do.