remote user just hammered my pc how do i know what malicious programmes they have put on my start up?

Answer 1

Install, update and run a virus checker. Also get HijackThis and ccleaner (they're both free - google them). Install a firewall like Zone Alarm too (also free). Do NOT do any internet banking or type sensitive passwords into any application until you are confident you are in the clear.

Answer 2

Are you using an Internet Security Suite with an anti-virus? A good Internet Securtiy Suite should be able to identify malware and reccomend removal or remove it itself. Panda does so on my Network and is very strong, and secure program.

What you should consider is going into your msconfig and write down each item in the startup list. Then go to goggle and goggle sites which can tell you what each program is and what it is for. Then you can go to:

http://cnet.com/downloads

In the upper corner is a search box, enter this ccleaner which means Crap Cleaner. This cleaner is a free and super program. It is small, takes up little room on your hard drive and does a number of very useful tasks very well. It has a startup manager, a registry cleaner, a cookie manager, a temp and other unneeded files cleaner, and a super software removal program which far out performs the Add/Remove Applet that comes with Windows. I highly reccommend this program. It is simple to use and very good at what it does. Did I mention that it is free?

Go to that website and browse to the page this program is on, which you can download it from and read user reviews. You will find thousands of users who rave about this program and few low ratings if any.

In future make sure you have a solid Security Suite such as Panda, which I also highly reccommend, but is not free (worth every penny!) and use CCleaner for regular disk cleanup, startup managment, cookie managment, software removal etc.

You will find instructions for use via a link provided after installation. This is about seven short pages with screen shots and short instructions, very simple to follow and use. When using for a Registry clean, make sure you do the backup. It is very easy to do, I do it each time, but have yet had to merge a backup into the Registry after using this program. You will need to scan for issues a few times in order to completely clean the Registry of broken or currupt file fragments, left over extensions, and other things which much up a Registry and cause slow downs and crashes.

Don't use msconfig as a startup manager, it is intended for diagnostic invistigation not as a manager program. If you do so you are risking your system and a strong warning will appear telling you so after the first reboot. If you follow others advice to just check the box "Do not display this message again" you won't see it again, but you still have placed your system at risk.

Good luck and I hope you get this fixed really soon, have a nice day.

Answer 3

Start by turning off remote access if this what has happened, I think it is more likely that you have downloaded some malware. get a decent firewall (not windows), get decent anti virus (not mcafee or norton) loads on the net for free, and get protected against spyware, firewall and antivirus don't stop spyware.
Do a system restore to a few days before it started, the do a full spyware scan.

Stop visiting dodgy websites, such as ringtone sites, they install diallers galore, my niece had 15 diallers and 342 spyware items all off 'free ringtone' websites.

Answer 4

You can run spy ware and your anti virus. Also make sure you have a firewall. Firewalls prevent others from hacking your computer. I have listed a site for a firewall below. There is also a free version.
Also a virus site and a spy ware site.

Be sure to not have more then one spy ware program, one anti virus and one firewall running on the computer. More then one of each will cause conflicts.

Answer 5

Click onto Control Panel then System Restore and put it back a month or so,then run your Anti-Virus.make it hard for them,hope everything is ok.

Answer 6

I would imagine you should now put your computer back to factory settings, or failing that the alternative will be to go into the restore settings to a previous time say a month ago hopefully that should get rid of this idiot.

Answer 7

Here is a list of free scans.I would recommend running ewido first.
Spybots search and Destroy http://www.download.com/3000-8022-10122137.html?tag=pao
adaware se> http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-SE-Personal-Edition/3000-8022_4-10399602.html?tag=lst-0-1
http://www.webroot.com/land/freescan.php
a-squared Free> http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/free/
http://housecall.antivirus.com/housecall/start_frame.asp
http://housecall65.trendmicro.com/
X -Cleaner Micro Edition scan http://www.spywareguide.com/onlinescan.php
http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner
http://www.windowsecurity.com/trojanscan/
http://www.bitdefender.com/scan8/ie.html
http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/activescan/com/activescan_principal.htm

http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/virusinfo/scan.aspx
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
Spywareguard too.
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareguard.html
http://www.ewido.net/en/onlinescan/
Get free anti virus for free click here.
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1
http://avast.com

Answer 8

try a site called crapcleaner or it might come up as ccleaner it is the best free software for cleaning up your computer i've found, it's easy to install and use give it a try it cleared my computer for me.