Another System Security

I see that you are running Limewire.
P2P(Peer to peer) applications are designed to help you easily share and distribute files between you and a group of people. But they can also be used to distribute malware, and thus are not considered safe.
The removal of these programs is optional, but highly recommended.

Go to Start > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs and remove the following programs.

J2SE Development Kit 5.0 Update 7
J2SE Runtime Environment 5.0 Update 10
J2SE Runtime Environment 5.0 Update 11
J2SE Runtime Environment 5.0 Update 7
J2SE Runtime Environment 5.0 Update 9
Java(TM) 6 Update 11
Java(TM) 6 Update 2
Java(TM) 6 Update 3
Java(TM) 6 Update 5
Java(TM) 6 Update 7
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment 6 Update 1
LimeWire 4.12.6
Viewpoint Media Player

Click Start > Run and copy/paste the following bolded text into the Run box and click OK:

ComboFix /u



This will also reset your restore points.

How is the machine running now?

Limewire is a relic that's been on my computer forever, I don't think I've used it in years and I've honestly been meaning to get rid of it.

So yeah my computer is running great. I just updated Spybot and it found nothing when I ran it, and everything seems to be in order. Now that I have some time with school being out I've got to get around to cleaning up some old files. Thanks a lot for the help, you guys are great!

By the way, what free adware/spyware programs would you usually recommend people to use these days?

Glad we could help



Below I have included a number of recommendations for how to protect your computer in order to prevent future malware infections. Please take these recommendations seriously; these few simple steps can stave off the vast majority of spyware problems. As happy as we are to help you, for your sake we would rather not have repeat customers.

1) Please navigate to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com and download all the "critical updates" for Windows. This can patch many of the security holes through which attackers can gain access to your computer.

Please either enable Automatic Updates under Start -> Control Panel -> Automatic Updates , or get into the habit of checking for Windows updates regularly. I cannot stress enough how important this is.

2) In order to protect yourself against spyware, you should consider installing and running the following free programs:

Ad-Aware SE
A tutorial on using Ad-Aware to remove spyware from your computer may be found here.

Spybot-Search & Destroy
A tutorial on using Spybot to remove spyware from your computer may be found here. Please also remember to enable Spybot's "Immunize" and "TeaTimer" features.

SpywareBlaster
A tutorial on using SpywareBlaster to prevent spyware from ever installing on your computer may be found here.

SpywareGuard
A tutorial on using SpywareGuard for realtime protection against spyware and hijackers may be found here.

Make sure to keep these programs up-to-date and to run them regularly, as this can prevent a great deal of spyware hassle.

3) Please consider using an alternate browser. Mozilla's Firefox browser is fantastic; it is much more secure than Internet Explorer, immune to almost all known browser hijackers, and also has the best built-in popup blocker (as an added benefit!) that I have ever seen. If you are interested, Firefox may be downloaded from here:
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/
I also recommand the following add-ons for Firefox, they will help keep you safe from malicious scripts or activeX exploits.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/722
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1865
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/433

4) Also make sure to run your antivirus software regularly, and to keep it up-to-date.

To help you keep your software updated, please considering using this free software program that will check for program updates.
Update Checker

5) Finally, consider maintaining a firewall. Some good free firewalls are Kerio, or
Outpost
A tutorial on understanding and using firewalls may be found here.

Please also read Tony Klein's excellent article: How I got Infected in the First Place

If you would take a moment to fill out our feedback form, we would appreciate it.
The link can be found here.

Hopefully this should take care of your problems! Good luck.