No worries
. It was my pleasure.
There are many things you can do to keep this from happening again. You can think of a computer like a car. It requires basic maintenance to keep in tip top shape and ready to go.
Would you drive your car 100,000 miles without changing the oil? The same principle applies here.
CleaningNow that your PC is free of malware, it is important to clean up your PC. There are several good free cleaners available. You should make sure to clean up your temp files regularly, at least once a week.
ATF Cleaner
CCleaner
Defragmenting Your Hard DiskOver time your PC can become fragmented, Windows comes with a defragmenting utility, however,
it is very slow, and there are other options available.
To use the defragmenter included with Windows
either go to Start/Run and type dfrg.msc, hit enter;
orright-click My Computer, choose Manage, Storage, Disk Defragmenter.
In the Defragmenter utility, select your main partition/HD, generally C:\ and select analyze . The analysis report will tell you whether or not your disk needs to be defragmented, if it does, click defragment. Be patient, this can take a long time.
Repeat for multiple partitions/hard disks.System Restore Cleanup InstructionsIf you are using Windows ME or XP then it is good to disable and re-enable system restore to make sure there are no infected files left in a restore point. (All restore points will be deleted that way)
You can find instructions on how to disable and re-enable system restore here:
Windows ME System Restore Guide
Windows XP System Restore Guide
Reading Tip:
Computer Health
Keep Your System UpdatedMicrosoft releases patches for Windows and Office products regularly to patch up Windows and Office products loopholes and fix any bugs found.
Please ensure that you visit the following websites regularly or do update your system regularly.Install the updates immediately, if they are found. Reboot your computer if necessary, revisit Windows Update and Office update sites until there are no more updates to be installed.
To update Windows and officeGo to Start > All Programs > Microsoft Update
Alternatively, you can visit the link below to update Windows and Office products.Microsoft Update
If you are forgetful, you can change some settings so that you will be informed of updates. Here's how:
1. Go to Start > Control Panel >
Automatic Updates2. Select
Automatic (recommended) radio button if you want the updates to be downloaded and installed without prompting you.
3. Select
Download updates for me, but let me chose when to install them radio button if you want the updates to be downloaded automatically but to be installed at another time.4.
Select Notify me but don't automatically download or install them radio button if you want to be notified of the updates.
Please make sure that you update your antivirus, firewall and anti-spyware programs at least once a week.Be careful when opening attachments and downloading files.1.
Never open email attachments, not even
if they are from someone you know. If you need to open them, scan them with your antivirus program before opening.
2.
Never open emails from unknown senders.
3. Beware of emails that warn about viruses that are spreading, especially those from antivirus vendors. These are called
hoaxes. The email addresses used in the hoaxes can be easily spoofed. Check the antivirus vendor websites to be sure.
4.
Be careful of what you download. Only download files from known sources. Also,
avoid cracked programs. If you need a particular program that costs too much for you, try finding free alternatives on Sourceforge or Pricelessware.
Surf safelyMany security exploits on websites are directed to users of Internet Explorer and Firefox.
If you use Firefox, try the No-script Add On - which, by default, disables all scripts on all websites. If you trust the website, you can manually allow scripts to work.
Backup regularlyYou never know when your PC will become unstable or become so infected that you can't recover it. Follow this Microsoft Article to learn how to backup. Follow This Article by Microsoft to restore your backups.
Alternatively, you can use 3rd-party programs to back up your data. Examples of these can be found at
Bleeping Computer
Avoid P2PI see you have P2P software installed on your machine. We are not here to pass judgment on file-sharing as a concept. However, we will warn you that engaging in this activity and having this kind of software installed on your machine will always make you more susceptible to re-infections. It is certainly contributing to your current situation.
Please note: Even if you are using a "safe" P2P program, it is only the program that is safe. You will be sharing files from uncertified sources, and these are often infected. The bad guys use P2P filesharing as a major conduit to spread their wares.
I would strongly recommend that you uninstall them, however that choice is up to you. If you choose to remove these programs, you can do so via Control Panel >> Add or Remove Programs.
Prevent A Re-infection1.
WinpatrolWinpatrol is a heuristic protection program, meaning it looks for patterns in codes that work like malware. It also takes a snapshot of your system's critical resources and alerts you to any changes that may occur without you knowing. You can read more about Winpatrol's features Here
You can get a Free Copy of Winpatrol or use the Plus Version for more features.
You can read Win Patrol FAQ if you run into problems.
2.
Hosts FileA Hosts file is like a phone book. You look up someone's name in the phone book before calling him/her. Similarly, your PC will look up the website's IP address before you can view the website.
Hosts file will replace your current Hosts file with another one containing well-known advertisement sites, spyware sites and other bad sites. This new Hosts file will protect you by re-directing these bad sites to 127.0.0.1.
Here are some Hosts files:
MVPS Hosts File
Blue Tack’s Hosts File
Blue Tack’s Hosts Manager
3.
Spybot Search and DestroySpybot Search & Destroy is another program for scanning spyware and adware. You are strongly encouraged to run a scan at least once per week.
Spybot Search & Destroy can be downloaded from here.
If you need help in using Spybot Search & Destroy, you can read Spybot Search and Destroy tutorial at Bleeping Computer.
4.
SiteHound ToolbarSiteHound is a toolbar that warns you if you go to a site that is known to scam people, that has potentially lots of viruses or spyware or other questionable content. If you know the site, you can enter it; if you don't, it will bring you back to the previous page. Currently, SiteHound works for Internet Explorer and Firefox only.
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Stand Up and Be Counted --->
Malware Complaints<---
where you can make difference!The site offers people who have been (or are) victims of malware the opportunity to document their story and, in that way, launch a complaint against the malware and the makers of the malware.
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Before the thread is archived, do you have any more questions?
Happy surfing and stay clean!
