Post by tonyesquivel on Jun 7, 2008 15:58:40 GMT -6
Clean up your infected computer(reduce slowness due to spyware)
I hear this all the time. Noob:My computer has a virus! Me:How do you know?
Noob:well because its running really slow. Me:oh
or
"uh, im a noob and i did a full system recovery because i thought i had a virus
because my computer was running really slow, uh"(one of our admins)
Most of the time it is not a virus, but it is spyware or other malware, which
has infected your computer.
Symptoms:
What to do?
First download Ad-Aware
and Spybot search and destroy.
Once you have those, i suggest you create a system restore point. but that is optional, you dont have to. Open up Ad-aware and click on "update" once its updated, close it and open up spybot search and destroy, and update it as well. Once they are both updated, Disconnect your computer from the internet(unplug its internet source) and "shut down" your computer. once it shutsdown wait a few seconds like 3 and turn it back on, but run it in "Safe Mode". To do this you have to press F8 while its booting up ,if you press it to early, it may ask you which operating system do you want to run and it should have only one option, but if it dont den run your OS, for example if you have XP home edition run it, or if you have Vista premium then run Vista premium. and after you choose which OS press f8 again and choose start in "Safe Mode".
Once your desktop loads Open up Ad-aware and select Scan>Full system. Depending on how many things you have on your computer this may take a long time. Go get a drink or jerk off, in the mean time then come back, and once it is done it should display a list of possibly malicious objects it found on your computer. Click on Next, to browse threw the list of detected adware(if any) and remove them. Once done Quit Ad-aware and open up Spybot search and destroy. Click on "Check For Problems" , this may also take a while, probably not as long as the other one, but still. After it is finished, remove everything that it finds. While your still in safe mode, go to Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel and remove Programs that you know are spyware, or Programs that you dont need (like all the trial once that came wit your computer). Be careful to not delete any important program, if you are not sure what it is, then dont delete it, you might end up deleting a driver cosing your speakers to mess up or ect.
Be sure to always have all the Latest patches and updates, for extra security by going here
windowsupdate.microsoft.com (i think you need to use IE for this link to work)
The best way to avoid infection is to use Mozilla Firefox. Read my "NUMBER 1 TIP(firefox)" for more info.
Part 2
I hear this all the time. Noob:My computer has a virus! Me:How do you know?
Noob:well because its running really slow. Me:oh
or
"uh, im a noob and i did a full system recovery because i thought i had a virus
because my computer was running really slow, uh"(one of our admins)
Most of the time it is not a virus, but it is spyware or other malware, which
has infected your computer.
Symptoms:
- Pop ups even in sites that do not have pop ups(like TA Forums)
- Unknown web browser toolbars ,or plug-ins, that add weird bookmarks
or take you to a site you did not want to go to.(this is mostly for IE users,
FF is less noobish, so this rarely happens) - And the big one System Slowdowns, or Processes that started up, that dont need to be their!
What to do?
First download Ad-Aware
and Spybot search and destroy.
Once you have those, i suggest you create a system restore point. but that is optional, you dont have to. Open up Ad-aware and click on "update" once its updated, close it and open up spybot search and destroy, and update it as well. Once they are both updated, Disconnect your computer from the internet(unplug its internet source) and "shut down" your computer. once it shutsdown wait a few seconds like 3 and turn it back on, but run it in "Safe Mode". To do this you have to press F8 while its booting up ,if you press it to early, it may ask you which operating system do you want to run and it should have only one option, but if it dont den run your OS, for example if you have XP home edition run it, or if you have Vista premium then run Vista premium. and after you choose which OS press f8 again and choose start in "Safe Mode".
Once your desktop loads Open up Ad-aware and select Scan>Full system. Depending on how many things you have on your computer this may take a long time. Go get a drink or jerk off, in the mean time then come back, and once it is done it should display a list of possibly malicious objects it found on your computer. Click on Next, to browse threw the list of detected adware(if any) and remove them. Once done Quit Ad-aware and open up Spybot search and destroy. Click on "Check For Problems" , this may also take a while, probably not as long as the other one, but still. After it is finished, remove everything that it finds. While your still in safe mode, go to Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel and remove Programs that you know are spyware, or Programs that you dont need (like all the trial once that came wit your computer). Be careful to not delete any important program, if you are not sure what it is, then dont delete it, you might end up deleting a driver cosing your speakers to mess up or ect.
Be sure to always have all the Latest patches and updates, for extra security by going here
windowsupdate.microsoft.com (i think you need to use IE for this link to work)
The best way to avoid infection is to use Mozilla Firefox. Read my "NUMBER 1 TIP(firefox)" for more info.
Part 2
