Can vista get a virus?

B

Bob

I read an article last week that the number one thing to do to protect your
computer from malware is to run it in a "user" account. Equal to that is
simply good behavior or sites on internet. Also to keep everything updated.
I have always done these things. I run the latest Avast for my antivirus
protection. I also have windows defender protection on and PC Tools
Firewall Plus for firewall.

Tonight I looked at drudge report and clicked on a link to a British
newspaper. The article wasn't what I thought it was and it looked like a
tabloid (Sun? closed so quick don't remember) and tabloid is not news so I
quickly closed that window and went on to next links. My computer went slow
after that. Just did not seem right. Restarted in safe mode and ran
cCleaner computer clean and registry clean in both user and admin.
Restarted and all my appearance settings are different. Runs slow or
different. I remembered Windows Defender updated yesterday and the update
always does a restore point. Tried to run System restore to restore to
yesterday settings. After giving admin permission I saw the wait circle
just disappear. It was like vista just ignored or canceled the start up of
system restore. Every time I retried System restore it did the same thing
or crashed my computer.

This smells like a virus. Hmm. I go to main stream web sites only, run
computer with (default limited) user account (use admin only when I need to
make certain changes which is rare), Avast updates automatically multiple
times a day. With these settings and behavior I thought I was bulletproof.
I even read that $10,000 hacking prize winner Dino Dai Zovi and Rich Mogull
both said Vista more secure than Apple Mac.

What did I do wrong?

I am currently scanning whole computer with a-squared Free. I will then
scan with Avast, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, SUPERAntiSpyware, Windows
Defender, and again with Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool, in that
order.

What do I do if all these scans find nothing?

What do I do now? I never had a virus or malware before. Is it like the
mumps, you want to get it as a child and not an adult? Does antivirus or
antimalware remove bad stuff or does it just tell me I am infected and I
need to reformat and rebuild system?

Background info: Desktop AMD 4400+ 64X2 4GB memory 320GB HD Acer
(AM3100-U3201A) purchased new February 2008 -- 32-bit MS Vista Home Premium
SP2 -- MS auto updates on. Comcast ISP 12mbps service W\ Motorola SURFboard
SB5101 Cable Modem direct to computer. No other switches or routers or
wireless or phone line or any other networking hardware hooked up to this
computer.

Thanks for the help.
Bob
 
D

David H. Lipman

From: "Bob" <[email protected]>

| I read an article last week that the number one thing to do to protect your
| computer from malware is to run it in a "user" account. Equal to that is
| simply good behavior or sites on internet. Also to keep everything updated.
| I have always done these things. I run the latest Avast for my antivirus
| protection. I also have windows defender protection on and PC Tools
| Firewall Plus for firewall.

| Tonight I looked at drudge report and clicked on a link to a British
| newspaper. The article wasn't what I thought it was and it looked like a
| tabloid (Sun? closed so quick don't remember) and tabloid is not news so I
| quickly closed that window and went on to next links. My computer went slow
| after that. Just did not seem right. Restarted in safe mode and ran
| cCleaner computer clean and registry clean in both user and admin.
| Restarted and all my appearance settings are different. Runs slow or
| different. I remembered Windows Defender updated yesterday and the update
| always does a restore point. Tried to run System restore to restore to
| yesterday settings. After giving admin permission I saw the wait circle
| just disappear. It was like vista just ignored or canceled the start up of
| system restore. Every time I retried System restore it did the same thing
| or crashed my computer.

| This smells like a virus. Hmm. I go to main stream web sites only, run
| computer with (default limited) user account (use admin only when I need to
| make certain changes which is rare), Avast updates automatically multiple
| times a day. With these settings and behavior I thought I was bulletproof.
| I even read that $10,000 hacking prize winner Dino Dai Zovi and Rich Mogull
| both said Vista more secure than Apple Mac.

| What did I do wrong?

| I am currently scanning whole computer with a-squared Free. I will then
| scan with Avast, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, SUPERAntiSpyware, Windows
| Defender, and again with Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool, in that
| order.

| What do I do if all these scans find nothing?

| What do I do now? I never had a virus or malware before. Is it like the
| mumps, you want to get it as a child and not an adult? Does antivirus or
| antimalware remove bad stuff or does it just tell me I am infected and I
| need to reformat and rebuild system?

| Background info: Desktop AMD 4400+ 64X2 4GB memory 320GB HD Acer
| (AM3100-U3201A) purchased new February 2008 -- 32-bit MS Vista Home Premium
| SP2 -- MS auto updates on. Comcast ISP 12mbps service W\ Motorola SURFboard
| SB5101 Cable Modem direct to computer. No other switches or routers or
| wireless or phone line or any other networking hardware hooked up to this
| computer.

| Thanks for the help.
| Bob


Yes, Vista can get infected with a file-infecting virus or internet worm.

I doubt you got infected with a virus.
 
W

webster72n

Bob said:
I read an article last week that the number one thing to do to protect
your computer from malware is to run it in a "user" account. Equal to
that is simply good behavior or sites on internet. Also to keep
everything updated. I have always done these things. I run the latest
Avast for my antivirus protection. I also have windows defender
protection on and PC Tools Firewall Plus for firewall.

Tonight I looked at drudge report and clicked on a link to a British
newspaper. The article wasn't what I thought it was and it looked like a
tabloid (Sun? closed so quick don't remember) and tabloid is not news so I
quickly closed that window and went on to next links. My computer went
slow after that. Just did not seem right. Restarted in safe mode and ran
cCleaner computer clean and registry clean in both user and admin.
Restarted and all my appearance settings are different. Runs slow or
different. I remembered Windows Defender updated yesterday and the update
always does a restore point. Tried to run System restore to restore to
yesterday settings. After giving admin permission I saw the wait circle
just disappear. It was like vista just ignored or canceled the start up
of system restore. Every time I retried System restore it did the same
thing or crashed my computer.

This smells like a virus. Hmm. I go to main stream web sites only, run
computer with (default limited) user account (use admin only when I need
to make certain changes which is rare), Avast updates automatically
multiple times a day. With these settings and behavior I thought I was
bulletproof. I even read that $10,000 hacking prize winner Dino Dai Zovi
and Rich Mogull both said Vista more secure than Apple Mac.

What did I do wrong?

I am currently scanning whole computer with a-squared Free. I will then
scan with Avast, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, SUPERAntiSpyware, Windows
Defender, and again with Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool, in
that order.

What do I do if all these scans find nothing?

What do I do now? I never had a virus or malware before. Is it like the
mumps, you want to get it as a child and not an adult? Does antivirus or
antimalware remove bad stuff or does it just tell me I am infected and I
need to reformat and rebuild system?

Background info: Desktop AMD 4400+ 64X2 4GB memory 320GB HD Acer
(AM3100-U3201A) purchased new February 2008 -- 32-bit MS Vista Home
Premium SP2 -- MS auto updates on. Comcast ISP 12mbps service W\ Motorola
SURFboard SB5101 Cable Modem direct to computer. No other switches or
routers or wireless or phone line or any other networking hardware hooked
up to this computer.
Click to expand...

Bob:

Do you have the Reinstallation DVD for Device drivers & Diagnostics and
utilities?
If so, try Diagnostics to find out what's wrong and repair accordingly, if
necessary.
Only do the reinstalling as a last resort.

Harry.
 
M

Mark Adams

Bob said:
What do I do now to find out what is wrong with my computer and what do to
fix it?
Bob



.
Click to expand...

Your antivirus and antimalware applications will remove the threats. What
did the scans find? Never use registry cleaners; They don't remove viruses or
malware, and they don't improve computer performance. They do have the
potential to damage the registry to the point that your machine won't boot.

System Restore is frequently disabled by antivirus applications. Disable
your antivirus application after it does a complete scan and try System
Restore again. Restore to a point before you went to the tabloid site and
messed with your registry. Restore should reset your appearance settings as
well.
 
D

David H. Lipman

From: "Dave-UK" <[email protected]>




| Try describing your specific problem and quote any
| error messages exactly as they appear.
| Saying it "Just did not seem right" or "Runs slow or different"
| is of no help to anyone.

Exactly ! :)
 
B

Bob

Thank you. All of you. Thanks so much. Got everything running normal.
All my scans came up with no infections. System restore came up so I set
everything back. Now everything back to normal.
You are all very kind to help me. Thank you!!
Bob
 
W

webster72n

Bob said:
Thank you. All of you. Thanks so much. Got everything running normal.
All my scans came up with no infections. System restore came up so I set
everything back. Now everything back to normal.
You are all very kind to help me. Thank you!!
Click to expand...

You are certainly welcome, but how did SR come up normally, when before it
caused your system to flop?
 

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