System Restore

[Guest]

I've been having problems with the computer shutting down, locking up and
errors in various software. I thought this was a virus, so I re-installed
everything on the computer and then changed the anti-virus from Panda to AVG.
I changed the anti-virus because there was a virus present everytime I
started the m/c. (Trj/BAT.Zapchast) Following the instructions of Panda, they
said that the virus was in the System Restore, to get rid of it I should
switch off System Restore and then switch it on again. After all this the
virus was still there and I could not reset System Restore. I am now running
AVG, but how do I get System Restore back?

 

[Ted Zieglar]

"...there was a virus present everytime I started the m/c."

What is "the m/c"?

Reinstalling software does not remove a virus. To remove a virus you
need an updated anti-virus program.

If your anti-virus program can't remove the virus, and you know the name
of the virus, search the internet and you may be fortunate to find
manual removal instructions specific to that virus.

If that doesn't work out, your only remaining choices are restoring your
hard disk from backup (or at least your system partition) and a clean
install, where you completely erase your hard disk and start from scratch.

 

[Dejola]

I once read that before you run san anti-vurus scan you should include
hidden files and folders in the scan because if a virus gets into
hidden files and folders and you don't unhide them before running the
scan the scan won't pick hem up. Start> Control Panel > Folder Options

 

[Ted Zieglar]

An antivirus scanner will scan files and folders whether or not they are
marked hidden.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I've been having problems with the computer shutting down, locking up
and errors in various software. I thought this was a virus, so I
re-installed everything on the computer

That is almost always *extreme* overkill. The way to get rid of a virus is
by using anti-virus software.

and then changed the
anti-virus from Panda to AVG. I changed the anti-virus because there
was a virus present everytime I started the m/c.

What is "m/c"?

(Trj/BAT.Zapchast)
Following the instructions of Panda, they said that the virus was in
the System Restore, to get rid of it I should switch off System
Restore and then switch it on again. After all this the virus was
still there and I could not reset System Restore. I am now running
AVG, but how do I get System Restore back?

First of all note that a virus in a restore point can never be removed by an
anti-virus. The only way to get rid of it is to remove the restore point.

However, also note that a virus in a Restore Point is completely innocuous
and can never hurt you in any way *unless* you restore from that Restore
Point. Once you've removed the virus that was *outside* of the Restore
Points, you can get rid of the ones in the Restore Points by turning off
System Restore and turning it back on, or you can just ignore it, and wait
until the infected restore point goes away by itself as it gets older (being
very sure that you never restore from a Restore Point older than the date
when the virus was removed).

It's usually best to remove the virus in the Restore Points so as not to
have to worry about it, but I wanted to be sure you understood the
situation.