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ken smith said:
when i get on the internet my computer after a couple on
minutes will pop up a box saying NT/AUTHORITY/SYSTEM and
give a 59 second count down then shuts the computer down
and reboots it. is this a virus or do i have a computer
problem?
yes, it's a virus--technically a worm. You have MSBlaster. To
remove it, do the following:
The following instructions are in three parts
1. Stop it from running
2. Remove it from your system
3. Make sure it doesn't come back
Before beginning, if you have an always-on internet connection,
it's a good idea to disconnect it.
1. Stop it from running
Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to bring up the Task Manager, then on the
Processes tab, click msblast.exe and then "End process." Reply
"Yes" to the warning message that comes up.
This stops the worm from running, so your system will not shut
down. However, it doesn't remove it, and if that's all you do, it
will start up again the next time you boot.
2. Remove it from your system
a. Start the registry editor program, regedit, by going to Start
| Run, and typing REGEDIT
Navigate to HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current
Version\Run by clicking the plus signs next to each of the
folders in the left hand pane. When you get to the last of them,
Run, click the word Run itself.
Find an entry called "Windows Auto Update" on the right side.
Right-click it and delete it.
b. Do a Windows search for msblast, and delete all files found.
The worm is now gone, and won't start again the next time you
boot. But if that's all you do, you can get reinfected just as
you did the first time.
3. Make sure it doesn't come back
a. If you've disconnected your internet connection, reconnect it.
Download and install the Microsoft patch at
http://download.microsoft.com/downl...e-b7a52a983f01/WindowsXP-KB823980-x86-ENU.exe
That will remove the vulnerability that the worm exploits.
b. Make sure you're running a firewall that prevents worms like
this from getting in. You can enable the built-in Windows XP
firewall, or download and install another one such as the free
version of ZoneAlarm. To enable the built-in firewall, go to
Control Panel, double-click Networking and Internet Connections,
then click Network Connections. Right-click your connection, then
click Properties, and on the Advanced tab, click the option
"Protect my computer and network..."
c. Be sure you are running an anti-virus program, and that you
regularly download the latest updated virus definitions.
