Is my computer security compromised?

[delcash]

I downloaded a few songs from LimeWire last night. Two of them did not play
music, using windows media playe. I was suspicious of the files, so I deleted
them. Then I ran stinger and if found one of the files, said it was a US
downloader, and deleted it. I searched for the other fiule and it appears to
be gone, deleted. I happened to open my My Docs folder soon after --using my
computer, local disk C, documents and setting, etc -- and noticed under the
Date Accessed column that every folder in than folder -- and most documents
-- had been accessed that night. So...is my computer secutiry compromised
(i.e. some hacker has control of it), or are all those files and folders
accessed due to the Stinger scan? Any help much appreciated ...

 

[Mick Murphy]

To be on the safe side, install, update and scan your computer with these 2
Programs below.

Limewire is a bad spot to get Trojans disguised as MP3s.

http://www.spybot.info/en/index.html

Spybot Search & Destroy 1.6 is a very good, FREE Anti-Spyware Program.
Download, install, update, and immunize your System with it.
Then SCAN with it.
Update it, and scan your System once a fortnight.

http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

Malwarebytes is as the name says, a Malware Remover!
For the Free version scroll down their page to either download from
Download.com, or Major Geeks.com

Download, install, and update.

 

[nass]

I downloaded a few songs from LimeWire last night. Two of them did not play
music, using windows media playe. I was suspicious of the files, so I deleted
them. Then I ran stinger and if found one of the files, said it was a US
downloader, and deleted it. I searched for the other fiule and it appears to
be gone, deleted. I happened to open my My Docs folder soon after --using my
computer, local disk C, documents and setting, etc -- and noticed under the
Date Accessed column that every folder in than folder -- and most documents
-- had been accessed that night. So...is my computer secutiry compromised
(i.e. some hacker has control of it), or are all those files and folders
accessed due to the Stinger scan? Any help much appreciated ...

It could be both, the stinger did access that folder to scan the files that
folder contain them or when you download these songs, the older been accessed
for the download!

1... Click start >> Control Panel >> Double Click Network and Internet
Connections >> Double click Internet Options, on the IE Properties window
you will see these Options:
General | Security | Privacy | Content | Connections | Programs
| Advanced .

Click on General Tab (1st Tab on the left) and you will see a Button called
[ Clear History ..] click on it to clear your History caches, then click on
[Delete Files..] to delete Internet Files created over the time, click on [
Delete Cookies...] to delete your cookies left by visiting websites.

= Then try to Disable the Add-Ons on your Browser somehow installed on your
browser, On how to disable the Add-ons follow this:
Click on Programs Tab and then click the Manage Add-Ons Button there Disable
the None/Not Verified Plug-ins/Add-ons ( you need to Renable them one-by-one
later and see which is the culprit .
How to manage Add-Ons:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/883256
Install the free trial of Windows Live OneCare
http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-gb/default.htm

http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/safety/technologies/onecare/default.mspx

Windows Defender detects and removes spyware
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/defender/default.mspx

HTH,
nass

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

P2P file sharing: Anticipate the risks before you download your first file:
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/yourself/downloads/filesharing.mspx

Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/computer/default.mspx

Steps To Help Prevent Spyware
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/spyware/prevent.mspx

Steps to Help Prevent Computer Worms
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/viruses/worms/prevent.mspx

Unexplained computer behavior may be caused by deceptive software
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827315

Run a /thorough/ check for hijackware, including posting the requested logs
in an appropriate forum.

Checking for/Help with Hijackware
http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=4075
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/data/prevention.htm
http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/tshoot.html
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/Malware_Defence.htm
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

**Seek expert assistance in
http://spywarehammer.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php?board=10.0,
http://forums.spybot.info/forumdisplay.php?f=22,
http://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=30, or other appropriate forums.**

If the procedures look too complex - and there is no shame in admitting this
isn't your cup of tea - take the machine to a local, reputable and
independent (i.e., not BigBoxStoreUSA or Geek Squad) computer repair shop.

 

[Twayne]

I downloaded a few songs from LimeWire last night. Two of them did
not play music, using windows media playe. I was suspicious of the
files, so I deleted them. Then I ran stinger and if found one of the
files, said it was a US downloader, and deleted it. I searched for
the other fiule and it appears to be gone, deleted. I happened to
open my My Docs folder soon after --using my computer, local disk C,
documents and setting, etc -- and noticed under the Date Accessed
column that every folder in than folder -- and most documents -- had
been accessed that night. So...is my computer secutiry compromised
(i.e. some hacker has control of it), or are all those files and
folders accessed due to the Stinger scan? Any help much appreciated
...

Any scan would have changed those dates, so it's not really very
meaningful. Nass's advice IMO Is probably the best, followed by
thorough AV and malware scans, just to be certain nothing weasled its
way in.

My 2 ¢ anyway,

Twayne

 

[M.I.5¾]

I downloaded a few songs from LimeWire last night. Two of them did not play
music, using windows media playe. I was suspicious of the files, so I
deleted
them. Then I ran stinger and if found one of the files, said it was a US
downloader, and deleted it. I searched for the other fiule and it appears
to
be gone, deleted. I happened to open my My Docs folder soon after --using
my
computer, local disk C, documents and setting, etc -- and noticed under
the
Date Accessed column that every folder in than folder -- and most
documents
-- had been accessed that night. So...is my computer secutiry compromised
(i.e. some hacker has control of it), or are all those files and folders
accessed due to the Stinger scan? Any help much appreciated ...

Even just checking the date stamps is considered an access, and the accessed
date stamp will always be the current date.

 

[R. McCarty]

Limewire is like an express lane to Malware. Use it and just expect the
PC to become infected. It's not the program itself, but the content you
download with it that is dangerous.

 

[delcash]

Thanks Twayne!

Any scan would have changed those dates, so it's not really very
meaningful. Nass's advice IMO Is probably the best, followed by
thorough AV and malware scans, just to be certain nothing weasled its
way in.

My 2 ¢ anyway,

Twayne