Strange behavior from Vista System

[sherwin dubren]

Two nights ago, my Vista system started to behave in a bizarre
fashion. Clicking on an desktop icon would bring up not just
one window, but a dozen or more windows. That window would
lock up making it difficult to close. Task manager invocation
from the command bar would only appear momentarily. The start
icon also just flashed for a second, then off. I finally was
able to invoke task manager with cntrl-alt-delete and kill the
open windows. This behavior persisted even after rebooting the
machine.

I ran my up to date AVG and no viruses were found. Strangely,
after one day, this weird behavior went away as quickly as it
came on.

I called Comcast thinking it may be something in the network
causing the problem. They re provisioned my modem, but the
problem was still there.

My question is what brought on this behavior, an operating
system quirk, bad handshakes with Comcast, or whatever.
Unfortunately, I did not have my error logs turned on. I
have done so now and if the problem re-appears, I might
get some info from them.

Sherwin

 

[Richard Urban]

Two nights ago, my Vista system started to behave in a bizarre
fashion. Clicking on an desktop icon would bring up not just
one window, but a dozen or more windows. That window would
lock up making it difficult to close. Task manager invocation
from the command bar would only appear momentarily. The start
icon also just flashed for a second, then off. I finally was
able to invoke task manager with cntrl-alt-delete and kill the
open windows. This behavior persisted even after rebooting the
machine.

I ran my up to date AVG and no viruses were found. Strangely,
after one day, this weird behavior went away as quickly as it
came on.

I called Comcast thinking it may be something in the network
causing the problem. They re provisioned my modem, but the
problem was still there.

My question is what brought on this behavior, an operating
system quirk, bad handshakes with Comcast, or whatever.
Unfortunately, I did not have my error logs turned on. I
have done so now and if the problem re-appears, I might
get some info from them.

Sherwin

Download | Install | Update and run "MalwareBytes Anti Malware" (also
FREE). Run this program on a weekly basis after updating the program
manually.
http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

Then download | Install | Update and run "Super AntiSpyware" (also FREE).
Run this program on a weekly basis after updating the program manually.
http://www.superantispyware.com/

Then download | Install | and run CCleaner (also FREE). You can also use
this on a schedule that YOU feel is appropriate to clean out crap files from
your computer <it used to be called Crap Cleaner but they changed it to
CCleaner to be politically correct after it really took off>.
http://www.ccleaner.com/download

You may also want to install ThreatFire (also FREE). Why pay when you don't
have to?
http://www.threatfire.com/. This is a good program that compliments your
existing antivirus program.

 

[sherwin dubren]

Richard Urban wrote:

Thanks for the reply Richard. My experience with anti virus programs
is that you don't want to run more than one at a time. Most of that
came with my experience with Windows 2000. Maybe Vista is different.

If my machine is back to behaving itself, should I wait for this problem
to show up again before taking additional precautions?

Download | Install | Update and run "MalwareBytes Anti Malware" (also
FREE). Run this program on a weekly basis after updating the program
manually.
http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

Then download | Install | Update and run "Super AntiSpyware" (also FREE).
Run this program on a weekly basis after updating the program manually.
http://www.superantispyware.com/

Then download | Install | and run CCleaner (also FREE). You can also use
this on a schedule that YOU feel is appropriate to clean out crap files
from
your computer <it used to be called Crap Cleaner but they changed it to
CCleaner to be politically correct after it really took off>.
http://www.ccleaner.com/download

CCleaner is something I have been running every evening before
down my machine. It finds plenty of cookies and some registry
problems, especially after a software update or install.

You may also want to install ThreatFire (also FREE). Why pay when you
don't have to?
http://www.threatfire.com/. This is a good program that compliments
your existing antivirus program.

Is this program going to run simultaneously with my AVG antivirus?

I take it from your reply that you don't think Comcast has anything
to do with this odd behavior, or that my modem is acting up?


Sherwin

 

[Richard Urban]

Richard Urban wrote:

Thanks for the reply Richard. My experience with anti virus programs
is that you don't want to run more than one at a time. Most of that
came with my experience with Windows 2000. Maybe Vista is different.

If my machine is back to behaving itself, should I wait for this problem
to show up again before taking additional precautions?


CCleaner is something I have been running every evening before
down my machine. It finds plenty of cookies and some registry
problems, especially after a software update or install.

Is this program going to run simultaneously with my AVG antivirus?

I take it from your reply that you don't think Comcast has anything
to do with this odd behavior, or that my modem is acting up?


Sherwin

MalwareBytes, the free version, has nothing resident running. It runs upon
YOUR demand - then you shut it down. The same with Super AntiSpyware and
CCleaner

Threatfire does run resident but I have not yet found an antivirus program
that it interferes with. It just enhances what the program can do with it's
heuristic analysis of running programs and services. Many time I have gone
to websites and have had ThreatFire pop up a warning that had bypassed the
anti virus programs on various computers.

Scan NOW to be sure that you are clean (well, as clean as you can be.
Nothing is 100%).

 

[FredW]

Thanks for the reply Richard. My experience with anti virus programs
is that you don't want to run more than one at a time. Most of that
came with my experience with Windows 2000. Maybe Vista is different.

Your assumption that MBAM and SAS are anti-virus programs is not
correct, both are anti-spyware/adware programs and do not interfere with
any anti-virus program.

You should run them both as suggested.
(I run both twice per week after updating.)
Running weekly also means that these are not real-time programs,
but on-demand programs.
Together they are at the moment the best programs available and no
computer user should be without them.

 

[sherwin dubren]

You should run them both as suggested.
(I run both twice per week after updating.)
Running weekly also means that these are not real-time programs,
but on-demand programs.
Together they are at the moment the best programs available and no
computer user should be without them.

Judging from the replies, these programs are thought of highly, and
I probably will run them.

However, getting back to my particular question, if this problem
I saw is a virus, why did it appear to go away? Are there viruses
and malware that 'sleep' and reappear later on?

I will not rule out some strange behavior from either Comcast
network, or my modem and/or hard wired router acting up.
Perhaps the magic reprovisioning done by Comcast on the modem
somehow fixed the problem.

Sherwin

 

[Richard Urban]

Judging from the replies, these programs are thought of highly, and
I probably will run them.

However, getting back to my particular question, if this problem
I saw is a virus, why did it appear to go away? Are there viruses
and malware that 'sleep' and reappear later on?

I will not rule out some strange behavior from either Comcast
network, or my modem and/or hard wired router acting up.
Perhaps the magic reprovisioning done by Comcast on the modem
somehow fixed the problem.

Sherwin

Strange, unusual and unwanted behavior is usually caused by malware these
days!

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Judging from the replies, these programs are thought of highly, and
I probably will run them.

You didn't quote anything saying what programs you are talking about,
but I vaguely remember the conversation being about MalwareBytes
AntiMalware and SuperAntiSpyware. If I'm right, then I agree that they
are both excellent choices.

However, getting back to my particular question, if this problem
I saw is a virus, why did it appear to go away? Are there viruses
and malware...

Please be aware that the term "malware" is short for "malicious
software." It includes viruses, spyware, rootkits, trojans, worms,
etc. So it never makes sense to say "viruses *and* malware."

...that 'sleep' and reappear later on?

Malware can do whatever it wants. I wouldn't rule that behavior out as
a possibility. One common virus behavior is to send itself to your
correspondents, and it wants to do as much of that as possible before
doing anything directly malicious to your computer.

 

[sherwin dubren]

Download | Install | Update and run "MalwareBytes Anti Malware" (also
FREE). Run this program on a weekly basis after updating the program
manually.
http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

This program is NOT free. It would only fix 20 out of 440 errors in
the registry, unless I bought it. I should have recognized this
come on from previous downloads.

Then download | Install | Update and run "Super AntiSpyware" (also FREE).
Run this program on a weekly basis after updating the program manually.
http://www.superantispyware.com/

Then download | Install | and run CCleaner (also FREE). You can also use
this on a schedule that YOU feel is appropriate to clean out crap files
from
your computer <it used to be called Crap Cleaner but they changed it to
CCleaner to be politically correct after it really took off>.
http://www.ccleaner.com/download

I have had this for a long time and use it daily.

You may also want to install ThreatFire (also FREE). Why pay when you
don't have to?
http://www.threatfire.com/. This is a good program that compliments
your existing antivirus program.

This program is also NOT free. You have to sign up for something else
to get it.

Cmon guys.


Sherwin

 

[Richard Urban]

This program is NOT free. It would only fix 20 out of 440 errors in
the registry, unless I bought it. I should have recognized this
come on from previous downloads.

********************************

YOU clicked on the wrong button. Look again friend. Hundreds of thousands
are using the FREE version!

********************************

I have had this for a long time and use it daily.

This program is also NOT free. You have to sign up for something else
to get it.

******************************************************

I have been using ThreatFire for about 3 years now and have never had to pay
for it. You had better watch where you click or get someone to read the web
pages for you!!

******************************************************

 

[sherwin dubren]

OK, I was able to download the free versions. The setups
are a bit confusing by throwing in upgrades and other
software in the middle of the download process.

Running Malewarebytes found four problems, which found a
rogue and three adware problems. I doubt this will fix
the earlier described problem, but this seems like a
good program to have around.

Also running Threatfire now, and it did not detect
anything.

I don't know if superantispyware is any better than
my Ad-Aware program.

My original problem remains a mystery.


Sherwin

 

[Richard Urban]

OK, I was able to download the free versions. The setups
are a bit confusing by throwing in upgrades and other
software in the middle of the download process.

Running Malewarebytes found four problems, which found a
rogue and three adware problems. I doubt this will fix
the earlier described problem, but this seems like a
good program to have around.

Also running Threatfire now, and it did not detect
anything.

I don't know if superantispyware is any better than
my Ad-Aware program.

My original problem remains a mystery.


Sherwin

There comes a time when you have to bite the bullet and do a format and
reinstall. Some malware infections, especially multiple malware infections,
are impossible to clean out without damaging the O/S beyond repair.

You may be at that point!

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Two nights ago, my Vista system started to behave in a bizarre
fashion. Clicking on an desktop icon would bring up not just
one window, but a dozen or more windows. That window would
lock up making it difficult to close. Task manager invocation
from the command bar would only appear momentarily. The start
icon also just flashed for a second, then off. I finally was
able to invoke task manager with cntrl-alt-delete and kill the
open windows. This behavior persisted even after rebooting the
machine.

I ran my up to date AVG and no viruses were found. Strangely,
after one day, this weird behavior went away as quickly as it
came on.

I called Comcast thinking it may be something in the network
causing the problem. They re provisioned my modem, but the
problem was still there.

My question is what brought on this behavior, an operating
system quirk, bad handshakes with Comcast, or whatever.
Unfortunately, I did not have my error logs turned on. I
have done so now and if the problem re-appears, I might
get some info from them.

Sherwin

Aside from the suggestions about malware, here's mine, which is about
hardware.

Perhaps your mouse button is sticking. Try a different mouse the next
time the behavior occurs.