malware

[nana z]

Have been off line for 10 days after a big computer crash. Got the diagnosis today that it is malware which was/is not picked up by anti virus software. They found 8 virses, one was in a Adobe folder and they said, one of the nastiest they have ever seen. Suggested to add Malwarebytes and will do that before I surf the internet waters again. It will be next week before I am completely back but I can live with that - at first, thought that I lost everything. Another reminder to back up, back up, back up.

[digigrandma]

Well, that is sure scary to hear about, Z. Sorry, your computer got a nasty virus. Thanks for alerting us to this threat so we can remember to back up, back up, back up everything important to us. I'm glad you didn't lose everything, but, what a pain to be without your computer this long! bummer!

[esther_a]

I am sorry you've had to go through that, Z. It is such a huge, distressing time waster! I wish there was some way to bring the people who generate these things to account. Perhaps we could put them in stocks and throw rotten eggs and tomatoes at them - what do you reckon?!
I have had so much trouble with malware and other viruses in the last year. My malware was so insidious (redirecting me to websites, disabling anti-walware software and eventually shutting my computer down entirely) that I decided to get a new 1T hard drive and operating system and get the technicians to restore all my data. Trying to turn a -ve into a +ve! It does seem that Windows 7 is much more secure than its predecessors!
Malwarebytes is a good freebie for malware. Avast is a good freebie to protect against viruses and trojans (these are the recommendations of my computer-geek students!).

[ValerieP]

Alas, I was taken down by a piece of malware too, I lost some photos, but not too many, I had most backed up on a click free EHD-so we just reformatted my whole system and re installed all my software and then plugged in my click free and everything else went back to where it was. I had to regather fonts from the internet, so now I keep them in a folder and they are backed up too.
Then we purchased Kapersky- the other night, the same malware made an attempt to take over my computer, so I shut down and restarted and Kapersky caught it!! Whewww

[home in ottawa]

My dad used to say that "a lock only stops an honest man". Sadly, there are always people out there whose sole aim is to cause grief and to people that they don't even know. I'll never understand vandalism on any level, but I am trying to back up, back up, back up!

[MaggieMae]

Last year a virus took over my computer - it was awful - it literally said, "You are Infected!" on my desktop. Yuck! It's so hard to keep remembering to back-up, back-up but it's so important!! Thanks for the reminder and so sorry you have had so much trouble.

[rsdtmd]

We had the same problem a few weeks ago. Our antivirus didn't catch any of the malware. I couldn't run anything on my computer, kept getting the same have an infection message. Finally was able to log in on safe mode and load a copy of malwarebytes from a flash drive. It found and cleared up over 20 malwares that had gotten in.

Although my ehd was not up to date, so was so happy I had started to back up about a year ago.

[ptabbert]

Unfortunately, I don't think that most people know that an anti-virus program won't catch malware. I see that Kaspersky is an anti-virus and anti-malware, so I think I might try it.

[ValerieP]

I have found after doing a bit of research and periodically running into the malware that my protection will catch it. When I see it pop up and look like it is taking over, I shut down and then re start and it is gone, WHeeeww-looks like Kapersky is doing its job, does make me wonder if the malware remembers ip addresses though?

[ang66]

Sorry to hear about your problem!! I have had a couple of crashes in the last few years and it definitely isn`t a great thing to have happen!! Hope it is all okay now!!

[nana z]

Thank you all for the good wishes and for the info. Lesson learned on many levels. Have never picked up a virses before and will make sure that malware program is installed before I surf again. So sorry that many of you had to suffer the same thing, I get it now.

[hendon]

Nanaz, I thought you were an apple lady? Has this happened on a mac or a pc?

[JulieSade]

Thank you--after my computer blew out after a malware attack last January (I even did a page about it!) I didn't update my current computer with the malware bytes program. I'm now fixing that and have downloaded the free version. Phew--no malware is on my computer at this time.

I'm so sorry it happened to you, too.

[nana z]

My Apple dream got put on hold for now. This was on a PC but if I have another attack, no more Miss PC!