Dec. 15, 2004

Hi, All!

This Week: A Worst-Case Scenario!

I was asked to look at a PC that was having problems running. Like many PC's, it had been running slower and slower one day refusing to run Windows anymore.
Both the client and I suspected a virus of some type, so I downloaded one of the better free anti-virus programs (AGVfree by Grisoft Software Company: www.grisoft.com). Since Windows would not load, I created a "Recovery Disk" from the AVG tools menu. This disk (or set of 4) is bootable, so you insert disk #1 and it will boot your PC to DOS, then load a DOS version of the anti-virus program and check for viruses on the hard drive.
In this PC's case, it took over three days of running 24 hours a day to find and attempt removal of the 20+ copies of "Trojan Virus" In the end, there were more copies of the virus than even this virus remover could eliminate. So having no other option, I had to erase and reformat the hard drive and clean it for a reinstall of Windows. But that created another problem that I am still dealing with, as this is a Gateway PC of 1999 vintage, and like many PC's manufactured during that time, it contains proprietary hardware cards that, without the manufacturer's "restore" or "drivers" CD, will prohibit the activation of the modem and a CD-RW drive.To fix this, I will have to either find the restore disk or change out the proprietary parts for those that are Windows compatible.
This just tells you that viruses can do more damage than intended or imagined. Get and keep your anti-virus software current. Our editor sent me a news item about the possibility of an all out cyber attack on the World Wide Web and the world's businesses and financial systems. The best way to help stop this threat is to make sure your PC is protected with anti-virus, Spam, adware, and spyware programs and behind a firewall program or device.

Robert 'Til next week, (ComputerFAQ#220)

Robert

Please send your questions to

Dec. 15, 2004 A Computer Infested With Over 20 Copies of Trojan Virus Must Be Completely Erased

Dec. 8, 2004 Choosing Folder Into Which Application Will Install

Dec. 1, 2004 Spyware

Nov. 24, 2004 Explanations of Various CD & DVD Formats

Nov. 17, 2004 New User Asks About CD & DVD Drives

Nov. 10, 2004 Windows PC's Hard Drive Crashes, Explanation

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Oct. 27, 2004 Printers and Refilled Inkjet Cartridges Revisited

Oct. 20, 2004 Windows Update Utility

Oct. 13, 2004 Explorer Screen Still Doesn't Refresh Automatically with SP2

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Sept. 22, 2004 More on Phishing, Part 1

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Sept. 8, 2004 Screen in Windows XP doesn't refresh

Sept. 1, 2004 From India: Computer doesn't start #2, only LEDs and fan come on

Aug. 25, 2004 From India: Computer doesn't start, doesn't show POST Power On Self Test

Aug. 18, 2004 Reminder- Terrorist Computer Attacks Like During Republican Convention

Aug. 11, 2004 More Phishing

Aug. 4, 2004 Three Old Viruses WORM_BAGLE.AF, WORM_BAGLE.AM, WORM_MYDOOM.M

July 28, 2004 Celebrating the 200th ComputerFAQ

July 21, 2004 Sleep, Standby & Hibernation

July 14, 2004 Parts of Windows Screens, such as Status Bar

July 7, 2004 Parts of Windows Screens, such as Desktop

June 30, 2004 Losing the Address Bar and Accurate Communication

June 23, 2004 Spyware and How to Remove It

June 16, 2004 Suggestions for the iMac writer of June 9

June 9, 2004 MacIntosh User Finds Trick to Display Emailed Photos

June 2, 2004 Internet Options "Cookies" Configuration

May 26, 2004 Internet Options Box #2

May 12&19, 2004 Worm_Sasser.B and Clearing Old URL Addresses from IE

May 5, 2004 The F5 Refresh key and other Function keys

Apr. 28, 2004 First Purchase on Ebay and More on Recycling Computer Eqpt.

Apr. 21, 2004 Repairing a Laser Printer and More about Disposing Used Computer Equipment

Apr. 14, 2004 How to get rid of an old PC

Apr. 7, 2004 Another Virus Alert

Mar. 31, 2004 Keeping Both Home and Ebay Pages Open At the Same Time

Mar. 24, 2004 A Complex Alert about a Very Complex Virus

Mar. 17, 2004 A Hoax Virus Can Cause You To Damage Your Computer

Mar. 10, 2004 Should I Reload Windows?

Mar. 3, 2004 HTML Email Viruses: Disable Preview and Receive Only Text Email

Feb. 25, 2004 Spoofing and Zombies

Feb. 18, 2004 Using Spyware

Feb. 11, 2004 Spyware

Feb. 4, 2004 Phishing and the MyDoom virus

Jan. 28, 2004 Microsoft Extends Support for Windows '98 and ME

Jan. 21, 2004 More Keyboard Shortcuts

Jan. 14, 2004 The Lifesaver "Undo" and Other Keyboard Shortcuts

Jan. 7, 2004 Microsoft quitting support for Windows 95 & 98 plus minimum computer requirements for Windows XP

Dec. 24, 2003 The Trouble with Mice

Dec. 17, 2003 System Restore & Windows Safe Mode

Dec. 10, 2003 Backing Up using an external USB Hard Drive

Dec. 3, 2003 SpamSubtract, a good way to reduce spam, also other ways

Nov. 26, 2003 Disgusted about Spam

Nov. 19, 2003 How Vulnerable is Your Computer to Data Theft?

Nov. 12, 2003 Safely Deleting Thousands of tmp Files

Nov. 5, 2003 Finding the Windows Search Button & Misc Program Problems

Oct. 29, 2003 How to Print a List of Files

Oct. 22, 2003 Fall Cleanup Part 3

Oct. 15, 2003 Fall Cleanup Part 2

Oct. 8, 2003 Fall Cleaning of Your PC

Oct. 1, 2003 Explanation of DSL

Sept. 24, 2003 Installing DSL at the Shopper

Sept. 17, 2003 What New Computer Should I Buy? Part 2

Sept. 10, 2003 What New Computer Should I Buy?

Sept. 3, 2003 Protecting from Viruses and Worms

Aug. 27, 2003 Current Viruses "Bast Worm" and "Sobig"

Aug. 20, 2003 Does Microsoft Password Make Changing Passwords Easier?

Aug. 13, 2003 Passwords and Passport Part 2

Aug. 6, 2003 More About PassPort and Passwords

July 23 & 30, 2003 Where Are Microsoft Passport Passwords Stored? and More About Passport and Passwords

July 16, 2003 Internet Explorer Helpful Hint Part 2

July 9, 2003 Internet Explorer Helpful Hint Part 1

July 2, 2003 Some More Icons Explained

June 25, 2003 Online Ordering

June 18, 2003 Followup on Refilled Ink Cartridges

 

July 05, 2000 Introduction to ComputerFAQ

July 12, 2000 Computer Definitions

July 26, 2000 More Computer Definitions

August 02, 2000 Defining Bits, Bytes and Hex

August 09, 2000 Internet Service Providers (ISP)

August 16, 2000 Backup up your PC

August 23, 2000 Backup Devices.

August 30, 2000 What is the slowest PC for Internet Access

September 06, 2000 PC Nomenclature

September 13, 2000What to do with Mail Attachements.

September 20, 2000What Happens at boot up

October 04, 2000Desktop Areas

October 18, 2000Start Button

October 25, 2000Display Made Bigger

November 01, 2000 More Monitor Controls

November 15, 2000 Right Click Display Menu

November 22, 2000 More on Desktop Menus

November 29, 2000 More on Desktop Menus

December 06, 2000 Desktop Properties Menu - part 1

December 13, 2000 Desktop Properties Menu - part 2

December 20, 2000 Desktop Properties Menu - part 3