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Computer experts: I need your help please!
Hiya,
Basically I downloaded a new media centre the other day. However, it appears that it has given my computer a virus which is worrying. I have norton internet security but it did not appear to detect it. I spoke to someone at PC World who said the chances are that the virus has impedded itself into Windows itself, meaning that the anti virus could not locate it.
Basically, my computers symptoms are: it displays a warning 'critical error' message in the bottom right hand corner of the screen, telling me to 'click the balloon to fix all the problems' (aka, it takes me to some web page that tries to sell me some anti virus software). Also... every so often I get dodgy pop-ups that come on my computer screen.
So I really need your help with the following questions:
1) What can I do about the problem if my anti-virus software does not recognise that a virus is present?
2) The chap at PC World said the best bet would be to wipe the hard drive and reset the computer back to factory settings. Is that the only thing that I can really do? How do I do that, would my laptop come with a system restore CD, or would PC World have to restore the computer for me?
3) Finally, and most importantly: I want to transfer my files from my old laptop onto a disk so that I can back up my files before the hard drive might possibly have to be wiped. I bought some DVD+R disks, however my computer says (when I try to put files to the DVD): 'insert a writable CD. Note: a writable CD is a compact disk that can be converted to a conventioanl audio CD by a recoridng drive CD-R or CD-RW)... Does that mean that my computer cant put files onto DVD?
4) Will CD-R disks therefore be compatible with my laptop then?
5) Lastly, how do I go about transferring files onto CD? Basically I want to transfer music files, picture files, and word files. I dont know how I go about doing that at all!
6) Once the files have been transferred to CD and then uploaded onto a clean hard disk, can the files on the CD-R disk be deleted to allow more space again?
Thanks for all your help. I would appreciate it if people could reply using numbers eg. 1), 2) so that I can easily locate the response to the question.
Cheers
Basically I downloaded a new media centre the other day. However, it appears that it has given my computer a virus which is worrying. I have norton internet security but it did not appear to detect it. I spoke to someone at PC World who said the chances are that the virus has impedded itself into Windows itself, meaning that the anti virus could not locate it.
Basically, my computers symptoms are: it displays a warning 'critical error' message in the bottom right hand corner of the screen, telling me to 'click the balloon to fix all the problems' (aka, it takes me to some web page that tries to sell me some anti virus software). Also... every so often I get dodgy pop-ups that come on my computer screen.
So I really need your help with the following questions:
1) What can I do about the problem if my anti-virus software does not recognise that a virus is present?
2) The chap at PC World said the best bet would be to wipe the hard drive and reset the computer back to factory settings. Is that the only thing that I can really do? How do I do that, would my laptop come with a system restore CD, or would PC World have to restore the computer for me?
3) Finally, and most importantly: I want to transfer my files from my old laptop onto a disk so that I can back up my files before the hard drive might possibly have to be wiped. I bought some DVD+R disks, however my computer says (when I try to put files to the DVD): 'insert a writable CD. Note: a writable CD is a compact disk that can be converted to a conventioanl audio CD by a recoridng drive CD-R or CD-RW)... Does that mean that my computer cant put files onto DVD?
4) Will CD-R disks therefore be compatible with my laptop then?
5) Lastly, how do I go about transferring files onto CD? Basically I want to transfer music files, picture files, and word files. I dont know how I go about doing that at all!
6) Once the files have been transferred to CD and then uploaded onto a clean hard disk, can the files on the CD-R disk be deleted to allow more space again?
Thanks for all your help. I would appreciate it if people could reply using numbers eg. 1), 2) so that I can easily locate the response to the question.
Cheers
Scroll to see replies
1) Scan with another AntiVirus package, or a spyware scanner like Ad-Aware which is free.
2) A full reformat will be the most efficient way of removing all the malwre on your computer, but not the only way.
3+4+5) What kind of CD drive does your lappy have? Check the manufactrer's site if you are unsure.
6) CD-Rs can only be written to once. If you have a CD-RW discs then you can delete files to free up the space on them again. But CD-Rs are so cheap it's hardly worth bothering.
2) A full reformat will be the most efficient way of removing all the malwre on your computer, but not the only way.
3+4+5) What kind of CD drive does your lappy have? Check the manufactrer's site if you are unsure.
6) CD-Rs can only be written to once. If you have a CD-RW discs then you can delete files to free up the space on them again. But CD-Rs are so cheap it's hardly worth bothering.
Air Marshal
1) Scan with another AntiVirus package, or a spyware scanner like Ad-Aware which is free.
2) A full reformat will be the most efficient way of removing all the malwre on your computer, but not the only way.
3+4+5) What kind of CD drive does your lappy have? Check the manufactrer's site if you are unsure.
6) CD-Rs can only be written to once. If you have a CD-RW discs then you can delete files to free up the space on them again. But CD-Rs are so cheap it's hardly worth bothering.
2) A full reformat will be the most efficient way of removing all the malwre on your computer, but not the only way.
3+4+5) What kind of CD drive does your lappy have? Check the manufactrer's site if you are unsure.
6) CD-Rs can only be written to once. If you have a CD-RW discs then you can delete files to free up the space on them again. But CD-Rs are so cheap it's hardly worth bothering.
Thanks for answering my questions!
1) You said a full reformt is the most efficient way of removing all problems on my computer. Will my laptop have come with a system restore disk?
2) How do I go about sending files I want to save to a CD?
3) Can I save multiple file types to a CD. eg. paint files, music files etc?
4) I am not sure the exact CD drive my laptop has, but it is capable of ripping music to normal CD's. Any idea what it could be?
5) Where can I get CD-R's cheaply?
I have a Toshiba Equium L10. Will CD-R's work with this model at all?
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@2034685181.1158593922@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccdeaddilihhlhhcflgceggdhhmdgmh.0&page=Product&sku=074685&tabIndex=1
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@2034685181.1158593922@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccdeaddilihhlhhcflgceggdhhmdgmh.0&page=Product&sku=074685&tabIndex=1
Any CDR will work with laptops that have either a DVD-RW, DVD+RW or CDRW drives.
Use SpyBot. Do a full system scan and delete all the things it finds. It's a spyware problem I think. http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
Sounds more like spyware/adware to me than a virus, the critical warning thing is just a lie probably, to worry you, and make you buy the crap it says - which is more than likely just more spyware...
run it with spybot search and destroy as linked above^^ - and also adaware as touched upon also further above^^
the microsoft spyware scanner is another alternative, but id place that 3rd on the list... after those two i mentioned..
hope you get it sorted..
Robcampo
run it with spybot search and destroy as linked above^^ - and also adaware as touched upon also further above^^
the microsoft spyware scanner is another alternative, but id place that 3rd on the list... after those two i mentioned..
hope you get it sorted..
Robcampo
Thanks everyone for your advice.
I have managed to do a system restore, and put back my computer to its original settings on saturday. The problem happened after a programme I downloaded on sunday.
The problem has appeared to have cleared itself with the system restore. I did a scan with Windows Defender Beta Version. It did not show up that I had any spyware.
Does that mean that my computer is clean? Or will the system restore fail to get rid of any spyware that would be lurking around?
I am no longer getting pop ups, or worrying messages. Does that mean that the system restore sorted out all the problems?
ALSO.. when i tranfer files to a DVD+R it says it cannot do it. I right click on the file and click 'send to', 'CD Drive D:' What am I doing wrong?
I have managed to do a system restore, and put back my computer to its original settings on saturday. The problem happened after a programme I downloaded on sunday.
The problem has appeared to have cleared itself with the system restore. I did a scan with Windows Defender Beta Version. It did not show up that I had any spyware.
Does that mean that my computer is clean? Or will the system restore fail to get rid of any spyware that would be lurking around?
I am no longer getting pop ups, or worrying messages. Does that mean that the system restore sorted out all the problems?
ALSO.. when i tranfer files to a DVD+R it says it cannot do it. I right click on the file and click 'send to', 'CD Drive D:' What am I doing wrong?
chances are yes it is gone, however i advise you scan with spybot: search and destroy and adaware anyway... your computer may have other spyware aswell.. but you wont know this untill you scan, i reccomend a full deep scan or whatever it is called on their...lol altho the windows thing is somewhat good... i still dont rate it too high. (just like 90% of microsoft stuff 
lol)
as for your other prob, someone said on here a while back this only works with cds, not dvds... i presume you have recorded dvds before (not sayin ur a 'tard, but a few ppl still dnt realise u cnt burn dvds with a cd writer)
get some software like nero etc to burn ur cds... their are many good free programs, but it depends wht u want to record....
Hope this helps
Robcampo
lol)as for your other prob, someone said on here a while back this only works with cds, not dvds... i presume you have recorded dvds before (not sayin ur a 'tard, but a few ppl still dnt realise u cnt burn dvds with a cd writer)
get some software like nero etc to burn ur cds... their are many good free programs, but it depends wht u want to record....
Hope this helps
Robcampo
To be safe, I'd remove any other system restore points you have, as the spyware might have backed itself up to one or all of them. Such is generally more virus-like behaviour (and Norton might have picked it up, shoddy detection that it is), but it's certainly possible.
Burning files to a DVD requires a different kind of laser than the ones you find in normal CD writers, so your PC may not be capable of writing to them. Ever seen a tape recorder that can also record to video tapes? Same difference.
Burning files to a DVD requires a different kind of laser than the ones you find in normal CD writers, so your PC may not be capable of writing to them. Ever seen a tape recorder that can also record to video tapes? Same difference.
Okay thanks.
So thats probably why it is not burning. My computer gives the option of 'moving files to CD', but no talk of moving files to a DVD.
1) In that case will a CD+R work fine for transferring files?
2) Will a CD+R be able to store music files, paint files, word files, I-tune files? as these are the ones that I want to back up anyway
Thanks
So thats probably why it is not burning. My computer gives the option of 'moving files to CD', but no talk of moving files to a DVD.
1) In that case will a CD+R work fine for transferring files?
2) Will a CD+R be able to store music files, paint files, word files, I-tune files? as these are the ones that I want to back up anyway
Thanks
Robcampo
chances are yes it is gone, however i advise you scan with spybot: search and destroy and adaware anyway... your computer may have other spyware aswell.. but you wont know this untill you scan, i reccomend a full deep scan or whatever it is called on their...lol altho the windows thing is somewhat good... i still dont rate it too high. (just like 90% of microsoft stuff lol)
as for your other prob, someone said on here a while back this only works with cds, not dvds... i presume you have recorded dvds before (not sayin ur a 'tard, but a few ppl still dnt realise u cnt burn dvds with a cd writer)
get some software like nero etc to burn ur cds... their are many good free programs, but it depends wht u want to record....
Hope this helps
Robcampo
lol)as for your other prob, someone said on here a while back this only works with cds, not dvds... i presume you have recorded dvds before (not sayin ur a 'tard, but a few ppl still dnt realise u cnt burn dvds with a cd writer)
get some software like nero etc to burn ur cds... their are many good free programs, but it depends wht u want to record....
Hope this helps
Robcampo
From what you have said, spybot seems a good thing to use. Any idea where I can go about locating a safe/non infected copy of that software?
theepw
From what you have said, spybot seems a good thing to use. Any idea where I can go about locating a safe/non infected copy of that software?
I've linked it already!! Its the official site!!!
In case you've just ignored it,
here it is again!http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
1) Yes.
2) Yes.
The link to Spybot was posted earlier, but here it is again:
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
2) Yes.
The link to Spybot was posted earlier, but here it is again:
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
got there before u, dez!
thats a direct link to it --> http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/Spybot_Search_and_Destroy/1043809773/1
here is the page that that link is taken from incase you want to double check, choose a diff host --> http://www.safer-networking.org/en/mirrors/index.html
yes, all of those things will happily fit on a cd, dvds and cds are practically the same thing apart from storage, just bare in mind tht u cnt make a music dvd tht will play in come cd playes (generally) just as u cnt create a film cd to play in dvd players (generally, however u can create vcd's but ill let u google tht or start another thread.lol)
so yes a cd will store 700mb,
and a dvd will store 4.7gb 4700mb (for arguments sake) unless u use dl (dual layer) dvds
so yea, just for backing up purposes etc cds wil be fine, you just wont be able to store as much on them...
here is the page that that link is taken from incase you want to double check, choose a diff host --> http://www.safer-networking.org/en/mirrors/index.html
yes, all of those things will happily fit on a cd, dvds and cds are practically the same thing apart from storage, just bare in mind tht u cnt make a music dvd tht will play in come cd playes (generally) just as u cnt create a film cd to play in dvd players (generally, however u can create vcd's but ill let u google tht or start another thread.lol)
so yes a cd will store 700mb,
and a dvd will store 4.7gb 4700mb (for arguments sake) unless u use dl (dual layer) dvds
so yea, just for backing up purposes etc cds wil be fine, you just wont be able to store as much on them...
!! <Runs away before Dez, dezzes me! lol!> 
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