BIG PROBLEM - Laptop is sending out spam

AARRRGH · 10-01-2006 1:17am #1

Hello,

I've been trying to fix my girlfriends laptop for the last 24 hours and I think I'm going mad...

I can see her laptop is sending out spam (tons of Norton scan-each-email windows are poping up over the system tray.)

I've done a full Norton 2006 scan.
I've done a full Adaware scan.
I've done a full Spybot scan.
I've done a full ewido anti-malware scan.
I've done a full CleanUp.
I've uninstalled anything which looks funny.

Nothing I am doing will fix this problem.

Surely there is a simple way to block all outgoing e-mail?? (she only uses hotmail.)

Or is there another way I can stop this spam from happening? Agh. Nightmare!!!

Thanks for any help...

Karoma · 10-01-2006 2:43am

Install a firewall and block outgoing emails. Get rid of outlook/express preferably. Install and update AVG (Sorry for the cliched Boards.ie response; but AVG is much better given that NAV is prone to attack by some of these viruses) and run in safe mode..

timeout · 10-01-2006 10:47am

If the machine is infected you are better off running the scans from safe mode, you'd be surprised how much extra they find. press F5 on startup and select safe mode from the list.

DonkeyStyle \o/ · 10-01-2006 10:52am

tbh I'd just format and reinstall the OS... if it's already a spam zombie, God only knows what other kinds of crap is hiding in there.

AARRRGH · 10-01-2006 7:28pm

Managed to sort it. What a nightmare. Had to delete loads of stuff... Had to copy across DLL files from my laptop to hers...

She's now ona strict diet of Firefox with regular software updates and scans!!

Sam Vimes · 11-01-2006 11:18am

timeout wrote:

If the machine is infected you are better off running the scans from safe mode, you'd be surprised how much extra they find. press F5 on startup and select safe mode from the list.

F8 gets you into safe mode

Karoma · 11-01-2006 9:37pm

Commander Vimes wrote:

F8 gets you into safe mode

Or F5 -> the specific OS version wasn't specified during the thread..

r3nu4l · 26-01-2006 12:37pm

You should also download and run HiJack this (install it to its' own folder in the C drive (or whatever letter your main drive has), then post the log to the spyware and hijack this forum on castlecops website.

Please don't select all in the log and hit the 'fix' button. You may have to wait a while for the response from castlecops but the response will be first class and may also help root out previously unidentified registry keys and CLSIDs.

Karoma · 26-01-2006 8:23pm

ER... better late than never I s'pose.. but the issue's been fixed.. *shrug*

r3nu4l · 27-01-2006 10:26am

Yeah, the issues you know about are fixed but HiJack This will find things that Spybot, Adaware and anti-virus programs are not designed to find. You may still have gremlins hidden away waiting to be activated. Your choice, just offering advice to get rid of any further nasties that may be lurking. No point in fixing the major issues only and thinking everything is fine.

Karoma · 27-01-2006 8:41pm

Fair point(s).
It's a handy app. - although, it's better to trawl through the archives and learn.

Linkage

rogue-entity · 06-02-2006 1:17am

Even though you have gotten it sorted, it is (as others have said) very likly that there could have been (and still could be) much worse lurking on the system such as trojans or keyloggers. You really should backup the important stuff. If you have a Rescue or Restore Disc then use that to wipe and restore the computer to its factory settings. If you dont have one of these, write down the licence keys for the software programs you have and then wipe and restore from your windows CD.

Once you have a shiney clean install, install either AVG (or my favourite, Antivir), SpyBot S&D, Zone Alarm (or Kerio Personal Firewall) and AdAware. Then go to ye olde windows update and download all the latest ones. Then you all can resume your diet of Firefox and regular system updates.

BIG PROBLEM - Laptop is sending out spam

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