Ominous Desktop Background and worse

rhayes

Hows it goin people,

This thing starts off with a 'Warning! Your're In Danger! ....'desktop

Here it is in full




It doesn't let me access the net or do anything else, I've tried Spybot Doctor as well as spybot search and destroy (could only install applications in safe mode).

Anybody come across this? If so how did they fix it short of a reformat

CraggyIslander

try malwarebytes anti-malware

MT

It seems the same virus has infected my computer. In fact, I'd just checked in here today to get an answer and then saw your thread.

The message that comes up on my desktop is exactly the same. However, the virus makers must have hired a - rather poor admittedly - artistic director as the black background has been replaced with a more snazy blue screen covered in analogue code - alternating lines of 001001001 and 110110110. Maybe yours was old stock from the winter collection.;)

However, it takes a few minutes for this desktop background to pop up but at all times after I've logged on everything is slowed down. At first I thought it might have been a failing battery but the computer clock hadn't lost any time and then the ominous 'screen of annoyance' popped up to clarify my worst fears.

I keep getting little system security speech bubbles coming up too, telling me about a spyware infection, compromised privacy, etc. A grey box with a dire warning about trojan something and ok/cancel tabs appears frequently as well. Ultimately, my computer sort of crashes and a blue screen with white text appears and then it restarts.

This is probably all my own fault as a didn't update my virus protection. However, if I installed anti-viral software would it clean out my computer 'retrospectively' as opposed to just halting future attacks?

MT

CraggyIslander, I cannot get through to that link. I wonder is there something wrong with their site or would the virus be blocking access to it?

ActorSeeksJob

removed advice

good luck with spybot

Tallon

Dont disable or enable anything

Download Spybot, run it and reboot!
had this on a few work PC's a month back

MT

Thanks for the responses, guys.

I think I'll try the spybot that tallon links to as it seems a bit simpler - I'm not that computer savy.:o

But should I then go through all the steps outlined in one of the stickied threads to really ensure the system is completely cleaned out and protected for the future?

MT

Oh dear I can't get into that spybot link either. This thing really seems to have taken over my computer.

I wonder should I start going through all those steps in that stickied thread?!!

Tallon

MT wrote: »

Thanks for the responses, guys.

I think I'll try the spybot that tallon links to as it seems a bit simpler - I'm not that computer savy.:o

But should I then go through all the steps outlined in one of the stickied threads to really ensure the system is completely cleaned out and protected for the future?

Not needed! Spybot will fix most things, then just run a normal in-dept Virus scan. I assume you have an antivirus

MT

Er, this is where I'm going to have to fess up. My computer was down for a long time with a hardware problem - it's a 2004 Dell Optiplex from the batch with the faulty, swelling capacitors. Before things wen't wrong with the caps I'd let my anti-virus protection lapse and then sort of ignored/wished away the need to get new security when I was up and running again a few months back.

Yes, an analogy involving no condoms, 25 kids and a load of STDs comes to mind.

So I seem to have other problems as well. For some time now when doing a search on Google, clicking on a link that comes up directs me to a site other than the one I should be navigating to; usually biz something or another search link. It seems dodgy as the http thing in the bar at the bottom of the window is full of numbers. Interestingly - or should that be typically - I've learned to work around this by hitting the back button a few times, bringing me back to the site I was after. Thus, I've lazilly found another way to ignore my lack of security.

[*Important Discovery* *Important Discovery* *Important Discovery*]
I created user accounts for myself and a guest some time back; this meant someone could use my computer without accessing my stuff. However, this means that there's also an Administrator account and, interestingly, I'm accessing boards through this now and the desktop warning hasn't popped up. My computer still seems to have something wrong with it as the slowness hasn't disappeared - in addition, I can't access the spybot link from the Administrators account either.

I suppose I'm rightly due an earful now about not maintaining anti-virus protection...:o

Tallon

Fully re install windows so, this will fix everything and speed up the PC.
Then install anti-virus, and keep it up to date!

MT

Er, there's a problem with that solution too. I haven't got a windows cd!:o

I bought this machine second hand over ebay from a guy in Wales selling off a batch of them. He freshly installed windows on them and then sold them but without the disks - can't complain really as I got this for a pittance. He did offer in the literature that accompanied the package to post me the windows cd anytime I needed to do something, er... like reinstalling, I suppose. But that was a year or two ago now.

A friend has a new pc with a new version of windows - cd and all. Would it be legal for him to give me his cd so that I could install the operating system on my PC?