What Do You Do If Your Virus Protection Fails?

[soxxy]

In short, I was visiting my usual places on the 'net this weekend when an error message popped up, "Beware, a Trojan virus has infected your computer. Warning, your computer has been compromised," etc. I called my ISP which also provides my anti-virus protection, for which I pay, and apparently tech is not open on the weekends. I called HP, I'm still under warranty, and over a three-hour period decided to let them guide me through setting my computer back to factory settings (my important documents are backed up).

What is my ISP responsible for? I always update my anti-virus protection, and I certainly pay for it every month, but what if my computer were destroyed? At most, I don't want to continue with *their* anti-virus software, but I'm under warranty.

Any suggestions on what I should say when I call them?

[barbk]

Soxxy --

Your computer may well be fine. Many times these messages pop up as part of an attempt to get you to buy software or even to try and get you to click on them to infect your computer. Wait and talk to your tech today.

In terms of who is responsible for what, I'm afraid that most software services promise you absolutely nothing at all. "No warrant of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose" and "no liability for consequential damages" is in virtually every software license ever written. (Translation: We don't promise that this software does anything at all, and no matter how it behaves, we're not responsible for anything bad that happens as a result of it.)

[Auntie]

Did you run a virus program to see if you actually have a virus?

Like barbk mentioned, the message may have been an attempt to sell you something or trick you into downloading a virus by clicking the link.

If you do have a virus, most viruses can be eliminated with a good anti virus program. There are many good ones available for no cost online.

[AliasJohnDoe]

I've tried McAfee and Norton in the past and always seemed to have a problem at some point. I bought a new computer at Best Buy 2 years ago and had the Kaspersky anti-virus software installed there. In the past 2 years, I've never had a problem with Kaspersky and my pc runs as fast as the day I bought it....and I've been to some "questionable" sites.

[Aceon6]

Anytime you get a message from somewhere other than your virus protection program that you have a virus, you do not have a virus. These are teases embedded on less than stellar websites to get you to actually download malware. Once downloaded, the cruds responsible will use your computer to send spam or worse.

Our IT department makes sure we have two forms of checking - our corporate antivirus (McAfee) and a malware checker - installed on all PCs. The method for checking is 1-2-3.
1. Disconnect from the network.
2. Run a full scan using your primary antivirus software
3. Run a secondary scan using your backup (we use Malwarebytes)
If both scans are clean, reconnect and resume normal activities.

[FigureSpins]

I think it was an advertisement as well. Run a virus/malware scan, shut down the computer, then bring it back online and run another full virus/malware scan, but I think it won't find anything.

At an InfoTech security seminar I attended about six years ago, the presenter said to close all windows and applications, then physically turn off the computer without shutting down, if you think you've infected your computer. Turn it back on using minimal processing and then run your virus scan. He said that the Win XP shutdown processes save the current Windows settings and the tasks to be run at startup, so turning off the computer prevents those changes from being saved or executed. Some viruses and trojans set themselves up to be installed upon the next startup. By turning off the computer and preventing that command from being written, you can halt the infection before it starts. That's why most people couldn't figure out what they did that infected their computer - they might have opened the link a week ago, but not shut down/restarted until a later date.

I don't know if Vista or Win 7.0 has this feature as well. They may record as they go, not at shutdown.

I like Malwarebytes as well.

[Prancer]

I get those all the time on certain sites. Like everyone has said, it's phishing.

It's hard to get rid of those cursed pop-ups, though, and you should NEVER click on them, not even on the word CLOSE or CANCEL or whatever unless you are on a user account. The only time I have ever gotten a virus was when I clicked on a red X on one of those popups in order to close it. Anything you click on may have hidden code that starts a download; just because it says CANCEL doesn't mean that's what the code behind the link says.

If you have Windows and want to get rid of the popup, go to your Task Manager, select the popup and then click End Task; that's the only safe way to do it if you are using an administrator account. If you are on a user account, you can't download anything without permission from the admin account, so if a program attempts to download a hidden file, you will know it.

If you don't have a user account, set one up and use that when you are on the internet. It's almost impossible to get a virus when you are on a user account.

[Aceon6]

If you have Windows and want to get rid of the popup, go to your Task Manager, select the popup and then click End Task; that's the only safe way to do it if you are using an administrator account. If you are on a user account, you can't download anything without permission from the admin account, so if a program attempts to download a hidden file, you will know it.

If you don't have a user account, set one up and use that when you are on the internet. It's almost impossible to get a virus when you are on a user account.

Wish there was a quad-rep button for this post. Using Task Manager is one of those essentials as is knowing what various accounts do and don't do.

[Simone411]

I know about task manager now but I didn't know about it when the same thing happened to me last year. I wasn't sure what to do. I didn't click on the "close" or "cancel" buttons but I did click on the red x. When I did, the Smart Screen Filter in IE 8 blocked the pop up and prevented the fake antivirus program from downloading to my laptop. I got a message from the Smart Screen Filter that said it was blocking the program and then it actually exited or closed IE 8.

I went to Microsoft.com and downloaded the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool and ran it on my desktop. The scan showed no malware or viruses present on my laptop.

http://www.microsoft.com/security/ma...e/default.aspx

I've also used Microsoft Security Essentials for the past two years and it's free to anyone that has a Windows Operating system. I used AVG in the past which is another good anitvirus program but I've personally found that Microsoft Security Essentials is better. I've never had a problem with viruses or maleware since I've been using it. A tech friend of mine that's a Microsoft MVP recommended it and I'm glad I took his recommendation.

http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

[Anita18]

Yup, sounds like a phishing scam to me too. I don't use a paid antivirus - I mostly browse carefully (knowing what not to click on is a HUGE component!) and run Search and Destroy which mostly gets rid of spybots and adware. I used to use AVG but it slowed my computer down A LOT and it never found anything. Before that I used Clamwin.

I also agree that knowing about Task Manager is a MUST for Windows computers. It mostly helps me when a program has frozen and you have to force it to quit.

[milanessa]

What Do You Do If Your Virus Protection Fails?

Depends on whether or not you want to keep it.