IT Queries: Computer problems answered

I have a laptop just over 2yrs old running Windows XP SP2 without virus problems.Your advise has been helpful and I have been running AVG 7.5 anti-virus and Windows Defender.I have had no troubles with viruses until recently.On the 25th of January 2008 three “Exploit” viruses were found and quarantined and two more were found on the 29th,using the morning “complete scan”.

It brings into question the effectiveness of this version of AVG.

What’s happened is AVG has found an attempted Internet Explorer malware attack in your Firefox or Opera file cache. The anti virus didn’t report it because the script didn’t attempt to run.

The writers of AVG, Grisoft, have made a choice not to scan these Javascript applets because it would slow down the computer and web browsing. If you are concerned about these, then you can add .js programs to the Resident Shield in the paid version, or just tell AVG to scan all files in the free version.

Be warned though, this will slow your computer dramatically.

In our view, it’s better to setup users with Limited User profiles which prevents these things from being able to get on your computer.

The fact these exploits didn’t run on your system is a good sign that you are practicing safe computing. I’d be more reassured than worried.

I am running Windows XP with service pack 2. I have Norton Antivirus. The computer is running slower by the day. It was suggested to me that I might need to check for Spyware , so i have downloaded spy Doctor . Now it runs even slower . It takes about 10 mins to access the internet from stat up

It could be a number of things causing the problem. You may have a full hard drive and we’ve covered this previously.

It’s possible Norton is causing this problem. One of our criticisms of Norton products is that not only do they allow spyware onto machines, but when the spyware is on the machine Norton makes the problem worse.

The next step is to check your machine for spyware, we have instructions on doing that in an earlier post.

Once you have checked and cleared any spyware, consider installing the latest Windows Scripting Host. Norton relies upon this software to run properly.

In the worst case, uninstall Norton and replace it with another anti virus program.

If the problem continues, it may be you have a more serious problem with your computer and it may be time to call a computer tech.

The computer just closed to a blank screen with the message no signal detected. We are running XP. I updated Norton Antivirus and then tried to scan in case of a virus and the computer just goes to the blank screen with no signal detected

The “No Signal Detected” message means exactly that; the computer monitor isn’t getting a signal from the computer. Basically it means the computer is off or the cable to the monitor is disconnected.

Sometimes it means the computer’s graphic card has failed.

In your case, it means the computer is shutting down when you run Norton. This is serious.

Either Windows is crashing due to a memory problem or, more likely, you have an extremely serious spyware infection.

We’d strongly suggest you call out a service technician to have a look at your system.

MY PC IS SAYING \”VIRUS FOUND JS/DOWNLOAD AGENT\”
WHAT DO I DO?

I AM RUNNING WINDOWS XP HOME EDITION.

First, you turn off your caps lock key. Writing messages in capitals is not good form. Some tips for writing emails and Internet messages can be found at our PC Rescue website.

The message indicates a web site has attempted a “drive by download”, that is it’s tried to install some malware while a user was visiting the site.

The virus checker should have a “fix” or “delete” option. Do it.

If the message continues, it indicates you have a malware infection that keeps re-installing the agent. To remove this, follow our Removing a Trojan instructions.

Removing a persistent spyware infection can be a difficult, irritating job. You may need a computer tech to clean this for you. Make sure you back up all your important data before the tech arrives.

I have adware.mywebsearch.df on my PC. the counterspy ware and Bullguard cannot remove it. Do you have any suggestions?

Unfortunately many antivirus and security programs struggle with spyware infections. We suggest you follow our instructions for Removing a Trojan.

We’re not great fans of Bull guard and we don’t know much about counterspy, but the fact neither program can deal with the infection shouldn’t fill you with confidence about these products.

We’d suggest other programs such as AVG, F-Secure and Kaspersky.

Hi,
Im not to bad with computers but latley of got the \”megaclick\” virus were it takes you to the megaclick page whenever you clickany link and claims it doesnt exist(obviously a lie since google does exist)
Ive tried all my virus programs wich are

Greg

Greg, you have a spyware infection. Page hijacking, where the start page is taken over by the bad guys, is a classic trick of these people.

To fix it, follow our Removing a Trojan advice. Before starting, make sure your Spybot Search and Destroy is fully up to date along with the other removal tools.

My PC keeps shutting down. What might the problem be?

This is one of those problems that could be a number of things. It could be hardware or software related.

The key to finding out is by noting when it shuts down. If it regularly shuts down due after several minutes work, then it is probably hardware related. Shutting down when a certain program or document is opened, usually indicates a software problem.

You’ll have to note when the shutdowns actually happen before it’s possible to say what the problem probably is.

It’s worthwhile running a check for malware. Sometimes spyware and viruses cause these shutdowns.

If it’s a hardware problem, it’s probably a failed fan or defective power supply. Sometimes an inadequate power supply is trying to power too many devices. Unplugging all USB and Firewire equipment will indicate if this is a problem.

Diagnosing these sort of problems takes experience and patience. You might find calling a computer technician is a quicker and more cost effective solution.

If it’s a hardware

My operating system is Me and recently I have received the following error message. It is headed SNDSRVC.EXE – EMBEDDING and below this says, Sndsrvc has caused an error in Kernel32.DLL. Sndsrvc will now close. Another error message which has appeared on a couple of occasions is, Error Starting Program, followed by The IPHLPAPI.DLL cannot start. Check the file to determine the problem. I would be grateful for any advice.

The SNDSRVC.EXE service is part of the Norton Internet Security suite. If you have Norton we’d suggest uninstalling it first.

If you have uninstalled Norton then it’s possible some of the components are still present. You can remove them by downloading and running the Norton removal tool provided by Symantec. Be careful with this tool as it will disable products like PC Anywhere and Winfax.

It’s also possible you have a spyware infection. We’d suggest testing the machine for an infection. We’ve previously posted how to do this.

Finally, you might have to search the hard drive to find where this file is hiding. That will give clues on how to remove it.

Don’t forget to create restore points before carrying out each of these suggestions.

I have been a McAfee user for a year, but my subscription has run out and when I tried to renew nothing happened, they took the money and I did not get renewed. They have repaid me the money , but I need to have virus protection, can you help me with my problem please.

Unfortunately McAfee and Symantec don’t make it easy for customers to renew their subscriptions and it’s one of the reasons why we recommend other products.

For antivirus, we’d recommend something like Kaspersky, F-Secure and AVG Professional. These are paid-for programs which give you support.

If you want to save money, there are free programs like AVG Free and Anti-Vir. Be aware that free software comes with no support. So if you hit problems you are on your own.

Another criticism we have of the bigger anti-virus programs is they have convoluted and unreliable removal programs. We’d strongly recommend going to the Add/Remove programs section of the Control Panel and removing anything with McAfee in its name.

My anti virus program says it’s detected a Trojan on my work computer, and then requested delete, but the computer is still behaving strangely and the warning keeps happening. Is there another program that may help?

Simply deleting the Trojan probably won’t work. The problem with these programs is they are designed to hide in system files and reappear at the first opportunity.

Fixing a Trojan infection can be a very difficult process. The first step is to backup your data. It may be necessary to wipe your computer and reinstall everything.

Once you’ve backed up all your data, download as many spyware removal tools as possible to remove the trojan. We’d suggest starting with Malware Bytes, Spybot and Adaware.

A good anti-virus is also important. We’d recommend installing one of the free virus protection tools which we discuss at Which Free Anti-Virus is Best.

Each of these programs should be installed and their update routines run so they are fully up to date. DO NOT SCAN YOUR COMPUTER OR TRY TO REMOVE THE TROJAN YET.

Shutdown your computer and restart in Safe Mode. This will start the computer with the basic settings and, hopefully, without the Trojan starting, this is essential if you want to remove the trojan from your system.

With the computer running in Safe Mode, run all the anti virus and anti spyware programs you previously installed. Do one at a time and be aware this will take many hours.

This will clear all but the worst Trojan, virus or spyware infections, but what you should be aware of is modern malare is very good at hiding itself and if the problem persists you either have to call a technician or wipe the computer. This may be necessary to remove the Trojan from your computer

After any spyware or Trojan infection, you should be aware that any online services you’ve accessed might be compromised. We highly recommend you change all banking and other sensitive passwords and monitor your financial statements closely after finding an infection.