Help needed

[heirflick]

lads, this is a computer question (and it railway related - because without the laptop i cant access the site when away from home!!) im told that any computer repair shop could charge up to 150 euros to get it running, and i would rather spend that on the galway liveried coaches!

the laptop is an Acer aspire, it was working fine but my young lad had it for a while and now it starts up ok but you cant get on line or play a dvd , in fact i cant access any programs. there is an antivirus software on the machine and it shows all as secure.however there is a security warning on the bottom right of the screen saying 'firewall warning- hiddeen file transfer to remote host has been detected, activate internet security now' i cant access that either. tried system restore , cant access that . can i press any key on start up to activate factory default settings? any help is appreciated!

[BosKonay]

Sounds like your son's internet use got the machine infected with a trojan/virus.

 

If you have the original windows install DVD, now is the time to reinstall I would reckon.

[Glenderg]

You could start it in safe mode without main services running and spend a day fixing the registry and loading spybot s&d and running scans etc. Probably best to follow bosko's advice for a peaceful day.

[heirflick]

i found a windows xp home edition cd, not belonging to the acer but can i use this?

[Glenderg]

Yeah, should be fine as long as the XP code on the sticker on the underside of the laptop is for XP home ed.

[heirflick]

thanks lads!

[BosKonay]

Let us know how you get on, I'm sure I've XP disks around if needed.

[Broithe]

My Techy Chap says -

 

Sounds like he has some serious malware issue's.

Start up in "safe mode with networking". To get the options for this on screen he needs to repeatedly press F8 when switching the PC on.

If internet then allows him to connect in safemode, tell him to download and run this one time scanner from Malwarebytes. The web address is http://www.malwarebytes.org/products/mbar/

Hopefully that will help. If he still cant access the internet in safe mode either, then downloading the above and using a memory stick would work to get it onto the required pc from a working one.

 

No guarantees, but this is how I would personally go at it before looking into anything else.

 

 

I've been using Malwarebytes with Microsoft Security Essentials for a few years, on his recommendation, with no issues at all.

[skinner75]

'Take off and nuke the site from orbit - it's the only way to be sure' AKA - format, and reinstall the laptop from scratch, giving the young lad a clip around the ear for messing it up in the first place!

[heirflick]

thanks to all who replied , but the award for the 'saint of the year' goes to Broithe! spot on advice - hit f8 straight to safe mode and system restore, that done, straight to the malware site, downloaded the anti mal stuff, 4 bugs detected and removed . laptop now like new! thanks a mil broithe and pass on my appreciation to the tech whiz kid! pints to ye all:cheers: apparently the problem lay with a site called frostwire - so stay well clear of that crap!

PS....I LOVE THIS SITE! - where else would you get help like this?

[Glenderg]

You could start it in safe mode without ....blah blah blah

 

?

[Broithe]

?

 

Just find a twelve-year-old - they'll do it for you.

[Warbonnet]

 

Well done Seamus, this is how I spent my afternoon!

[WRENNEIRE]

CTRL ALT DELETE?

Press button B, see if you can get your money back?

[Weshty]

thanks to all who replied , but the award for the 'saint of the year' goes to Broithe! spot on advice - hit f8 straight to safe mode and system restore, that done, straight to the malware site, downloaded the anti mal stuff, 4 bugs detected and removed . laptop now like new! thanks a mil broithe and pass on my appreciation to the tech whiz kid! pints to ye all:cheers: apparently the problem lay with a site called frostwire - so stay well clear of that crap!

PS....I LOVE THIS SITE! - where else would you get help like this?

 

Glad you got it sorted. Having had fun and games with malware I would never go down the road of a complete reinstall. It's just not needed. Provided you have another PC you should be able to search for and download the required fix and then copy across with a memory stick. Then blast the PC with every respectable malware killer possible, preferably in safemode.

 

http://lifehacker.com/5227896/five-best-malware-removal-tools

 

Hijackthis is something you should have on as the canary in the goldmine. It won't fix anything, but if you run it every few days, you can see if there is anything new and dodgy and take a search friom there. Very little can hide from it.

 

But I have to say €150 for a fix sounds a bit rich.

 

And tell that young fellah to stop playing online games etc., they are riddled with sh'te!

Edited May 10, 2013 by Weshty

[heirflick]

thanks des, i've learned a lot today(the hard way!!) the 150 quoted by the ? expert was for reinstalling the operating system aswell as all updates - i presume it was for time he was charging. anyway all is well and the lad has been confined to his x box from now on!

[heirflick]

[ATTACH]7067[/ATTACH]

 

Well done Seamus, this is how I spent my afternoon!

 

fran, i won't even ask what your up to!

[Warbonnet]

fran, i won't even ask what your up to!

 

Haha had to replace the charging port on my mothers laptop, two hours of pure fun! Still managed to put humpty back together again!

 

 

 

Edited May 10, 2013 by Warbonnet

[heirflick]

is there no end to your talents? were you down at brens lately?

[Broithe]

mothers laptop

 

Bloody hell!! I can't get mine to use a mobile phone....

[Warbonnet]

is there no end to your talents? were you down at brens lately?

 

Just never ask me to wire your layout, or paint anything! I haven't, work has taken over again these past few months, but I might have a lot of free time coming up again soon sadly

 

Will have to organise something down Laois way over the summer!

[Warbonnet]

Bloody hell!! I can't get mine to use a mobile phone....

 

I wish I could get mine off her mobile!

[Broithe]

Will have to organise something down Laois way over the summer!

 

I understand that Abbeyleix is planned for September 14th/15th this year.