Nyar (part 2)

[undsputed]

Hello all, it's good to recognize some names here.  Gob, the site looks pretty good.  I know its been around a long time but I haven't really checked it out until recently.

I'm not sure if you post here or not, Nyar, but I have a question for you (for anyone that can help).  I recently posted on the other board about some problems I was having and possible hard-drive failure.  I have good reason to believe that I am infected with a trojan horse (at least) but am not sure until I can buy a anti-virus upgrade (mine is almost three years old).  Do you know what the effects of such a problem are and maybe how to remove it?  Any info. you can tell me about how it works would be good.  Also, do you know anything about a virus named BAMM (or something like that)?

Thanks ;)

[Gobalopper]

Nyar is here. :D

[undsputed]

Gob, moving the post isn't a bad idea, but I think it may lose some potential viewers who may be able to help or have gone through such a problem.  I am new, so I'm not sure how many people check out this portion of your site.

[Nyarlathotep]

undsputed, good to see you here as well !

Not to worry, I'm here and will help you  ;D

About your problem.. If you believe you have a virus and do not have an up to date virus scanner, there are several options:

1) Purchase a new virus scanner (I would recommend McAfee, as they haven't lket me down in all those years I use it). If you install a virus scanner on a computer which contains a virus, it will detect it and remove it. What you need to keep in mind though is if you buy one online, you HAVE to install it from its location and do NOT download it. If you download it first, the virus scanner will be placed on your harddrive and will contain the virus once you try to install. If you buy a CD with a virus scanner, obviously you will install from CD, so no problem there.

Once installed, run the virus scanner and try to clean the infected files. If no possibility of cleaning, delete the files. If you have the exact name of the virus, you can find some explenation on www.mcafee.com.

2) Format your harddrive and after you've installed your OS, install the new virus scanner. If you have more then one drive/partition, run the virus scanner right after installation (and update if possible) over the various drives/partitions you may have.

Obviously, option 1 will give you less hassle, but I would recommend option 2. Not just for the virus, but I always format my drive once in the 6 months. It keeps my computer in optimal shape and you will notice an increase of performance. All depends on how much you install and de-install.

Another thing is to keep your OS up to date (via the Windows update button) together with your virus scanner. It's a must !

Let me know if this answer satisfies you, or if you wish more information !

[undsputed]

Nyar,

    Thanks, that was pretty helpful, as I am not used to working with things like this.  I will likely buy a new Mcafee program when I get a chance.  

    So what's this about updating the OS.  I am using Windows 98, again, at least 3 years old, so I'm sure they have something to upgrade it (like a free download).  Does that help protect against viruses or is there another reason I should update it?

[Nyarlathotep]

Well, updating your OS is giving you upgrades concerning programs you use (like outlook for example), but also security patches for explorer (for example). It's always good to check every now and then. It doesn't help against viruses, that's what the virus scanner is for..

If there's anything else you wish to know, please feel free to ask :)

[Gobalopper]

undsputed this is the Tech forum where Nyar answers all the tech questions so you shouldn't have any problems finding help. :)

http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ < the link for patches to Windows in case you don't have it.