In recent months there's been a spate of virii attacking users. Yet some simple sense & precautions can help you avoid these situations.

Precautions:

1. Keep your anti-virus program active & keep your virus definitions up-to-date. Online scans: (i) Trend Micro HouseCall (ActiveX), . . . . (ii) Trend Micro HouseCall (Java), . . . . (iii) BitDefender ScanOnline,

(iv) eTrust AntiVirus Web Scanner, . . . . (v) McAfee FreeScan, . . . . (vi) RAV AntiVirus Scan Online,

(vii) Panda ActiveScan, . . . . (viii) Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool


2. Avoid downlding exe files. And if you decide to downld zip files, be careful of their size & scan them before opening. Ignore files less than 1 MB (1,000 KB) in size. See Arrange search results by size (click on link). Some common trojan sizes are as found: (a) Beware of files sized 851.7 KB,
(b) Most of them are 765.5kb & 399.0kb,
(c) I open the folder there are about 800+ .Rar files all at the size of 765kb, (d) Beware Of This Virus!!!,
(e) Warning: Trojans And Spyware, (f) Gnutella W32.Alcra.B Virus/Trojan Migration & advice!,
(g) unwanted downloads Mass of zipped files,
(h) growing number of ZIP files all the same size & FREE ANTI-VIRUS programs
(i) viruses, spyware, and other nasties (precautions to take & free AV programs)
(j) See NorbiesWorld (click on link) about recommendations for Anti-Virus & other utility programs including FREE ones. And for personal help sorting out virii, etc.& performance issues. * Norbie can help, see #5 for his 'direct help link' below (bottom of page.)
(h) Follow steps here & choose your alternative help site. Steps to take are detailed!


3. Other tools to have handy:

A: ad-ware __(FREE)

B: Spybot - Search & Destroy __(FREE)

C: Peerguardian __(FREE)


4. Known Reports of Virii & their FX:

(a) Known Peer To Peer Worm (copying itself to the startup folder), (b) LimeWire continually Popping up every few seconds & also Opening at System Startup, (c) How to get limewire to quit popping up every few seconds This is malware has been identified as Sdbot.worm.gen, Worm.Win32.VB.an, the "AN Worm", sometimes called the "Zodiak Worm", (d) I exit the limewire program, it refuses to stay shut down and will restart its self on it own. The virus is known as w32.Acan, (e) WORM_VB.AS,
(f) Files downloaded contain W32 virus or the like

Other known names for these virii (different AV companies may have their own names for the same virus):
worm_bagle.AH, TROJ_INOR.A, TROJ_GLITCH.B, TROJ_SMALL.LI, WORM_CYDOG.B <- Forum posting about worm -> WORM.BAGLE.AH Aliases: W32/Bagle.ai@MM, Win32/BAgle.AI@mm, I-Worm.Bagle.ai, Win32/Bagle.Variant.Worm, Win32:Beagle-AH, Worm/Bagle.AI, W32.beagle.AG.mm, Bagle.AI, W32/Bagle-AH, Bagle.AE <- trendmicro search page, VName=WORM_BAGLE.AH&VSect=T -> Forum posting

http://securityresponse.symantec.com...yteverify.html
Trojan.ByteVerify, Exploit-ByteVerify [McAfee], Exploit.Java.Bytverify [KAV], JAVA_BYTVERIFY.A [Trend]

Some of the items carrying these virii were like this: -> ??? Keygen Crack, ??? Source Code, ??? Beta

* Obviously virii can have variants so always play it safe. And use some common sense when downlding files. Check the file size & if it's obviously much smaller than what it should be. Most legitimate files are larger than 1 MB (1,000 KB), so don't get confused. See Arrange search results by size (click on link) Be very wary or & better to leave it alone. Remember: take precautions.

(g) How to eliminate files that refuse to delete: Incomplete Download File won't delete at all (click link)

(h) Rootkits *** WARNING ***, - (ii) What does a rootkit look like?


5. (a) More help? See NorbiesWorld (click on link) A very helpful forum that helps you get your computer back in shape or/& busting the above issues.
... (b) And even more help? Follow steps here & choose your alternative help site.