Hacker Alert - I have been hit with a VIRUS/TROJAN - A FIX
 

While downloading a song from Limewire this eve I saw the urgent msg to contact efreeclub.com and I did. I then got a little sign that seemed to indicate someone knew all about me (ISP etc) and it said "yes! you've been hacked!" I thought I had adequate security, obviously not, I have installed new security but I wanted to know what I can do now that the hacker seems to be already in, and what is the hacker able to do? Why is this person able to get into my computer thru Limewire? Do I have to throw the computer out now? (would rather not if possible).
If I have posted this in the wrong place please accept my apologies, and tell me where I need to post it (I am new at this).
I love Limewire and would like to continue happily using it.
Thanks,
Carol

Hiya, Carol and Welcome !

Yup ! You have definitely posted in the wrong place !!! LOL
You first posted in the BearShare Forums and you are unfortunately using Limewire !

I'll 'move' you.


Now, it is most probable that you have downloaded/installed a virus/trojan 'malware' application.
Isn't the internet fun ???

OK...
Please do the following and tell ALL your friends to do the same, right ???

If you are able to access the internet (meaning the krap on your machine 'allows' it...)

Go to

> Malwarebytes.org

Download the Malwarebytes Software and be sure to follow the installation instructions.
(Normally it is a VERY bad idea to download anything to your 'Desktop', but Malwarebytes is a little bit differnet and you MUST 'save' the Malwarebytes Installer to your Desktop. Later, you must Double-Click on the Malwarebytes Installer file that you saved to your Desktop.)

Once you have it installed SHUTDOWN your computer.
Start your computer again and, after waiting at least 4-5 minutes, click on Malwarebytes (the actual program that you installed earlier, NOT the Malwarebytes Install file that looks very different... You should delete the install file from your desktop a.s.a.p.) ... and run Perform Full Scan - Do not do ANYTHING else while the program is running... No clicks or keyboard actions or browsing... Nada !


When all is finished you should have a very nice clean computer, but I would strongly suggest that, after another Shutdown and Start cycle, you go to

> Nod32 - Free Virus Scan: Use ESET's Online Antivirus Scanner

'Agree' to all of the questions and run the scan. It might take 20-30 minutes but who cares if it fixes your problems, hmmm ?

Last... Both of the above mentioned programs/services are 100% clean and safe.

Tell the neighbours, OK ?

Malwarebytes - Reply
 

Thanks very much Ursula,
I have been in touch with my ISP and their not so heplful tech support. However they have a free 60 day offer of anti-viral anti- hacker phishing etc software at the moment so I am going to download that. (After the 60 days you have to pay and pay but I can unsubscribe before that happens.) The reason is I will use this software for now is that I only have dialup with a limit of 50 mb downloads per month (unfortunately this also means about 2 songs a month from Limewire.) The software you recommended will use a lot of my download allowance and my ISPs will not use any. It will solve the problem in the short term. I am upgrading to broadband in the very near future so will install the malwarebyte then. Do you think this is sufficient? Also thankyou for moving me, and sorry but I keep going into gnutella forums, how do I get into Limewire forums?
Thanks again and sorry to be a pain,
Regards,
Carol

Two quick comments...

Whatever 'protection service' your ISP will offer you will be utter rubbish and grossly overpriced.


The Malwarebytes software is only a one-time 1.7MB download and their updates normally take no more than 10-15 seconds from start to finish.
However, you are very correct about running the ESET on line scan... That would eat up your allocation/cap.

I urge you to do the Malwarebytes instantly !
The ESET scan was only suspenders to go on top of the belt !!! ;)


Whoa !!! It just hit me !!!

You have a 56k dial-up with a bandwidth usage restriction ???
That is outrageous. They are cheating you, very badly indeed.

Malwarebytes Download
 

Thanks once again Ursula,
As a result of this virus I keep getting a pop up msg that LOOKS like it's from Windows (a phone call to Microsoft confirmed that it wasn't) it keeps telling me to go to some site at wwwregfixitcom. When I did this it tried to download some Error Smart program that (you guessed it )it wants you to buy. I ran the Malware prog and it confirmed that this is the virus and it had got into 4 files, none of whch it had seemed to damage. I have quarantined them but still get the pop up thing. My great ISP with such a fantastic reputation throughout Aust have not answered their tech support all night, just as well youtold me about the malware as when I downloaded the ISP "security" it didn't work. Yes, I am being ripped off (altho I only pay $9.95 a month) which is why I am changing ISPs. However I am concerned that this pop up keeps appearing which means the virus is still there. It's saying it's "a critical error message - registry damaged and corrupted" and directing me to the abovementioned site. Thanks once again for all your help but how the hell do I get rid of this thing?
regards,
Carol

wow...even i got something like this a year ago...i formatted my pc.. and now it gone...

Superantispyware is a good program to run. You can find that program all over the place. I had the flashing yellow triangle and everything. It caught and wiped everything. I recommend highly

Hi,
Thought i posted earlier, sorry for bringing up an old thread, but i have a problem with someone getting into my computer and i'm trying to get rid of it without reformating. I tried doing what Ursula said, downloading "Malwarebytes" but when i click on the installer it brings a pop up which says 'the setup files are corrupted. Pls obtain a new program'. What the matter here? I do have nod32 and have run 'scan and clean' many times but it always leaves 1 hreat that it cannot clean.
Mnay thanks.

Ursula isn't around anymore to give you advise on the problem your having with Malwarebytes...

But you could try Spybot Search and Destroy, it is very reliable and picks up stuff that others cant...

Here's the link...

Spybot - Search & Destroy __(FREE)

eh....whenever I've been bitten with a nasty I've usually found the amount of time required to fix it to be prohibitive, and even then one is never really sure that they are clean...

firstly: partition your HDD so that 20-30GB is alloted for your OS an such....the rest being for data storage...acquired stuff and move it to the storage partition...what this scenario does is allows you to fairly quickly backup your data (by moving it to the secondary partition) and then reformat and do a clean install of your OS...this of course makes it so that you don't have to use CDs and DVDs...this method also allows for much quicker defragmentation times as one is only dealing with 20-30GB of area, not a full drive...

second: install another HDD, and even perhaps go so far as to create a dual boot system with an OS on each of the primary partitions of the HDDs....if an OS goes south you have another for immediate use, and many times you can remotely repair the damaged OS...also, when moving data for storage do it from HDD to HDD as this is about 2x as fast!